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Software plans
| Plan | Price | Billed per | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $0/monthSquare (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | location | Card rates in this catalog correspond to this plan: 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ online. No kitchen display. |
| Square Plus | $49/monthSquare (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | location | 2.5% + 15¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online. Kitchen display $30 per device a month. Free 30-day trial. |
| Square Premium | $149/monthSquare (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | location | 2.4% + 15¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online. Kitchen display $20 per device a month. Adds coursing and seat management. Free 30-day trial. |
Processing rates and fees
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| In-person card rate | 2.6%Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | per transaction · In person |
| In-person fee per transaction | 15¢Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | per transaction · In person |
| Online card rate | 3.3%Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | per transaction · Online |
| Online fee per transaction | 30¢Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | per transaction · Online |
| Keyed-in card rate | 3.5%Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | per transaction · Keyed |
| Keyed-in fee per transaction | 15¢Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | per transaction · Keyed |
What one $35 sale costs in card fees
Example · Square for Restaurants. With the card rates in the table above. Example, not a quote.
In person
- Ticket
- $35
- 2.6% of a $35 ticketIn-person card rate
- $0.91
- 15¢ per transactionIn-person fee per transaction
- $0.15
- Card cost of one sale
- $1.06
Online
- Ticket
- $35
- 3.3% of a $35 ticketOnline card rate
- $1.16
- 30¢ per transactionOnline fee per transaction
- $0.30
- Card cost of one sale
- $1.46
Paid by your customers
With this program your customers pay the card cost on the cards it covers, so those cost your restaurant $0 in our estimate. A surcharge only covers credit cards: your restaurant still pays the vendor's rate on debit. We show what your customers pay apart and never add it to your cost. Card network rules and state laws apply, and some states limit surcharges.
| Card type | Dual pricing or cash discount | Surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | Your customers | Your customers |
| Debit cards | Your customers | Your restaurant, at the card rate |
It isn't free: your customers pay it
| Fee | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card surcharge (paid by your customers) | Not publishedSquare (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · You choose the percentage; Square publishes only the 3% cap. | per transaction · In person |
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.
Hardware
- Ownership
- You buy itSquare (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website ·
- Works with another processor
- UnconfirmedSquare (opens in a new tab) · Contract or terms · ()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.
| Item | Upfront | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Square Register (2nd generation) | $899Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | — |
| Square Terminal | $299Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | — |
| Square Handheld | $399Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | — |
| Square Kiosk | $149Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | — |
| Square Stand (for iPad) | $149Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | — |
| Square Reader (contactless and chip) | $59Square (opens in a new tab) · Vendor website · | — |
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 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. |
|---|---|
| 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) |
| 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.