Card machine comparison UK 2026
Card machine comparison for UK businesses runs along five axes: monthly fee, per-transaction rate, contract length, settlement speed and hardware quality. Below: 14 head-to-head matchups between the UK card machines most often shortlisted together. Each link drops you onto a side-by-side page with the numbers, the verdict and the trade each option actually fits. Verdicts are hands-on, not vendor-neutral.
| Matchup | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Dojo Go Max vs SumUp Solo | Dojo for £15k+ monthly, SumUp for no-contract sub-£10k. |
| Dojo Go Max vs Zettle Reader 2 | Dojo on settlement speed, Zettle on no-contract simplicity. |
| Square Terminal vs Dojo Go Max | Square wins integrated POS, Dojo wins hospitality flow. |
| Square Terminal vs Stripe Reader S700 | Square for built-in POS, Stripe for developer-first online + in-person. |
| SumUp vs Square | SumUp on hardware price, Square on app ecosystem. |
| Tap to Pay on iPhone vs SumUp Solo | Tap to Pay if you already have a recent iPhone, SumUp if you want separate hardware. |
| Tide Card Reader vs SumUp Solo | Tide if you bank with Tide, SumUp otherwise. |
| Tyl by NatWest vs Dojo Go Max | Tyl on banking-relationship pricing, Dojo on settlement speed. |
| Worldpay vs Dojo | Worldpay for £50k+ enterprise, Dojo for SME hospitality + retail. |
| Zettle Reader 2 vs SumUp Solo | Both no-contract, Zettle integrates with PayPal, SumUp has cheapest entry hardware. |
| Dojo Go Max vs Teya Pro | Both settle weekends; Dojo on a 12-month contract, Teya on a rolling monthly plan. |
| Stripe Reader S700 vs Worldpay | Stripe for fast self-serve setup, Worldpay for negotiated enterprise rates. |
| Revolut Card Reader vs Tide Card Reader | Revolut on rates if you bank Revolut Business, Tide on UK SME service. |
| PAX A920 Pro vs BBPOS WisePOS E | PAX for Android-app flexibility, BBPOS for Stripe-native integration. |
Every head-to-head
Compare card machines: all UK head-to-head comparisons
The 14 matchups above are the most-asked. The full comparison hub covers every pairing we publish, on rate, contract, hardware and settlement.
Rankings and cost guides
Cheapest card machine UK 2026: providers ranked by cost
Every UK card machine ranked cheapest-first on real headline rates: transaction percentage, monthly fee, hardware cost and contract length. Independent, not a vendor.
FAQ
What should I compare between two card machines?
Card-machine comparison runs along five axes: monthly fee, per-transaction rate, contract length, settlement speed and hardware quality. Cheapest on headline rate is rarely cheapest on year-one cost once monthly fees, hardware and contract length are included.
Which card machines are most often compared?
The most-shortlisted UK head-to-heads are Dojo vs SumUp, Square vs Stripe and Worldpay vs Dojo, alongside bank-acquirer matchups like Tyl vs Dojo. Each matchup above drops you onto a side-by-side page with the numbers and the trade each option fits.
Are the verdicts vendor-neutral?
The verdicts are opinionated, built from desk research on published terms, and no vendor pays for placement. MerchantHQ runs whole-of-market comparison across 40+ UK card-payment providers. Written by Adam Parker for Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).
How we score head-to-heads
Every matchup is judged on 6 axes: monthly cost, per-transaction rate, contract length, settlement schedule, hardware quality and trade fit. We test the hardware where we can, and we lean on UK-acquirer data for the rest. No vendor pays for placement.
MerchantHQ is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, directed by Oliver Mackman. Last updated: