Square and Clover are both point-of-sale and payments platforms, but they are sold in very different ways, and that shapes everything. Square is one flat rate with no monthly fee and no contract, sold and supported directly, so the price you see is the price you pay. Clover is an app-rich POS from Fiserv with more hardware and a bigger app marketplace, but it is sold both directly and through banking resellers, so its rate, contract, and fees depend on where you buy it. The choice is predictability versus extensibility.
Pricing and rates compared
Plans and pricing checked July 2026, and every rate below is read live from our pricing database.
Square's pricing is simple to compare because there is one published flat rate, a monthly fee of Free, and contract terms of Month-to-month. Clover is harder to pin down: its monthly fee is From $0-135/mo and its contract length is Varies by reseller, because the in-person and online rates, the software plan and fees like PCI vary by vertical and, crucially, by who sold it to you.
On headline card rates the two are level in person, both at 2.6% + 10c. Online they are not: Square charges 2.9% + 30c against Clover's 3.5% + 10c, a meaningful gap for any business that takes a real share of payments off the counter.
The fees around the rate are where the models genuinely separate, and they are easy to miss at signing. PCI compliance is Included free on Square against ~$9.95/mo (reseller) on Clover, and leaving early costs None on Square against ~$295-595 (reseller) on Clover. A disputed payment costs Free on Square and ~$20-50 on Clover.
That difference is the whole story. With Square you can trust the published number; with Clover you have to read your specific agreement, because two businesses on the same hardware can pay very different totals depending on who sold it to them. Treat any Clover figure here as a starting point, not a quote.
Who each one is built for
Square suits small retail, hospitality, and pop-up businesses that want predictable pricing and the least friction to start. The free POS app, free magstripe reader, and no-contract pricing make it the safe, simple default.
Clover suits retail and dining businesses that want a more powerful, extensible POS with a deep app marketplace, and that are prepared to scrutinize the reseller terms to get there. If you value adding inventory, loyalty, and scheduling apps directly to the POS, Clover offers more room to grow, provided you negotiate the deal carefully.
Contracts and the reseller question
This is where the two diverge most. Square is month-to-month on every plan with no early termination fee, so you can leave whenever you like. Clover bought direct is usually flexible too, but Clover sold through a Fiserv banking reseller often comes with a multi-year contract that auto-renews and carries an early termination fee, plus a recurring PCI charge on some plans. None of that is hidden, but it is easy to miss in a bundled offer. If you go with Clover, confirm the term, the renewal, the ETF, and the PCI fee in writing before you sign.
Hardware and the app ecosystem
Clover has the broader hardware range, from a mobile Go reader to handhelds, compact terminals, and full countertop stations, and a larger app marketplace for inventory, loyalty, scheduling, and accounting. Square offers a cleaner, more affordable hardware lineup, from a free magstripe reader and a contactless reader up to a stand and a register, all tied to its free POS app. For a business that wants to bolt on a lot of software, Clover is the more extensible platform. For one that wants to get running cheaply and simply, Square is the quicker path.
Support and reliability
Square is sold and supported directly, so there is one company behind your account, which keeps support and accountability simple. With Clover, who you call for help can depend on whether you bought direct or through a bank or independent reseller, and the quality of that reseller varies. Both platforms are dependable day to day, but Square's single-vendor model is more straightforward when something goes wrong.
US considerations
Both Square and Clover price and settle in US dollars, with no currency conversion to consider, and both handle PCI compliance, though Clover may charge a PCI fee on some reseller plans where Square does not. Settlement is next business day on both, with faster funding options available. Both serve retail and dining; for a restaurant-only platform with deeper hospitality features, a specialist like Toast goes further than either.
Pros and cons for this matchup
Square wins on simplicity and predictability: one flat rate, no monthly fee on the free plan, no contract, a free POS app, and a single vendor for sales and support, all in US dollars. Its trade-off is a smaller app ecosystem and a more limited hardware range than Clover.
Clover wins on power and extensibility: a full hardware range, a large app marketplace, and dining-ready options. Its trade-off is that rates, contracts, and fees vary by reseller, so the experience and the total cost depend on where you buy it and how carefully you read the deal.
The verdict
Choose by how much you value certainty against extensibility. If you want predictable pricing, no contract, and the simplest setup, Square is the safer pick, and what you see is what you pay. If you want a more powerful, app-rich POS and you are willing to scrutinize a reseller agreement to get the best terms, Clover offers more room to grow. Run your own volume through the calculator above, and with Clover confirm every figure in your agreement before you commit.