Dojo alternative

Card fees · Worked example

Dojo card machines vs The Payments Expert

Dojo's 1.2% flat rate looks simple — until your turnover crosses £100k a year. Here is what UK merchants actually pay once volume adds up, compared at Dojo's best advertised tier rather than their worst.

Where the simple rate gets complicated

Below £100,000 a year, Dojo gives you one blended rate across every card type. Above it, you are moved onto negotiated interchange-plus pricing — which can land lower than 1.2%, but is no longer a published number you can hold them to. In other words the simple offer is for smaller merchants, and everyone else negotiates like everyone else always did.

The other half of the cost is the monthly plan fee, roughly £40, which does not appear in the headline percentage at all. On a smaller book that fee is a meaningful share of what you pay.

What changes when you switch

  • Disclosed pricing at any size

    Interchange-plus from the start, with the margin written down — not a blended rate that converts into a negotiation once you cross a turnover line.

  • A rate fixed for the term

    No mid-contract re-price. Interchange changes pass through; our margin does not move for the length of the agreement.

  • A full Clover EPOS

    Stock, staff logins, reporting and table service on the terminal itself, at £1 a month for the first six months.

Why merchants switch

Why merchants move off Dojo

  • 20–40%

    Typical saving on card processing

    depending on card mix and volume

  • Same day

    Statement comparison turnaround

    in writing, free, no obligation

  • £1/month

    Clover Flex for the first 6 months

    terminal rental on switching

Dojo vs us, on the same numbers

£8,000 a month in card turnover at a £50 average transaction — 160 transactions. That is comfortably inside Dojo's £100,000-a-year flat-rate band, so this compares against their best advertised rate rather than the negotiated tier above it.

ProviderRate structureMonthly feeTotal monthly cost
Dojo1.2% flat (under £100k/yr turnover)~£40/mo plan fee£136.00
The Payments ExpertBest value0.45% + 1p/txn£20/mo terminal£57.60

You could save

Save ~£78 a month — £941 a year

And that is before you factor in what happens above £100k a year in turnover, when Dojo moves you onto negotiated Interchange++ pricing instead of the advertised flat rate.

Dojo's 1.2% flat rate only applies below £100k/year turnover. Growing businesses get moved to custom Interchange++ pricing — ask what rate you will actually pay once you scale, and get it in writing.

Indicative example — your actual rate depends on your card mix. We will calculate your exact numbers free from a statement.

Rate calculator

Run your own numbers

Put your monthly card turnover and average transaction in and see the gap on your figures rather than ours.

Adjust the sliders for your card turnover and Clover Flex monthly terminal price

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Indicative interchange+ rates for a Clover Flex on our standard merchant plan. Final pricing is confirmed on your signed agreement.

Free same-day estimate

Send us your last Dojo statement

We will rebuild your cost on interchange-plus and come back the same business day with the two numbers side by side, plan fee included. If Dojo is genuinely cheaper for you, we will tell you that.

Leave your details and we’ll come back the same day. Add last month’s statement too if it’s handy and we’ll make the comparison exact — it’s not required.

Attach a recent statement and we’ll send a like-for-like comparison with your current rates.

By sending this enquiry you confirm we may contact you about your request. We process your details on the basis of legitimate interest as described in our privacy notice. If you upload a statement we keep it for up to 72 hours while we prepare your quote. No marketing — we’ll only use it to reply.

Questions from Dojo merchants

What happens to my Dojo rate if I grow past £100,000 a year?
You move onto negotiated interchange-plus pricing. That can be cheaper than 1.2% — but it is a negotiation rather than a published rate, and what you end up with depends on how hard you push. Worth asking them for the number in writing before you decide.
Does the comparison include the monthly plan fee?
Yes. The table above uses roughly £40 a month for Dojo and £20 for terminal rental on our side, so both totals are the full monthly cost rather than just the percentage.
I am mid-contract with Dojo. Is it worth talking now?
Yes — we will tell you what the switch is worth and when your term ends, so you can time it rather than pay an early-exit charge. Plenty of merchants get the comparison done months before they can act on it.
Do I have to replace my terminal?
You move onto Clover hardware, which is a full EPOS rather than a card terminal. Rental is £1 a month for the first six months. Dojo terminals are Dojo-only, so they cannot come with you.
What do you need from me to quote?
One recent Dojo statement showing your monthly volume, card mix and plan fee. That is enough to build an exact comparison — no site visit needed.

Not sure what you're really paying?

Send us your current statement and we will show you exactly where the markup is hiding — free, no obligation. If Dojo is genuinely cheaper for you, we will tell you that.