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Restaurant POS review

Square for Restaurants

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.

By SquareParent company: Block, Inc.
  • 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.

RTC SCORE

4.5

#9 of 13 with enough data

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Our verdict

Published prices and no commitment, which makes it easy to start and easy to leave. Compare the three plans at your card volume, because the lower rates of Plus and Premium can offset their monthly fee.

What we like

  • No term and no early termination fee.
  • Card rates and plan prices are published.
  • A $0 plan that includes online ordering.
  • Two years against defects on Square Register (one year on Square Terminal and Square Handheld), included with the purchase; accidents are not covered. Hardware bought from the Square Shop can be returned within 30 days.

What to watch

  • Card payments run only through Square.
  • The kitchen display is a paid add-on and is not available on the free plan.
  • You buy the hardware up front.

How the score breaks down

How the score of Square for Restaurants is built: 4.5 out of 10#9 of 13 with enough data. We could verify 100% of the scoring data. Cost to get started (reference restaurant): 22 of 25; Switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant): 0 of 25; 36-month total cost (reference restaurant): 1.8 of 20; Own online ordering: 11 of 11; Hardware warranty included: 4.4 of 8; Support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it): 0 of 5; 6 criteria in one bar: 6 of 6; Initial term: Weight 2%; Early termination fee: Weight 2%; Exclusive processing commitment: Weight 1%; Trial or money-back period: Weight 1%; Length of automatic renewals: Weight 1%; Notice to avoid renewal: Weight 0%. Points earned: 45.2 out of 100 verified, or 45.2%. Multiplied by the completeness factor (1), that gives 4.5 out of 10. Methodology v0.5.0.4.5RTC Score,out of 10Square forRestaurants#9 of 13 with enough dataData completeness100%We could verify 100% of thescoring dataMethodology v0.5.0How this score is builtEach bar is as long as the weight of its criterion. Thefilled part is what Square for Restaurants earned.70% of the RTC ScoreCost to get started (reference restaurant)22 of 25Strongest · $598 to get startedSwitching or signing bonus you qualify for (referencerestaurant)0 of 25Weakest36-month total cost (reference restaurant)1.8 of 20$18,453 over 36 months24% of the RTC ScoreOwn online ordering11 of 11StrongestHardware warranty included4.4 of 8StrongestSupport 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it)0 of 56% of the RTC Score6 criteria in one bar6 of 6The 6 criteria, enlarged1234561Initial termWeight 2%2Early termination feeWeight 2%3Exclusive processing commitmentWeight 1%4Trial or money-back periodWeight 1%5Length of automatic renewalsWeight 1%6Notice to avoid renewalWeight 0%Points earnedPoints possibleNo data: lowers completeness, never counts as zero45.2points earned÷100points verified=45.2%of the verified points×1completeness factor=4.5out of 10
How the score of Square for Restaurants is built: 4.5 out of 10#9 of 13 with enough data. We could verify 100% of the scoring data. Cost to get started (reference restaurant): 22 of 25; Switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant): 0 of 25; 36-month total cost (reference restaurant): 1.8 of 20; Own online ordering: 11 of 11; Hardware warranty included: 4.4 of 8; Support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it): 0 of 5; 6 criteria in one bar: 6 of 6; Initial term: Weight 2%; Early termination fee: Weight 2%; Exclusive processing commitment: Weight 1%; Trial or money-back period: Weight 1%; Length of automatic renewals: Weight 1%; Notice to avoid renewal: Weight 0%. Points earned: 45.2 out of 100 verified, or 45.2%. Multiplied by the completeness factor (1), that gives 4.5 out of 10. Methodology v0.5.0.05104.5RTC Score, out of 10Square for Restaurants#9 of 13 with enough dataData completeness100%We could verify 100% of the scoring dataMethodology v0.5.0How this score is builtEach bar is as long as the weight of its criterion. The filled part is what Square for Restaurantsearned.0510152025points70% of the RTC ScoreCost to get started (reference restaurant)Strongest · $598 to get started22 of 25Switching or signing bonus you qualify for(reference restaurant)Weakest0 of 2536-month total cost (reference restaurant)$18,453 over 36 months1.8 of 2024% of the RTC ScoreOwn online orderingStrongest11 of 11Hardware warranty includedStrongest4.4 of 8Support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it)0 of 56% of the RTC Score6 criteria in one bar6 of 6The 6 criteria, enlargedInitial termWeight 2%Early termination feeWeight 2%Exclusive processing commitmentWeight 1%Trial or money-back periodWeight 1%Length of automatic renewalsWeight 1%Notice to avoid renewalWeight 0%Points earnedPoints possibleNo data: lowers completeness, never counts as zero45.2points earned÷100points verified=45.2%of the verifiedpoints×1completenessfactor=4.5out of 10
Verified Oct 1, 2026Each data point and its source are under “All the data, with sources”, further down this page.How we score

Points by criterion

#9 of 13 with enough data

  • 70% of the RTC Score
    • Cost to get started (reference restaurant): 22 of 25 · Strongest · $598 to get started
    • Switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant): 0 of 25 · Weakest
    • 36-month total cost (reference restaurant): 1.8 of 20 · $18,453 over 36 months
  • 24% of the RTC Score
    • Own online ordering: 11 of 11 · Strongest
    • Hardware warranty included: 4.4 of 8 · Strongest
    • Support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it): 0 of 5
  • 6% of the RTC Score
    • 6 criteria in one bar: 6 of 6
    • Initial term: Weight 2%
    • Early termination fee: Weight 2%
    • Exclusive processing commitment: Weight 1%
    • Trial or money-back period: Weight 1%
    • Length of automatic renewals: Weight 1%
    • Notice to avoid renewal: Weight 0%

Points earned: 45.2 out of 100 verified, or 45.2%. Multiplied by the completeness factor (1), that gives 4.5 out of 10.

Methodology v0.5.0

RTC Score4.5out of 10

Methodology v0.5.0

Data completeness100%

We could verify 100% of the scoring data

Strongest points
Cost to get started (reference restaurant), Own online ordering, Hardware warranty included
Weakest point
Switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant)

Score by criterion

  • Cost to get started (reference restaurant)Weight 25%Strongest8.8 out of 10

    $598 to get started

  • Switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant)Weight 25%Weakest0.0 out of 10

    $0 in promotions our reference restaurant qualifies for

  • 36-month total cost (reference restaurant)Weight 20%0.9 out of 10

    $18,453 over 36 months

  • Own online orderingWeight 11%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • Hardware warranty includedWeight 8%Strongest5.5 out of 10
  • Support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it)Weight 5%0.0 out of 10
  • Initial termWeight 2%10.0 out of 10
  • Early termination feeWeight 2%10.0 out of 10
  • Exclusive processing commitmentWeight 1%10.0 out of 10
  • Trial or money-back periodWeight 1%10.0 out of 10
  • Length of automatic renewalsWeight 1%10.0 out of 10
  • Notice to avoid renewalWeight 0%10.0 out of 10

Cost to get started

The cash your restaurant puts in before it opens on the new POS, in our reference scenario ($30k/month in card sales, $35 average ticket, 2 terminals, 1 location, 36 months): equipment you buy up front plus one-time setup or installation fees. Same rows for every POS.

25% of the RTC Score

Terminals, upfront: Square Terminal (×2)$598
Total to get started$598

Left out and why

  • Monthly and yearly charges (rent, software, yearly fees per device) are part of the 36-month cost, not of the entry cost.

Switching or signing bonus

What the vendor's current promotions are worth to our reference restaurant ($30k/month in card sales, $35 average ticket, 2 terminals, 1 location, 36 months), an established restaurant switching from another company's POS.

25% of the RTC Score

Counted in the RTC Score

$0

  • Signing bonus · $12,000

    Doesn't count: it's a maximum, and the actual amount depends on your case.

Promotions end and change, so we re-check them: one with no end date comes down if we can't re-check it within 30 days, and an expired one stops counting the day after it ends.

Square for Restaurants, current promotion. Counted in the RTC Score: $0.Signing bonus: Up to $12,000. The vendor publishes no end date. We take it down if we can't re-check it within 30 days. Doesn't count: it's a maximum, and the actual amount depends on your case.Counted in the RTC Score$0Counts in the RTC Score only ifour reference restaurant qualifies.Current promotionSigning bonusUp to $12,000The vendor publishes no end date.We take it down if we can't re-check itwithin 30 days.Doesn't count: it's a maximum, and theactual amount depends on your case.
Square for Restaurants, current promotion. Counted in the RTC Score: $0.Signing bonus: Up to $12,000. The vendor publishes no end date. We take it down if we can't re-check it within 30 days. Doesn't count: it's a maximum, and the actual amount depends on your case.Counted in the RTC Score$0Counts in the RTC Score only if our referencerestaurant qualifies.Current promotionSigning bonusUp to $12,000The vendor publishes no end date. We take it down if we can't re-check it within 30 days.Doesn't count: it's a maximum, and the actual amount depends on your case.
Verified Oct 1, 2026 · The conditions and the source of each promotion are in the block right below.

Counted in the RTC Score: $0

  • Signing bonus: Up to $12,000. Doesn't count: it's a maximum, and the actual amount depends on your case.

Current promotion

  • Signing bonus

    Up to $12,000Source: Square (opens in a new tab)
    Conditions
    A credit of up to $1,000 a month on your Sysco invoices, paid by Square, for up to 12 months after you switch. Only for businesses that are not Square customers yet, switch to Square and buy from Sysco (more than 100 cases a month in the last quarter, or new to Sysco). The monthly amount depends on your yearly card volume through Square, and Square does not publish the tiers, so $12,000 is a maximum. It is a credit on food purchases, not cash, and it does not pay your current provider's early termination fee. Square calls it a limited-time offer and publishes no end date.
    Valid until
    The vendor publishes no end date. We take it down if we can't re-check it within 30 days.

Counts in the RTC Score only if our reference restaurant qualifies.

The switching or signing incentive is one of the criteria with the most weight in the RTC Score. We count a promotion only while it's current, with a fixed published amount and conditions our reference restaurant meets. "Up to" amounts, buyouts of your current contract and unpublished amounts don't count. The cost calculator subtracts one only when your numbers qualify.

Check it with your numbers

Hardware warranty

The same rows for every POS: how long the main terminal is covered against defects when you get it a standard way (buying, leasing, renting, a subscription or a loan), the conditions, including what it leaves out and what keeping it costs, and the price to replace that terminal outside the coverage.

Hardware warranty included2 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.
Warranty conditionsDefects 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)
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.

The RTC Score only counts how long defects are covered. What the coverage leaves out (accidents, theft, loss) and what it costs to keep are in the conditions. A protection plan sold separately doesn't count; if the vendor offers one, it's in the conditions. The replacement price isn't added to the 36-month cost, because there's no public data on how often equipment fails.

Trial or money-back period

Whether you can try the POS and leave, and what it costs you if you do. Same rows for every POS.

Trial or money-back periodTrial with no software charges()Source: Square (opens in a new tab)
Trial period30 daysSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Charges during the trialNoSource: Square (opens in a new tab)The subscription is free during the trial; card processing fees still apply to each payment.
Trial conditions30 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)

In the RTC Score the trial is part of the contract block, the lowest weight in the model: full points when you can try it with no software charges or get your money back, half when you can cancel without the early termination fee but the charges during the trial are yours.

All the data, with sources

Each value links to its source. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't disclose it; "Unconfirmed" means we looked and couldn't confirm it. Data points we have for fewer than four vendors are left out until we can compare them.

Software
Data pointValue
Software from$0/moSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square Free. Square Plus is $49 and Square Premium $149 per location per month, with lower card rates.
Software billed perLocationSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
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.
Payment processing
Data pointValue
Who processes your cardsMust use the vendor's processingSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Pricing model for card feesFlat rateSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
In-person card rate2.6%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.
In-person fee per transaction15¢Source: Square (opens in a new tab)
Online card rate3.3%Source: Square (opens in a new tab)On Square Free. Square Plus and Square Premium charge 2.9% + 30¢ online.
Online fee per transaction30¢Source: Square (opens in a new tab)
Keyed-in card rate3.5%Source: Square (opens in a new tab)
Keyed-in fee per transaction15¢Source: Square (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.
Dual pricing or surcharge programYesSource: 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.
Cards the program coversCredit cards only (surcharge)Source: Square Support Center (opens in a new tab)
Other fees in the contractCards 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)
Hardware
Data pointValue
HardwareYou buy itSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Hardware works with another processorUnconfirmed()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.
Contract and exit
Data pointValue
Initial termMonth to monthSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Automatic renewalMonth to monthSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Month to month, with no renewal term.
Notice to avoid renewal0 daysSource: Square (opens in a new tab)You can close your account at any time.
How the early termination fee is calculatedNo early termination feeSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Early termination feeNo early termination fee. Subscription fees already paid are not refunded.Source: Square (opens in a new tab)
Exclusive processing commitmentNoSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square POS takes card payments only through Square, but there is no term that commits you to it.
Right to raise prices during the termSquare 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)
Personal guarantee by the signerNo()Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Neither Square's General Terms nor its Payment Terms contain a personal guarantee by the signer.
Online ordering and delivery
Data pointValue
Own online orderingIncluded in the base planSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square Free includes a branded online ordering page with pickup and local delivery.
No per-order commission on own online orderingYesSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Delivery app integrationsDoorDash, 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).
Features
Data pointValue
Kitchen display system (KDS)Paid add-onSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Loyalty programIncluded 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.
Support
Data pointValue
Support 24/7No()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.
Language
Data pointValue
POS screen in SpanishYes (scope not documented)Source: Square (opens in a new tab)Square says more than 35 of its products are available in Spanish. It does not document per-employee or per-device settings, kitchen display or receipts in Spanish.
Back office in SpanishYesSource: Square (opens in a new tab)
Kitchen display in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: Square Support Center (opens in a new tab)We found no Square help article on the language of the Square KDS app. Square's help center documents the language of the account, the Dashboard (it follows your browser), hardware such as Square Terminal and receipts, not the kitchen display.
Language of kitchen ticketsUnconfirmedSource: Square Support Center (opens in a new tab)We found no Square help article on the language of printed kitchen tickets; its language settings cover the account, the Dashboard, hardware such as Square Terminal and customer receipts.
Language of customer receiptsYou choose the receipt languageSource: Square Support Center (opens in a new tab)You pick it per location in Square Dashboard (Locations, Preferred language).
Support in Spanish (as declared by the vendor)Declared, channel not specifiedSource: Square (opens in a new tab)Square says it serves customers in their preferred language. Chat runs weekdays 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT, and phone access depends on your subscription.
Website in Spanish for the USYesSource: Square (opens in a new tab)

More about Square for Restaurants

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How we score