Square vs Dojo UK 2026: Fees, Features & Which to Choose

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Square and Dojo are two of the most recognisable card payment providers available to UK businesses in 2026, but they are built for very different needs. Square suits sole traders, mobile sellers, and small businesses that want no monthly fee, simple flat-rate pricing, and free point-of-sale software. Dojo is aimed at established hospitality and retail businesses that take high card volumes, want next-business-morning settlement, and are willing to sign an 18-month contract in exchange for lower per-transaction rates. This page compares their fees, hardware, settlement speed, and suitability side by side so you can decide which fits your business better.

Square vs Dojo: Fee Comparison

What is Square?

Square is a US-founded payment technology company that launched in the UK in 2017. It operates as an e-money institution regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 900846). Square is best known for its free point-of-sale app, flat-rate 1.75% card processing fee on all in-person UK transactions, and low-cost entry hardware. The Square Reader costs £19 plus VAT and works with any iOS or Android phone. There are no monthly fees on the free plan, no minimum transaction volume, and no long-term commitment, which makes Square one of the most accessible card acceptance options for new and small businesses in the UK.

Beyond face-to-face payments, Square offers a suite of products including Square Online for e-commerce, Square Invoices, Square Appointments, and Square for Restaurants. Online card transactions cost 1.4% plus 25p for UK and European cards. The free POS software covers inventory management, sales reporting, and basic staff permissions. For growing businesses, Square Plus plans start at £49 per month plus VAT and unlock advanced features such as detailed margin reporting and multi-location stock control. You can read the full Square review on our Square provider page.

What is Dojo?

Dojo is a UK-founded payment provider, launched in 2019 as a product of Paymentsense Ltd, which holds a full payment institution licence from the FCA (FRN 738728). Dojo targets high-volume face-to-face businesses, particularly in hospitality and retail, with a promise of next-business-morning settlement by 7am. Transaction rates start from around 1.2% and are negotiated individually based on your monthly card volume. All merchants sign an 18-month contract and pay a monthly terminal rental fee from £15 plus VAT. Dojo's card machines connect via Wi-Fi or SIM, and the Go handheld terminal is widely used in restaurants for table-side payments.

Dojo integrates directly with several major EPOS systems used in the hospitality sector, including Lightspeed, Tevalis, and Aloha. Its app gives business owners a real-time view of transactions, daily takings, and settlement status. Dojo does not offer a native e-commerce gateway as a standalone product, so businesses that need online and in-person payment processing in one place will typically need to bolt on a separate online solution. For a detailed breakdown of rates and contract terms, see our full Dojo provider page.

Square vs Dojo: Features Compared

Payment Methods Accepted

Both providers accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay on their card machines. Square also supports contactless payments through its free POS app on a compatible iPhone (Tap to Pay on iPhone), removing the need for hardware entirely. Dojo supports contactless, chip and PIN, and digital wallets on its terminals. Neither provider currently supports cryptocurrency payments natively. Square has a broader overall payment method range because it covers in-person, online, invoice, and MOTO (mail order/telephone order) payments from one account. Dojo's strength is purely in physical card acceptance.

Hardware and Terminals

Square sells its hardware outright, which means you own the device from day one. The Square Reader (magstripe and contactless) costs £19 plus VAT. The Square Terminal, a standalone device with a built-in receipt printer, costs £149 plus VAT. The Square Register, a full countertop system with customer-facing display, costs £549 plus VAT. Dojo leases its terminals rather than selling them. The Dojo Go handheld machine is the flagship product and is well-suited to table-side ordering in cafés and restaurants. Because the hardware is leased, you return it at the end of the contract, but you cannot resell it or keep it if you leave early without paying exit fees.

Integrations

Square integrates natively with WooCommerce, Wix, and its own Square Online store builder, as well as third-party tools including Xero, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp. Its open API allows developers to build custom integrations. Dojo focuses its integration work on hospitality-specific EPOS platforms. Direct integrations include Lightspeed Restaurant, Tevalis, and several other table management systems. If your business runs a widely used hospitality EPOS, Dojo may connect more smoothly than Square. For a general retail or e-commerce stack, Square's integration library is considerably broader.

International and Multi-Currency Support

Square accepts cards issued in the UK, European Economic Area, and internationally, but all settlements are in GBP. It does not offer dynamic currency conversion or multi-currency settlement accounts. Dojo similarly settles in GBP and is a UK-only product. Neither provider is suited to businesses that need multi-currency accounts or cross-border acquiring. If international payment complexity is a priority, providers such as Adyen or Stripe are worth comparing instead.

Fraud Tools and Security

Square is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant and uses end-to-end encryption on all transactions. Its in-person fraud rate is low because chip and PIN and contactless transactions carry the liability to the card networks, not the merchant. For online transactions, Square supports 3D Secure authentication. Dojo is also PCI DSS compliant and uses tokenisation to avoid storing raw card data on its terminals. Its physical-only focus means most transactions carry strong authentication by default. Neither provider offers a sophisticated bespoke fraud scoring engine, which is expected at their price points.

Customer Support

Square offers phone support Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, plus an email ticketing system and an extensive online help centre. Response times for non-urgent queries can stretch to 24 hours. Dojo markets 24/7 UK-based phone support as a key differentiator, and independent reviews on Trustpilot broadly support that claim, with Dojo scoring 4.5 out of 5 from over 12,000 reviews as of June 2026. Square scores 4.2 out of 5 from around 5,000 UK Trustpilot reviews. For businesses that process payments in the evening or at weekends, Dojo's round-the-clock support gives it a meaningful practical advantage.

Pros and Cons

Square Pros and Cons

Pros

• No monthly fee on the free plan and no long-term contract
• Hardware available to buy outright from £19 plus VAT
• Free POS software with inventory, reporting, and team management included
• Covers in-person, online, invoice, and MOTO payments from one account
• Wide integration library including Xero, WooCommerce, and Wix

Cons

• The flat 1.75% rate becomes expensive above roughly £10,000 monthly volume compared with negotiated alternatives
• Standard settlement takes one to two business days; next-day settlement costs an extra 1% per transaction
• Account stability can be an issue: Square can hold or close accounts with limited notice if its automated risk systems flag unusual activity
• Phone support is only available during weekday business hours, leaving evening and weekend businesses without live help

Dojo Pros and Cons

Pros

• Next-business-morning settlement by 7am at no extra charge
• Transaction rates from 1.2% are significantly lower than Square's flat 1.75% for high-volume merchants
• 24/7 UK-based phone support included as standard
• Strong EPOS integrations for the hospitality sector
• Real-time transaction tracking and daily summary reporting via the Dojo app

Cons

• An 18-month minimum contract creates exit risk; early termination fees apply
• Hardware is leased, not owned, so you have nothing to show for the monthly terminal fee if you leave
• No native online payment gateway, so e-commerce businesses need a separate solution
• Pricing is not published transparently online; you must request a quote, making it harder to compare before committing

Which is Better For...?

Small and Independent Retail Businesses

For a small independent retailer turning over less than £8,000 per month in card payments, Square is the better fit. There is no monthly fee, the hardware pays for itself quickly, and the free POS software handles stock and sales reporting without an additional subscription. Above £10,000 monthly card volume, Dojo's lower transaction rate starts to tip the maths in its favour, but only if you are comfortable committing to 18 months. A business taking £15,000 per month in card payments would pay around £262 per month with Square at 1.75%, compared with roughly £195 per month with Dojo at 1.3%, saving around £67 per month before terminal fees.

Hospitality Businesses: Cafés, Restaurants, and Bars

Dojo was built with hospitality in mind. The Dojo Go handheld terminal is designed for table-side use, 24/7 support covers busy Friday and Saturday night services, and next-morning settlement means takings from a Saturday evening are in your account before Monday opening. If your venue uses Lightspeed, Tevalis, or a compatible EPOS, the direct integration avoids manual reconciliation. Square does have a restaurant-specific POS product, but its support hours and settlement speed are a disadvantage in this sector. For established hospitality businesses processing more than £10,000 a month, Dojo is the stronger choice.

Online-Only or Multichannel E-commerce

Square is the clear winner for online-only businesses. It offers a built-in e-commerce store, payment links, and invoicing, all under one account at 1.4% plus 25p per UK card transaction online. Dojo does not offer a standalone online payment gateway. A business that sells both in-store and online needs one account to cover both, and only Square provides that natively. For higher-volume e-commerce with more complex requirements, Stripe is worth comparing alongside Square.

Mobile and Pop-Up Traders

Square is almost uniquely well-suited to market traders, food trucks, and pop-up retailers. Tap to Pay on iPhone means you can accept contactless payments with no hardware at all. The Square Reader at £19 plus VAT is the lowest entry point of any established UK payment provider. There are no monthly fees to drain cash during quiet months. Dojo requires an 18-month contract and a monthly fee, which is a poor fit for seasonal or intermittent trading. If your business is on the move or seasonal, Square wins by a considerable margin.

Our Verdict

Square and Dojo serve genuinely different businesses, and choosing the wrong one is a costly mistake. Square is the right default for anyone starting out, trading occasionally, selling online, or wanting maximum flexibility with no contract risk. The free plan, owned hardware, and broad feature set make it hard to beat below £10,000 in monthly card volume. Its flat 1.75% rate and slow standard settlement are real drawbacks as volume grows, but for many small businesses those trade-offs are worth the simplicity.

Dojo is the better choice once your card volume is consistently above £10,000 per month and your business is face-to-face. The lower rates, next-morning settlement, and 24/7 support are genuine operational advantages for busy hospitality venues and established retailers. The 18-month contract is a meaningful commitment, and the lack of online payment capability is a real limitation. Go in with a clear projection of your monthly volume and read the early termination clause before signing.

Compare Card Fees is a free, independent advisory service that has helped UK businesses find better card payment deals since 2012. If you are unsure which provider is right for your volume and business type, use the Compare Card Fees comparison tool to get tailored quotes from multiple providers and see the true cost difference side by side before you commit.