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- Square for Restaurants. RTC Score: 4.5 out of 10. #9 of 13 with enough data. Software from: $0/mo.
- Toast. RTC Score: 3.4 out of 10. #13 of 13 with enough data. Software from: $69/mo.
- The lines without a name are the other 11 with enough data: 8.8, 6.0, 5.8, 5.7, 5.3, 4.9, 4.7, 4.5, 4.1, 3.8, 3.7.
- Methodology v0.5.0.
RTC SCORE
4.5
#9 of 13 with enough data
Square for Restaurants
- Shortest term (tied). Among 15 POS systems with a published term.
- Longest trial at no charge. Among 21 POS systems. Only trials with no software charges, or with your money back, count.
Restaurant POS from Square with a $0 plan and Plus and Premium plans billed per location. Card payments run through Square, and there is no term or early termination fee.
RTC SCORE
3.4
#13 of 13 with enough data
Toast
All-in-one restaurant POS that runs card payments through Toast. The Point of Sale plan costs $69 a month; the Starter Kit has no monthly software fee but higher pay-as-you-go card rates. The term is set in your order form.
Key differences
| Data point | Square for Restaurants | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Software from | $0/mo | $69/mo |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% | 2.49% |
| Online card rate | 3.3% | 3.5% |
| Online fee per transaction | 30¢ | 15¢ |
| Automatic renewal | Month to month | 12 months |
| Notice to avoid renewal | 0 days | 30 days |
| Exclusive processing commitment | No | Yes |
| Support 24/7 | No | Yes |
- Best value: Software from (Square for Restaurants); In-person card rate (Toast); Online card rate (Square for Restaurants); Online fee per transaction (Toast); Automatic renewal (Square for Restaurants); Notice to avoid renewal (Square for Restaurants); Exclusive processing commitment (Square for Restaurants); Support 24/7 (Toast).
- Values per NerdWallet: In-person card rate (Toast); Online card rate (Toast); Online fee per transaction (Toast); Exclusive processing commitment (Toast).
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Score by criterion
- RTC ScoreSquare for Restaurants: 4.5 · Toast: 3.4
- Cost to get started (reference restaurant)Weight 25%Square for Restaurants: 8.8 · Toast: 5.5
- Switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant)Weight 25%Square for Restaurants: 0.0 · Toast: 0.0
- 36-month total cost (reference restaurant)Weight 20%Square for Restaurants: 0.9 · Toast: No data
- Own online orderingWeight 11%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: 5.0
- Hardware warranty includedWeight 8%Square for Restaurants: 5.5 · Toast: 5.5
- Support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it)Weight 5%Square for Restaurants: 0.0 · Toast: 10.0
- Initial termWeight 2%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: No data
- Early termination feeWeight 2%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: 5.0
- Exclusive processing commitmentWeight 1%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: 0.0
- Trial or money-back periodWeight 1%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: 0.0
- Length of automatic renewalsWeight 1%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: 7.0
- Notice to avoid renewalWeight 0%Square for Restaurants: 10.0 · Toast: 10.0
- Data completenessSquare for Restaurants: 100% · Toast: 79%
No data: lowers data completeness, never counts as zero. Methodology v0.5.0.
Side by side
| Feature | Square for RestaurantsRTC Score: 4.5 out of 10 | ToastRTC Score: 3.4 out of 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | ||
| Software from | $0/mo(Best value)Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Square Free. Square Plus is $49 and Square Premium $149 per location per month, with lower card rates. | $69/moSource: Toast (opens in a new tab)Point of Sale plan, the one whose card rates we list. The Starter Kit has no monthly software fee but uses pay-as-you-go card rates (3.09% to 3.69% + 15¢, per NerdWallet), and leaving it early costs $150 for each month left. |
| Software billed per | LocationSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Location()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)The $69 plan covers one location with its first terminal; each additional device adds a monthly subscription whose price Toast doesn't publish. |
| Kitchen display (KDS) fee | $30/mo per deviceSource: Square (opens in a new tab)$30 per device on Square Plus and $20 on Square Premium. Not available on Square Free. | Being re-verified()(due for a re-check)Source: Merchant Maverick (opens in a new tab)As reported by Merchant Maverick; Toast doesn't publish it. The same guide lists the kitchen display screen hardware at $674 plus $35 a month. |
| Payment processing | ||
| Who processes your cards | Must use the vendor's processingSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Must use the vendor's processing()Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab)Card payments on Toast run through Toast Payments. |
| Pricing model for card fees | Flat rateSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Flat rateSource: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| In-person card rate | 2.6%Source: Square (opens in a new tab)On Square Free. Square Plus is 2.5% + 15¢ and Square Premium 2.4% + 15¢. Businesses processing over $250,000 a year can ask about custom pricing. | 2.49%(Best value)()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab)Rate with hardware paid up front, as reported by NerdWallet; Toast does not publish its rates on its own site. Pay-as-you-go (Starter Kit) is 3.09% to 3.69% + 15¢. |
| In-person fee per transaction | 15¢Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | 15¢()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) |
| Online card rate | 3.3%(Best value)Source: Square (opens in a new tab)On Square Free. Square Plus and Square Premium charge 2.9% + 30¢ online. | 3.5%()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) |
| Online fee per transaction | 30¢Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | 15¢(Best value)()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) |
| Keyed-in card rate | 3.5%Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | 3.5%()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab)NerdWallet reports one card-not-present rate for keyed and online payments. |
| Keyed-in fee per transaction | 15¢Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | 15¢()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) |
| Annual fees per device | $0/yr per deviceSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square's pricing pages list no annual, PCI or regulatory fee per device. What it does charge per device is monthly: the KDS and Kiosk apps. | Being re-verified()(due for a re-check)Source: Effingham County, GA (public meeting records) (opens in a new tab)A Toast order form made public by a county government lists card rates and a $15 chargeback fee but no annual, PCI or regulatory fee per device, and the Merchant Agreement and its processing terms publish none either. Toast does charge a monthly subscription for each device after the first (amount not published). |
| Dual pricing or surcharge program | YesSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Credit card surcharging, in open beta in the US: in person only, credit cards only, capped at 3% and never above your cost of acceptance. Square publishes no dual pricing program. With it, card processing on in-person sales costs your restaurant $0 in our estimate and your customers pay the surcharge; online sales keep Square's regular rate. Card network rules and state laws apply, and some states limit or ban surcharges. | YesSource: Toast (opens in a new tab)Toast publishes two programs: Toast Dual Pricing (card price and a cash price 4% lower by default; for now only for eligible new US customers) and Credit Card Surcharging (credit cards only, up to 3%, not in CT, ME or MA). With the program, card processing costs your restaurant $0 in our estimate and your customers pay the difference. Toast itself says surcharging offsets your costs by adding revenue, not by lowering your fees. Card network rules and state laws apply, and some states limit or ban surcharges. |
| Cards the program covers | Credit cards only (surcharge)Source: Square Support Center (opens in a new tab) | Every card, debit and credit (dual pricing or cash discount)Source: Toast Central (opens in a new tab)Toast also offers credit card surcharging, which only covers credit cards. When a vendor publishes both, we use the program that covers every card, the same for every vendor. Toast says you still pay your contract rate on every card sale; the card price your customers pay offsets it. Toast Dual Pricing is for eligible new US customers. |
| Other fees in the contract | Cards issued outside the US: an extra 1.5%. Gift card loads: 2.5% on Square Free and Plus, 0% on Premium. Kiosk app: $50 (Plus) or $30 (Premium) per device a month. Text marketing beyond the included texts: 3¢ (Plus) or 1.5¢ (Premium) per text.Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | Installation: about $1,000 per day on site or $800 per day remote, per NerdWallet. Modules such as online ordering and payroll are billed separately.()(due for a re-check)Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) |
| Hardware | ||
| Hardware | You buy itSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | You buy it()Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab)Bought up front or financed; with the Starter Kit the hardware kit has no upfront cost in exchange for higher card rates. |
| Hardware works with another processor | Unconfirmed()Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Square POS only takes card payments through Square, but neither Square's hardware policy nor its General Terms says whether its terminals can be used with another processor, and we found no review from 2025 or 2026 that tested it. | No()Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab)As reported by NerdWallet (Aug 2026) and Merchant Maverick (2025): using Toast requires Toast Payments, and Toast software runs only on Toast's own Android hardware, so the equipment doesn't move with you to another processor. |
| Hardware warranty included | 2 yearsSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Two years on Square Register, the countertop POS (Square's help center also lists its customer display and hub at two years). Square Terminal, Square Handheld, Square Stand, Square Kiosk and the contactless and chip reader have one year, and the magstripe reader six months. | 2 yearsSource: Toast (opens in a new tab)Two years on the countertop terminal (Toast Flex) and other hardware that is not handheld; one year on handhelds such as the Toast Go 3. It covers only hardware bought directly from Toast, and the Merchant Agreement incorporates it (§9.3). |
| Warranty conditions | Defects only, and the only remedy is a replacement. Square ships the replacement first; you return the old unit within 14 days with Square's prepaid label, or you are charged for it (you give a card when you file the claim). You file the claim by signing in to your Square account, and some devices, such as Square Stand, need Square Support's approval first. Coverage is for the original buyer only and ends if the hardware is sold or transferred; the policy does not say whether it continues if your account is closed. Not covered: alteration, repair or tampering, accidents, abuse, misuse, fire, acts of God, batteries, consumables, software and third-party hardware, including the iPads and other Apple products Square resells, which carry only Apple's warranty. Square publishes no paid extended warranty or accidental-damage plan. Hardware bought from the Square Shop can be returned within 30 days.Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | Defects only. Toast chooses the fix: help by phone, a new or refurbished replacement, or a credit. The warranty terms say Toast makes reasonable efforts to ship an advance replacement by next-day air, but its replacement help article says standard shipping takes 3 to 5 business days and 1-to-2-day shipping may cost extra. You return the old unit within 30 days or pay the replacement price plus shipping, and a replacement is covered for the rest of the original period or 30 days, whichever is longer. Not covered: abuse, negligence, accidents, misuse, loss, theft, abnormal wear, improper transport, acts of God and unauthorized service; cracked screens, drops and liquid damage are billed at the full replacement price, and units outside the warranty are repaired or replaced at Toast's standard rates. Card readers built into handhelds have 1 year and other readers 2 years, although the same help article also says 1 year for readers in general. Toast publishes no paid extended warranty or accidental-damage plan. Software support continues for 3 years after the hardware warranty ends (Product Lifetime Policy); that covers software, not hardware. Hardware bought directly from Toast in the US can be returned within 90 days of shipment if it is in its original condition with all packaging and accessories: Toast credits the purchase price and pays the return shipping.Source: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| Price to replace the main terminal | $899 one-timeSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square Register on its own, the countertop POS with a customer display; the receipt printer and cash drawer are sold separately. It costs $899 or $44 a month over 24 months. Square Terminal, the all-in-one payment terminal with a receipt printer, costs $299; it has a one-year warranty. | Being re-verified()(due for a re-check)Source: Merchant Maverick (opens in a new tab)As reported by Merchant Maverick: the Toast Flex countertop terminal with the Toast Tap card reader, without printer or cash drawer; the $50 a month is the device's software subscription. Toast doesn't publish this price itself: it bills damaged or out-of-warranty units at the full replacement price, and its online shop shows no prices without logging in. Other reviewers report $799 or more for the terminal. |
| Contract and exit | ||
| Initial term | Month to monthSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Quote onlySource: Toast (opens in a new tab)Set in your order form (Merchant Agreement §8.1). NerdWallet reports terms of two to three years, and Toast order forms made public by local governments show 36 months (2023) and 24 months (2025). |
| Automatic renewal | Month to month(Best value)Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Month to month, with no renewal term. | 12 monthsSource: Toast (opens in a new tab)A renewal is under the then-current Merchant Agreement, and earlier promotions no longer apply (§8.1). |
| Notice to avoid renewal | 0 days(Best value)Source: Square (opens in a new tab)You can close your account at any time. | 30 daysSource: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| How the early termination fee is calculated | No early termination feeSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Software or subscription fees left in the termSource: Toast (opens in a new tab)On subscription plans. On a pay-as-you-go plan such as the Starter Kit it is $150 for each month left in the term (§8.4). |
| Early termination fee | No early termination fee. Subscription fees already paid are not refunded.Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | On subscription plans, the software subscription fees left in the term; on a pay-as-you-go plan such as the Starter Kit, $150 for each month left. Plus any processing fee tied to software financing (Merchant Agreement §8.4).Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)The example in dollars uses the Point of Sale plan. If Toast raises card rates or the core POS fee, you can terminate without this fee (§6.2). |
| Exclusive processing commitment | No(Best value)Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Square POS takes card payments only through Square, but there is no term that commits you to it. | Yes()Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) |
| Right to raise prices during the term | Square may change its subscription fees with reasonable advance notice, and it may amend its terms at any time with the notice it considers reasonable (General Terms).Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | Software fees stay the same during the initial term. Toast may change card rates and other non-software fees at any time with 30 days' written notice, and any fee at or during a renewal. If it raises card rates or the core POS fee, you can terminate without the early termination fee (Merchant Agreement §6.2).Source: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| Trial or money-back period | Trial with no software charges()Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | None published()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)We checked Toast's pricing page and Merchant Agreement: no trial or refund window for the POS is published. |
| Trial conditions | 30 days of Square Plus or Square Premium with no subscription charge, available when you create an account. Card processing fees apply to each payment during the trial. If you don't pick a plan when it ends, you move to Square Free, which has no monthly subscription. Subscription fees already paid aren't refunded.()Source: Square (opens in a new tab) | No trial is published. Fees can't be canceled or refunded (Merchant Agreement §6.1). Leaving early costs the subscription fees left in the term, or $150 a month on pay-as-you-go.()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| Trial period | 30 daysSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | N/A()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)Toast publishes no trial period. |
| Charges during the trial | NoSource: Square (opens in a new tab)The subscription is free during the trial; card processing fees still apply to each payment. | N/A()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)Toast publishes no trial period. |
| Personal guarantee by the signer | No()Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Neither Square's General Terms nor its Payment Terms contain a personal guarantee by the signer. | No()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)Neither the Merchant Agreement, its payment processing terms nor a public Toast order form (2025) contains a personal guarantee. Each owner of 25% or more authorizes Toast to pull personal credit reports. |
| Online ordering and delivery | ||
| Own online ordering | Included in the base planSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square Free includes a branded online ordering page with pickup and local delivery. | Paid add-onSource: Toast (opens in a new tab)Toast's pricing table marks Digital Storefront Essentials (Toast Online Ordering) as an add-on on the Starter Kit and the Point of Sale plan; its price is by quote. |
| No per-order commission on own online ordering | YesSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | YesSource: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| Delivery app integrations | DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubhubSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square's help center also documents its direct DoorDash and Uber Eats integrations (Account and Settings, Online sales channels). | DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubhubSource: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
| Features | ||
| Kitchen display system (KDS) | Paid add-onSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Paid add-onSource: Toast Central (help center) (opens in a new tab)Toast's help center says the account must be subscribed to the Kitchen Display Screen Software product, and each KDS screen has its own subscription, added through your Toast sales rep. |
| Loyalty program | Included in higher plansSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square's plan comparison marks the loyalty program as included in Square Plus ($49 per location a month) and Square Premium, not in Square Free. | Paid add-on()Source: Toast (opens in a new tab)Toast's pricing table marks Marketing Essentials (Toast Loyalty, email marketing and gift cards) as an add-on on every plan; its price is by quote. Merchant Maverick reports Toast Loyalty at $50 a month. |
| Support | ||
| Support 24/7 | No()Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Phone support around the clock is included only with Square Premium ($149 per location a month); on Square Free and Plus it's 6 am to 6 pm PT on weekdays. The restaurants page mentions 24/7 support without naming a plan; the pricing table is more specific. We score support included with the plan our 36-month cost uses, the same for every vendor. | Yes(Best value)Source: Toast (opens in a new tab) |
Contracts compared
| Product | Initial term | Auto-renewal | Early termination fee | Exclusive processing commitment | Price increases during the term | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square for RestaurantsSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | Month to monthSource: Square (opens in a new tab) | No auto-renewal | No early termination fee. Subscription fees already paid are not refunded. | No exclusivity commitment | Square may change its subscription fees with reasonable advance notice, and it may amend its terms at any time with the notice it considers reasonable (General Terms). | 30-day trialSource: Square (opens in a new tab) |
| ToastSource: Toast (opens in a new tab) | Quote only | Renews for 12 months30 days' notice to cancel renewal | On subscription plans, the software subscription fees left in the term; on a pay-as-you-go plan such as the Starter Kit, $150 for each month left. Plus any processing fee tied to software financing (Merchant Agreement §8.4).How it's calculated: 100% of the fees left in the term | Yes, for the whole term()Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab) | Software fees stay the same during the initial term. Toast may change card rates and other non-software fees at any time with 30 days' written notice, and any fee at or during a renewal. If it raises card rates or the core POS fee, you can terminate without the early termination fee (Merchant Agreement §6.2). | N/A |
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This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.
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