Alternatives to Zettle Reader 2: 5 Better-Fit UK Card Machines in 2026
If you are looking at alternatives to Zettle Reader 2, the usual reason is one of two things: 1.75% rate uncompetitive above £8k monthly, or the fact that Zettle Reader 2 is the wrong fit for standalone use. The five UK card machines below solve one or both of those problems. Dojo Go is our strongest-fit alternative, running 1.4% to 1.9% blended on a 12 months minimum contract. Revolut Card Reader is the cheapest by headline rate at 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier). 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 Zettle Reader 2" block for balance, then how we picked, then FAQs. Every claim is pulled from our terminals dataset; nothing is invented.
Top 5 alternatives to Zettle Reader 2
| Alternative | Rate | Hardware | Contract | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dojo Go | 1.4% to 1.9% blended | £0 with rolling monthly fee | 12 months minimum | Hospitality (restaurants, pubs, cafés) |
| 2. SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract | Sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls |
| 3. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal) | Matches your chosen acquirer (about 1.69% to 1.75%) | £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) | No fixed term | Mobile traders, dog groomers, mobile beauticians |
| 4. Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 to £199 | No contract | Independent retail |
| 5. Revolut Card Reader | 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) | £49 hardware | Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan) | Existing Revolut Business customers |
1. Dojo Go
1.4% 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
1.69% 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.
Matches your chosen acquirer (about 1.69% to 1.75%) · £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) · No fixed term
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).
1.75% per transaction (UK) · £149 to £199 · No contract
Square Terminal is the strongest all-in-one no-contract UK card terminal for independent retail and small hospitality in 2026. £149 to £199 hardware with built-in receipt printer, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no m...
- Strong POS app and reporting.
- No contract, no monthly fee for hardware.
- 1.75% UK rate is high vs Dojo blended.
0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) · £49 hardware · Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan)
Revolut Card Reader is part of the Revolut Business stack. Headline rate is among the cheapest in the UK SMB market, but conditional on holding a Revolut Business subscription. Best fit for Revolut Business users with in...
- Cheapest UK headline rate (0.8% on higher Revolut Business plans).
- Strong international payments and FX integration.
- Rate conditional on Revolut Business subscription (£25 to £100+ per month).
When to stick with Zettle Reader 2
Zettle Reader 2 is still the right choice for existing paypal merchants and pop-up retailers, market traders. The two strongest reasons buyers stay: cheapest entry point for hardware (£29), and paypal ecosystem integration. If your business sits inside existing paypal merchants, switching is friction without upside. The alternatives above are for buyers who hit a real blocker on Zettle Reader 2, not for buyers who are just shopping rate.
Read the full Zettle Reader 2 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, Best Business Loans Ltd for Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937). Editorial methodology: how we score UK card terminals.
FAQ
What is better than Zettle Reader 2 in 2026?
Dojo Go is the strongest-fit of the five alternatives to Zettle Reader 2. 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 paypal merchants, Zettle Reader 2 still holds up.
Is there a free alternative to Zettle Reader 2?
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 Zettle Reader 2?
Revolut Card Reader has the lowest headline rate of the five alternatives at 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier), hardware £49 hardware, contract subscription-tier dependent (revolut business plan). Cheapest on rate is not always cheapest on year-one cost once you factor in hardware, monthly fees and ecosystem lock-in (rate conditional on revolut business subscription (£25 to £100+ per month)). Use the MerchantHQ quote tool for a modelled comparison against your actual volume.
Which alternative is best for existing paypal merchants?
Dojo Go is the strongest pick on the shortlist for existing paypal merchants. 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 Zettle Reader 2?
Switch if you are hitting 1.75% rate uncompetitive above £8k monthly or if standalone use. Stay if your business is in existing paypal merchants and the current contract is reasonable. MerchantHQ runs switching support across 50+ UK acquirers; we are not tied to any acquirer on the shortlist above.
Get matched in two minutes
Tell us monthly card volume and trade. We match against 50+ UK card-payment providers, including Zettle Reader 2 and every alternative on this page, then stay your named UK account team for the life of the account.
Get matched →Last reviewed: 2026-04-26. Editorial by Oliver Mackman, Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).