Take card payments. Counter, checkout, or on the go.
MerchantHQ is a UK card-payment comparison and broker service covering 80+ providers (Dojo, SumUp, Square, Zettle, Stripe, Adyen, Worldpay, Barclaycard, Tide, Tyl, Revolut and every UK specialist acquirer). Complete the 2-minute form and we match you against the providers most likely to approve and beat your current rate, then stay your named UK account team for life. Free to apply; the acquirer pays our commission on completed introductions.
- 24/7 dedicated account support
- Quarterly rate reviews
- Free to apply
Choose where you take payments
Counter
Card machine for your shop floor or counter. Tap, chip-and-PIN, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
See card machinesCheckout
Online gateway for standard websites. Subscriptions and marketplaces too.
See online gatewaysOn the go
Mobile reader for trades, stalls, taxis. Or zero hardware via Tap to Pay on iPhone.
See on-the-go optionsNot sure which fits? Read the 2-minute explainer or tell us your trade and we'll route you.
Every major UK card machine, ranked
Countertop, portable 4G, mobile Bluetooth, Tap to Pay on iPhone and integrated POS. Scored on rate, contract length, settlement schedule, hardware and trade fit. Hands-on tested with real transactions.
Dojo Go
Dojo Go is the strongest UK card terminal for hospitality and retail at £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026. Blended pricing 1.4% to 1.9%, 12-month minimum contract, hardware free with a monthly fee. Same-next-day settlement (including weekends) is the cashflow win that justifies the contract for any venue trading Friday to Sunday peaks.
Read reviewSumUp Solo
SumUp Solo is the strongest no-contract UK card terminal for sole traders, mobile businesses and sub-£15k monthly card volume in 2026. £99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% flat per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee, free 4G SIM. Same-day or next-day settlement. Locked to SumUp as the acquirer; uncompetitive above £15k monthly because the flat rate stops winning vs blended-rate contracts (Dojo, Tyl).
Read reviewTap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
Not a hardware terminal but covered here because it is the most disruptive UK card-acceptance product of 2025-2026. Take contactless card and Apple Pay payments directly on a compatible iPhone with no separate reader. Best fit for trades, mobile beauty and pop-up retail.
Read reviewSquare Terminal
Square Terminal is the strongest all-in-one no-contract UK card terminal for independent retail and small hospitality in 2026. £149 to £199 hardware with built-in receipt printer, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee. Tighter integration with the Square stack (online store, invoices, inventory, payroll) than any other UK no-contract terminal. The 1.75% rate is uncompetitive above £20k monthly card volume.
Read reviewZettle Reader 2
Zettle Reader 2 is the cheapest UK card reader to start taking card payments in 2026, on hardware cost. £59 to £79 one-off, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee. Pairs with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth rather than running standalone. Best fit for sub-£8k monthly volume and existing PayPal merchants; settlement is slower than Dojo or SumUp and the rate is uncompetitive above £8k monthly.
Read reviewUK card machine comparisons
Pick a head-to-head. Pricing, hardware, contract length, and trade fit, side by side. 72 pairings covering the UK card-payment market in 2026.
From match to switch, we handle everything.
We pick the right UK acquirer for your trade, run the onboarding, and stay your named UK account team for the life of the agreement. No acquirer call-centre queue. No "press 4 for billing". One named contact, end to end.
24/7 dedicated support
When your terminal goes down on a Saturday night, you call us, not a generic acquirer helpline. Direct line to a named UK account manager. Same response whether you're a £5k or £500k monthly merchant.
Quarterly rate reviews
As your card volume grows, your rate should drop. We renegotiate on your behalf every quarter, against the same panel of 80+ UK acquirers, so you never overpay because you forgot to ask.
Chargeback and dispute help
UK chargebacks cost £15 to £35 per case and 60-80% are friendly fraud you can win with the right evidence. We draft the response, gather the evidence, and escalate where the acquirer drags its feet.
Switching support when you outgrow it
If a better acquirer fit emerges as you grow, we manage the cutover. No exit-fee surprises, no dual-running gap. Same account team across acquirers; same UK card-payment relationship.
Where do your customers pay?
Each route opens a different UK acquirer shortlist.
In-person, at the till
Shops, restaurants, salons, mobile traders, market stalls. Physical card terminal or Tap to Pay on iPhone.
See 14 terminal reviews
Online, on your website
Shopify, WooCommerce, custom checkout, subscription billing, donations. A payment gateway, not a terminal.
See online gateways
Both, counter and online
Click-and-collect, restaurant plus delivery, salon plus online booking. One acquirer, both rails.
Omnichannel quotes
Running a high-risk vertical (gambling, crypto, dating, subscription, CBD, vape, adult)? Start at high-risk verticals instead.
How do I choose the right card machine for my UK business?
Start with where the customer pays. In-person needs a card terminal (Dojo Go for same-day settlement, SumUp Solo for no-contract, Square Terminal for omnichannel). Online needs a payment gateway (Stripe Checkout, Adyen Web, Shopify Payments). Both needs an omnichannel acquirer running both rails. High-risk verticals need a specialist acquirer disclosed upfront.
UK card-payment kit is shaped by where the customer is when they pay, not by your business size. A Vietnamese-owned nail salon needs different kit from a hospitality multi-counter operation. A CBD retailer needs a different acquirer entirely. Match your trading shape to the right acquirer panel, get matched offers, sign with the one that fits.
UK card-payment questions, answered
What do I get when I sign up for a card machine through MerchantHQ?
You get the card machine and acquirer relationship plus an ongoing UK account team. We place you with the right acquirer for your trade and trading shape, then stay your named point of contact for the life of the account. 24/7 dedicated support, quarterly rate reviews as your volume grows, chargeback and dispute help, and switching support if a better fit emerges later. Free to apply: the acquirer pays our commission on completed introductions.
What is the best UK card machine in 2026?
Dojo Go is the strongest UK card machine for £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026: same-day settlement, robust hardware, blended 1.4% to 1.9% rate. SumUp Solo is the strongest no-contract option for sub-£10k monthly. Square Terminal is the strongest all-in-one for independent retail. Tap to Pay on iPhone is the best zero-hardware option for mobile traders.
How much does a card machine cost per month in the UK?
Card-machine monthly cost is zero (SumUp Solo, Square Terminal, Tide, Revolut, Tap to Pay on iPhone) to £25+ (some Dojo, Worldpay and Adyen plans). Plus per-transaction rate 0.74% (Tyl, conditional) to 1.95% (SumUp lowest plan). Hardware: £0 (Tap to Pay) to £329 (Stripe Reader S700) one-off. Total 12-month cost depends on monthly card volume and average transaction size.
Do I need a contract for a UK card machine?
No. Several strong no-contract products exist in 2026: SumUp Solo (1.69%), Square Terminal (1.75%), Zettle Reader 2 (1.75%), Tide Card Reader (1.5%), Revolut Card Reader (0.8% to 1.0%), Tap to Pay on iPhone. Contracts (Dojo, Worldpay, Tyl) start to make sense above £15k monthly volume where the rate model wins back the lock-in.
What is the difference between a card machine and a payment gateway?
A card machine is a physical device for in-person payments where the customer is in front of you. A payment gateway is software for online payments where the customer is on your website typing card details into a checkout. Different pricing, different fraud rules, different settlement schedules. If you sell both in person and online, one acquirer (Stripe, Adyen, Square, Worldpay) can run both rails.
How quickly do I get my money from a card transaction?
Same-day from Dojo, Tide, Revolut, Tyl (all conditional on banking with that provider). Next business day (T+1) standard from SumUp, Square, Zettle. T+2 from Stripe established merchants, 7-day rolling reserve from Stripe new merchants. Most UK acquirer settlement schedules can be negotiated above £50k monthly volume.
How do I switch from Worldpay or Barclaycard to a new card machine?
Check your contract notice period (typically 90 days for Worldpay, 60 to 90 for Barclaycard, 30 to 60 for newer providers). Submit cancellation in writing before the renewal window opens. Confirm exit fees in writing. Sign with the new provider and time the cutover for low-volume trading hours. We cover step-by-step at /switch/.
Question not here? Browse all UK card-payment questions or get a quote in 2 minutes.
Ready to compare UK card-payment quotes?
Tell us your trade and trading shape. We place you with the right UK acquirer, then stay your named account team for the life of the account. 24/7 support. Free to apply.
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- Reviewed by Oliver Mackman
- Companies House 16833937