Square
$577/mo est.
- Software/mo
- $0/mo (Plus tiers $69-89/location)
- Processing rate
- 2.6% + 10c
- Hardware
- Reader $0 magstripe / contactless $49 / Stand $149 / Terminal $299 / Register $799
- Contract
- No lock-in
- Industry
- Both
- Est. monthly cost
- $577/mo
Square
Flat-rate card processing for in-person and online with no monthly fees or contracts.
- Software/mo
- $0/mo (Plus tiers $69-89/location)
- Processing
- 2.6% + 10c
- Hardware
- Reader $0 magstripe / contactless $49 / Stand $149 / Terminal $299 / Register $799
- Contract
- No lock-in
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.
- Setup fee
- Free
Online payments
Online checkout and keyed-in card transactions.
- Setup fee
- Free
Contract terms
- Contract length
- No lock-in
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.
Based on $20,000/mo card volume (software plus processing; hardware excluded).
Shopify
$540/mo est.
- Software/mo
- $0 POS Lite (Pro ~$89/location)
- Processing rate
- 2.7% (in-person, Basic)
- Hardware
- Tap-and-chip reader from ~$49 / terminal kit to ~$329
- Contract
- No lock-in (monthly)
- Industry
- Retail (omnichannel)
- Est. monthly cost
- $540/mo
Lightspeed
$646/mo est.
- Software/mo
- $69-269/mo (Restaurant from $69, Retail $89-269)
- Processing rate
- ~2.6% + 10c
- Hardware
- iPad-based; reader/stand/printer bundles (~$300-1,000+)
- Contract
- Annual term typical
- Industry
- Both (Retail + Restaurant)
- Est. monthly cost
- $646/mo
Common questions about Square
The same questions US merchants ask before signing up.
Square POS software is $0/mo (Plus tiers $69-89/location), and in-person card payments are processed at 2.6% + 10c. The free plan covers the POS app, basic inventory, and card processing with no monthly fee and no contract. Paid tiers (Square for Retail Plus and Square for Restaurants Plus) add advanced features per location, but most small US businesses start and stay on the free plan. The comparison table on this page shows current figures.
No. Square is month-to-month with no lock-in on every plan, including the free plan. You can stop using it at any time without an early termination fee. This is one of the main reasons small US retailers, cafes, and pop-ups choose it as their first POS: there is no commitment beyond the per-transaction card rate.
Yes. Square for Restaurants adds table management, floor plans, coursing, and kitchen tickets on top of the standard Square POS. There is a free Restaurant tier and a paid Plus tier for busier venues. For a deeper, restaurant-only platform with built-in online ordering and a kitchen display, Toast goes further, but Square for Restaurants is a strong, low-commitment option for cafes and casual dining.
Square works on a phone or tablet you already own, paired with a Square reader, or on dedicated hardware like the Square Stand, Square Terminal, or Square Register. The magstripe reader is free; contactless and chip readers, stands, terminals, and registers are one-off purchases. See the hardware row in the comparison table on this page for current device costs.
Square includes native AI tools across its platform, including an AI assistant for setup and operations, AI-generated marketing copy, and Square Photo Studio for product imagery. Square also publishes an early MCP (Model Context Protocol) server for developer and operations workflows, so AI agents can connect to Square data. These tools are built in rather than sold as separate add-ons.
Yes. Square supports multiple locations with centralized inventory, reporting, and staff management. The free plan covers the basics across locations, while the paid Plus tiers (priced per location) add advanced retail or restaurant features. For very large or stock-heavy multi-location operations, Lightspeed offers deeper inventory tooling, but Square scales comfortably for most growing US businesses.
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Compare Square
Compare Square against every other US provider on price, contract terms, and features.