Free guide
How to switch card-payment provider
As your UK card volume grows or your trade pivots, the right provider can change. To switch, check your contract's notice period and exit fee, get approved by the new provider before you give notice, then run both setups briefly so you never stop taking payments. MerchantHQ does not manage switches; this guide sets out the steps. First, see where you stand on our card machine contracts and cancellation tracker: contract length, settlement speed and how exit fees work, provider by provider.
6 reasons to consider a switch
- Volume crossed the next tier You signed at sub-£10k monthly and now you are at £25k. Your blended rate should fall; if your existing provider will not move, a switch may pay for itself.
- Card mix shifted to commercial You took on a B2B customer base or international travellers and your commercial-card and cross-border interchange exposure jumped. Interchange-plus pricing wins where you were on blended.
- Provider raised your rate Renewal letters can carry rate increases that are easy to miss. Read yours in full, and ask for the old rate back or compare quotes before you accept.
- Settlement schedule no longer fits You moved from corner-shop hours to hospitality with same-day settlement need (Dojo, Tide, Tyl) and your existing provider settles T+2 or 7-day rolling.
- Trade pivot You launched an online checkout, started a high-risk vertical, became a faith institution registered for Gift Aid. A different set of providers may now fit.
- Contract renewal coming up Your 12 or 36-month contract is in its notice window. Compare quotes before the window closes so you decide with options, not under time pressure.
Seven steps to switch
- 01
Check your current contract
Find the minimum term, notice period, exit-fee clause and any hardware-return terms in the agreement you signed. Our card machine contracts tracker (/card-machine-contracts/) sets out how exit fees work provider by provider.
- 02
Get quotes for your current shape
Pull your last 12 months of card volume, average transaction size and card mix, and compare quotes on the all-in cost, contract length, settlement schedule and hardware.
- 03
Ask your existing provider first
Tell your provider you have a competing quote and ask whether it will match. Staying can be cheaper than switching and you keep your existing hardware and agreement.
- 04
Get approved by the new provider before giving notice
Apply to the new provider and complete its identity, ownership and banking checks. Wait until you are approved and the new hardware has arrived before you give notice to the old provider.
- 05
Give notice in writing
Serve notice by tracked email or recorded delivery inside the notice window, and ask the old provider to confirm the end date and any exit fee in writing.
- 06
Run both setups briefly
Test the new terminal on real transactions and keep the old one available until you are sure the new one works, so you never have a gap in taking payments.
- 07
Close the old account
Return any leased hardware, check the final settlement arrives (it can be held against chargebacks for a period), and cancel any direct debits once the final invoice is settled.
Avoid a gap
Approved first, notice second. Both setups live, then retire the old.
Most trading gaps come from giving notice before the new provider has approved you. Get approved, test the new terminal on real transactions, and only then hand the old one back.
Get 2 to 3 matched quotesFAQs
How much does MerchantHQ switching support cost?
Nothing on top of the new acquirer's fees. We earn commission from the new acquirer on the completed introduction, same as the original placement. You owe us nothing for managing the switch.
What about exit fees from my old acquirer?
Depends on the original contract. Worldpay legacy estate typically £150-£300, Barclaycard £100-£250, Elavon £100-£200, Paymentsense £150-£600. Factor the fee into the saving calculation before you switch, and ask whether it can be reduced: some acquirers waive part of the exit fee for amicable departures, especially below 12-month run-rate. The new acquirer occasionally covers up to £500 of exit fees as a switching incentive.
How long does a UK card-acquirer switch take, end to end?
Notice-period serve: same business day. New acquirer underwriting: 5-15 business days. New hardware: 3-7 business days. Cutover window: 1-2 days. Old acquirer wind-down: 30 days. So total elapsed time from "we should switch" decision to "fully on new acquirer with old account closed" is typically 6 to 8 weeks.
Does my business stop trading during the switch?
It should not, if you plan it. Keep the old setup working until the new one has taken real transactions successfully, then give the old terminal back. The gap usually happens when notice is given before the new provider has approved you.
What if the new provider turns out worse than the old one?
Check the contract length, exit terms and settlement schedule before you sign, so you know how easily you could leave. A no-contract or short-term plan limits the risk while you test a new provider.
Does MerchantHQ handle the switch for me?
No. MerchantHQ does not serve notice, negotiate exit fees or manage cutovers. This guide shows you how to do it. If you want quotes to compare, send a quote enquiry: our card-payments broker partner works to return 2 to 3 matched quotes.
Do I have to give notice to switch card machine provider?
On a fixed-term contract, yes. Most UK acquirer agreements set a notice window before the end date, commonly 60 to 90 days for Worldpay and Barclaycard and 30 to 60 days for newer providers, and many auto-renew if you miss it. No-contract providers (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Tide, Revolut) have no minimum term, so you can stop any time with no notice. Check your own agreement for the notice window and serve notice in writing.
How do I switch off or cancel a Barclaycard card machine?
To stop using a Barclaycard terminal you serve written cancellation notice inside your contract notice window (typically 60 to 90 days), settle any early-termination or remaining-term charges, and return leased hardware if required. Powering the device down does not end the agreement or the fees. See our step-by-step guide on how to leave Barclaycard for the exact process.
Acquirer-specific exit guides
For the step-by-step on leaving a specific acquirer, see our /switch/ guides:
MerchantHQ is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, directed by Oliver Mackman. Last updated: