Alternatives to Revolut Card Reader: 5 Better-Fit UK Card Machines in 2026
If you are looking at alternatives to Revolut Card Reader, the usual reason in our 2026 UK reviews is one of two things: rate conditional on revolut business subscription (£25 to £100+ per month), or the fact that Revolut Card Reader is the wrong fit for non-revolut customers. The five UK card machines below solve one or both of those problems. Dojo Go is our highest-rated alternative at 4.4 of 5, running 1.4% to 1.9% blended on a 12 months minimum contract. Dojo Go is the cheapest by headline rate at 1.4% to 1.9% blended. SumUp Solo runs with no contract if lock-in is the blocker. The rest of this page is the 5-card shortlist, then a short "when to stick with Revolut Card Reader" block for balance, then how we picked, then FAQs. Every claim is pulled from our terminals dataset; nothing is invented.
Top 5 alternatives to Revolut Card Reader
1. Dojo Go
4.4 / 51.4% to 1.9% blended · £0 with rolling monthly fee · 12 months minimum
Dojo Go is the strongest UK card terminal for hospitality and retail at £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026. Blended pricing 1.4% to 1.9%, 12-month minimum contract, hardware free with a monthly fee. Same-next-day settleme...
- Same-next-day settlement (unusual in UK).
- Robust hardware tested across hospitality.
- 12-month minimum contract.
2. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 51.69% per transaction · £99 to £149 hardware · No contract
SumUp Solo is the strongest no-contract UK card terminal for sole traders, mobile businesses and sub-£15k monthly card volume in 2026. £99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% flat per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee, free 4...
- No contract, no monthly fee.
- Single transparent rate (1.69%).
- 1.69% is uncompetitive at higher volumes.
3. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
4.2 / 5Same as the underlying acquirer · £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) · Same as the underlying acquirer
Not a hardware terminal but covered here because it is the most disruptive UK card-acceptance product of 2025-2026. Take contactless card and Apple Pay payments directly on a compatible iPhone with no separate reader. Be...
- Zero hardware cost.
- Faster setup than any physical terminal.
- iPhone XS or newer required (Android equivalent uses Tap to Pay on Android, separate product).
4. Zettle Reader 2
4.0 / 51.75% per transaction · £59 to £79 · No contract
Zettle Reader 2 is the cheapest UK card reader to start taking card payments in 2026, on hardware cost. £59 to £79 one-off, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee. Pairs with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth ...
- Cheapest entry point for hardware (£59).
- PayPal ecosystem integration.
- 1.75% rate uncompetitive above £8k monthly.
5. Tide Card Reader
3.8 / 51.5% per transaction (UK) · £49 hardware · No contract
Tide Card Reader is the in-app card-acceptance product for Tide Business banking customers. Cheapest mainstream UK rate at 1.5% per transaction. Best fit if you already bank with Tide; less compelling otherwise because t...
- Cheapest UK mainstream rate at 1.5% per transaction.
- Tight integration with Tide Business banking and bookkeeping.
- Locked to Tide as the underlying acquirer / banking partner.
When to stick with Revolut Card Reader
Revolut Card Reader is still the right choice for existing revolut business customers and international / multi-currency businesses. The two strongest reasons buyers stay: cheapest uk headline rate (0.8% on higher revolut business plans), and strong international payments and fx integration. If your business sits inside existing revolut business customers, switching is friction without upside. The alternatives above are for buyers who hit a real blocker on Revolut Card Reader, not for buyers who are just shopping rate.
Read the full Revolut Card Reader review for the year-one cost model, hardware detail and full verdict.
How we picked these alternatives
Each shortlist starts from a hand-curated seed of the 4 most-considered alternatives for the source terminal in UK 2026 buyer journeys, then tops up to 5 with the next-highest-rated terminal in our database that shares at least one best-fit cluster with the source. The intent is to keep the shortlist semantically meaningful: an alternative to a sole-trader reader is another sole-trader reader, not an enterprise platform.
Ratings, rates, contracts and hardware costs are pulled from the MerchantHQ terminals dataset, last reviewed 2026-04-26. Headline rates are verified against each acquirer's public pricing; bespoke rates apply above roughly £20k monthly card volume so always verify the live commercials before signing.
Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director for Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937). Editorial methodology: how we score UK card terminals.
FAQ
What is better than Revolut Card Reader in 2026?
In our 2026 UK review, Dojo Go scores the highest of the five alternatives at 4.4 of 5 (vs 3.7 for Revolut Card Reader). It runs 1.4% to 1.9% blended on a 12 months minimum contract, hardware £0 with rolling monthly fee. The honest caveat: "better" depends on your card volume and trade. For existing revolut business customers, Revolut Card Reader still holds up.
Is there a free alternative to Revolut Card Reader?
SumUp Solo runs with no contract and £99 to £149 hardware for hardware. No UK card terminal is truly free once you account for the transaction rate, but SumUp Solo at 1.69% per transaction has the lowest commitment of the five alternatives on this page. Best fit: sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls.
What is the cheapest alternative to Revolut Card Reader?
Dojo Go has the lowest headline rate of the five alternatives at 1.4% to 1.9% blended, hardware £0 with rolling monthly fee, contract 12 months minimum. Cheapest on rate is not always cheapest on year-one cost once you factor in hardware, monthly fees and ecosystem lock-in (12-month minimum contract). Use the MerchantHQ quote tool for a modelled comparison against your actual volume.
Which alternative is best for existing revolut business customers?
Dojo Go is the strongest pick on the shortlist for existing revolut business customers, scoring 4.4 of 5 in our 2026 review. Dojo Go is the strongest UK card terminal for hospitality and retail at £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026. Blended pricing 1.4% to 1.9%, 12-month minimum contract, hardware free with a monthly fee. Sa...
Should I switch from Revolut Card Reader?
Switch if you are hitting rate conditional on revolut business subscription (£25 to £100+ per month) or if non-revolut customers. Stay if your business is in existing revolut business customers and the current contract is reasonable. MerchantHQ runs switching support across 80+ UK acquirers; we are not tied to any acquirer on the shortlist above.
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Get matched →Last reviewed: 2026-04-26. Editorial by Oliver Mackman, Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).