Card payment devices are becoming an ever growing necessity for businesses around the world and if there is one thing a global pandemic taught us, it is that we are definitely living in an increasingly cashless society. In this guide, we take a look at 2 of the most popular card reader providers in the UK.
SumUp vs Dojo: provider overview
Both Dojo and SumUp are offering their customers cost-effective products with very different approaches.
SumUp is arguably one of the more well known card reader retailers on the market and, although Dojo has only been on the scene for a few years, it’s owned by payment giant PaymentSense and is slowly but surely making its way up.
In this guide, we are comparing their 2 most popular machines, the SumUp Air and the Dojo Go.
Products
SumUp Air, SumUp Air and Cradle, SumUp Solo, SumUp 3G and Printer
Payment methods
Contactless, Chip and Pin
Alternative payment methods
QR code,Payment link
Apple Pay
Yes
Google Pay
Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Requires connection to a phone or tablet
Yes
Battery life
500 sales on a full charge
Warranty period
12 months
Products
Dojo Go, Dojo One
Payment methods
Contactless, Chip and Pin, Magnetic swipe
Alternative payment methods
Payment link
Apple Pay
Yes
Google Pay
Yes
Connectivity
SIM card,WiFi
Requires connection to a phone or tablet
No
Battery life
10 hours
The SumUp Air vs the Dojo Go: product overview
Although both card reader providers offer other machines, the SumUp Air and the Dojo Go are the most comparable for SMEs.
SumUp Air
Dojo go
Compare rates and fees
Card machines feature a range of fees, use our guide for further explanations of the different charges you might come across in your research.
Depending on your business’s needs, you may feel more connected to one product over the other when it comes to contracts. SumUp is offering a one-off fee for the SumUp Air, whereas the Dojo Go will cost you a continuous monthly fee until your contract ends. Ultimately, this means that the more cost efficient machine is the SumUp Air. However, when you throw in transaction fees, Dojo is slightly more competitive (depending on the amount and type of sales).
When it comes to payout times, aka when you’ll hear the cha-ching in your business’s bank account, SumUp has a current settlement period of 1-3 days, whereas Dojo states that it will payout by 10am the next business day.
Product
OFFER
Product Name
SumUp Air
Dojo Go
Contract
No contract
1 month minimum
Initial cost
£39
£0
Monthly cost
£0
£20
Transaction cost
1.69%
1.4% + 3p
Transaction cost (card not present)
2.5%
1.8% + 3p
Settlement
1-3 working days
1 working day
Money-back guarantee
Yes
No
Money-back guarantee details
30-day money-back guarantee
Chargeback cost
£10
£0.50
Compare features
Card machines usually come with a range of features, some of these will be the selling point for you and your business, and others you could take or leave. Use our guide to learn some of the most common features card readers come with.
So, what features can you expect with the Dojo Go and SumUp Air? When considering what payment types these readers take, there isn’t much of a difference. However, quickly jumping back to the fees and costs, depending on the payment method e.g. if the card is an Amex or a business card, you can expect to pay a higher fee with the Dojo Go.
Another thing to consider is the size difference between these two machines. The SumUp products are iconically pocket-sized and lightweight, whereas the Dojo Go is a slightly larger and heavier device. Both are great options, but if you will be taking payments on-the-go or if the device will be docked at a till really will be a deciding factor to which machine will work better for your business.
Product
OFFER
Product Name
SumUp Air
Dojo Go
Networks
Connectivity
Bluetooth
SIM card, WiFi
Payment methods
Contactless, Chip and Pin
Contactless, Chip and Pin, Magnetic swipe
Alternative payment methods
QR code, Payment link
Payment link
Requires connection to phone or tablet
Battery life
500 sales on a full charge
10 hours
Printer attached
Add ons
Dojo Go stand
Bottom line
So, bottom line, which payment machine comes out on top? As always, it really does depend on what you will be using the reader for and both SumUp and Dojo offer products on the different ends of the spectrum. To compare all the products in full, you can use our table below.
Table: sorted by transaction cost, promoted deals first
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Emily Herring is a Publisher at Finder specialising in credit-based products including credit cards and business and personal loans. Emily has recently joined the Investments team. She has a Masters in Creative Writing & Publishing and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media. See full bio
Emily's expertise
Emily has written 134 Finder guides across topics including:
Find out how Square card readers work to see if they are right for you and your business.
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Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
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