Pricing
A flat rate for every transaction
One rate on every card you take. No rental, no minimum monthly bill and no surprises on the statement.
Always included
UK support
A named contact on a direct mobile, plus 24/7 technical help.
Next-day payouts
Takings land the next working day, Saturdays included.
Live reporting
Takings, payouts and statements in one portal.
No hidden fees
No rental, no PCI charge, no minimum monthly bill.
Only pay when you get paid
Your rate is tailored to your card mix. Here is where it starts.
Card terminal
Contactless, chip and PIN, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Receipts printed or texted.
Below £10,000
in monthly card turnover
1.25%
Blended on Visa and Mastercard. Amex 1.9%.
£0
First terminal, and £0 monthly bill
Above £10,000
in monthly card turnover
Custom rate
Higher turnover is priced individually from a recent statement, line by line, usually the same day.
What is included?
- Shift4 SkyTab terminal, yours for the term at no cost
- 4G and WiFi connectivity built in, no separate SIM
- Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay and Google Pay
- PCI compliance, with no non-compliance surcharge
- Next working day settlement to your business account
- Named UK partner plus 24/7 technical support
18 months agreement, no early exit fees. Additional terminals £14 a month.
Shift4 vs traditional card machines
See how much you could save compared to legacy PDQ machines and other providers.
Headline rate
Headline rate
1.25% blended, all cards
1.4%–1.75%, often debit-only teaser
Card machine
Card machine
Free first terminal
£19–£139 upfront
Monthly rental
Monthly rental
£0
£19–£39 a month
Minimum monthly charge
Minimum monthly charge
None. No use, no bill
£10–£35 a month
Authorisation fee
Authorisation fee
None
1p–5p per transaction
PCI compliance
PCI compliance
Included
£4.80–£15 a month plus surcharges
Contract
Contract
18 months, no exit fees
12–48 months
Cancellation fee
Cancellation fee
None
£100–£500
Settlement
Settlement
Next working day incl. Saturdays
1–3 working days
Support
Support
Named UK partner, direct mobile
Call centre queue
Full comparison: 8 UK providers
Published rates side by side with ours. Ours is 1.25% (£1.25 per £100) on Visa and Mastercard, American Express 1.9%, over £10,000 a month priced individually.
- Shift4 One1.25% blended
- Upfront
- £0
- Monthly
- £0 monthly bill
- Contract
- 18 months, no early exit fees
- Payout
- Next working day, including Saturdays
- Dojo1.2% blended
- Upfront
- £149–£239 to buy outright
- Monthly
- £15/month on a 12-month term, around £20/mon…
- Contract
- 12 months typical
- Payout
- Next day including weekends, weekend settlem…
- SumUp1.69% in person
- Upfront
- Air £39+VAT, Solo £79, Terminal £135
- Monthly
- £0
- Contract
- None
- Payout
- 1–2 business days
- Zettle by PayPal1.75% in person
- Upfront
- Reader 2 Lite £19+VAT, Reader 2 £29+VAT, Ter…
- Monthly
- £0
- Contract
- None
- Payout
- Next working day to bank
- Square1.75% in person
- Upfront
- Reader from £19
- Monthly
- £0 on the free plan
- Contract
- None
- Payout
- Next business day free
- Worldpay1.50% flat (Simplicity)
- Upfront
- £0
- Monthly
- £17.50–£22/month terminal hire
- Contract
- 18 months
- Payout
- Next business day
- Barclaycard1.6% pay-as-you-go
- Upfront
- Smartpay Anywhere from £29+VAT
- Monthly
- Flex from £15+VAT/month, Smartpay Touch from…
- Contract
- 12–18 months
- Payout
- Next day for Barclays business account holders
- TakepaymentsQuote only, not published
- Upfront
- £0 setup
- Monthly
- From around £25/month, quote-dependent by mo…
- Contract
- 12-month minimum on some plans, commonly 18–…
- Payout
- Next business day
Competitor pricing from published UK rates, last checked August 2026. Providers change pricing without notice — confirm directly.
No use, no bill: there is no minimum monthly service charge. If you do not process any transactions in a month, you will not receive a bill. Figures last verified August 2026.
Hidden fees to watch for
Many card machine providers charge these fees. We charge none of them.
Terminal rental
A fixed monthly charge for the hardware itself, payable whether you trade that month or not.
Typical
£15/month on a 12-month term, around £20/month rolling. The rental route generally requires £100k+/yr turnover.
Platform fee
Billed monthly on top of the headline rate, so it never appears in a rate comparison.
Typical
£10/month per location
Hardware care
Billed monthly on top of the headline rate, so it never appears in a rate comparison.
Typical
£5/month optional (basic cover included free)
Plus software tier
Billed monthly on top of the headline rate, so it never appears in a rate comparison.
Typical
£11.99/month per location
Authorisation fee
A few pence charged every time a card is presented, including on declines. It bites hardest on low-value sales.
Typical
£0.05 per authorisation and £0.50 per refund reported on some plans
Shift4 charges £0 for all of these
Example based on Dojo published pricing. Last verified August 2026.
Interactive calculator
See what your card machine really costs
Drag to your monthly card takings. The numbers update instantly.
Who are you with now?
Fine tune: average sale & rates
Average sale
Dojo now
£109per month
With Shift4
£63per month
Estimated annual saving
About £47 a month at £5,000 card turnover.
Every provider at £5,000 a month
- Shift4 Card Machine£750/yr
- SumUp£1,054/yr
- Square£1,060/yr
- Zettle by PayPal£1,065/yr
- Worldpay£1,170/yr
- Takepayments£1,208/yr
- Barclaycard£1,212/yr
- Dojo£1,310/yr
Effective blended rate with Dojo: 1.20% plus £25.00 a month in fixed fees.
Quick reference
Savings at common turnover levels
Annual costs at popular turnover thresholds, on a £15 average sale.
Monthly card turnover
£2,000
a year · £0 rental · £0 minimum
- Square£430save £130
- Zettle by PayPal£435save £135
- SumUp£445save £145
- Dojo£758save £458
Monthly card turnover
£5,000
a year · £0 rental · £0 minimum
- SumUp£1,054save £304
- Square£1,060save £310
- Zettle by PayPal£1,065save £315
- Dojo£1,310save £560
Monthly card turnover
£7,500
a year · £0 rental · £0 minimum
- SumUp£1,561save £436
- Square£1,585save £460
- Zettle by PayPal£1,590save £465
- Dojo£1,770save £645
Monthly card turnover
£10,000
a year · £0 rental · £0 minimum
- SumUp£2,068save £568
- Square£2,110save £610
- Zettle by PayPal£2,115save £615
- Dojo£2,230save £730
Why Shift4 wins on every level
£0
Upfront cost
vs £19–£139 elsewhere
1.25%
Transaction rate
Bespoke above £10k/month
4G
Built-in connectivity
No add-ons needed
24/7
UK support
Real people, any time
Processing over £10,000 a month?
Send your latest statement and we'll price against your real card mix, line by line, and tell you honestly whether we beat it.
- 1Open your provider app or portal
- 2Find billing or statements
- 3Download last full month as PDF
- 4Email it over and we do the rest
Estimates, not quotes. Competitor pricing last verified August 2026.
Buyer's checklist
Questions to ask any provider
Before signing up with any provider, get clear answers to these. Here is how we stack up.
The real rate
“Is that rate blended across every card type, or only consumer debit?”
Shift4
1.25% blended on all cards under £10,000 a month of card turnover. Above that we quote bespoke.
Worth knowing
A headline rate quoted on consumer debit only, with premium, corporate and non-European cards priced far higher.
The monthly bill
“What will I be billed in a month where I take nothing?”
Shift4
£0. No terminal rental, no minimum monthly service charge, no PCI fee.
Worth knowing
Terminal rental, platform fees, PCI charges and minimum monthly service charges that apply regardless of turnover.
The contract
“How long is the term, and what does it cost to leave early?”
Shift4
18 months with no early exit fees.
Worth knowing
Auto-renewing terms, 90-day notice windows, and exit fees equal to every remaining monthly rental payment.
The money
“When does the money actually land, and is that free?”
Shift4
Next working day incl. Saturdays
Worth knowing
Faster settlement offered as a paid add-on, or next-day settlement only in year one of the contract.
Pro tip: always get the answers in writing before you sign. If a provider cannot explain their terms clearly, that is a red flag.
Pricing FAQ
Common questions about fees
How much does a card machine cost in the UK?
It depends on the provider. Machines are typically either bought outright or hired for a monthly rental, and most contracted plans add PCI and service charges on top. With us the first terminal is free, there is no rental, and additional terminals are £14 a month.
What percentage do card machines charge?
UK rates for small businesses generally sit between about 1.2% and 1.75% on in-person card payments, before any fixed monthly fees. Our rate is 1.25% blended on Visa and Mastercard under £10,000 a month of card turnover, and 1.9% on American Express.
Is the Shift4 card machine really free?
Yes. Your first terminal is free, with nothing upfront and no rental for the life of the agreement. You pay the processing rate on what you take, and nothing else.
Is there a monthly terminal rental fee?
No. There is no terminal rental and no minimum monthly service charge. If you take nothing in a month, you pay nothing.
What is an authorisation fee?
It is a small fixed charge some providers apply every time a card is presented for authorisation, including on declines. At a few pence per transaction it adds up quickly on low-value sales. We don't charge one.
Is PCI compliance included?
Yes. PCI compliance is included at no charge, and there is no non-compliance surcharge if your annual questionnaire lapses.
How quickly are card payments paid out?
Next working day, including Saturdays. Payouts land in your normal business bank account.
Can I get a lower rate if I process more?
Yes. Above £10,000 a month in card turnover we quote bespoke, priced against your actual card mix rather than a published rate. Send a recent statement and we'll come back with a line-by-line comparison.
How does Shift4 compare with Dojo?
Dojo publishes a competitive headline rate but bills terminal hire and a platform fee alongside it, and some plans carry a minimum monthly charge. Our comparison page sets both out side by side using Dojo's published pricing.
How does Shift4 compare with SumUp?
SumUp has no contract and no monthly fee, which suits very low card volumes, but its standard pay-as-you-go rate is higher than ours. Above roughly a few thousand pounds a month the rate difference usually outweighs the fixed costs.
Get your custom pricing quote
Every business is different. Send your last full month and we will price it against your real card mix, then tell you honestly whether we beat it.
- First terminal free
- £0 monthly bill
- Next-day payouts
- 24/7 support
First terminal free. Additional terminals £14/month.
All competitor figures are taken from publicly published UK pricing and were last verified in August 2026. Pricing changes without notice and varies by plan, so treat every figure as indicative and confirm directly with the provider. Calculator results are estimates, not quotes, and assume a 60% debit, 30% consumer credit and 10% business card mix. Your Shift4 rate is confirmed on application, subject to status. Savings shown at £5,000 a month are illustrative.