Card machines for takeaways and fast food
Counter, phone and doorstep are three different payment points. Most takeaways need to cover at least two of them.
The short answer
A wired terminal on the counter plus a way to take phone payments covers most takeaways. Payment links or keyed phone payments through the provider's app handle call-in orders, and if your own drivers collect at the door they need a handheld with a 4G SIM. Delivery apps take their own payments and charge their own commission, and nothing about your card machine changes that bill.
On price, the deciding factor is the cost per order rather than the headline percentage, because takeaway tickets are small. Low counter volume points to a pay-as-you-go reader. Higher volume points to an individually quoted terminal. Which one is cheaper for your counter shows up when a quote sits next to a recent statement, not before.
Where a takeaway gets paid
| Payment point | What works | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Counter | Dojo Wired (mains, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, keypad, 5-inch screen). Square Terminal £149 + VAT or SumUp Terminal £135 ex VAT, both with printers. | Speed per tap is what matters at 7pm on a Friday. A printer helps with order slips if the terminal is not linked to a till. |
| Phone orders | Payment links sent by text or email, or keyed phone payments. The Dojo Sidekick app lists both. | Card-not-present rates can differ from in-person rates. Never write card numbers on the order pad; Dojo’s terms reference a PCI non-compliance charge. |
| Doorstep | Dojo Go (4G SIM, printer, around 10 hours battery) or Dojo Pocket (4G SIM, no printer, around 12 hours). Or a reader paired to the driver’s phone. | Battery figures are from independent reviews checked August 2026. The payment still needs a signal at the door. |
| Delivery apps | The platform takes the payment and pays you out on its own schedule. | Not a card machine cost. Commission is set by the platform and is a separate negotiation. |
Hardware detail: Dojo Wired, Dojo Go, Dojo Pocket.
Phone orders: get paid before you cook
The collection order that never gets collected is a takeaway's most common loss. A payment link closes it: you text the link, the customer pays on their phone, and the order goes on the board only once the payment shows in the app. The Dojo Sidekick app lists creating and sending payment links, accepting phone payments and processing refunds remotely among its functions. Pay-as-you-go providers have their own remote-payment tools; check the rate for each, because a link or keyed payment is card-not-present and may be priced differently from a tap.
Keyed payments need discipline. Card details read out over the phone go straight into the terminal or app and nowhere else. Dojo's terms reference a PCI non-compliance charge, and the annual PCI questionnaire is easier to pass if no card number has ever touched an order pad.
Delivery-app fees are a different bill
A platform order is paid to the platform, not to you. The platform deducts its commission and pays the balance out on its own schedule, under its own terms. None of that passes through your card machine, so card-processing rates have no effect on it, and a provider promising to cut your fees cannot touch it. When you compare card machine quotes, strip platform sales out of the turnover figure first; the relevant number is what you take directly.
What a £12 order costs in card fees
Published pay-as-you-go rates worked through a £12 order, for standard UK consumer cards. Rates checked August 2026. A fixed pence element matters more as the order gets smaller.
| Provider | Published rate | Fee on £12 |
|---|---|---|
| SumUp | 1.69%, no monthly fee | 20p |
| Square | 1.75% | 21p |
| Zettle | 1.75% | 21p |
| Stripe Terminal | 1.4% + 10p (EEA cards) | 27p |
| Dojo | Quoted individually | Depends on the quote; ask for any per-transaction charge |
More on per-transaction charges: what is an authorisation fee. Full rate tables: fee comparison.
Settlement: Friday's takings by the weekend
Takeaways take most of their money Thursday to Sunday and buy stock early in the week. Dojo's terms commit to transferring takings by the end of the business day after the transaction is processed, with business days excluding weekends and bank holidays; independent reviews report next-day settlement including weekends on qualifying accounts. SumUp states payouts arrive at 7am the next day including weekends into its business account. Ask for the timing that applies to your account in writing. More on why it matters: next-day payouts.
When a contract terminal is not the right choice
- Nearly everything comes through the apps. If direct card takings are a few hundred pounds a month, a reader with no monthly fee is cheaper than any quoted rate.
- You might not be here in six months. Dojo's minimum term is set in the application documents and ending the agreement takes at least one month's written notice, with an early account closure fee before the term ends. A pay-as-you-go reader has neither.
- Your signal is poor at the counter. Dojo terminals need a connection to take a payment, according to independent reviews. Square's Terminal takes offline payments for up to 24 hours but connects over Wi-Fi or Ethernet only.
Common questions
How do I take card payments for phone orders at a takeaway?
Two ways. A payment link sent by text or email, which the customer pays on their phone before you start cooking, or a keyed phone payment where you enter the card details while the customer is on the line. The Dojo Sidekick app does both. Card-not-present payments can be priced differently from in-person taps, so ask for both rates before signing.
Do delivery-app orders go through my card machine?
No. Just Eat, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and the rest take the customer’s payment themselves, deduct their commission and pay you out under their own terms. Your card machine fees only apply to payments you take directly: at the counter, by phone or on the doorstep. The two bills are separate and should be compared separately.
What card machine do delivery drivers need?
A handheld with its own 4G SIM, because the customer’s doorstep has no Wi-Fi. The Dojo Go has a built-in printer and around 10 hours of battery according to independent reviews; the Dojo Pocket is smaller, has no printer and sends receipts through the app. A pay-as-you-go reader paired with the driver’s phone also works for low volumes.
Is a wired or a wireless terminal better for a takeaway counter?
For a terminal that never leaves the counter, wired is simpler: mains power, Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and no battery to go flat on a Friday night. The Dojo Wired has a 5-inch screen and a physical keypad. If the same terminal has to go out with a driver, choose a 4G handheld instead.
Can I get a takeaway card machine as a sole trader?
Yes. Dojo’s terms accept a UK resident over 18 with a legitimate UK business, subject to identity and credit checks. Square, SumUp and Zettle also take sole traders. Business funding is a different matter and through CapExpand is for limited companies and LLPs.
Get a quote for the counter and the doorstep
Tell us your direct card takings, not the app figure, and whether your drivers take payment at the door. We will put a quote against your current statement.
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.
Related: card machines for restaurants, card machines for cafés. If the takeaway is a limited company or LLP and you are looking at funding for a refit or new kitchen equipment, CapExpand can introduce you to lenders: see takeaway funding. We introduce; we do not advise.
Sources
- Dojo Sidekick on the App Store - payment links, phone payments, remote refunds, checked August 2026
- Dojo terms and conditions v1.6 - settlement, PCI charges, minimum term, notice, eligibility, checked August 2026
- Mobile Transaction Dojo review, MerchantHQ Dojo guide and Expert Market Dojo review - hardware, battery, offline and weekend settlement, checked August 2026
- SumUp pricing and payouts and SumUp card readers - checked August 2026
- Square UK pricing and Square Terminal - rates, offline mode and connectivity, checked August 2026
- Zettle UK pricing and Stripe UK pricing - checked August 2026