Best card machine for restaurants UK 2026
See the pick and alternatives for restaurants below, then ask our card-payments broker partner for 2 to 3 matched quotes.
The best UK card machine for restaurants in 2026 is Dojo Go Max, on Dojo. Typical transaction size, cashflow and contactless use for this trade are in the table below, and the alternatives are listed after it.
MerchantHQ is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, directed by Oliver Mackman.
Our pick
Dojo Go Max
Acquirer: Dojo
Dojo dominates UK hospitality for table-side flow, split-bill and tip handling. Same-next-day settlement helps cashflow. Its blended pricing usually becomes competitive with flat-rate readers at around £15k a month of card volume, on our estimate.
Read full Dojo Go Max reviewWhat restaurants card payments look like
- Cashflow shape
- Evening + weekend peaks. December and summer tourist surges. Card flow strong.
- Typical transaction (our estimate)
- £35 to £85
- Contactless use (our estimate)
- Mixed, with smaller payments tapped and larger ones by chip and PIN
- Recommended acquirer
- Dojo
Transaction sizes and contactless use are our working estimates for sizing a quote, not published statistics. Your own card statements give the real figures.
Card machines compared for restaurants
Headline rate, hardware cost and contract at a glance, from our full terminal reviews.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dojo Go Max Our pick | 1.2% blended below £100,000 a year in card takings (custom rate above) | £149 upfront on a launch offer (£229 full price) or £25 a month | 12 months minimum |
| #2 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 + VAT | No contract |
| #3 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £79 + VAT list price (SumUp often discounts it) | No contract |
Prices and rates checked on the provider's own page: Dojo pricing page (2026-09-25); Square Terminal page (2026-09-25); SumUp card readers page (2026-09-25); Stripe UK pricing page (2026-10-02); Zettle card reader page (2026-09-25).
Alternatives for restaurants
- Square Terminal (independents)
- SumUp Solo (small cafés)
Watch outs specific to restaurants
- Tip-handling rules vary by acquirer; confirm before signing.
- Split-bill UX varies.
- The UK contactless limit is £100 per payment, so a bill plus tip above that needs chip and PIN.
FAQs
What is the best card machine for restaurants in the UK?
The best UK card machine for restaurants in 2026 is Dojo Go Max on Dojo. Dojo dominates UK hospitality for table-side flow, split-bill and tip handling. Same-next-day settlement helps cashflow. Its blended pricing usually becomes competitive with flat-rate readers at around £15k a month of card volume, on our estimate.
How much does a card machine cost for restaurants?
Hardware runs from nothing (Tap to Pay on iPhone, on a phone you already own) to £229 + VAT (Stripe Reader S700), with SumUp Solo at £79 + VAT and Square Terminal at £149 + VAT. Published pay-as-you-go rates on UK cards are 1.69% at SumUp, 1.75% at Square and 1.75% at Zettle, with no monthly fee; contract providers quote a blended or bespoke rate and usually charge monthly terminal rental instead. Your blended monthly cost depends on card volume and average transaction size, so model it on your own numbers with our fees calculator rather than relying on a flat figure.
What is the average transaction size in this trade?
£35 to £85, on our working estimate. Your own card statements give the real figure, and it matters because percentage fees and fixed per-transaction fees weigh differently on small and large payments.
How much contactless use is typical for restaurants?
Mixed, with smaller payments tapped and larger ones by chip and PIN, on our working estimate. Your own card statements show the real split between tap and chip and PIN, which is worth checking before you choose between a phone-paired reader and a standalone terminal.
What should I watch out for when choosing a card machine for restaurants?
Tip-handling rules vary by acquirer; confirm before signing. Also check the contract length, exit fees, chargeback handling and how quickly money settles into your account.
Need a full till, not just a card machine?
If you also need stock, menus or kitchen tickets, see restaurant POS systems compared on published UK pricing.
How we rank
Rankings are built by desk research from each provider's published rates, upfront costs, contract lengths and settlement terms, held in a dated record per terminal (last-reviewed date shown on this page) and re-checked when published pricing changes. We do not hands-on test every device; specs are taken from provider documentation and cited. No provider pays for inclusion or position. MerchantHQ is an introducer. Quote enquiries go to one card-payments broker, Merchant Advice Service, which pays us a fee for each introduction; acquirers do not pay us commission on quote enquiries. That fee never affects a ranking. See our methodology and how we are funded.
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