Merchant services
Card machine for a shop.
A shop needs a card machine that is quick at the counter, links to the till and keeps fees low as takings grow. Here is how the published offers compare, read 26 October 2026.
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A shop needs a card machine that is quick at the counter, links to the till and keeps fees low as takings grow. Here is how the published offers compare, read 26 October 2026.
Published rates from every major UK card machine provider, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own takings.
The short answer
Most shops need a countertop card machine linked to a till that tracks stock. On £4,000 a month, published card fees are £48.00 with Dojo at 1.2%, £59.60 with Flatpay at 1.49% and £67.60 with SumUp. On £12,000 a month, SumUp Payments Plus is £137.80 and Flatpay £178.80, while Dojo quotes (read 26 October 2026).
Published prices read 26 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | In-person card rate | Monthly fee | Card machine | Contract | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Source | 1.69% pay as you go, or 0.99% on Payments Plus (domestic cards) | £0, or £19 on Payments Plus | Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 (ex VAT), bought outright | None, cancel anytime | Next day, 7am, weekends included |
| Square Source | 1.75% UK cards; +1.5% non-UK cards | £0, or Plus £29+ | Reader £19; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None, cancel anytime | Next day free; instant for 1.95% |
| Dojo Source | 1.2% blended under £100k a year; custom above | £0 Essential; Plus £11.99 new customers (£25 list) | Go Max £149 or £25 a month; Pocket £239 or £20; Wired £179 or £15 | 30-day rolling or 12-month fixed (custom rate) | Next day |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
| Paymentsense Source | 1.40% debit and credit (price tool); bespoke over £150k | Terminal £20 + VAT; minimum service charge £24.95 | Rental, £20 a month + VAT | Not published | 24 working hours |
| Clover Source | Quote only | Rental only | Flex Pocket £15, Mini £20, Station Duo £30 a month + VAT | Not published | Next business day |
VAT is excluded where the provider states it. Rates are for in-person UK consumer cards unless stated. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We compare the whole market, including the providers that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your takings and the right machine. You keep a named account manager who looks after you after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Most shops take payment at a counter, so a countertop machine or a reader on a stand next to the till is usually right. A portable machine helps if you serve customers on the shop floor or sell at events.
The till matters as much as the card machine. A retail POS machine, short for point of sale, is the till system that scans barcodes, tracks stock and records each sale. If the card machine links to it, the amount is sent straight to the machine, which saves time and avoids typing errors.
Average sale size varies widely, from £5 in a newsagent to £100 or more in a clothes or gift shop. With small sales, avoid fixed fees per payment. With larger sales, the percentage rate matters most. Think about your hours too: many shops open seven days, so check support and payout days. Ask how the machine behaves if the internet drops, since offline payments were not described on the pricing pages we read.
For smaller shops, Dojo publishes 1.2% under £100,000 a year, with the Dojo Wired at £179 upfront or £15 a month. Flatpay publishes 1.49% under £200,000 a year with a PAX A920 Pro at £0. SumUp publishes 1.69% with no monthly fee, or 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards with Payments Plus at £19 a month.
For a full retail till, Square publishes the Square Register at £699 plus VAT or £59 plus VAT a month for 12 months and the Square Stand at £99 plus VAT, with free till software and Plus plans from £29 a month. Zettle, now PayPal Point of Sale, publishes 1.75% on all major cards including American Express, Store Kits from £169 excluding VAT and a free till app. Clover publishes the Clover Station Duo at £30 plus VAT a month and the Clover Mini at £20 plus VAT a month, with rates quote only.
Paymentsense publishes 1.40% on UK Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards in its pricing tool, with fixed monthly charges on top.
Card fees on published rates read on 26 October 2026, before machine costs unless shown. SumUp Payments Plus assumes UK debit and credit cards at 0.99%.
If you only need to take cards, a reader or terminal on its own is the cheapest route. If you want stock control and barcode scanning, you need till software and usually a screen.
Published retail till options vary in how you pay. Square lets you buy hardware outright or spread it: the Square Register is £699 plus VAT or £59 plus VAT a month for 12 months. SumUp's POS Plus software is £39 a month excluding VAT. Flatpay's till packages are one-off onboarding and installation charges: mPOS £995, POS Pro £1,495 and POS Premium £2,495, with card fees at 1.69% instead of 1.49%. Clover rents its tills monthly, from £20 plus VAT for the Clover Mini to £30 plus VAT for the Clover Station Duo. Barclaycard's Smartpay Touch is £29 plus VAT a month on a 12-month contract.
Add the till cost to your card fees over two or three years before choosing. A free terminal with a higher till cost may not be the cheapest overall.
Shops open seven days benefit from weekend payouts. SumUp pays into its business account by 7am the next day, including weekends and public holidays. Teya pays every day, including weekends and bank holidays. Zettle says funds typically reach your PayPal Business account within minutes. Dojo says next day. Paymentsense states 24 working hours.
Fixed charges add up on traditional contracts. Paymentsense publishes a £20 a month terminal fee plus VAT, a £24.95 minimum monthly service charge, a £12.95 reporting fee after 3 months free, a £4.95 PCI DSS fee (the card industry's security standard) and a £35.00 monthly charge if you are not PCI compliant. Clover and Barclaycard charge monthly rental.
SumUp, Square and Zettle publish no contract and no monthly fee on their free plans. Dojo offers a 12-month fixed or 30-day rolling plan above £100,000 a year.
Shops often pay for a till, a card machine and card fees from different suppliers, so we compare the total bill, not only the rate. We compare the whole UK card payment market, including Dojo, SumUp, Teya, Flatpay, Paymentsense, Square, Worldpay and others, against your real card sales, your average sale and the way you trade. Where a provider only gives quotes, we request the quote for you and negotiate the rate, so you compare real numbers rather than list prices.
When you have chosen, we handle the switch: the application, the paperwork and the timing with your current provider, so you keep taking payments throughout. You then get a named account manager who stays with you after setup, checks your statements and deals with the provider when something needs fixing. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
For a small shop under £100,000 a year, Dojo's published 1.2% and Flatpay's 1.49% with a free terminal are strong. SumUp suits low or seasonal takings with no monthly fee. If you need a full till, Square publishes every hardware and software price. Compare on your own takings.
A retail POS machine is the till system: the screen, software and often a barcode scanner that records sales and tracks stock. The card machine takes the payment and can link to the till. Square, Zettle, SumUp, Flatpay and Clover publish retail till options.
Flatpay's terminal is £0, SumUp readers are £25 to £135 excluding VAT, Dojo Wired is £179 or £15 a month and Clover Mini is £20 plus VAT a month. A full Square Register is £699 plus VAT. Prices read 26 October 2026.
On £4,000 a month, published card fees run from £48.00 with Dojo to £70.00 with Square or Zettle. Some providers add fixed charges, such as Paymentsense's £20 terminal fee, £4.95 PCI fee and £24.95 minimum monthly service charge.
No. SumUp, Square and Zettle publish no contract and no monthly fee on their free plans. Barclaycard countertop machines are on 18-month contracts and Tyl by NatWest on 12 months. Check exit charges before signing any contract.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.