Compare providers
See which prices are published and which need a business-specific quote.
Comparison PDF · Payments
Compare the full cost of UK card payment providers
Use your own payment activity to compare transaction charges, terminal costs, contract terms and payout schedules.
The short answer
How can I compare card payment proposals fairly?
Ask each provider to price the same card takings, transaction count, card mix and channels. Include equipment, recurring and relevant event-related charges. Compare the resulting cost alongside contract, payout and support terms. Total fees divided by takings gives an overall percentage for that activity, but it is not necessarily the contractual transaction rate.
Key facts
What to know before you read on
Who this is for. Owners of UK shops, cafes, pubs, salons, trades and other small businesses who want to compare card machine providers on a like-for-like basis before they ask for a quote.
- Providers either publish flat rates or quote each business individually, based on turnover, average sale and card mix.
- A lower headline percentage is not always cheaper. Per-transaction fees, hire fees and minimum charges decide the total, and the cheaper option can change as your takings grow.
- Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) rules direct 14 named providers to give businesses with up to £50 million of card turnover a summary box, an online quotation tool and trigger messages.
- Every 0.1 percentage point off your effective rate is worth £8 a month on £8,000 of card takings, £25 on £25,000 and £75 on £75,000.
01
Why is there no single league table of UK card processing prices?
Most UK providers price each business individually, and those that publish rates charge different amounts by card type, sales channel and plan. A fair comparison needs your own statement, not a headline percentage.
Flat-rate providers publish a percentage, sometimes with a small fixed fee per payment. Quoting providers, including the large banks, set your rate after looking at your turnover, average sale and card mix. A written quote on your own month of takings is the number that matters.
The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) found that card-acquiring does not work well for businesses with annual card turnover up to £50 million, and that many could save by shopping around or negotiating but do not. Its 2022 remedies direct 14 named providers, including Barclays, Lloyds Bank, Worldpay, Square, Stripe, SumUp and PayPal, to give those businesses a standard summary box and an online quotation tool. The PSR changed the list of directed legal entities in 2024, so check the current version.
02
Which providers does the comparison cover, and how was it built?
The comparison covers DOJO, Worldpay, Barclaycard, takepayments, Lloyds Cardnet, Tyl by NatWest, Square, SumUp, Zettle and Stripe. Each entry is read from the provider's own public pages on a recorded date, and providers that only quote are marked as quote-only, not guessed.
Every figure comes from a provider's public pricing, card machine and contract pages, not from third-party review sites, and carries the date it was read. Where a provider does not publish a rate, the comparison says so and records how to get a written quote, instead of estimating one. Examples a provider labels as representative are kept apart from rates it commits to.
03
Why is the lowest headline rate not always the cheapest?
The total bill also includes per-transaction fees, monthly hire or plan fees and minimum charges. Low-volume businesses feel fixed fees most and high-volume businesses feel the percentage most, so the cheaper option changes as takings grow.
A flat percentage with no monthly fee tends to suit low takings, because fixed costs weigh most there. A lower percentage with a per-transaction fee and machine hire can win as takings grow. Where the crossover falls depends on your average sale and the actual quotes, so test it with your own numbers.
04
What is a lower effective rate worth at £8,000, £25,000 and £75,000 a month?
Every 0.1 percentage point off your effective rate saves £8 a month on £8,000 of card takings, £25 on £25,000 and £75 on £75,000. Your real saving depends on the quote you receive, so work it out from your own statement.
No honest "typical saving" fits every business, because savings depend on your card mix, average sale and current contract. Multiply the figures above by the number of tenths of a point you could save, then by 12 for the yearly effect. Fixed costs work the other way: a £20 monthly machine fee equals 0.25 percentage points of £8,000 in takings, but only about 0.03 points of £75,000.
05
How long are the contracts, and what happens if I want to leave?
Contract lengths run from none to 18 months depending on provider and device. The PSR caps terminal lease and rental contracts at an 18-month initial term for businesses with up to £10 million of card turnover. Exit fees are set in your own agreement.
| Protection | Who is covered | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Summary box | Up to £50 million annual card turnover | A standard summary of key prices and terms, in billing information and the online account |
| Online quotation tool | Up to £50 million annual card turnover | An indicative quote, in the summary box format, on the provider's website |
| Trigger message | Up to £50 million annual card turnover | A prompt to shop around about 30 days before a minimum term ends, or monthly if there is none |
| Terminal contracts | Up to £10 million annual card turnover | Initial term of 18 months at most, then renewals of no more than 31 days; exit fees cost-based and explained first |
| Contract length and exit cost for each provider | In the download ↓ | |
These rules apply to customers of the directed providers. If your terminal comes from an independent third party with no link to your acquirer, the PSR says its terminal rule does not apply, so check who your terminal contract is with. Rules and provider terms change, so check the latest position before you sign or give notice.
06
How fast will providers pay me, and does it cost extra?
Payout timing varies by provider, plan and cut-off time, from next day (including weekends at some providers) to one or two working days. Instant transfers usually cost a percentage. Authorising a payment and receiving the money are separate steps, so check your own agreement.
Cut-off times, weekends and bank holidays matter. A payment taken after a cut-off may be paid a day later, and some providers pay into their own account first, so check how long onward transfers to your bank take.
Instant options charge a percentage, sometimes with a minimum fee or daily limit, while standard payouts are normally free. Faster payout is worth most to businesses with large weekend takings or tight supplier terms.
07
Which fees are easy to miss when comparing providers?
The easy-to-miss costs are per-transaction authorisation fees, machine hire, minimum monthly charges, extra charges on premium, non-UK and keyed-in cards, and exit costs. They sit outside the headline percentage.
Authorisation fees are charged on every payment, so they weigh most when your average sale is small. Machine hire and minimum charges are fixed, so they weigh most when takings are low. Premium, non-UK, American Express and keyed-in payments are often charged at higher rates than domestic in-person cards. Add every line to your total, and ask what you pay once introductory discounts end.
08
How do I check a provider's quote against my own statement?
Ask the provider to price one full month of your actual takings, then divide total fees by total card takings. Use the same month for every quote, and include every fixed and per-transaction charge.
- Pick a typical month
Choose a month that is neither unusually quiet nor unusually busy, and keep that statement.
- Collect your numbers
Note total card takings, the number of transactions and roughly what share are premium, non-UK, Amex or keyed-in payments.
- Use the quotation toolsFull step in the download ↓
- Get the formal quote in writingFull step in the download ↓
- Work out the effective rateFull step in the download ↓
A written figure for your own month is worth more than any published rate. If a provider will not price your statement, treat its headline rate as unconfirmed.
09
How does Reeve Consult fit in, and what should I do next?
Reeve Consult is an authorised DOJO partner. We can review your statement and a written DOJO proposal, but you should also collect at least one other written quote on the same month of takings and compare effective rates.
DOJO quotes are bespoke, so we do not publish a DOJO rate in this guide. A DOJO quote should show the hardware arrangement, processing rates, ongoing charges and contract terms in writing. We may receive a referral fee from DOJO if you go ahead, so ask us about it before you decide.
This guide is general information, not a quote or financial advice.
The download
What's inside
A provider comparison and calculation method for checking a written quote against a recent merchant statement.
Calculate the effective rate
Include fixed and per-transaction fees using one month of your own card takings.
Check the agreement
Compare contract length, exit costs and payout timing before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers
Answers to common questions about this topic.
What is the cheapest way to take card payments in the UK?
There is no single cheapest option. Flat rates with no hire fee often suit low takings, while per-transaction and hire-fee pricing can win above a certain level. The crossover depends on your average sale and card mix, so work out your own effective rate from a written quote on your actual month.
What is a good effective rate for a small UK business?
There is no official benchmark. Your effective rate depends on your card mix, average sale and fixed fees. Compare quotes priced on the same month of your own takings, and treat an unusually low rate as unconfirmed until you have seen every charge in writing.
Are card processing rates negotiable?
Part of them is. Interchange and scheme fees are set outside your provider, but the provider's own margin, terminal terms and contract length can often be negotiated, especially with a written competing quote.
Which providers pay out the next day?
Some providers pay out the next day, including weekends, while others take one or two working days, and cut-off times apply. Instant options usually cost a percentage. The comparison download records each provider's published schedule on a stated date. Confirm yours in your agreement.
How long can a card machine contract last?
It depends on the provider and device, and some have no minimum term. For businesses with up to £10 million of card turnover, PSR rules limit the initial term of a terminal lease or rental contract with a directed provider to 18 months. Your processing agreement is separate, so check it too.
How often do card processing prices change?
Often. Providers change plans, hardware prices and promotions without much notice, so any published figure is a snapshot on a stated date. Use a written quote and your provider's summary box before you sign, and check again before any renewal.
Does DOJO publish its rates?
DOJO quotes bespoke rates for each business instead of publishing one. Ask for a written quote showing hardware, processing rates, ongoing charges and contract terms. Reeve Consult is an authorised DOJO partner and can request one for you, but compare it with at least one other quote.
Sources
Where this comes from
Figures and rules on this page come from these sources. Check the original before relying on a number, as regulations and prices change.
- Payment Systems Regulator: Card-acquiring market remedies, final decision (PS22/2), October 2022 ↗The 14 directed providers, summary boxes and online quotation tools, trigger messages, and the 18-month terminal contract limit and its scope.
- Payment Systems Regulator: Market review into the supply of card-acquiring services ↗The review timeline and remedies, and the 2024 policy statement (PS24/1) changing the list of directed legal entities.
- Barclaycard: compare card readers ↗Contract lengths from none to 18 months by reader, and next-day settlement subject to cut-off times and the customer's financial circumstances.
- SumUp UK pricing ↗Money available in its Business Account by 7am the next day, including weekends and public holidays.
- Square UK pricing ↗Transfers to an external bank account in one to two working days for free, or instantly for a fee.
- Reeve Consult: DOJO Go Max ↗DOJO quotes are bespoke, and a written quote should cover hardware, processing rates, ongoing charges and contract terms; the settlement schedule should be confirmed.
- Reeve Consult: rate comparison ↗A headline rate is not the whole cost: compare transaction charges, authorisation fees, recurring fees, equipment, contract terms and exit costs.
Free download
Keep this guide to hand
Use your own payment activity to compare transaction charges, terminal costs, contract terms and payout schedules.
- Compare providers
- Calculate the effective rate
- Check the agreement
Always free. No card, no trial. Prefer to talk it through? Book a free call or email [email protected].
Keep reading
More free guides
Free Guide
Find out what each charge pays for, how to calculate your overall rate and which questions to ask your provider.
Get the guide ↗Step-by-Step Playbook
Check your current contract, compare a written quote and plan the handover before cancelling your existing service.
Get the guide ↗Industry Guide
Compare the costs that matter on small sales, check how tips are recorded and prepare the till connection before switching.
Get the guide ↗