ProviderDojo Go / Card Reader
From 0.55%
per transaction
£15
monthly fee
Contract: 12 months
Payout: Next day, 7 days a week
Weekend settlement
Free, quick comparison
Card machine providers compared
See how the UK's main card machine providers actually compare — rates, contracts and what's genuinely different between Dojo, SumUp, Zettle, Worldpay and Tide.
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Provider
ProviderSumUp Air / Solo
1.69%
per transaction
£0
monthly fee
Contract: None
Payout: Next working day
Hardware from £39
ProviderZettle Reader 2
1.75%
per transaction
£0
monthly fee
Contract: None
Payout: Instant to PayPal balance
Hardware from £29
ProviderWorldpay Simplicity
ProviderTide Card Reader
From 0.79%
per transaction (Sell In-Person plan)
£159+VAT
hardware (outright)
Requires: Tide business account
Payout: Same-day to Tide account
Processed via Adyen
Deal tables sorted by headline rate (low to high)
Rates shown are indicative and depend on your turnover, average transaction value and business type. Final pricing is confirmed by the provider after your quote.
How do UK card machine providers actually differ?
Every provider ultimately moves money the same way — through Visa, Mastercard and an acquiring bank — so the real differences are contract length, monthly fees, settlement speed and what's bundled in, not the underlying payment rail.
Aggregators like SumUp and Zettle put you on a shared account with no contract and a flat rate, which is fastest to start but usually costs more per transaction at higher volumes. Account-managed providers like Dojo and Worldpay negotiate a lower rate but ask for a contract term. Tide sits between the two: its own-branded Card Reader range runs on an Adyen-processed account tied to a Tide business account, with rates that improve on its paid monthly plan.
Why compare card machine providers providers?
See the real total cost
Monthly fee plus transaction rate at your actual volume, not just the headline percentage each provider leads with.
Match contract to certainty
No-contract aggregators suit a new or seasonal business; a 12-month deal only pays off once volume is predictable.
Settlement speed adds up
Next-day or same-day settlement, including weekends with some providers, keeps working capital moving in busy trading weeks.
What to look for in a card machine providers deal
Who each provider suits
Aggregators suit low, unpredictable volume; account-managed providers suit consistent, higher-volume trading with a known annual turnover.
Headline pricing
The percentage or flat fee taken from each payment. Compare on your real volumes, not the marketing rate.
Monthly and hidden fees
Check minimum monthly charges, PCI fees, gateway fees, refund charges and chargeback costs.
Settlement speed
How quickly funds reach your business account — next day makes a real difference to cashflow.
Security and compliance
PCI DSS scope, 3D Secure, tokenisation and fraud screening should be included, not bolted on.
Reporting and integrations
Links to your accounting software, EPOS or online store so takings reconcile automatically.
How does comparing card machine providers work?
Tell us your monthly card turnover, average transaction value and whether you already bank with one of these providers.
We show the providers most likely to suit your volume, with an indicative effective rate for your profile.
Compare contract length, hardware cost and settlement speed alongside the headline rate before choosing.
Aggregators can have you trading within a day; account-managed providers typically take 1–3 working days for underwriting.
Do I need card machine providers?
Any business taking in-person card payments needs one of these providers or a functional equivalent — there's no way around a card machine for face-to-face trade.
If you already hold a Tide business account, its own Card Reader range avoids opening a separate merchant relationship with another provider.
Higher-volume retail and hospitality sites usually save more on an account-managed rate than they would on a flat aggregator rate.
How do I choose the best card machine providers deal?
Work out your effective rate — total monthly cost divided by total card turnover — for each provider at your real volume, not the headline percentage alone. Then weigh contract length against how settled your trading pattern is, and check whether weekend settlement or same-day payout matters for your cashflow.
How much could I save on card machine providers?
A business turning over £8,000 a month on cards that moves from a 1.75% flat aggregator rate to a 0.75% account-managed rate saves roughly £960 a year, even after a £20 monthly service charge.
Payment guides
These guides might help.
How payment processing fees work
Interchange, scheme and acquirer fees explained — and which ones you can negotiate away…
Choosing a payment provider
What UK providers check, how long onboarding takes and when a specialist beats your bank…
PCI DSS made simple for small firms
The compliance basics every business handling payments has to meet…
FAQs
Yes. Tide's Card Reader, Card Reader Plus and Nano hardware require an active Tide business account — payments are processed via Tide's partnership with Adyen and settle to your Tide account.
It depends entirely on your volume and average transaction value — there's no single cheapest provider across every business type, which is why comparing your effective rate matters more than any headline figure.
Yes, though most keep the same hardware model family, so switching usually means new hardware and re-terminaling rather than a simple account transfer.
No, both operate on a pay-as-you-go basis with no minimum term, which is why they're popular for new or seasonal businesses.
Our services are provided at no cost to you. We may receive a commission from the companies we refer you to, but this does not affect what you will pay for the product you choose.
Written by the Grow Your Business payments team · Updated 25 July 2026