Square
$452/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 2.6% + 10c
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 30c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- Free reader; Reader $59, Terminal $299, Register $799
- Contract length
- Month-to-month
- Settlement time
- Next business day
- Est. monthly cost
- $452/mo
Square
Flat-rate card processing for in-person and online with no monthly fees or contracts.
- In-person rate
- 2.6% + 10c
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 30c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Contract
- Month-to-month
Best for
Small retail, hospitality, and pop-up businesses wanting the simplest way into US card payments.
Pricing breakdown
All prices in USDLast verified June 19, 2026Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.
In-person payments
In-person terminal and tap-to-pay transactions.
- Transaction rate
- 2.6% + 10c
Flat rate, Free plan. Live page shows 2.6% + 15c on some flows; treat as approximate. Plus 2.5%, Premium 2.4%.
- Monthly fee
- Free
Free plan $0. Plus $49/mo, Premium $149/mo per location.
- Terminal cost
- Free reader; Reader $59, Terminal $299, Register $799
- Setup fee
- Free
Online payments
Online checkout and keyed-in card transactions.
- Transaction rate
- 2.9% + 30c
Online checkout / invoices. Keyed and card-on-file: 3.5% + 15c.
- Monthly fee
- Free
Free plan $0. Plus $49/mo, Premium $149/mo per location.
- Setup fee
- Free
Other fees
- Chargeback fee
- Free
Square absorbs dispute admin cost; no per-chargeback fee.
- Early termination fee
- None
No lock-in contract.
- Refund fee
- Free
Original processing fee is not returned (industry standard).
- PCI compliance fee
- Included free
PCI compliance handled by Square at no charge.
Contract terms
- Contract length
- Month-to-month
- Settlement time
- Next business day
- Recurring billing
- Yes
Native Subscriptions API.
Accepted payment methods
Cards, wallets, and other methods supported by Square for US merchants.
Cards
- Visa
- Mastercard
- AMEX
- discover
- JCB
- UnionPay
Digital wallets
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Buy now, pay later
- Afterpay
Other
- ach
Strengths and trade-offs
Pros
- No monthly fee on the free plan
- No lock-in contract
- Free POS app and free magstripe reader
- Native recurring billing and same-day instant transfers
Cons
- Flat rate costs more than interchange-plus at high volume
- Paid plans are per location
- Instant transfers carry a percentage fee
About Square
Square offers integrated card readers, terminals, and online payment processing for US businesses. Pricing is flat-rate per transaction with no monthly fee on the free plan and no lock-in contract, which makes it the most common starting point for small US merchants accepting card payments.
The free POS app, free magstripe reader, and same-day onboarding remove most of the friction of getting set up. Paid plans add advanced features per location, and the rate is higher than a negotiated interchange-plus deal at scale, but for most small businesses the simplicity wins.
Square was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.
How Square compares
Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated cost.
Assumes $15,000/mo volume, $50 average transaction, 70% in-person and 30% online.
Stripe
$452/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 2.7% + 5c
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 30c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- Reader M2 $59, WisePOS E $249, Reader S700 $349
- Contract length
- No contract
- Settlement time
- Standard payouts
- Est. monthly cost
- $452/mo
Chase Payment Solutions
$447/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 2.6% + 10c
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 25c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- Card Reader + Base $129, Countertop $399, Wireless $499, Smart Terminal $499
- Contract length
- Month-to-month
- Settlement time
- Same-day (Chase account)
- Est. monthly cost
- $447/mo
PayPal
$438/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 2.29% + 9c
- Online rate
- 2.99% + 49c
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- PayPal Zettle reader ~$29 (first reader); extras ~$79
- Contract length
- Month-to-month
- Settlement time
- 1 business day
- Est. monthly cost
- $438/mo
Common questions about Square
The same questions US merchants ask before signing up.
Square uses flat-rate pricing with no monthly fee on its free plan. In-person card payments are charged at 2.6% + 10c, and online or invoice payments are charged at 2.9% + 30c. Keyed-in and card-on-file payments cost a little more. There is no setup fee and no contract, so you only pay when you take a payment.
Square's monthly fee is Free on the free plan, which covers the POS app and basic payment processing. Paid plans (Plus and Premium) add advanced features per location and lower the in-person rate slightly, but most small businesses start and stay on the free plan.
Square settles funds on a Next business day schedule by default, at no extra cost. If you need the money sooner, Square Instant Transfer moves it to a linked debit card or bank account immediately for a small percentage fee per transfer.
Yes. Square has native AI built in: Square AI is a business-insights assistant that answers questions about your sales in plain language, and Square Assistant handles automated customer messaging and reminders. Square also publishes an official Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, so you can connect Square to AI assistants and agents directly.
Square is one of the most popular options for US small businesses because there is no monthly fee on the free plan, no lock-in contract, and a free magstripe reader to get started. It suits retail, hospitality, and pop-up businesses that want the simplest path into card payments. At high volume an interchange-plus processor like Helcim can work out cheaper, which the calculator on this page will show.
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