Square logo

Square

Verified

All-in-one point of sale and payments for in-person businesses.

4.5(4)Founded 2009Oakland, CA, USA
Starting rate
2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$0
Payout
Next day
Contract
No contract
PCI level
Level 1
Regions
US, CA +2

Overview

Square pairs flat-rate payments with a genuinely good free point-of-sale app and affordable hardware. It's a favourite for cafés, markets, and small retailers who want one tidy system.

Who it's for

In-person and omnichannel small businesses that value ease of use over deep customisation.

Best for

Retail
Restaurants
Small business

Regions

US
CA
UK
EU

Industries

Retail
Restaurants
Services

Pros

  • Excellent free POS software
  • Affordable, well-designed hardware
  • Predictable flat-rate pricing

Cons

  • Account stability concerns for some sellers
  • Less suited to complex online needs

Pricing

Pricing at a glance

2.6% + 15¢ in person, 2.9% + 30¢ online. No monthly fee on the free plan.

Pricing model
Flat rate
Contract
No contract
Free trial
Yes
Monthly minimum

Fee breakdown

Online card rate2.9% + $0.30
In-person card rate2.6% + $0.15
Keyed-in rate3.5% + $0.15
ACH / bank rate1% ($1 min)
Monthly fee$0
Chargeback fee$0
Refund policyProcessing fee not returned on refunds

Features

Payment methods

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Amex
  • Discover
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Wallets

Integrations & deployment

  • Hosted checkout
  • POS hardware
  • WooCommerce
  • Wix
  • Payment links
  • Invoicing
  • Virtual terminal

Capabilities

  • Tap to pay
  • Reporting dashboard
  • Recurring billing
  • Fraud protection

At a glance

Currencies
Multiple (by region)
Payout
Next day
PCI level
Level 1
High-risk friendly
No

Reviews

4.5out of 5
4 reviews
Ease of use
4.5
Pricing
4.0
Support
3.8
Features
4.0
Reliability
4.8

4 reviews

David Okafor

Verified

CTO · Tradeline · 11-50 · Marketplaces

Jun 30, 2026

The API made this easy

Building split payments for our marketplace would have taken months elsewhere. With Square the API and docs got us live in weeks. Webhooks are reliable.

Pros

Great API, split payments, webhooks

Cons

Some advanced features need a sales call

Use case: Split payments and payouts for a marketplace

Ease of use
4.0
Pricing
4.0
Support
4.0
Features
5.0
Reliability
5.0

Hannah Schmidt

Operations Lead · Greenfield Nonprofit · 1-10 · Nonprofits

Jun 30, 2026

Affordable and simple for donations

Square let us set up recurring donations quickly and the cost is reasonable for a small nonprofit. Support replies could be faster but we rarely need them.

Pros

Affordable, easy recurring donations

Cons

Support response times vary

Use case: Recurring donations for a nonprofit

Ease of use
5.0
Pricing
5.0
Support
3.0
Features
3.0
Reliability
4.0

Marcus Bell

Owner · Bell & Co Cafe · 1-10 · Restaurants

Jun 30, 2026

Perfect for our counter

Setup took an afternoon and Square just works at the counter during the morning rush. Payouts are quick which really helps cash flow.

Pros

Fast setup, quick payouts, reliable hardware

Cons

Would like more advanced reporting

Use case: In-person card payments at a cafe

Ease of use
5.0
Pricing
4.0
Support
4.0
Features
4.0
Reliability
5.0

Sofia Marchetti

Verified

E-commerce Manager · Atlas Apparel · 51-200 · Retail

Jun 30, 2026

Dependable for cross-border sales

We sell internationally and Square handles multiple currencies and methods without surprises. Reconciliation is much easier than our old provider.

Pros

Multi-currency, stable, good docs

Cons

FX and international fees could be clearer

Use case: Cross-border online apparel sales

Ease of use
4.0
Pricing
3.0
Support
4.0
Features
4.0
Reliability
5.0
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