Witchford Sports & Social Club CASE STUDY: How One Club Saved £811 a Year by Switching to Dojo (Without Ditching Their SumUp Machines)
For many local community hubs and sports clubs across the UK, managing the bar and membership fees is a delicate balancing act. You want to provide a modern, seamless experience for your members while keeping a tight grip on overheads.
Witchford Sports & Social Club, based in Ely, Cambridgeshire, recently found themselves in a common position. They were using SumUp: a popular, easy-to-start solution: but as their card volume grew, those "simple" flat-rate fees began to bite into their hard-earned revenue.
I recently sat down with the team at Witchford to analyse their merchant statements. By making a strategic move to Dojo, they didn’t just upgrade their hardware; they unlocked a saving of £811.60 per year.
Here is how we did it, and why they decided to keep their old equipment as part of a clever "hybrid" strategy.
The Problem: The "Flat-Rate" Trap for Growing Clubs
When a business is just starting out, a flat-rate provider like SumUp makes perfect sense. There are no monthly contracts, and the "pay-as-you-go" model feels safe. However, as your turnover increases, that flat 1.65% or 1.69% fee becomes an expensive luxury.
Witchford Sports & Social Club was processing a total annual card volume of over £100k. With an average transaction value of £10.72: typical for a club bar or membership payment: they were processing over 12,000 transactions every year.
At a flat 1.65% rate, their annual cost was £2,219.14.
If your business is processing over £5,000 a month in card payments, a flat-rate model is almost certainly costing you more than it should.
The Analysis: Finding the 6.45p Saving
The key to reducing costs for any Cambridgeshire business is understanding the "mix" of cards being used. Not all cards cost the provider the same amount to process, yet flat-rate providers charge you a premium to cover the most expensive ones.
Our audit of Witchford’s figures revealed a massive opportunity:
Debit Card Volume (86%): The vast majority of their members were paying with standard debit cards.
Credit Card Volume (14%): A much smaller portion used credit cards.
By moving to a blended rate model with Dojo, we were able to lower their debit card processing and the math was undeniable.
The Direct Comparison
For the club, the most relatable figure was the saving per round at the bar. Their old cost was 17.64p per transaction. Their new cost is 11.19p. That is a saving of 6.45p on every single £10.71 transaction their business processes.
The Hybrid Strategy: Why Keep the SumUp Machines?
One of the most frequent questions I get from clubs in Ely and the surrounding areas is: "But I've already paid for my SumUp machines, will they go to waste?"
The answer is no.
Witchford Sports & Social Club took a pragmatic, hybrid approach. They moved their main day-to-day trading (the bar and reception) over to Dojo to take advantage of the lower rates and superior hardware. However, they kept their paid-for SumUp machines in the drawer.
Ideal for:
✔ Large annual tournaments where they need 4 or 5 extra terminals for one day.
✔ Outdoor beer festivals or community fetes.
✔ Emergency backup in the unlikely event of a primary system failure.
By keeping the SumUp machines for "overflow" events, they didn't lose their initial investment. They simply stopped using them for the 95% of their trade where the high fees were draining their profits.
Beyond the Savings: Why Dojo?
Saving £811 a year is a significant win for any community organisation, but the benefits of Dojo extend beyond the balance sheet. For a busy sports club, reliability and cash flow are just as critical.
1. Next-Day Payments
Cash flow is the lifeblood of any club. While some providers make you wait 3-5 days for your money (or charge extra for faster settlement), Dojo provides next working day payments as standard.
2. Bulletproof Connectivity
There is nothing worse than a queue at the bar during half-time and a card machine that won't connect. Dojo terminals come with 99.999% connectivity and an automatic 4G backup. If your clubhouse Wi-Fi drops out, the machine instantly switches to the mobile network without interrupting the transaction.
Is Your Club Eligible for a Review?
If your club or business in Cambridgeshire is currently using a flat-rate provider, you are likely paying what I call the "Lazy Tax." You are paying for the convenience of a simple setup that you have long since outgrown.
You should consider a review if:
Your monthly turnover is consistently above £2,000.
You are paying a flat rate of 1.6% or higher.
You are tired of waiting several days for your funds to clear.
Your current equipment is slow, unreliable, or struggles with poor Wi-Fi.
I provide a straightforward advice service. I will review your current processing fees and give you a transparent breakdown of what you could save. If you are already on a great deal, I will be the first to tell you to stay put.
Final Thoughts
The move for Witchford Sports & Social Club was about more than just a new card machine. It was about optimising their business to ensure that more of their turnover stays within the club to benefit their members and facilities.
By saving 6.45p per transaction, they have effectively given their annual budget an £811 boost without changing a single thing about how they operate.
Ready to see how much your club could save? Contact me today for a no-obligation merchant statement analysis.