Square built its reputation on simple, transparent pricing for small businesses. This guide covers every fee you'll encounter using Square in 2026.
Quick answer: Square charges 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person payments and 2.9% + $0.30 for online — among the most straightforward fee structures in the industry.
| Transaction Type | Rate | On $100 |
|---|---|---|
| In-person (tap/chip/swipe) | 2.6% + $0.10 | $2.70 |
| Online payment | 2.9% + $0.30 | $3.20 |
| Invoice | 3.3% + $0.30 | $3.60 |
| Manual card entry | 3.5% + $0.15 | $3.65 |
Square's basic card reader is free with signup. The Square Terminal costs $299, and Square Register (full POS system) starts at $799. These are one-time costs, not recurring fees.
Square Plus ($29/month) reduces invoice fees and adds team management features. Square for Restaurants and Square for Retail have specialized pricing starting around $60-69/month for advanced features like inventory tracking.
| Platform | In-Person Rate | Online Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Square | 2.6% + $0.10 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Stripe | 2.7% + $0.05 | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| PayPal | 1.9% + $0.10 (QR) | 3.49% + $0.49 |
Beyond the per-transaction fee, Square's hardware is a one-time (or occasional) cost separate from processing. The basic magstripe reader ships free with a new account. The contactless + chip reader runs around $49. Square Terminal, an all-in-one device with a built-in screen and receipt printing, costs around $299. None of these hardware costs affect your per-transaction processing rate — they're a separate, one-time investment based on how you plan to accept payments in person.
Sending invoices through Square carries its own rate, separate from in-person and standard online rates: typically around 3.3% + $0.30 per paid invoice. This is higher than Square's in-person rate because invoices carry more fraud and non-payment risk from Square's perspective, similar to why manually-entered card numbers also cost more than tap-to-pay.
Square Plus, at $29/month, becomes worthwhile primarily for businesses that benefit from its lower invoice processing rate and additional team management features — the break-even point depends on your invoice volume specifically, since the plan doesn't reduce standard in-person or online card rates, only invoicing and select other fees. Businesses that rarely send invoices and mostly process in-person card payments typically see little benefit from upgrading past the free plan.