Dojo

Dojo provides card payment services and card machines for businesses taking payments in person, on websites, or by phone. Its Sidekick tools handle payments, refunds, reconciliation, and real-time business insights, including for multiple locations. Listed payment features include payment links, native-currency payments, digital and printed receipts, bill splitting, cashback, tipping, and pre-authorisations. Dojo says it partners with over 450 EPOS providers and syncs card-machine transactions with EPOS systems for reconciliation; integrated options include Pay at Table and Pay at Counter. Developers can use APIs for online payments and EPOS integrations, mobile integration documentation, and a prebuilt checkout page. Dojo lists Android, iOS, web, and API availability. The Essential plan and Tap to Pay on iPhone are listed at £0, while software and card-machine plans have separate charges. Dojo says payment environments are PCI DSS compliant and transmissions use TLS. It also advertises 99.99% uptime and seven-day technical support from 8am to 11pm.

Dojo combines card machines with payment management and reconciliation tools, alongside EPOS and developer integrations. A free Essential plan is listed, but transaction rates and hardware or software plans have separate charges.

Dojo suits businesses taking in-person, online, or phone payments, including hospitality, leisure, and service businesses. Its multiple-location insights and EPOS integrations may suit businesses managing several sites or tills.

Overview

Dojo combines card payment services with terminals and management tools for businesses taking payments in person, online or by phone. It suits merchants that need payment handling and reconciliation across channels or locations; its main trade-off is that transaction costs and hardware charges sit alongside the free core plan.

Its reach from small businesses to expanding enterprises, with a focus on hospitality, leisure and services, makes it a flexible payment option. The fit depends on whether its terminal choices and EPOS connections justify the cost structure for your operation.

Key features

• Multiple payment channels: Dojo supports card-present, online, tableside and mobile payments, as well as phone payments. That breadth can help a business keep several sales channels with one provider, though the free plan does not mean payment processing is free.
• Sidekick management: The tool handles payments, refunds and reconciliation, and provides real-time business insights across multiple locations. This is more useful to operators coordinating several sites than to a business that only needs a basic reader.
• Payment options: Plan features include payment links, native-currency payments, digital and printed receipts, bill splitting, cashback, tipping and pre-authorisations. These options suit varied service workflows, but which ones a business gets depends on its plan.
• EPOS and developer links: Dojo partners with over 450 EPOS providers and syncs card-machine transactions with EPOS systems for reconciliation. Integrated payments support Pay at Table and Pay at Counter; APIs cover online payments and EPOS integrations, with mobile documentation and a prebuilt checkout page for development work.
• Security and support: Dojo says its card-processing, storage and transmission environments are PCI DSS compliant, assessed annually by an independent Qualified Security Assessor, and that payment transmissions use TLS. Its machines include point-to-point encryption and instant fraud detection. The company advertises 99.99% uptime and says customers can reach a UK-based person within minutes; its UK team can remotely access a device to help.

Pricing

The Essential plan is free, billed per month/location, and includes core tools, all major card types, real-time transactions and easy PCI-compliance. It gives a merchant a no-monthly-fee starting point, but transaction charges and any hardware or software plans are separate.

For annual card turnover below £100,000, the transaction rate is 1.20 % per contact, billed as an all-in blended rate for all card transactions. Dojo also offers Tap to Pay on iPhone for free, with no contract; it accepts contactless payments through an iPhone and Dojo app without extra hardware. This avoids buying a separate reader for compatible contactless use, but is narrower than choosing a dedicated card machine.

Plus costs £11.99 a month per month/location; the page shows ~~£25~~£11.99* and limits eligibility to new customers and new locations of existing customers. It adds customer spend tracking, competitor benchmarking, weekly performance reports and remote refunds. The Essential tier is less costly, but lacks those named Plus tools.

Hardware can be paid monthly or upfront: Dojo Wired, a countertop or kiosk machine, costs £15 a month or £179, paid once; Dojo Pocket, a portable device for orders and payments, costs £20 a month or £239, paid once; Dojo Go Max hardware costs £25 a month or £149, paid once, shown as a launch offer (the page also shows £229). Monthly payment spreads the charge, while upfront payment avoids an ongoing hardware payment. Dojo says sign-up has no fixed contracts, while eligible businesses can choose a custom rate on a 12-month fixed plan or a 30-day rolling plan. The free-plan label therefore should not be read as a complete estimate of processing and equipment costs.

Platforms

Dojo supports Android, iOS, web and API access. Its payment services cover card-present and online transactions, with tableside and mobile payments also supported.

Who it's for

Dojo is a strong candidate for cafes and other small businesses, hospitality and service operators, and expanding merchants that need terminals, EPOS synchronization or reconciliation across locations. The 450-plus EPOS relationships and Sidekick tools matter most when payment records need to line up with business operations. A merchant seeking only a low-cost reader or a fully predictable total before discussing custom terms may prefer a simpler offer.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free core tier: Essential costs nothing per location and includes major card types and real-time transactions.
• Operational breadth: Payments, refunds, reconciliation and multi-location insights sit alongside card-machine and EPOS integrations.
• Hardware choice: Countertop, portable and Go Max options are offered with either monthly or upfront payment.
• Security and support commitments: Dojo describes PCI DSS assessment, TLS and machine encryption measures, and advertises 99.99% uptime and extended technical support.

Cons

• Costs extend beyond Essential: Transaction fees apply, and hardware or software plans can add charges, so the zero monthly plan price is not the full operating cost.
• Plus eligibility is restricted: Its customer tracking and reporting tools are priced for new customers and new locations of existing customers.
• Contract choice can vary: While sign-up has no fixed contracts, eligible custom rates come with either a 12-month fixed or 30-day rolling arrangement.

Alternatives

Restaurant operators comparing payment-focused options can browse Restaurant Payment Processing Software; businesses focused on taking payments remotely can compare Virtual Terminal Software or Payment Link Software.

• Paybyrd may suit businesses prioritizing online card transactions, with no monthly fee up to €80K per month and APMs from €0.20; chargebacks cost €7.50 each.
• DISH Payment Solutions is another option for businesses weighing payment terminals against rental terms and transaction fees.
• Heartland Retail may fit businesses seeking a retail POS, with a freemium model and a listed starting price of $89 a month.
• PayFacto is an alternative for buyers seeking customized payment solutions through a sales quote.
• qlub may suit UAE diners interested in restaurant discounts through a 15 AED a month membership, cancelable anytime.
• Lightspeed Restaurant is worth comparing for a paid restaurant POS with a Starter plan at $69 a month, including menu management, floor plans, insights, offline mode and 24/7 support.
• SpotOn Order may suit restaurants seeking an ordering menu page and delivery integration, at $55 a month plus a $200 setup fee.
• Adyen is another transaction-priced payments option, with no setup or monthly fees and processing charges per transaction.

Verdict

Choose Dojo if your business needs more than a terminal: its combination of multi-channel payments, EPOS synchronization and reconciliation tools is the central reason to consider it. Look elsewhere if you need a single transparent total before committing, since transaction rates and hardware or software charges can sit outside the free Essential plan.