UK card machine fees calculator
Enter your monthly card volume and average transaction. The calculator estimates 12-month effective cost across the major UK acquirers, including transaction fees, monthly fees and typical hardware costs. Headline rates rarely tell the real story below £20k monthly volume; this page does.
Calculator uses headline rates and typical monthly fees as published by each acquirer. Actual rates negotiated with brokers or interchange-plus deals vary. Hardware costs apply where the acquirer charges for the terminal. Read individual terminal reviews for full pricing detail.
| Acquirer | Transaction rate | Monthly fee | Hardware (one-off) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Solo | 1.69% | £0 | £99 |
| Zettle Reader 2 | 1.75% | £0 | £59 |
| Square Terminal | 1.75% | £0 | £149 |
| Dojo Go | 1.50% | £25 | £0 |
| Tide Card Reader | 1.50% | £0 | £49 |
| Stripe Reader S700 | 1.75% | £0 | £329 |
| Worldpay (typical) | 2.20% | £30 | £0 |
Source: MerchantHQ fees calculator, published headline rates
Transaction rate is applied to card volume; monthly fee is charged twelve times a year; hardware is a one-off amortised over the first twelve months for comparison.
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### Acquirer fee assumptions used by this calculator | Acquirer | Transaction rate | Monthly fee | Hardware (one-off) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | SumUp Solo | 1.69% | £0 | £99 | | Zettle Reader 2 | 1.75% | £0 | £59 | | Square Terminal | 1.75% | £0 | £149 | | Dojo Go | 1.50% | £25 | £0 | | Tide Card Reader | 1.50% | £0 | £49 | | Stripe Reader S700 | 1.75% | £0 | £329 | | Worldpay (typical) | 2.20% | £30 | £0 | Source: MerchantHQ fees calculator, published headline rates Transaction rate is applied to card volume; monthly fee is charged twelve times a year; hardware is a one-off amortised over the first twelve months for comparison.
| Acquirer | 12-month effective cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| Tide Card Reader | £1,849 | 1.54% |
| Dojo Go | £2,100 | 1.75% |
| SumUp Solo | £2,127 | 1.77% |
| Zettle Reader 2 | £2,159 | 1.80% |
| Square Terminal | £2,249 | 1.87% |
| Stripe Reader S700 | £2,429 | 2.02% |
| Worldpay (typical) | £3,000 | 2.50% |
Source: MerchantHQ fees calculator, default scenario £10,000/month volume
Illustrative default scenario, cheapest first. Change the volume and average transaction inputs above for your own figures.
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### Worked example: £10,000/month card volume, £25 average transaction (default scenario) | Acquirer | 12-month effective cost | Effective rate | | --- | --- | --- | | Tide Card Reader | £1,849 | 1.54% | | Dojo Go | £2,100 | 1.75% | | SumUp Solo | £2,127 | 1.77% | | Zettle Reader 2 | £2,159 | 1.80% | | Square Terminal | £2,249 | 1.87% | | Stripe Reader S700 | £2,429 | 2.02% | | Worldpay (typical) | £3,000 | 2.50% | Source: MerchantHQ fees calculator, default scenario £10,000/month volume Illustrative default scenario, cheapest first. Change the volume and average transaction inputs above for your own figures.
“The cheapest acquirer at £10,000 a month is not the cheapest at £80,000 a month. A one-off hardware cost dominates the effective rate at low volume but disappears at high volume, while a monthly fee does the opposite. Run your own real volume before you read anything into the ranking, and remember this model excludes interchange-plus pricing, AMEX surcharges and chargeback fees, which move the answer for larger or higher-risk merchants.”
How the calculation works
Each acquirer has a different cost model. The calculator estimates 12-month total cost by:
- Multiplying monthly volume by transaction-rate percentage.
- Adding 12x monthly fee where the acquirer charges one.
- Adding hardware cost (one-off, amortised over 12 months for comparison).
- Approximating effective rate as percentage of monthly volume for like-for-like comparison.
What it does not do: factor in interchange-plus pricing for higher-volume merchants (where the rate fluctuates per transaction), surcharging, or sector-specific risk loadings.