$0
Tap to Pay on your phone
Tap to Pay on iPhone and Tap to Pay on Android take contactless cards and digital wallets right on your phone. No reader at all.
Square Rates & Hardware
Square rates, processing fees and hardware
Square's free plan has no monthly fee and charges 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person card payment, 3.3% + 30¢ online and 3.5% + 15¢ keyed in, and Square hardware runs from $0 (Tap to Pay on your phone) to $1,999 for a self-order kiosk.
Square spreads this across a dozen pages. Here it is in one place: the free plan, every Square rate, the monthly fees you might run into, each piece of Square hardware and what it does, and how the free app hooks up to all of it.
What you get on Square's free plan
Square Free is $0 a month. You only pay when you take a payment. It includes:
- The Square Point of Sale app, for in-person, online, phone and field sales
- An online ordering profile, basic website or online store, and a booking site
- Item library with simple stock counts and low-stock alerts
- Invoices, estimates and contracts
- Appointment booking with unlimited staff calendars
- Offline payments, next-business-day transfers and fraud prevention
- Chat and email support, plus phone support weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific for your first 90 days
Square rates: processing fees by plan
Square processing fees depend on your plan and how the card is taken. These are Square's published U.S. rates.
Tap, dip or swipe
2.6% + 15¢
per payment on Square Free
Online and invoices
3.3% + 30¢
per payment on Square Free
Keyed in or card on file
3.5% + 15¢
per payment on Square Free
| Plan | Rate | Fee on a $25 sale |
|---|---|---|
| Tap, dip or swipe | ||
| Free | 2.6% + 15¢ | $0.80 |
| Plus | 2.5% + 15¢ | $0.78 |
| Premium | 2.4% + 15¢ | $0.75 |
| Online and invoices | ||
| Free | 3.3% + 30¢ | $1.13 |
| Plus | 2.9% + 30¢ | $1.03 |
| Premium | 2.9% + 30¢ | $1.03 |
| Keyed in or card on file | ||
| Free | 3.5% + 15¢ | $1.03 |
| Plus | 3.5% + 15¢ | $1.03 |
| Premium | 3.5% + 15¢ | $1.03 |
| Payment type | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tap, dip or swipe | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online and invoices (card) | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Online API | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Keyed in or card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| ACH bank transfer (invoice) | 1%, $1 min | 1%, $1 min, $10 cap | 1%, $1 min, $10 cap |
| ACH bank transfer (API) | 1%, $1 min, $5 cap | 1%, $1 min, $5 cap | 1%, $1 min, $5 cap |
| Afterpay | 6% + 30¢ | 6% + 30¢ | 6% + 30¢ |
| EBT (SNAP-eligible items) | 1.8% + 5¢ | 1.8% + 5¢ | 1.8% + 5¢ |
| Cards issued outside the U.S. | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% |
| Cash or check | Free | Free | Free |
Standard transfers to your bank are free and arrive as soon as the next business day. Instant and same-day transfers cost 1.95% of the amount. Process more than $250,000 a year and Square will talk custom pricing.
Square monthly fees: plans and add-ons
You can run on Square Free forever. These are the monthly fees that only kick in if you choose a paid plan or add-on.
| Item | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan fee | $0 | $49 per location | $149 per location |
| Free trial | Not needed | 30 days | 30 days |
| Square KDS app (kitchen display) | Not included | $30 per device | $20 per device |
| Square Kiosk software | Needs Plus or Premium | $99 per device | $99 per device |
| Square Kiosk Lite (iOS app) | Not included | $50 per device | $30 per device |
| Text message marketing | Not included | 500 texts included, then 3¢ each | 2,500 texts included, then 1.5¢ each |
| Gift card load fee | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0% |
Square Payroll is separate, starting at $35 a month plus $6 per person paid.
Which Square card reader do you need?
If you sell from a phone or tablet, one of these is all the Square hardware you need.
First one free
Square Reader for magstripe
A swipe-only card reader that plugs into your phone or tablet (USB-C, Lightning or headset jack). Extra readers are $10.
Your first Square Reader for magstripe (swipe only) is free with a new account.
One free reader per account holder, on your first Square account, claimed within a year of activating it. Order it on Square Shop while signed in and the credit is applied at checkout. It takes swiped cards only, not chip or tap. Square can change or end this offer at any time. Square's promo terms
$59
Square Reader for contactless and chip (2nd generation)
The pocket-size Square card reader for tap and chip cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Pairs with your phone or tablet over Bluetooth.
Not sure which setup fits your business? Our POS hardware guide for small business matches setups to business types.
Square hardware for the counter and the floor
Want a real station instead of a phone? Here's the rest of the Square hardware lineup, what each device does, and what Square charges.
$149
Square Stand (USB-C)
Turns a compatible iPad into a countertop POS with tap and chip payments built in. Swivels to face the customer and doubles as a self-serve kiosk.
$299
Square Terminal
An all-in-one card terminal for orders, payments and printed receipts. Add the $49 Hub if you want Ethernet or USB accessories.
$399
Square Handheld
A pocketable POS with built-in payments, barcode scanner and camera. Made for tableside ordering and inventory counts.
$899
Square Register (2nd generation)
Square's full countertop system, with two touchscreens: one for your staff, one facing the customer.
$1,999
Square Kiosk
A self-order kiosk with a large display, voice and touch ordering, and built-in payments. Counter stand included. Needs Square Plus or Premium and the Kiosk software fee.
Square offers financing on many devices for qualified sellers, free 30-day returns and limited warranties.
Square accessories
Printers, drawers and scanners that work with Square. A few common ones:
Receipt Printer
$319
Countertop receipt printing.
Impact Printer
$379
Kitchen tickets, and it handles high heat.
Portable Receipt Printer
$299
Receipts away from the counter.
Barcode Label Printer
$349
Print your own item labels.
14 x 16 in. Cash Drawer
$129
Printer-driven, so it connects through a receipt printer.
2D Corded Barcode Scanner
$169
USB scanner for 1D and 2D barcodes.
Hub for Square Terminal
$49
Adds Ethernet and USB accessories to Square Terminal.
Kitchen Display (10.1 in.)
$699
Android touchscreen for the Square KDS app, which needs Plus or Premium.
Already own a printer, drawer or scanner? Check it on Square's compatibility page before buying new.
How the free Square POS app connects to Square hardware
Square Point of Sale is free on every plan. Here's how it talks to each device.
Phone or tablet + Square Reader: Bluetooth
In Square Point of Sale, go to More, then Settings, Hardware, Square Readers, and tap Connect a Reader. Hold the reader button 3 to 5 seconds until four orange lights flash, then tap Pair. Keep it within 10 feet of your device. The 2nd generation reader needs iOS 17.1 or later, or Android 7.0 or later.
Android + Square Reader: a cable works too
On Android phones and tablets the reader can also connect by wire. On an iPad, a wired connection only works through Square Stand.
iPad + Square Stand: USB-C
The iPad connects to the stand over USB-C, and payments are built into the stand. Compatible models include iPad (A16), iPad (10th generation), iPad Air 11-inch (M2, M3), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation) and iPad Pro 11-inch (1st through 4th generation).
Square Terminal, Handheld and Register: the app is built in
These run Square's software on the device itself, so you don't need a separate phone or tablet. Terminal can use Ethernet through the Hub for Square Terminal.
Printers, drawers and scanners
Accessories connect by USB or through the receipt printer, depending on the model. Printer-driven cash drawers plug into the printer.
What works offline
Square Register, Terminal, Handheld, Stand and the 2nd generation reader can keep taking card payments when your internet drops. They upload when you reconnect. Upload within 24 hours to be safe, because pending payments expire after 72 hours. Tap to Pay, keyed-in cards, gift cards, Afterpay and Cash App Pay don't work offline, and you're on the hook if an offline card later declines.
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.
Free POS System is operated by POSUSA, an authorized Square reseller. POSUSA may earn compensation when you sign up through our link. Free POS System is not otherwise affiliated with or endorsed by Square. Square is a trademark of Block, Inc.
Want the bigger picture first? Read what a free POS really costs or how setup works.
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.