Dojo vs SumUp: simplified card machine package or simplified pricing?

The choice of card machines for small businesses is wider than ever, as contactless and chip card payments have proven indispensable. Two of the most popular options in the UK are SumUp and Dojo.

A newcomer by Paymentsense, Dojo offers a single package with a high-quality card terminal, payment processing and useful extras. SumUp, in contrast, offers several card machines, business tools and multichannel sales features.

Both are great solutions, but let us compare the card machines, costs, software and service for a better idea of which is better for your business.

Card machines

Dojo’s and SumUp’s main offering is their card machine range.

In Dojo’s case, there is only one model: a PAX A920 smart POS terminal with a touchscreen. SumUp sells three models: SumUp Air that works with an app, handheld SumUp Solo with a touchscreen and SumUp 3G and Printer that prints receipts.

Let’s begin with SumUp Air, the longest-standing and cheapest model of them all. Via Bluetooth, it connects with an app that acts as a POS system on your iPhone, iPad or Android device – the card reader does not work on its own. It’s ideal for mobile use, but can be purchased with a holder for a till point.

It has a long battery life (500 transactions from full charge) since it only powers up when the merchant selects ‘card’ as the payment method for a transaction. The card reader can then accept a contactless payment or chip card with a PIN code entered on its glass-covered PIN pad.

Photo: Emily Sorensen (ES), Mobile Transaction

SumUp Air.

Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction

SumUp Solo.

Then there’s SumUp Solo, a similarly small and square-shaped terminal that doesn’t need an app to function. Instead of buttons, it has a touchscreen with simple software that allows you to add an amount and accept chip and contactless payments. A virtual PIN pad is displayed on the screen when required.

SumUp 3G and Printer is a two-part, portable set with a lightweight contactless and chip card reader and chunky receipt printer stand. Like Solo, it is a standalone terminal with similarly basic card payment functions, but with a push-button PIN pad that is better for accessibility.

Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction

SumUp 3G in its receipt printer attachment.

Both Solo and SumUp 3G can accept tips, process refunds, send email or text receipts and change the display language. They are not for any other functions, just card or mobile wallet payments without an inventory library, cash acceptance or other till functions.

Because they work independently, battery life is shorter at about 50 transactions from a full charge for SumUp 3G and 100 transactions for Solo. You don’t have to worry about connectivity, since they include a SIM card with unlimited data for 3G/4G if not using WiFi.

Dojo’s standalone card machine – included in the Dojo Go package – is the size of a traditional card machine and comes with a countertop base. It is the most sophisticated of the bunch, accepting swipe, chip and contactless payments and has a receipt printer, 5″ HD touchscreen, Android operating system and 10-hour battery life.

Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction

Dojo Go terminal in its countertop holder.

That said, Dojo’s payment software installed on the terminal is very basic. It only lets you enter an amount and description to create a transaction, and receipts can be sent digitally or printed by the terminal. Sales can be monitored remotely from your smartphone in the Dojo app.

Dojo Go also integrates with over 500 point of sale (POS) systems, making it suitable for stationary till points. Otherwise, it works through WiFi or 4G with its inbuilt SIM card, ideal on the go or portably for table service around your premises.

Costs: rental vs pay-as-you-go

Pricing and type of contract are things you should consider carefully – they are very different between the providers.

SumUp’s card machines are purchased upfront so you own them without a contract. You get a 30-day money back guarantee, year’s product warranty and free shipping with that. The card readers cost between £49–£129 + VAT (offers here) depending on the model.

Then there’s only a pay-as-you-go rate of 1.69% per card transaction no matter the type or brand of debit or credit card. If your turnover is above £100,000 per year, you can negotiate lower, custom rates.

Dojo requires a rental contract of 6 months if your card turnover is less than £150,000 per year (£12.5k monthly), after which it switches to monthly rolling. This will cost you £20 + monthly just to have the card terminal, but then you avoid a high upfront price and Dojo can pay up to £500 of exit fees for your previous card machine contract, if you’re stuck in one.

With an annual card turnover exceeding £150,000, you will have a monthly rolling contract from the start, which can be cancelled any time. The fixed monthly rental fee on this plan is £15 + VAT. In addition, Dojo can pay up to £3000 of exit fees for your previous contract.

Dojo’s transaction fees are personalised if you receive more than £150k annually in card transactions (get a quote here). Below this limit, fees are:

• 1.4% + 5p per transaction for consumer Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and other debit and credit cards (except for Amex)
• 1.8% + 5p per transaction for business/commercial Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and other cards (except for Amex)
• Variable rate + 5p per transaction for American Express cards

Remote or online transactions cost a bit more: 1.8% + 5p for consumer cards or 2.3% + 5p for commercial cards.

SumUp does not distinguish between card brands or types (debit, prepaid, credit, domestic or foreign, consumer or commercial) – the transaction fee is always 1.69% via chip or contactless tap. SumUp also charges a fixed rate of 2.5% for online and 2.95% + 25p for keyed (virtual terminal) payments regardless of the card.

Another key distinction is sales volume requirement. Dojo has a minimum monthly service charge of £24.95, which is the minimum you’ll pay for transactions every month, even if you didn’t accept any (or not enough) sales.

SumUp does not have such a requirement, so you can choose not to process any sales, any time, without a monthly charge. You only pay for transactions accepted in true pay-as-you-go style.

Refunds cost 50p through Dojo, whereas SumUp retains the transaction fee if settlement has already been processed (it is free otherwise). Chargebacks are only £10 through SumUp, less than a third of what Dojo charges (£28 + VAT).

No other fees apply to SumUp. Dojo, conversely, may add miscellaneous charges such as £3.50 + VAT per month for paper bills, PCI-DSS non-compliance fees (card security standard) and an early termination charge buying you out of the 6-month contract if needed.

Only basic reporting

Both platforms offer basic sales reports downloadable from a merchant portal in a web browser. No extensive sales analytics are included.

You can monitor transactions from a Dojo app on your iPhone or Android smartphone, but there’s no integration with accounting software. SumUp similarly lets you check sales from its smartphone or tablet app and does not integrate with accounting software either.

If you want your sales figures fed into an accounting system like Xero without having to download and upload spreadsheets manually, it’s possible to do that by connecting with a POS system with an accounting integration in place.

POS integrations

A card machine can be used just to accept card payments or linked with a wider electronic point of sale (EPOS) system.

In SumUp’s case, the Air card reader connects with a free SumUp App that has basic till functions for any sector. There’s a product library with images, VAT rates, tipping, staff logins and cash acceptance.

For more functions, SumUp Air (not the other card readers) integrates with SumUp Point of Sale, Loyverse, Vend and a few other till systems in the UK.

Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction

SumUp Air works with SumUp’s own POS systems as well as others.

The Dojo Go package doesn’t come with any point of sale (POS) software, just the basic payment features on the card terminal. Instead, you can integrate with an external POS system of your choice. Dojo doesn’t state which software is compatible, but they say it works with over 500 different EPOS systems.

It’s meant to be easy to set up – you ask Dojo about integrations, then receive details specific to your chosen EPOS. It is then your POS provider that can connect Dojo with their software, in some cases on-site at your location.

Online and remote payments

Today’s brick-and-mortar businesses benefit from several sales channels, so online selling tools are increasingly important.

Dojo doesn’t have much to offer on that front, only:

• Payment links sent from the Dojo account in a browser
• Keyed entry for over-the-phone transactions where the customer is not present

The keyed entry option (commonly referred to as virtual terminal) may need to be activated by Dojo before you can use it. There’s currently no way to integrate Dojo with other online selling tools, but this could change in the future.

SumUp has a lot more online sales tools, including:

• Payment links sent from the app or web dashboard
• QR codes for table-side ordering and touch-free till payments
• Virtual terminal in a web browser or in-app, plus keyed entry at checkout
• Email invoicing software in browser and app
• Online store builder with checkout built in

None of these have a monthly fee, only the fixed transaction fee applicable to online or keyed payments.

All the tools are easy to use and accessible in SumUp App. The breadth of invoicing features is impressive considering it’s free to use. The online store is very basic, but created quickly from the app, which can’t be said of other ecommerce solutions. Links, QR codes and the virtual terminal are simple, but do their job effectively.

Customer support and reviews

Both platforms offer 7-day support via telephone or email, but the opening hours differ slightly.

Dojo has a phone line for account queries Monday to Sunday between 8am-6pm and a technical support line between 8am-11pm every day. After 11pm, there is no support, so if you’re a pub or late-night bar, it might be an issue. They can, however, ship a terminal replacement the next working day if it’s faulty.

SumUp prefers that you message or email them, as there is no phone number advertised (they may offer a number in the chat, though). You can reach support between 8am-7pm on weekdays or 8am-5pm on weekends, i.e. there’s no help late at night if there’s a technical hiccup.

Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction

Dojo Go on a counter at Mean & Green in London.

What do users say about the different companies? Dojo is still a relatively new company, but has managed to gain a rapid foothold among small businesses in London and beyond. The average Dojo reviews rate the company highly, often highlighting a good service and how efficiently the system works.

It’s clear that Paymentsense, who’s behind Dojo, has improved its service and put a lot of resources into this simple product so it just works.

In contrast, SumUp has been around for a decade and become a common sight in cafés, market stalls and small shops. Reviews talk about it being a great product, easy to use and cheap, and its app is updated regularly to avoid bugs. That said, reviews are a mixed bag, with many talking about a poor service when issues arise.

Verdict: choice depends mostly on turnover

Without doubt, SumUp and Dojo both have excellent products with fair pricing – for the businesses they’re geared towards.

For small businesses with a card turnover of less than £5000-£10,000 monthly, the choice is clear: SumUp. The predictable card rate is reasonable and the lack of monthly fees and contract make it cheaper, especially when you can’t foresee sales over the next year. What’s more, the many free selling tools mean you don’t have to sign up for anything else.

Dojo can offer more competitive rates above the £150k yearly turnover threshold. The rental subscription and monthly minimum service charge won’t matter much in that case, when card rates are low and sales consistently high. But if sales are only just below £150k/year, it’s worth considering whether SumUp’s fixed rate and lack of other fees will serve you better.

Is Dojo always better for those with a higher sales volume? Not necessarily, because SumUp can personalise rates above a £100k/year card turnover. If you start with SumUp and demonstrate a high sales volume, you can negotiate down the rate.

Product-wise, Dojo’s card machine is the best quality terminal. It works in most situations, whether independently or coupled with your choice of EPOS, and transactions land in your bank account the very next day. There just aren’t many extra sales tools, so it’s really mainly about the card machine.

SumUp’s card readers are comparatively cheap to buy, small and efficient, but not as sophisticated as Dojo’s Android terminal. On the other hand, SumUp integrates out-of-the-box with its own POS system, business account and online payment tools, which makes running a business easier.

If you want the best service, Dojo wins with its longer support hours, fast terminal replacement and efficient onboarding. Personal support is not SumUp’s strength, but they do make an effort to update its features regularly.