Learning • 5 min read

Best Card Machine for Small Business UK

The card machine options that suit small UK businesses, and how to pick between pay-as-you-go and monthly plans.

The two paths

Small UK businesses generally choose between pay-as-you-go readers (SumUp, Zettle, Square) and monthly-plan providers (Teya, Dojo, Worldpay). Volume is what decides.

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Under £2,000/month card turnover

Pay-as-you-go almost always wins. Low or no monthly fee, cheap hardware, no contract. SumUp, Zettle and Square are all credible.

£2,000 to £10,000/month

Compare a pay-as-you-go rate (typically 1.5-1.75%) against a bundled monthly plan (typically 0.8-1.2% + monthly fee). Do the maths on your specific volume.

Above £10,000/month

A dedicated merchant account with a monthly plan is usually cheaper. Get quotes from at least two direct acquirers and one modern provider (Dojo or Teya).

Key takeaways

●Small business ≠ one answer. Volume decides.
●Pay-as-you-go wins under about £2k/month.
●Above about £10k/month, a merchant account usually wins.

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