Choosing the right card machine for a restaurant or hospitality business is very different from choosing one for retail. You need pre-authorisation for bar tabs and hotel reservations, tipping prompts for table service, and fast enough throughput to clear a busy Saturday night without a queue at the till. After testing six providers against these hospitality-specific criteria, Square for Restaurants is our top pick for most venues: its free table management POS, Kitchen Display System, and flat 1.75% rate make it the most complete out-of-the-box solution.
Dojo is the better choice for high-volume operations where the Fix plan’s bundled pricing pencils out above £4,000/month turnover. SumUp suits small cafes and takeaways – particularly its kiosk mode with allergen display, which is unique in this price bracket. Here are the six best card machines for UK restaurants and hospitality businesses in 2026.
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All pricing below was verified directly from provider websites in February 2026. Transaction rates apply to UK consumer cards; business and premium cards may attract higher rates depending on the provider’s pricing model.
- At £20,000/month card turnover, SumUp Payments Plus (0.99% + £19/month) is cheapest - delivers the lowest transaction cost among no-contract providers, saving £152/month versus Square’s 1.75% rate
- Dojo’s Fix Plan at £39.99/month covers up to £3,999 in turnover at an effective 1.0% rate - best for restaurants processing £2,000-4,000/month who want fixed costs and next-day settlement including weekends
- Pre-authorisation for tabs and deposits is essential for restaurants and hotels - Dojo and Worldpay support pre-auth as standard, while SumUp and Square offer limited or no pre-auth capability
- Contactless tipping via card machine increases gratuities by 20-30% versus cash-only tips - SumUp, Dojo, and Square all support prompted tipping, critical for front-of-house staff retention
- Get the exact per-transaction rate in writing before signing any contract-based deal - Dojo and Worldpay negotiated rates vary by venue type, and verbal quotes are not always honoured in the agreement
What Restaurants and Hospitality Venues Need from a Card Machine
Restaurant card machines must support pre-authorisation, tipping prompts, and fast throughput – features most standard retail card readers lack entirely.
A standard retail card machine lets customers tap and go. Hospitality is more demanding. Here are the capabilities that matter most when comparing providers for a food and drink venue.
| Feature | Why It Matters | Which Providers Offer It |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-authorisation | Hold funds on a card for bar tabs or hotel room deposits without charging immediately | Dojo, takepayments, Clover |
| Tipping / gratuity | Prompt customers to add a tip at point of sale – legally required to pass to staff | Square, Dojo, SumUp, PayPal POS (formerly Zettle), Clover |
| Bill splitting | Divide a table’s bill by item or equally across multiple cards | Square for Restaurants, Clover |
| Table management | Assign orders to table numbers, track covers, manage floor plan | Square for Restaurants, Clover |
| Kitchen printing / KDS | Send orders directly to kitchen printer or display – eliminates paper tickets | Square for Restaurants, Clover |
| Allergen display | Show allergen information at the point of ordering – critical post-Natasha’s Law | SumUp Kiosk (unique) |
| EPOS integration | Connect payments to stock management, booking systems, and accountancy | Clover, Square, Dojo |
| Offline mode | Process payments when internet drops – vital for outdoor events and festivals | Square, SumUp, PayPal POS |
| Next-day settlement | Cash flow matters – same or next business day payouts are standard for hospitality | Dojo (next day), Square (1-2 days), SumUp (1-3 days) |
Speed is also non-negotiable. During a busy Friday service, a card machine that takes 8 seconds per transaction will back up a queue and frustrate customers. All six providers we reviewed process contactless payments in under 3 seconds under normal network conditions.
Best Card Machines for Restaurants: Full Reviews
Square for Restaurants is the best card machine for most UK venues in 2026, combining a free POS, table management, and Kitchen Display System at a flat 1.75% rate.
Square for Restaurants EDITOR’S PICK
Square for Restaurants is the most complete out-of-the-box solution for UK hospitality businesses. The free tier includes a full restaurant POS with table management, a floor plan editor, and a Kitchen Display System – capabilities that competitors charge hundreds of pounds per month for. Pair it with a Square Terminal (£149 + VAT) or an iPad and Square Stand, and you have a till system that rivals dedicated EPOS providers without the lock-in.
The hardware range suits different service styles. The Square Reader (£19 + VAT) works as a handheld payment device at the table. The Square Terminal (£149 + VAT) is a countertop unit with receipt printer built in – ideal for bars and quick-service venues. The Square Register (£579 + VAT) is a dual-screen setup with a customer-facing display for full-service restaurants. All run on the same 1.75% flat rate for UK consumer cards – no monthly fee on the free POS plan.
Hospitality-specific features include tipping prompts (configurable as percentage or custom amount), bill splitting by item or seat, and course-based ordering so the kitchen receives tickets in the correct sequence. The Kitchen Display System replaces paper ticket rails – orders fire automatically from the POS to the kitchen screen. Square’s Online Store module (available on free plan) handles click-and-collect and delivery orders that feed into the same POS, which is useful for venues that took on delivery during the pandemic and kept it.
The main limitation is pre-authorisation: Square does not currently offer bar tab pre-auth for UK merchants. If running a bar where customers want to keep a tab open on their card rather than pay round by round, Dojo or takepayments are better suited. Square also settles in 1-2 business days rather than next-day – a minor cash flow consideration for busy operations.
| Hardware | Price (excl. VAT) | Best For | Transaction Rate | Monthly Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Reader | £19 | Handheld / tableside payments | 1.75% | £0 |
| Square Terminal | £149 | Bar or counter with built-in printer | 1.75% | £0 |
| Square Register | £579 | Full-service restaurant dual screen | 1.75% | £0 (free plan) / £69 (Plus) |
Dojo
Dojo is the highest-rated card machine provider in the UK by Trustpilot score (4.8/5 from over 24,000 reviews), and it earns that reputation in hospitality contexts. Its Fix plan at £39.99/month bundles unlimited transactions up to £4,000 monthly turnover with next-day settlement as standard – the latter is Dojo’s biggest differentiator for cash-flow-sensitive restaurant operations.
The Dojo Go handheld terminal (from £79) runs on 4G, which makes it ideal for table-side payment in large restaurants where Wi-Fi coverage at the far end of a dining room can be patchy. The PAX A920 – Dojo’s primary device – has a 5.5-inch touchscreen, a built-in thermal printer for receipts, and a battery life rated at over 400 transactions per charge.
Pre-authorisation is available on Dojo, making it suitable for hotel front desks and bars where a guest wants to leave their card on file to run a tab. The pre-auth hold can be set for a fixed amount or a percentage of expected spend, then captured or released at check-out. This is a significant advantage over Square, which does not offer pre-auth for UK merchants.
The Fix plan is the right choice once monthly card turnover exceeds roughly £3,800/month – at that point, the flat fee beats Square’s 1.75% per transaction on a pure cost basis. Below that threshold, the no-contract PAYG rate (1.4% + 5p per consumer card transaction) may or may not beat Square depending on average transaction values. Dojo does require a 12-month contract on the Fix plan, which is the main downside for seasonal venues or those just starting out.
SumUp
SumUp has quietly become one of the most practical card machine providers for small hospitality businesses. The Solo reader (£79 + VAT) has a built-in SIM and Wi-Fi, so it works everywhere without needing your phone nearby – a notable upgrade from earlier SumUp readers that required Bluetooth tethering. Transaction rates are slightly lower than Square at 1.69% PAYG, or drop to 0.99% on the £19/month Payments Plus plan – worth considering if you’re processing above £2,500/month in card sales.
SumUp’s standout hospitality feature is the Takeaway Kiosk. The POS Lite bundle (£290 + VAT, includes Solo reader and tablet stand) supports a customer-facing self-ordering mode that displays allergen information for each menu item – a capability that directly addresses post-Natasha’s Law compliance for food businesses. No other provider in this price bracket offers integrated allergen display as standard.
SumUp also supports tipping prompts and a basic table management view in its POS app, though the table management is less sophisticated than Square’s. It is best suited to cafes, bakeries, market stalls, and quick-service takeaways rather than full-service restaurants with complex table layouts. For those venues, Square or Clover will serve better. SumUp’s no-contract, no-monthly-fee PAYG option makes it the lowest-risk choice for a new venue testing card payments for the first time.
Clover
Clover is the closest thing to a full enterprise EPOS system at a mid-market price point. Unlike Square or SumUp, Clover sells hardware through reseller banks and payment processors (including HSBC and Barclaycard), which means rates are negotiated rather than published – typically 0.5–1.5% for high-volume merchants on interchange-plus pricing, which can significantly undercut flat-rate providers.
The Clover hardware range is built specifically for restaurants. The Clover Station Duo is a dual-screen countertop system with a customer-facing display and a built-in receipt printer. The Clover Flex is a portable handheld with 4G and a built-in printer for tableside ordering and payment. Both run on the Clover OS, which supports an app marketplace where you can add specialist restaurant functionality: Tableside Ordering, Menu Modifiers, Employee Scheduling, and Inventory Management.
Bill splitting – both by item and by equal division – is supported natively. Pre-authorisation for bar tabs and hotel deposits is available. Course-based ordering sends tickets to the kitchen in sequence. Clover integrates with major booking systems including ResDiary and OpenTable, and connects to Xero and QuickBooks for accounting. For a venue that wants a single system covering payments, orders, staff rotas, and stock, Clover is the most integrated option in this comparison.
The downside is setup complexity and cost. Clover hardware typically requires purchase through a reseller, pricing varies significantly, and monthly software plans add to the total cost. Budget for a 12-24 month contract and a setup conversation with a reseller account manager. It is not a plug-and-play solution.
PayPal POS
PayPal POS (rebranded from iZettle/PayPal POS after PayPal’s acquisition) is a capable no-frills card machine for hospitality businesses that already use PayPal for online sales or supplier payments. The PayPal Reader 2 costs £29 + VAT and processes payments at a flat 1.75% – identical to Square’s rate on UK consumer cards. There is no monthly fee and no contract.
The PayPal POS app supports tipping prompts, basic inventory management, and receipt printing via Bluetooth. For small cafes or market stalls that want a simple setup without the learning curve of a full POS system, PayPal POS works well. However, it lacks the table management, KDS, and bill-splitting capabilities that make Square for Restaurants better suited to sit-down venues. Pre-authorisation is not available on PayPal POS.
The PayPal integration is PayPal POS’s differentiating factor. PayPal balances, PayPal POS card revenue, and PayPal Checkout from an online store all settle into a single PayPal business account. For a venue that uses PayPal for its online shop or for paying suppliers, this consolidated view saves reconciliation time. Trustpilot scores (3.4/5) reflect occasional customer service complaints, particularly around account holds – a known risk with any PayPal-affiliated product.
takepayments
takepayments is a UK merchant account provider operating a traditional model: you speak to an account manager, negotiate a rate based on your monthly turnover and average transaction value, and sign a contract. This approach suits established restaurants and bars processing £10,000+ per month – at that volume, a negotiated interchange-plus rate will consistently beat the flat-rate models of Square or SumUp.
The hardware is business-grade. takepayments offers countertop terminals, portable Bluetooth-connected devices for tableside use, and mobile 4G units for outdoor trading. All devices connect to takepayments’ own merchant acquiring infrastructure (rather than white-labelling another processor), which is one reason they can offer competitive rates on contract.
Pre-authorisation is supported for hospitality applications. The dedicated account manager model means you have a named contact for any issues – a meaningful benefit over the automated support systems of Square or SumUp, where support quality is more variable. The 12-month minimum contract is standard for this type of merchant account. takepayments is not the right choice for venues with less than £5,000/month in card turnover, where the contract commitment and setup complexity outweigh the rate advantage.
Card Machines for Restaurants Compared
Square for Restaurants offers the best feature set for most UK venues; Dojo wins on next-day settlement and pre-auth; SumUp is cheapest for low-volume cafes.
| Provider | Rate | Monthly Fee | Hardware From | Pre-Auth | Tipping | Table Mgmt | KDS | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square for Restaurants PICK | 1.75% | £0 | £19 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | None |
| Dojo | From 1.4% + 5p | £39.99 (Fix) | £79 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | 12 months |
| SumUp | 1.69% PAYG / 0.99%+ | £0 (PAYG) / £19 | £79 | ✗ | ✓ | Basic | ✗ | None |
| Clover | Negotiated | Variable | Variable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Via app | 12-24 months |
| PayPal POS | 1.75% | £0 | £29 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | None |
| takepayments | Negotiated | Variable | Variable | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | 12 months |
What Does a Card Machine Actually Cost a Restaurant?
A restaurant processing £20,000/month in card sales will pay between £290 and £400/month in total card machine costs depending on provider and pricing model.
To make this concrete, we have modelled the total monthly cost for a mid-size restaurant processing £20,000/month in card turnover across an average transaction of £35 (approximately 571 transactions per month).
| Provider | Transaction Costs | Monthly Fee | Hardware (amortised 12 mo) | Total Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square for Restaurants | £350 (1.75% × £20K) | £0 | £12 (Terminal £149/12) | ~£362/month |
| Dojo Fix Plan | Bundled (up to £4K) then ~£224 above | £39.99 | £7 (Go £79/12) | ~£271/month |
| SumUp Payments Plus | £198 (0.99% × £20K) | £19 | £7 (Solo £79/12) | ~£224/month |
| takepayments (est. 0.9%) | £180 (0.9% × £20K est.) | ~£25 est. | Variable | ~£205/month (est.) |
A few things to note from the model above. The Dojo Fix plan covers up to £4,000/month at the flat £39.99 fee – above that, the per-transaction rate applies. At £20,000/month, the remaining £16,000 is billed at approximately 1.4% + 5p per transaction (rates vary by card type), which adds roughly £224 to the plan fee. Dojo is therefore not automatically cheaper than Square at high volumes without a bespoke rate negotiation.
Hidden costs to factor in: PCI compliance fees (some providers charge £2-5/month), early termination fees on 12-month contracts (often 50% of remaining contract value), and chargeback handling fees (typically £10-15 per dispute). Square and SumUp do not charge separate PCI fees or early termination costs.
- At £20,000/month card turnover – SumUp Payments Plus (0.99% + £19/mo) delivers the lowest transaction cost among the no-contract providers
- For venues that also need pre-auth and next-day – cash flow, Dojo's negotiated rates above the Fix plan threshold can still compete
- but get the – rate in writing before signing
How to Choose: A Volume-Based Decision Guide
Choose by monthly card turnover: under £2,500 use SumUp PAYG; £2,500-£10,000 use Square; above £10,000 consider Dojo Fix plan or a negotiated merchant account.
The right card machine for your venue depends primarily on monthly card volume, secondarily on the hospitality features you require. Use the decision tree below to identify your best match.
Which card machine is right for your hospitality business?
- Under £2,500/month → SumUp PAYG (1.69%, no monthly fee, lowest entry cost)
- £2,500 – £10,000/month → Square for Restaurants (1.75%, free POS + KDS) or SumUp Payments Plus (0.99% + £19/mo)
- £10,000 – £30,000/month → Dojo Fix plan or request negotiated rates from takepayments
- £30,000+/month → Clover or takepayments on interchange-plus – flat rates become expensive at this volume
- Full-service restaurant (table service, kitchen orders) → Square for Restaurants (free KDS + table management)
- Bar or pub (running tabs, pre-auth) → Dojo or takepayments (pre-auth support)
- Cafe or quick-service → SumUp or Square Reader (simple, no contract)
- Takeaway with allergen requirements → SumUp Kiosk (unique allergen display feature)
- Hotel → takepayments or Clover (pre-auth, full PMS integration options)
- Market stall or pop-up → SumUp Solo (built-in SIM, works without phone)
- No contract needed → Square, SumUp, or PayPal POS
- Happy to sign 12 months for a better rate → Dojo Fix plan or takepayments
Related guides: Compare all providers in our best card machines guide, or see card machine costs for a full pricing breakdown. Running a retail shop instead? See card machines for retail.
Our Verdict
Square for Restaurants is the best card machine for most UK hospitality venues in 2026, with a free restaurant POS, KDS, and tipping at 1.75% – no contract required.
For the majority of UK restaurants, cafes, and food and drink venues, Square for Restaurants is the clear winner. The combination of a free, fully-featured restaurant POS – with table management, a floor plan editor, a Kitchen Display System, bill splitting, and tipping – at a flat 1.75% with no monthly fee and no contract is exceptional value. No other provider offers this breadth of hospitality-specific functionality without an ongoing subscription.
Dojo makes more sense once you are processing above £4,000-£5,000/month and need next-day cash flow or pre-authorisation for bar tabs. Its 4.8/5 Trustpilot score reflects genuinely strong customer service – something that matters when a terminal goes down on a Saturday night. The 12-month contract is a fair trade for what you get.
SumUp is the right choice for small cafes, bakeries, and takeaways – particularly those with allergen compliance requirements where the kiosk mode offers something no competitor does at this price point. Clover and takepayments are better suited to established, higher-volume venues that want negotiated interchange-plus pricing and are comfortable with a more involved setup process.
Square for Restaurants is the most complete out-of-the-box solution for UK hospitality in 2026. The free restaurant POS with KDS, table management, tipping, and bill splitting – at a flat 1.75% rate with no contract – makes it the default recommendation for any venue that does not specifically require pre-authorisation or next-day settlement. For bars and hotels needing pre-auth, choose Dojo. For small cafes on the tightest budget, choose SumUp.
