Dojo card machine not working? Do the checks in this order
Nearly every dead terminal comes down to connection, power or an outage at Dojo's end. The order below sorts the quick fixes from the support-call problems.
The 60-second version
- 1. Check status.dojo.tech - if Dojo is down, nothing at the till will fix it.
- 2. Check WiFi and 4G at the till - Dojo has no offline mode, so no signal means no payments.
- 3. Turn it fully off and on, and put it on charge.
- Still dead? Call Dojo on 0800 044 3550 with the terminal in front of you.
A Dojo terminal that will not take payments has one of four problems: no connection, no charge, an outage at Dojo's end, or a fault in the machine itself. The first three you can rule out from the till in a couple of minutes, and they cover most cases. The fourth is what the support line is for.
We install and set up Dojo terminals as an authorised partner, so this list is the one we actually run through on the phone when a machine goes quiet mid-service. Where a step depends on something Dojo publishes, the source is named.
1. Check whether it is Dojo, not you
Dojo runs a public status page at status.dojo.tech, listing live incidents and recent history. Thirty seconds there settles the biggest question first: if payments are failing nationally, nothing you do at the till will help, and the sensible move is a note on the counter and card-machine-free workarounds until the incident clears. If the status page is clean, carry on down this list.
2. Check the connection
Dojo terminals have no offline mode; a machine with no WiFi and no 4G cannot take a payment (expertmarket.com, checked August 2026). The portable terminals switch between WiFi and 4G on their own, so a total failure usually means both are gone at once, which in practice means one of these:
- Your broadband is down and the mobile signal at the till is poor. The classic case is a terminal on a basement counter or behind metal shelving. Move it towards a window or the doorway and watch the signal indicator; if payments go through by the door, the machine is fine and the position was the problem.
- The WiFi looks connected but has no internet behind it. A router that is up but offline holds the terminal on a dead network. Restart the router, or take the terminal off WiFi so it has to use 4G.
- The venue WiFi has a login page. Guest networks that need a browser sign-in do not work for terminals. Use a network without a captive portal, or 4G.
The wired terminal is the exception: it uses mains power with WiFi or an Ethernet cable, so for that one check the cable and the router before anything else.
3. Power and restart
Unglamorous, effective: turn the terminal fully off, count to ten, turn it back on. A restart forces the machine to re-register on the network, which clears a good share of stuck states. While it reboots, put the portable terminals on charge; the batteries are rated for roughly a trading day (about 10 hours on the Go Max, about 12 on the Pocket, per the specifications review sites publish), and a terminal that dies mid-afternoon has usually missed its overnight dock rather than developed a fault.
4. Payments fine, money missing: that is settlement, not the machine
If customers can pay but yesterday's takings have not landed, the terminal is doing its job. Dojo's terms commit to transferring funds by the end of the next business day and no later than the third, with business days excluding weekends and bank holidays, so a Friday batch is contractually due by end of Monday. The Dojo app shows each transfer's status in real time. The full timeline, including what counts as late, is on how long does Dojo take to pay out.
5. Still stuck: contact Dojo
If the status page is clean, the connection is good and a restart has not fixed it, it is a support case. These are the channels Dojo publishes in its terms and conditions:
| Channel | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Phone | 0800 044 3550 | Dojo T&Cs v1.6 |
| support@dojo.tech | Dojo T&Cs v1.6 | |
| Status page | status.dojo.tech | Checked August 2026 |
| Customer portal and app | Transfer statuses, statements, support requests | Dojo T&Cs / App Store listing |
| Post | Runway East, 101 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6PU | Dojo T&Cs v1.6 |
Have the terminal to hand when you call: support will want what is on the screen, and whether other devices on the same WiFi have internet. The full channel rundown is on how to contact Dojo.
If this keeps happening
A machine that fails once a quarter is a machine. One that fails weekly is either a connectivity problem worth solving properly - a signal survey of the till area takes ten minutes - or a service problem worth putting in writing. Complaining in writing starts a record; the routes and the timescales that apply are on how to complain about your card machine provider. And if the relationship is past saving, read Dojo contract and cancellation before giving notice, because leaving inside a minimum term has a cost that is worth knowing in advance.
Common questions
Is Dojo down right now?
Dojo publishes a live status page at status.dojo.tech showing current incidents and past outages. Check it before anything else: if an incident is listed, the problem is Dojo's side and there is nothing to fix on your terminal. If the status page is clear, the fault is more likely local, and connection checks are the place to start.
Why is my Dojo card machine not connecting?
Dojo terminals need a working WiFi or 4G connection and have no offline mode, so no signal means no payments. The portable terminals switch between WiFi and 4G on their own, which means a failure usually needs both to be unavailable: WiFi down and no usable 4G signal at the till. Moving the terminal towards a window or away from metal shelving is a cruder fix than it sounds, and it works often enough to try before a support call.
The payment went through but the money has not arrived. Is the machine broken?
No. Taking payments and settling them are separate systems. Dojo's terms commit to transferring funds by the end of the next business day, and no later than the third; business days exclude weekends and bank holidays, so a Friday payment is contractually due by end of Monday. The Dojo app shows each transfer's status in real time, which answers the question faster than a support call.
What number do I call for Dojo support?
The phone number Dojo publishes in its terms and conditions is 0800 044 3550, alongside email (support@dojo.tech), the customer portal and post. Dojo advertises UK-based support; confirm current opening hours with Dojo directly, because the published terms do not state them.
My Dojo machine keeps failing. Can I leave?
Repeated failures are a service complaint first and a cancellation question second. Complain in writing so there is a record, and if the response does not resolve it, the routes and timescales are on our complaints guide. Cancelling inside a minimum term normally triggers an early account closure fee under Dojo's terms, so read your paperwork, or our Dojo contract and cancellation page, before handing notice in.
Setting up a card machine, or replacing one that lets you down?
We set Dojo terminals up properly the first time: signal checked at the till, WiFi and 4G both working before we leave, and a straight answer on whether the quote beats what you pay now.
CapExpand is an authorised Dojo partner and is paid by Dojo when a business signs up through us. That does not change the price you pay.
Sources
- Dojo terms and conditions v1.6 (PDF) - support channels, settlement timing, minimum term and closure fees; checked August 2026
- status.dojo.tech - Dojo's public status page; checked August 2026
- expertmarket.com Dojo review - no offline mode; checked August 2026
- merchanthq.co.uk - battery specifications for Go Max and Pocket; checked August 2026
- Dojo Sidekick on the App Store - real-time transfer statuses; checked August 2026