Card machine hire withoutthe monthly rental
Most UK hire deals bill £15 to £29 a month for 48 months whether you trade or not. Ours is £0 monthly bill on a 18 months agreement, with the first terminal free and 1.25% (£1.25 per £100) on Visa and Mastercard.
- Free terminal
- £0 monthly bill
- No exit fees
- £0monthly rental
- 48hrtypical delivery
- £1,056typical 48-month lease cost elsewhere
What you get instead of a rental agreement
No rental, ever
The first Shift4 One is free for the life of the agreement. Additional terminals are £14 a month, and that is the only recurring hardware line on your bill.
One blended rate
1.25% (£1.25 per £100) on Visa and Mastercard, debit or credit, contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay. American Express 1.9%.
Next working day money
Settlement lands the next working day, Saturdays included, so weekend trade is in the account before Monday's suppliers are paid.
4G and WiFi in the box
The terminal ships with a SIM. No router, no tethering to a phone, no dead pitch when the venue WiFi drops.
How it stacks up
| Feature | Shift4 | SumUp | Zettle | Dojo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Free | £29+ | £19+ | £100+ |
| Monthly fee | £0 | £0 | £0 | £15+ |
| Rate | 1.25% | 1.69% | 1.75% | 1.2% |
| 4G built in | ||||
| Next-day payout | ||||
| No use, no bill |
Blended rate on Visa and Mastercard. Amex 1.9%. Over £10k a month, pricing is quoted individually.
Competitor pricing from published UK rates, last checked August 2026. Providers change pricing without notice — confirm directly.
What you'd save each year
Competitor pricing from published UK rates, last checked August 2026. Providers change pricing without notice — confirm directly.
Card machine hire questions
Is this hire, lease or purchase?
None of the three in the traditional sense. The terminal is supplied free for the length of the merchant agreement. You do not buy it, you do not lease it, and there is no rental line on your bill. If you close the account the terminal comes back to us.
What is the catch on a free card machine?
The hardware is funded out of transaction revenue, so the agreement runs for 18 months. There are no early exit fees, no minimum monthly charge and no rental, but we do need the account to be live for that term for the economics to work.
What does it actually cost me per month?
1.25% (£1.25 per £100) of what you take on Visa and Mastercard, 1.9% on American Express, and nothing else. Turn over £4,000 on cards and you pay £50. Turn over nothing and you pay nothing.
Can I get out of an existing rental contract?
Send us the agreement and we will read the termination clause for you. Most leases have a fixed remaining balance rather than a penalty; we will tell you what switching costs and whether waiting until the notice window is cheaper.
How many terminals can I have?
As many as the site needs. The first is free, each additional one is £14 a month, and they can be cancelled individually if you scale back after a busy season.
Get your card machine hire quote
First terminal free. Additional terminals £14/month. £0 monthly bill, no minimum monthly service charge. no use, no bill: no transactions in a month means no bill. Next working day, including Saturdays settlement and 4g and wifi built in.
Turning over more than £10k a month? Your rate is priced individually — send a statement and we'll come back the same day.
Explore more
Same free terminal, same rate — every trade, every postcode.
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Ready to stop renting a card machine?
1.25% (£1.25 per £100) on Visa and Mastercard, American Express 1.9%, and your first terminal free.