Merchant services
No contract card machines and card machine rental.
Many UK providers now sell card machines with no contract. Others still rent machines on 12 or 18-month terms. Here is who does which, read 26 October 2026.
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Many UK providers now sell card machines with no contract. Others still rent machines on 12 or 18-month terms. Here is who does which, 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
A no contract card machine lets you stop using it at any time without an exit fee. SumUp, Square, Zettle and Revolut sell machines outright with no contract, and Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere is £29 plus VAT with no contract. Dojo offers 30-day rolling terms. Rentals usually carry a contract: Worldpay states a minimum of 18 months for online applications and Tyl by NatWest 12 months. 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% |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
| Revolut Source | From 0.8% + 2p (UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) | £0 for the reader | Reader £49; Terminal £169 + VAT | None | Within 24 hours |
| Stripe Source | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards; 2.9% + 10p non-EEA | £0 | WisePad 3 £49; S700 or S710 £229 (ex VAT) | Pay as you go | Standard free; instant 1% |
| Teya Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | No lock-ins stated | Next day, weekends included |
| 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 |
| Viva Source | 1.69% UK consumer cards | £0 to £15.99 plans (min £3.99) | Not published | Change plan monthly | Real time |
| Barclaycard Source | Quote only (example 0.7% + 3p, representative) | £16 to £29 + VAT service fee | Smartpay Anywhere £29 + VAT | 12 to 18 months, or none for Anywhere | Next day |
| Tyl by NatWest Source | 1.39% + 5p personal cards (under £50k a year) | Machine hire from £13.99 + VAT | PAX A920 Pro £19.99, A50 £14.99, A80 £13.99 a month + VAT | 12 months | Next business day |
| takepayments Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | 12 months | Next day |
| Worldpay Source | Quote only | Terminal £20 a month (indicative) | Rental, quote | Minimum 18 months | Next 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.
A contract-free card machine means you can stop using the service whenever you like, without paying to leave. These providers publish no long-term contract, read 26 October 2026. You buy the machine once and pay only for transactions, unless you choose an optional monthly plan.
Teya says there are no lock-ins. Dojo offers a 30-day rolling option on its custom-rate tier, or a 12-month fixed plan. Viva Wallet lets you change plan monthly. Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere and Smartpay Touch both list a £0 cancellation cost, though Smartpay Touch runs on a 12-month term.
Card machine rental, sometimes sold through merchant rental agreements, means you pay a monthly fee for the machine instead of buying it. The rental is often bundled with a contract of 12 to 18 months. Barclaycard portable and countertop machines are 18 months. Tyl by NatWest and takepayments are 12 months. Worldpay states a minimum 18-month contract for online applications.
Rental has real advantages. There is little upfront cost, and repairs or replacements are often included. Published rentals include Tyl's PAX A80 at £13.99 + VAT a month, Barclaycard countertop at £16 + VAT, Barclaycard portable at £18 + VAT, Paymentsense at £20.00 + VAT, and Lloyds Cardnet's Castles Saturn at £23 + VAT. Some rentals, like Dojo's, sit alongside an option to buy, which gives you the choice.
Take a hairdresser who needs one portable machine. Renting a Barclaycard portable at £18 + VAT a month for its 18-month contract costs £324 + VAT in machine fees. Renting a Dojo Pocket at £20 a month for 18 months costs £360, or she can buy it for £239.
Buying a Square Terminal at £149 + VAT, a SumUp Terminal at £135 or a Revolut Terminal at £169 + VAT costs less than any of these rentals over 18 months, and she can leave at any time. But the transaction rate matters more at higher takings. On £5,000 a month, Dojo at 1.2% charges £60.00 while Square at 1.75% charges £87.50, a gap of £27.50 a month or £495 over 18 months. That gap outweighs the machine cost.
If you are in a contract now, check three things in your agreement: the end date, the notice period, and the exit fee. Barclaycard explains its own variable cancellation cost with an example: £10 multiplied by two months left on your contract equals £20 plus VAT.
Some providers help with exit costs when you switch to them. Dojo offers a contract buyout of up to £3,000 and says you can switch in one day. Barclaycard offers up to £1,000 towards exit fees when you switch. Before you leave, make sure the new machine is ready, so you never have a day without card payments. Keep your old statements, as they show your real card mix and help you get a better quote.
No contract is valuable, but it is not always the cheapest option once your takings grow. We compare the whole market, contract-free and rental, on your real figures and negotiate the rate and terms for you. If a short contract buys you a much lower rate, we show you the numbers side by side so you can decide.
We handle the switch, including working out your exit costs and any buyout the new provider offers, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after setup. We note your contract end date and contact you before it, so you are not rolled onto worse terms. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
Yes. SumUp, Square, Zettle and Revolut sell card machines with no long-term contract, and Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere has no contract with a £29 plus VAT reader. Teya says it has no lock-ins. Dojo offers 30-day rolling terms on its custom-rate tier. Read 26 October 2026.
Over 18 months, buying is usually cheaper. A Square Terminal is £149 + VAT, while renting a Barclaycard portable for its 18-month term costs £324 + VAT. Rental can still win if it comes with a lower transaction rate, so compare total cost.
Published terms are usually 12 or 18 months. Barclaycard portable and countertop are 18 months, Worldpay states a minimum of 18 months for online applications, and Tyl by NatWest and takepayments are 12 months. SumUp, Square, Zettle and Revolut have no contract.
Check your end date, notice period and exit fee. Then ask your new provider about help with exit costs: Dojo offers a buyout of up to £3,000 and Barclaycard up to £1,000 towards exit fees. Set up the new machine before you cancel the old one.
A merchant rental agreement is a contract to rent a card machine for a fixed monthly fee over a set term, often 12 to 18 months. It may be separate from the agreement for processing card payments. Read both, and check what happens at the end of the term.
Not always. SumUp pay-as-you-go at 1.69% and Square at 1.75% have no contract and no monthly fee, which suits low takings. At higher takings, providers with lower rates, such as Dojo at 1.2% under £100,000 a year, can cost less overall even with a machine to pay for.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.