Dojo

Overview

Dojo brings payment terminals, card processing and business-management tools together for merchants taking payments in person, online or by phone. It is best suited to hospitality, leisure and service businesses that want payments tied to their EPOS and reconciliation workflows. The range is broad, but transaction rates and hardware costs make the right plan an important part of the decision.

Key features

• Payments across channels: Dojo supports card-present, online, tableside and mobile payments, as well as phone payments. That breadth can reduce the need to manage separate providers for each channel, though businesses should match the supported payment options to their own checkout needs.
• Sidekick and reconciliation: Sidekick brings payments, refunds, reconciliation and real-time business insights together, including across multiple locations. This is useful for operators who need to keep an eye on several sites; a business looking only for a standalone card machine may not need that wider management layer.
• EPOS connections: Dojo says it works with more than 450 EPOS providers and syncs transactions between terminals and EPOS systems for reconciliation. Integrated payments support Pay at Table and Pay at Counter, making the service particularly relevant to hospitality operators. Technical support is offered seven days a week from 8am to 11pm.
• Payment options: Plan features include payment links, native-currency payments, digital and printed receipts, refunds, bill splitting, cashback, tipping and pre-authorisations. That variety suits businesses with different service and checkout patterns, but the applicable feature set depends on the plan.
• Developer access: APIs cover online payments and EPOS integrations, with mobile integration documentation and a prebuilt checkout page. These options can help a business connect Dojo to its own systems without building every payment component from scratch.
• Security and reliability: Dojo says its card-processing, storage and transmission environments are PCI DSS compliant and assessed annually by an independent Qualified Security Assessor; transmissions use TLS. Its card machines include point-to-point encryption and instant fraud detection. Dojo also advertises 99.99% uptime. These are meaningful safeguards, though they do not remove the need for a business to assess its own security and service requirements.
• Support: Dojo says customers can speak to a UK-based person within minutes, and its UK team can remotely access a device to help. Remote assistance may be useful when a terminal needs troubleshooting, particularly for businesses relying on in-person payments.

Pricing

Dojo uses a freemium model, with an Essential plan at 0.00 GBP per month per month/location. It includes core tools, all major card types, real-time transactions and easy PCI-compliance. That gives a business a no-monthly-fee starting point, but the quoted plan price does not by itself establish the full cost of processing payments or hardware.

For annual card turnover below £100,000, the listed transaction rate is 1.20 % per contact, described as an all-in blended rate for all card transactions. Businesses should consider that per-transaction charge against their expected card volume rather than judging the offer by the free monthly plan alone.

Plus costs 11.99 GBP per month per month/location. The page shows ~~£25~~£11.99* and describes eligibility for new customers and new locations of existing customers. It adds customer spend tracking, competitor benchmarking, weekly performance reports and remote refunds. This is the more relevant option for businesses that want the added reporting and customer tools; Essential gives up those listed features.

Tap to Pay on iPhone is 0.00 GBP per free, with no contract, and lets a business take contactless payments using an iPhone and the Dojo app without extra hardware. It is a low-cost way to accept contactless payments, but it is not a substitute for a dedicated countertop or portable card machine where that hardware is needed.

Hardware can be paid monthly or upfront. Dojo Wired, a countertop or kiosk machine, costs 15.00 GBP per month or 179.00 GBP per once. Dojo Pocket, a portable device for orders and payments, costs 20.00 GBP per month or 239.00 GBP per once. Dojo Go Max hardware costs 25.00 GBP per month or 149.00 GBP per once upfront as a launch offer, with £229 also shown. Monthly payments avoid an upfront hardware purchase; upfront prices avoid a recurring hardware charge, but require more cash at the outset.

Sign-up is described as having no fixed contracts, while eligible businesses can choose a custom rate on either a 12-month fixed plan or a 30-day rolling plan. Those terms make it worth confirming eligibility and the rate structure before committing.

Platforms

Dojo supports Android, iOS, web and API access. The combination covers mobile use, browser-based management and custom integrations, giving it scope to serve both smaller operators and businesses connecting payment workflows to existing systems.

Who it's for

Dojo is a strong fit for cafes and other small businesses, as well as expanding enterprises in hospitality, leisure and services. Its combination of payment channels, portable and countertop hardware, EPOS links and multi-location insights is most useful when payments need to feed into wider operational workflows. Businesses that want only the simplest possible pricing decision should weigh the transaction and hardware charges carefully.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Payments span in-person, online, tableside, mobile and phone channels, so businesses can use one provider across varied checkout settings.
• Pros: Sidekick, EPOS syncing and multi-location insights connect payment activity with reconciliation and reporting workflows.
• Pros: The 0.00 GBP Essential plan and Tap to Pay on iPhone option provide entry points without a monthly plan charge or extra iPhone hardware, respectively.
• Cons: Processing rates and hardware charges remain central to the total cost, so the free plan does not mean payment acceptance is cost-free.
• Cons: The feature set depends on the plan, and Plus eligibility is limited to new customers and new locations of existing customers.
• Cons: The free trial has no stated length, and some eligible businesses must choose between a 12-month fixed plan and a 30-day rolling plan at a custom rate.

Alternatives

For restaurant-focused comparisons, start with the Restaurant Payment Processing Software list. Businesses seeking a browser-based way to take payments remotely can compare the Virtual Terminal Software list, while those mainly collecting payments through links can browse Payment Link Software.

Paybyrd is worth considering for online card transactions: its Essential plan has no monthly fee and covers up to €80K / month, with APMs from €0.20 and chargebacks at €7.50 each. qlub may suit UAE diners or venues focused on restaurant discounts, with a qlub+ membership at 15.00 AED per month that can be cancelled anytime.

DISH Payment Solutions is another paid payment option to compare for a business considering rented terminal hardware. Heartland Retail is a freemium alternative with a POS starting price of 89.00 USD per month, making it relevant to buyers comparing payment services with retail POS needs.

PayFacto is an alternative for businesses seeking customized payment solutions with pricing by quote. Lightspeed Restaurant is a paid restaurant POS alternative with a Starter plan at 69.00 USD per month, including menu management, floor plans, insights, offline mode and 24/7 support. SpotOn Order is an ordering-focused alternative, with a 55.00 USD per month plan that includes an ordering menu page, analytics and DoorDash Drive integration, plus a $200 set up fee.

Adyen is another paid option for businesses comparing payment processing, with no setup or monthly fees on its per-transaction offer and a fixed processing fee plus a payment-method fee for each transaction.

Verdict

Choose Dojo if your business needs card machines alongside broad payment options, EPOS connections and reconciliation tools, especially across hospitality or multiple locations. Its no-monthly-fee starting options and range of hardware make it adaptable, but transaction rates, plan eligibility and terminal costs can complicate the total bill. Look elsewhere if you need a narrower, clearly comparable cost structure or a different operational focus.