Merchant services
Dojo vs SumUp: which card machine costs less?.
Dojo and SumUp are two of the most popular card machines for small UK businesses. Here is how their published fees, machines and terms compare, using prices read on 26 October 2026.
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Dojo and SumUp are two of the most popular card machines for small UK businesses. Here is how their published fees, machines and terms compare, using prices read on 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
Dojo charges a 1.2% blended rate on all cards if you take under £100,000 a year by card, and quotes above that. SumUp charges 1.69% with no monthly fee, or 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards with Payments Plus at £19 a month. On £2,000 a month, Dojo's card fees are £24.00 and SumUp's are £33.80 (prices 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
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.
Both are well known and both pay out the next day. SumUp has no long-term commitment, and Dojo offers a 30-day rolling plan to larger businesses. The difference is in how they charge. Dojo uses a blended rate, meaning one rate for every card type: 1.2% for businesses under £100,000 a year of card sales. Above £100,000 Dojo gives a custom rate, with a choice of a 12-month fixed plan or a 30-day rolling plan, and it does not publish that figure.
SumUp publishes everything. Its pay-as-you-go plan is 1.69% on all in-person payments, including American Express and premium cards, with no monthly fee. Its Payments Plus plan costs £19 a month and drops the rate to 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards. Businesses taking £10,000 or more a month can ask SumUp for bespoke fees.
These are card fees only, using published rates read on 26 October 2026, before any machine cost. SumUp Payments Plus figures assume every card is a UK debit or credit card at 0.99%; premium, international and American Express cards stay at 1.69%, so your real bill depends on your card mix.
SumUp sells its readers outright, with no rental. The Solo Lite is £25, the Solo is £79 and the SumUp Terminal is £135, all excluding VAT, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Tap to Pay, which lets you take contactless payments on an iPhone or Android phone with no separate machine, costs £0 to set up.
Dojo offers each machine either upfront or monthly. The Dojo Go Max is £149 upfront on a launch offer (£229 before) or £25 a month. The Dojo Pocket is £239 or £20 a month. The Dojo Wired is £179 or £15 a month. Dojo also offers Tap to Pay on iPhone at £0.
On £2,000 a month, Dojo's card fees are £9.80 a month lower than SumUp pay-as-you-go. If you rent a Dojo machine at £15 to £25 a month, SumUp works out cheaper overall at that level. If you buy a Dojo Go Max at £149 instead of a SumUp Solo at £79, the £70 difference is covered by the lower card fees in about seven months.
SumUp says there are no long-term commitments and you can cancel anytime. Money lands in the free SumUp Business Account by 7am the next day, including weekends and public holidays, or in your own bank account the next working day. Support is through chat in the app or the Support Centre. SumUp does not offer email support, and phone help depends on the topic. Payments Plus adds 24/7 priority support.
Dojo says you get your takings the next day. Its Essential plan is free; the Plus plan lists at £25 a month per location and is offered at £11.99 to new customers. Dojo promises a real person in the UK within minutes, or within 30 seconds on Plus. For businesses over £100,000 a year, you choose a 12-month fixed rate or a 30-day rolling plan. Dojo also offers to buy you out of an existing contract up to £3,000 and to switch you in one day.
Neither publishes PCI fees (the card industry's security checks) or chargeback fees, which are the charges when a customer disputes a payment.
Dojo tends to suit a business with steady takings under £100,000 a year that wants a sturdier machine and phone support, and that will keep the machine long enough for the lower rate to pay back its higher price. A café, salon or shop taking £3,000 to £8,000 a month usually sits in this group.
SumUp tends to suit a business with low or irregular takings, such as a market stall, a mobile trader or a new business, because there is no monthly fee and the reader costs as little as £25. Once UK card sales pass about £2,715 a month, SumUp Payments Plus at 0.99% becomes competitive with Dojo's 1.2%, so a growing SumUp user does not always need to switch.
Above £100,000 a year, the comparison changes. Dojo moves to a custom quote and SumUp offers bespoke fees from £10,000 a month, so the only way to know which is cheaper is to get both quotes on the same figures. Flatpay is a third option to test: 1.49% on all cards under £200,000 a year with a free terminal and no monthly fee.
Dojo and SumUp both quote their best rates to larger businesses, and those quotes are rarely shown on a website. 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.
Under £100,000 a year of card sales, Dojo's published rate of 1.2% is lower than SumUp's 1.69% pay-as-you-go rate. On £2,000 a month that is £24.00 against £33.80. But Dojo machines cost £149 to £239 upfront or £15 to £25 a month, while SumUp readers start at £25, so total cost depends on your takings.
Dojo's Essential plan is free, and new customers get one month free. The Plus plan lists at £25 a month per location and is offered at £11.99 to new customers. If you rent the machine, that is a separate monthly cost of £15 to £25 depending on the model, as read on 26 October 2026.
SumUp charges 1.69% per in-person payment on pay-as-you-go, with no monthly fee. Payments Plus costs £19 a month, or £189 a year, and charges 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards, with premium, international and American Express cards at 1.69%. Payments made with a SumUp card are 0.00%.
SumUp has no long-term contract on pay-as-you-go or Payments Plus, so you can stop using it at any time. Dojo says it can switch you in one day and will buy out an existing contract up to £3,000. You would need a Dojo machine, bought or rented.
Both pay the next day. SumUp pays into its own SumUp Business Account by 7am the next day, including weekends and public holidays, or to your own bank the next working day. Dojo says you get your takings the next day. Neither states a payout fee.
Dojo does not publish a rate above £100,000 a year of card sales. It gives a custom rate, with a choice of a 12-month fixed plan or a 30-day rolling plan. Above £5 million a year it asks you to book a consultation. We can request that quote for you and compare it with others.
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