Square Free
Where we'd start$0/mo
- 2.6% + 15¢ in person
- 3.3% + 30¢ online
- Full POS app, online site, invoices, booking
- Phone support weekdays for your first 90 days, chat anytime
How much does a free POS system really cost?
Free POS pricing: Square plans and fees
On a free plan, a point of sale system costs $0 a month for the software. What you actually pay is a processing fee on each card sale, plus any hardware you choose to buy.
That's the whole model. No setup fee, no monthly minimum, no lease. Below are the real numbers so you can do the math before you sign up.
| Plan | Monthly software fee |
|---|---|
| Free | $0 |
| Plus | $49 |
| Premium | $149 |
Plans
Square's plans side by side
Most small shops start on Free. Plus and Premium are the same for every type of business, and each comes with a free 30-day trial if you want to test the extras.
Square Plus
$49/mo per location
- 2.5% + 15¢ in person
- 2.9% + 30¢ online
- Loyalty, marketing, staff management
- Advanced industry features
Square Premium
$149/mo per location
- 2.4% + 15¢ in person
- 2.9% + 30¢ online
- 24/7 priority phone support
- Advanced reporting, no gift card load fees
Side by side
Compare Square Free, Plus and Premium
Same three plans whether you run a shop, a restaurant or a salon. Square folded its old restaurant, retail and appointments plans into these, and every plan includes all of Square's POS modes.
| Feature | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
| Monthly fee | $0 | $49 per location | $149 per location |
| Free trial | Not needed | 30 days | 30 days |
| Contract | None | None, cancel or switch anytime | None, cancel or switch anytime |
| Card rates | |||
| Tap, dip or swipe | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online and invoices | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Keyed in or card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| Cash or check | Free | Free | Free |
| Run the business | |||
| Square Point of Sale app, all modes | Included | Included | Included |
| Online site, ordering and booking site | Included | Included | Included |
| Invoices, estimates and contracts | Included | Included | Included |
| Appointments with unlimited staff calendars | Included | Included | Included |
| Item library, simple stock counts and low-stock alerts | Included | Included | Included |
| Advanced POS features for every industry | Not included | Included | Included |
| Full inventory tracking, costs and purchase orders | Not included | Included | Included |
| Advanced reporting | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Customers and team | |||
| Loyalty rewards program | Not included | Included | Included |
| Email marketing | Not included | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text marketing | Not included | 500 texts a month, then 3¢ each | 2,500 texts a month, then 1.5¢ each |
| Staff scheduling and attendance | Not included | Included | Included |
| Support | |||
| Chat and email support | Included | Included | Included |
| Phone support | Weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific, first 90 days | Weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific | 24/7 |
| Add-ons and other fees | |||
| Square KDS app | Not available | $30 a device a month | $20 a device a month |
| Square Kiosk software | Not available | $99 a device a month | $99 a device a month |
| Square Kiosk Lite (iOS app) | Not available | $50 a device a month | $30 a device a month |
| Gift card load fee | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0% |
| Square Payroll | From $35 a month + $6 per person paid | From $35 a month + $6 per person paid | From $35 a month + $6 per person paid |
Payroll is a separate add-on on any plan, and hardware is sold separately. If you process more than $250,000 a year, Square will talk to you about custom pricing.
Do the math
What would a month actually cost?
Pick how much you take in card sales and how customers usually pay. We'll run the math on all three plans with Square's published rates.
Example calculation: $10,000 a month in tap, dip or swipe sales at a $25 average ticket (400 payments).
| Plan and rate | Processing fees plus plan fee | Total per month |
|---|---|---|
| Free2.6% + 15¢ | $320 in fees + $0 plan | $320 |
| Plus2.5% + 15¢ | $310 in fees + $49 plan | $359 |
| Premium2.4% + 15¢ | $300 in fees + $149 plan | $449 |
Lowest total: Free
Estimate only. It uses Square's published U.S. rates and plan fees and leaves out hardware, sales tax, instant transfers and cards issued outside the U.S.
Show the math for the example
Say you run a small shop doing $10,000 a month in card sales, all tapped or dipped at the counter, with an average ticket of $25. That's 400 transactions. On Square Free you'd pay 2.6% of $10,000 ($260) plus 15¢ times 400 ($60). Call it $320 for the month, with $0 for the software.
Rates
Card processing rates by plan
Every way to take a payment, on every plan. Cash is always free.
| Payment type | Free | Plus | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tap, dip or swipe (in person) | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online or invoice card payment | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Manually keyed or card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| ACH bank transfer on an invoice | 1%, $1 min | 1%, $1 min, $10 cap | 1%, $1 min, $10 cap |
| Afterpay | 6% + 30¢ | 6% + 30¢ | 6% + 30¢ |
| EBT (SNAP-eligible items) | 1.8% + 5¢ | 1.8% + 5¢ | 1.8% + 5¢ |
| Cash or check | Free | Free | Free |
Other fees worth knowing
- Standard bank transfers are free and arrive as soon as the next business day. Instant and same-day transfers cost 1.95% of the amount.
- Cards issued outside the U.S. add 1.5% per payment.
- Gift card loads carry a 2.5% fee on Free and Plus, and none on Premium.
- If you process more than $250,000 a year, Square will talk to you about custom rates.
Checked against Square's site: prices, rates and hardware details come from Square's official pricing, hardware and support pages on squareup.com. Rates and prices change. Confirm the current figures on squareup.com before you sign up or buy. See all Square rates, monthly fees and hardware prices
Before you sign anything
What should you ask before signing up for any "free" POS?
Some free offers are free. Others make it back on a three-year equipment lease. Run through these before you hand over your bank info.
If an offer can't give you a clean answer to all six, keep shopping. Want the long version? Read how much a POS system costs, is a free POS really free? and free POS vs paid POS. Wondering what's actually free on Square? Read is Square POS free? Questions? Check the FAQ or send us a note.
- Is there a monthly fee for the software? On a truly free plan, the answer is zero.
- Is there a contract or early termination fee? You want "no" on both.
- Do I have to lease hardware? Buying outright is almost always cheaper than leasing.
- Is the processing rate flat or does it change by card? Flat rates are easier to predict.
- Are there PCI, statement or monthly minimum fees? These are where "free" quietly stops being free.
- How fast do deposits hit my bank, and what does faster cost?
Questions
POS cost questions
What does a point of sale system cost in total?
Add up three things: the software subscription, the processing fee on each card sale, and any hardware. On a free plan the first one is zero, so processing becomes your main cost, and it rises and falls with your sales. Cash sales don't carry a processing fee at all.
What's the cheapest POS system for a small business?
Usually a free plan on the phone you already own. No monthly fee, no hardware to buy, and you only pay when a customer pays by card. Once your card volume gets big, a paid plan with lower rates can come out cheaper. Our free POS vs paid POS guide walks through that math.
Is Square POS free?
Yes, the software is. Square Free has no monthly fee and no contract, so what you pay is card processing on each sale, plus hardware or a paid plan only if you choose them. Our guide to whether Square POS is free walks through what's free, what isn't and the catches.
What does it cost to start on Square?
It can cost nothing up front. Square Free is $0 a month, Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android takes contactless cards with just your phone, and you pay 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person card payment. A reader for chip cards is optional. Every option is on our Square rates and hardware page.
More answers on the FAQ page and in our free POS guides, or call (888) 243-3831.
Start on the free plan. Upgrade only if you need to.
Square Free costs $0 a month. You pay 2.6% + 15¢ when a customer taps, dips or swipes a card, and nothing on cash.
No monthly fee on the free plan. No long-term contract. Cancel anytime.
Free POS System is operated by POSUSA, an authorized Square reseller. POSUSA may earn compensation when you sign up through our link. It doesn't cost you a cent more. Read our disclosure.