Merchant services
PDQ machine: what it is and what it costs.
PDQ is the older name for a card machine. If your bank or accountant still calls it that, this guide explains your options and what UK providers charge, read 26 October 2026.
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PDQ is the older name for a card machine. If your bank or accountant still calls it that, this guide explains your options and what UK providers charge, 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 PDQ machine is a card machine. PDQ stands for process data quickly, the name banks gave early card terminals. Today it means any device that takes card payments in person. You can rent one, such as Barclaycard countertop at £16 + VAT a month on an 18-month contract, or buy one, such as SumUp Terminal at £135 or Dojo Wired at £179. 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 |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Worldpay Source | Quote only | Terminal £20 a month (indicative) | Rental, quote | Minimum 18 months | Next day |
| Lloyds Cardnet Source | Cardnet quote only; Lloyds Accept 1.5% + 20p | £10 minimum monthly charge (Cardnet) | Saturn £23 or Clover Flex £21 a month + VAT | Not stated; Lloyds Accept none | Not published |
| Clover Source | Quote only | Rental only | Flex Pocket £15, Mini £20, Station Duo £30 a month + VAT | Not published | Next business day |
| Teya Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | No lock-ins stated | Next day, weekends included |
| takepayments Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | 12 months | Next day |
| Elavon Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | Not published | Next day for eligible businesses |
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.
PDQ stands for process data quickly. It is the name UK banks used for the first electronic card terminals, the countertop boxes with a keypad and a paper roll that sat by the till. The name stuck, and many banks, accountants and older businesses still use it.
Today a PDQ machine simply means a card machine. It might be a countertop terminal on a cable, a portable machine you carry to the table, or a mobile machine with its own SIM. All take contactless, chip and PIN and mobile wallet payments. What has changed most is how they are sold: the old model was a bank rental on a long contract, while many providers now sell the machine outright with no contract.
Banks and traditional providers still rent PDQ machines monthly. Barclaycard countertop is £16 + VAT a month and Barclaycard portable £18 + VAT a month, both on 18-month contracts. Tyl by NatWest rents the PAX A80 at £13.99 + VAT, the PAX A50 at £14.99 and the PAX A920 Pro at £19.99 + VAT a month, on a 12-month contract.
Lloyds Cardnet rents the Castles Saturn at £23 + VAT a month and the Clover Flex at £21 + VAT, with a £10 minimum monthly charge. Paymentsense lists £20.00 + VAT per terminal a month. Worldpay's quote tool shows an indicative £20.00 per terminal a month and a minimum 18-month contract for online applications. Clover rents its own devices from £15 + VAT a month. Teya, takepayments and Elavon do not publish machine prices.
Buying removes the monthly rental and usually the contract. SumUp Terminal, a standalone machine with a receipt printer, is £135 excluding VAT, with no hardware rentals offered. Square Terminal is £149 + VAT. Dojo sells its machines outright or monthly: Dojo Wired, its countertop machine, is £179 upfront or £15 a month, and Dojo Go Max £149 upfront on a launch offer or £25 a month.
Buying makes sense if you plan to keep the machine for more than a year or two. The trade-off is that repairs and replacements may not be included, so ask about warranty. Teya, for example, says its card machine includes a lifetime warranty. Also check whether the machine you buy is locked to one provider, since most are, which means a new machine if you switch later.
Take a newsagent with one countertop machine. Renting a Barclaycard countertop at £16 + VAT a month for its 18-month contract costs £288 + VAT in machine fees alone. Renting at Worldpay's indicative £20.00 a month for 18 months costs £360. Renting from Paymentsense at £20.00 a month for the same period is also £360 + VAT.
Buying a Dojo Wired for £179 or a SumUp Terminal for £135 costs less than any of these over 18 months. But machine cost is only part of the bill. If a rental provider offers a much lower transaction rate, it can still win. On £6,000 a month, every 0.1% off the rate saves £6.00 a month, or £108 over 18 months. Compare total cost, machine and fees together.
If your PDQ machine came from your bank years ago, there is a good chance you are paying more than you need to on rental, rate or both. We compare the whole market on your real statements and negotiate the rate and monthly fees for you. We check the rental, minimum monthly charge and PCI fees on your current bill, so you can see exactly what changes.
We handle the switch, including any notice period or exit fee on your current contract, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after setup. If you prefer to keep a countertop machine by the till, we find one that fits. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
PDQ stands for process data quickly. It is the name banks gave to early electronic card terminals in the UK. Today a PDQ machine simply means a card machine that takes payments in person by contactless, chip and PIN or mobile wallet.
Yes. PDQ machine, card machine, card terminal and chip and PIN machine all mean the same device. Banks and accountants often still say PDQ, while newer providers such as SumUp, Square and Dojo say card machine or card reader.
Published rentals run from £13.99 + VAT a month (Tyl PAX A80) to £23 + VAT a month (Lloyds Cardnet Castles Saturn), read 26 October 2026. Barclaycard countertop is £16 + VAT a month on an 18-month contract. Transaction fees are charged on top.
Yes. SumUp Terminal is £135 excluding VAT, Square Terminal £149 + VAT and Dojo Wired £179 upfront. Buying usually costs less than renting over 18 months, but check warranty and compare transaction rates as well as the machine price.
Choose a provider, apply online with your business details and bank account, and the machine is posted to you once you are approved. Some providers, such as Dojo, say you can switch in one day. We can compare providers and handle the application and switch for you.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.