Epos Now - Merchants to Use Its Own Payments or Pay £89+VAT Per Month

Epos Now has quietly ended its integrations with third-party payment providers, including Dojo, giving merchants very little notice to adapt. In their place, the company is now charging an additional £89+VAT per month – described as a ‘non-integration fee’ – for any merchant who chooses to keep their existing payment provider rather than switch to Epos Now’s own payments solution. For many small business owners, this has come as a serious and unwelcome shock.

What Has Happened?

Epos Now has terminated its integration with Dojo and, reportedly, other third-party payment providers. The integrations that allowed card machines to communicate directly with the Epos Now till system have been switched off, with merchants given very short notice to make alternative arrangements.

Merchants who do not switch to Epos Now Payments are now being told they will be charged an extra £89+VAT per month. Epos Now is calling this a ‘non-integration fee’, but in practice it functions as a financial penalty for choosing to use a competitor’s payment product.

The move has caught many businesses off guard, particularly those who had specifically chosen Epos Now because of its compatibility with Dojo or another preferred payment provider.

The Choice Merchants Now Face

Affected merchants are now left with two options, neither of which is straightforward.

The first is to switch to Epos Now Payments. This restores the integrated link between the till and the card machine, meaning transactions flow seamlessly and staff do not need to manually enter amounts. However, it ties merchants further into the Epos Now ecosystem and removes the ability to shop around for better payment rates.

The second option is to keep their existing provider – such as Dojo – but accept that the integration is gone. Without it, staff must manually key the transaction amount into the card machine separately from the till. This increases the risk of human error, slows down service, and creates reconciliation headaches at the end of the day. For busy hospitality venues or high-footfall retail environments, this is a significant operational problem.

On top of the operational disruption, merchants who choose this route will also pay the £89+VAT monthly surcharge.

The Real Cost

The numbers are worth spelling out clearly. £89+VAT per month works out to £106.80 per month including VAT, or £1,281.60 per year. That is a substantial additional cost simply to retain the payment provider you already use.

This comes on top of what merchants are already paying Epos Now. The software subscription typically runs to £25-£39 per month, and if merchants do switch to Epos Now Payments, they will be subject to transaction fees of around 1.7% per transaction.

For a small business processing modest volumes, the combined cost of software, transaction fees, and potentially the non-integration fee represents a meaningful escalation in overheads – one that was not part of the original agreement when many of these merchants signed up.

Why Merchants Are Angry

The frustration among affected merchants is understandable, and it goes beyond the money.

Many businesses built their operations around the Dojo integration specifically. Dojo has a strong reputation among UK hospitality and retail merchants, and the combination of Epos Now’s software with Dojo’s payment terminals was a popular setup. Removing that integration with minimal notice is a significant disruption to day-to-day operations.

There is also a sense of unfairness. Merchants are effectively being penalised for using a competitor’s product – a product they chose freely and that was fully supported when they signed their Epos Now contract. The goalposts have moved, and merchants are being asked to pay for it.

To make matters worse, many merchants are locked into long-term Epos Now software contracts. Switching EPOS provider is not a simple or cost-free process, and for those mid-contract, the options are limited. They are, in effect, a captive audience.

The Bigger Picture

Epos Now is not the first EPOS provider to pursue this kind of strategy, and it will not be the last. There is a well-established pattern of point-of-sale companies attempting to capture payment revenue from their existing merchant base, using their control of the software layer to steer merchants towards their own payment products.

In some cases, this is done through incentives. In Epos Now’s case, it is being done through a penalty fee. The size of that fee – over £1,200 per year – and the short notice given to merchants make this a particularly aggressive version of a familiar playbook.

For merchants, the lesson is a broader one: when choosing an EPOS system, the long-term payment strategy of the provider matters as much as the features on offer today.

What Are Your Options?

If you are an affected merchant, here is a clear-eyed look at your choices.

• Switch to Epos Now Payments. This is the path of least immediate disruption. Integration is restored and the surcharge disappears. The trade-off is that you are now fully dependent on Epos Now for both your software and your payment processing, with less leverage to negotiate rates or switch providers in future.
• Keep your existing provider in standalone mode. You retain your current payment rates and your relationship with Dojo or another provider, but you lose the integrated link with your till. Manual entry becomes necessary, and you will pay the £89+VAT monthly fee. This may be worth it if your current payment rates are significantly better than what Epos Now offers.
• Switch EPOS provider entirely. If you are out of contract, or if the terms allow it, moving to an EPOS provider that supports your preferred payment solution may be the best long-term move. Providers such as Saledock and others offer integrations with a range of payment partners. This takes time and effort to set up, but it removes the dependency on Epos Now altogether.
• Review your contract carefully. Before making any decisions, read your Epos Now contract in full. Check notice periods, cancellation clauses, and any terms relating to integrations or fees. If you are unsure, seek advice before committing to anything.

How Ratechecker Can Help

If this situation has prompted you to take a closer look at your card processing costs, Ratechecker is here to help.

Switching payment provider or EPOS system is a big decision, and it should not be made under pressure. Take the time to compare your options properly, understand the full cost of each route, and choose the solution that works best for your business – not the one that Epos Now is pushing you towards.

If you have been affected by this change, you are not alone. Many UK merchants are in the same position, and there are better deals out there.