Card Machine Fees UK 2026: What You Will Really Pay
The headline rate's the bit everyone looks at. It's also only part of the bill. Hardware, hire, PCI charges, monthly minimums and exit fees can add up to more than the percentage itself, especially if you're small. Here's every charge you're likely to meet in the UK, with real published prices we checked on providers' official UK sites in October 2026.
What you pay explained
Every card payment you take carries a cost that's shared between several parties:
- Interchange: paid to the customer's card issuer. For UK consumer cards this is capped by law (see the interchange caps section below).
- Scheme fees: paid to Visa or Mastercard.
- Acquirer or provider margin: what your payment provider keeps.
Flat rate providers such as SumUp, Square and Zettle wrap all three into one percentage. Traditional acquirers often break them out (sometimes called interchange plus or interchange plus plus pricing) or quote separate debit and credit rates. Blended rate providers like Dojo charge one rate on every card.
Flat rate vs blended vs custom
| Pricing model | How it works | Example (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Flat rate | Same percentage on every transaction, no monthly fee | SumUp 1.69%, Square 1.75% (UK cards), Zettle 1.75% |
| Subscription | Monthly fee for a lower rate | SumUp Payments Plus: £19 a month, 0.99% on domestic consumer cards |
| Blended | One rate across all card types, quoted per business or published | Dojo 1.2% under £100,000 annual card turnover; Worldpay Simplicity 1.50% on Visa and Mastercard |
| Custom or quote only | Rates set by turnover, sector and card mix | takepayments, Teya, Worldpay custom, Dojo above £100,000 |
Typical costs in the UK
Transaction fees
| Provider | In person rate | Online rate |
|---|---|---|
| SumUp | 1.69%; 0.99% domestic consumer with Payments Plus | 2.50% on Payments Plus |
| Square | 1.75% UK cards; +1.5% non UK cards | 1.4% + 25p UK cards |
| Zettle | 1.75% | Payment Links 2.5% |
| Dojo | 1.2% blended under £100,000 a year | n/a in this table |
| Worldpay | 1.50% on Visa and Mastercard (Simplicity) | 1.5% + 20p Essential, 1.3% + 20p Full (consumer cards) |
| Teya, takepayments | Quote only | Quote only |
Sources: official UK pricing pages for each provider, checked October 2026.
Monthly fees
| Charge | Examples |
|---|---|
| No monthly fee | SumUp pay as you go, Square Free plan, Zettle, Dojo Essential |
| Subscription | SumUp Payments Plus £19; Square Plus plans from £29; Dojo Plus £25 per location (offer £11.99 for new customers) |
| Terminal hire | Worldpay (£0 offer for 12 months on an 18 month agreement until 31 December 2026, conditions apply); takepayments and others quote individually |
Hardware
Buying outright is the norm with app based providers. In October 2026: Square Reader £19 ex VAT list price, SumUp Solo Lite £25, PayPal Reader £29 for new users, SumUp Solo £79, SumUp Terminal £135, Square Terminal and PayPal Terminal £149, Dojo Pocket £149 and Dojo Wired £239. Acquirers usually hire terminals monthly instead.
Over two years, buying a £79 reader costs far less than hiring a terminal at a typical monthly fee. Hire can still make sense if it includes fast replacements and you need a specific terminal.
PCI fees
PCI DSS is the card industry security standard. Many traditional providers charge a monthly PCI compliance fee, and some add a higher non compliance fee if you don't complete an annual self assessment questionnaire. Dojo lists easy PCI compliance in its free Essential plan; app based providers generally handle compliance within their service. Always ask whether a PCI fee applies and how to avoid non compliance charges.
Exit fees
Fixed term contracts can carry early termination fees, and terminal hire agreements may require you to pay remaining rental. Worldpay terminal hire runs for 18 months and takepayments contracts for 12 months. SumUp, Square and Zettle have no contract. Dojo offers a contract buyout of up to £3,000 if you switch to it from another provider.
Interchange caps and surcharging: the rules
UK interchange caps
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is the lead authority for the UK Interchange Fee Regulation. According to the PSR, where the merchant, the acquirer and the card issuer are all in the UK, interchange fees are capped at 0.2% of the transaction value for consumer debit cards (including prepaid cards) and 0.3% for consumer credit cards. The caps took effect on 9 December 2015 (PSR: The IFR and merchants, checked October 2026).
Two important limits on those caps:
- Commercial cards aren't capped. The PSR's guidance confirms that business and corporate card transactions are exempt.
- Cross border payments aren't capped. If either the issuer or the acquirer is outside the UK, including cards issued in the EU, the UK caps don't apply (PSR: The IFR).
That is why so many providers charge more for business, premium or international cards, and why your card mix matters as much as your headline rate.
The surcharging ban
Since 13 January 2018, UK businesses must not charge consumers extra for paying with a consumer debit or credit card, or with electronic payment services such as PayPal. The rule is in regulation 6A of the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, as amended by the Payment Services Regulations 2017 (legislation.gov.uk; GOV.UK announcement, checked October 2026).
- Commercial cards are excluded, but any surcharge on other payment methods must not exceed your actual cost of accepting that method.
- Trading Standards enforce the rules, and customers are entitled to a refund of any unlawful surcharge.
In practice, build your card costs into your prices rather than adding a fee at the till.
Worked monthly cost examples
Here is what each published pricing model costs at three turnover levels, using rates checked October 2026 and assuming UK domestic consumer cards. Hardware and hire are excluded.
| Monthly card takings | Square or Zettle (1.75%) | SumUp PAYG (1.69%) | Worldpay Simplicity (1.50%) | Dojo (1.2%) | SumUp Payments Plus (0.99% + £19) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2,000 | £35.00 | £33.80 | £30.00 | £24.00 | £38.80 |
| £10,000 | £175.00 | £169.00 | £150.00 | Custom (over £100,000 a year) | £118.00 |
| £30,000 | £525.00 | £507.00 | £450.00 | Custom | £316.00 |
The gap between the most and least expensive published option is £14.80 a month at £2,000, but £209 a month at £30,000. As your turnover grows, the pricing model you choose matters more than almost any other cost in the business.
Typical costs by type of business
Cafe
A cafe taking £8,000 a month, mostly small contactless payments on debit cards, should avoid pence per transaction authorisation fees, which hurt small baskets. A blended rate (Dojo 1.2% = £96 a month) or SumUp Payments Plus (£98.20) are both strong.
Market stall
A stall taking £1,500 a month in summer and very little in winter should pay no monthly fees. SumUp pay as you go costs about £25 in a busy month and nothing in a quiet one. A contract with a minimum monthly charge would cost money all winter.
Hairdresser
A salon taking £4,000 a month on consumer cards pays £70 on Square, £67.60 on SumUp pay as you go or £58.60 on Payments Plus. Square's free appointments tools may be worth the difference.
Trades
A builder taking £12,000 a month, often from business customers paying with company cards, should check commercial card rates carefully, because those cards are outside the interchange caps. SumUp's Payments Plus keeps business cards at 1.69%.
Taxi
A driver taking £3,000 a month needs mobile data and long battery life. SumUp pay as you go costs £50.70; Payments Plus £48.70. See our guide to card readers for taxi drivers.
Reading your merchant statement
If you already take cards, your statement is the best starting point. Look for these lines:
- Merchant service charge: the main transaction fee, sometimes split by card type.
- Interchange and scheme fees: shown separately on interchange plus pricing.
- Authorisation or transaction fees: a fixed pence amount per payment.
- Terminal rental: monthly hire per device.
- PCI fee or non compliance fee: monthly security charges.
- Minimum monthly service charge top up: if your fees fall below a minimum.
Add these together, divide by your card takings for that month and you've your effective rate. Compare it with the published rates in this guide. Many businesses discover their effective rate is far higher than the headline rate they were quoted.
Hidden fees to watch
- Authorisation fees: a few pence per transaction, which hurts businesses with small average sales. Worldpay Simplicity has none.
- Minimum monthly service charge: you pay a minimum in fees even in quiet months. Worldpay Simplicity has none.
- Premium and business card surcharges: rewards, corporate and international cards often cost more. SumUp's 0.99% Payments Plus rate excludes them.
- Non UK card fees: Square adds 1.5% for non UK cards.
- Separate settlement bank charges: Teya adds 0.10% if you settle to a bank other than Teya.
- Chargeback fees: a fixed fee when a customer disputes a payment.
- Amex and other schemes: often charged separately by acquirers.
- Hardware delivery and accessories: printers, docks and chargers.
How to cut your costs
Work out your effective rate
Add every card related charge for a typical month (fees, hire, subscriptions, PCI) and divide by your card takings. That single percentage lets you compare quotes fairly.
Match the pricing model to your volume
| Monthly card takings | Usually cheapest approach |
|---|---|
| Under £1,000 | No monthly fee flat rate reader, or Tap to Pay |
| £1,000 to £3,000 | Flat rate, or Dojo's 1.2% if hospitality features help |
| £3,000 to £10,000 | SumUp Payments Plus, Dojo, Worldpay Simplicity |
| Over £10,000 | Get custom quotes (SumUp Tailored, Dojo, Teya, takepayments, Worldpay, banks) |
Compare what each published rate costs
| Monthly card takings | 1.75% | 1.69% | 1.50% | 1.2% | 0.99% + £19 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £2,000 | £35.00 | £33.80 | £30.00 | £24.00 | £38.80 |
| £5,000 | £87.50 | £84.50 | £75.00 | £60.00 | £68.50 |
| £10,000 | £175.00 | £169.00 | £150.00 | £120.00 | £118.00 |
| £20,000 | £350.00 | £338.00 | £300.00 | £240.00 | £217.00 |
Negotiate and review yearly
If you're on a custom rate, ask for a review each year. Your turnover may now qualify for a lower band. Use any switching offers, such as contract buyouts, to cover exit fees.
For specific providers, see our best card machines UK comparison, our merchant account providers guide and our PDQ machine guide.
Setup and contract tips
- Request a full fee schedule. Every rate, fixed charge and exit term on one page.
- Ask for card type rates. Debit, credit, business, premium and international separately.
- Check minimum terms. 12 and 18 month contracts are common with terminal hire.
- Avoid paying twice. If you switch, time your move with the end of your notice period or use a buyout offer.
- Read your statement monthly. Check that the rates charged match your agreement.
FAQs
How much do card machines cost per transaction in the UK?
Published in person rates range from 0.99% (SumUp Payments Plus, domestic consumer cards) to 1.75% (Square and Zettle) as checked in October 2026. Quote based providers may be lower for larger businesses.
Are there card machines with no monthly fee?
Yes. SumUp pay as you go, Square's Free plan and Zettle have no monthly fee. Dojo's Essential plan is free, though hardware is extra.
What is a PCI compliance fee?
A monthly charge some providers make for managing card security compliance. Some also charge extra if you don't complete an annual questionnaire.
Is it cheaper to buy or rent a card machine?
Buying is usually cheaper over time for small businesses. Renting can suit those wanting a specific terminal and fast replacements.
Can I pass card fees on to customers?
Not as a surcharge on consumer cards, which has been banned since 13 January 2018. You can build card costs into your prices instead.
Is surcharging card payments legal in the UK?
Not for consumer cards. Since 13 January 2018, regulation 6A of the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012 bans surcharges on consumer debit and credit cards and services like PayPal. Commercial cards are excluded.
What are the UK interchange caps?
0.2% for consumer debit and prepaid cards and 0.3% for consumer credit cards, where the merchant, acquirer and issuer are all in the UK, according to the PSR.
Why do business cards cost more to accept?
Commercial cards are outside the interchange caps, so issuers can charge more, and providers pass that on.
What is an effective rate?
Your total card costs for a month (transaction fees, fixed fees, hire, PCI and subscriptions) divided by your card takings. It's the fairest way to compare a quote with a published flat rate.
Do UK interchange caps apply to cards from abroad?
No. The PSR says the caps only apply where the merchant, acquirer and issuer are all in the UK. Cross border payments, including with EU cards, are outside the caps.
Are fees charged on refunds?
Policies differ between providers. Check your agreement or your provider's help centre before you rely on getting fees back.
How often should I review my card fees?
At least once a year, and whenever your turnover changes significantly. Pull three months of statements, work out your effective rate and compare it with current published rates. If you're on a contract, diary your renewal date so you can negotiate before it rolls over.