Square POS (Point of Sale), a favorite among small and mid-sized businesses, stands out with its no monthly fees and straightforward transaction fee structure. This makes it an attractive option for startups seeking a robust POS platform without hefty upfront costs.
In this guide, we’ll delve into the details of Square POS pricing to help you determine whether it’s the perfect fit for your business. Here are what we’ll cover:
Let’s delve into it right now!
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Square Software Pricing
Square POS Free Plan
One of the most frequently asked questions about Square POS price is, “Is Square free to use?” the answer is yes, Square POS software is usually free. But if you want more features, you might have to get a paid plan. Both the free and paid plans ask you to pay processing fees.
Square POS software assists your business in taking payments and monitoring sales. It’s free to use, without any setup or Square monthly fees. You only pay when you receive a payment. Additionally, you can receive a free Square card reader for iPhone or Android, excluding contactless readers.
When you use Square POS, a portion of your monthly earnings covers POS costs. It’s excellent for small setups like market stalls and food trucks, providing an affordable choice. But for bigger businesses making many sales, Square POS costs might increase faster than POS services with set monthly fees for unlimited sales processing.
Here are the detailed costs of Square POS software processing fees:
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
- Manually entered: 3.5% + 15 cents per transaction
- Invoice: 3.3% + 30cents per transaction
There are additional Square POS pricing for hardware based on your setup, which we discuss in the next Square POS hardware costs section.
Square POS Paid Plans
The table below summarizes the Square POS system cost for paid software plans:
Plan | Price | Processing fees | Benefits |
Free | Free | - In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction | - No monthly fees - Free card reader included - Receive a fully working POS for free |
Square Restaurant Plus | $60/month for each location | - In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction | - 24/7 support available |
Square Restaurant Essentials Bundle | From $153/month | - In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction | - 6 software tools included |
Square Retail Plus | $89/month | - In person: 2.5% + 10 cents - Afterpay: 6% + 30 cents | - All features in the Retail free plan |
Retail Premium | Custom | - Custom for in-person, online, and manually entered transactions - Afterpay: 6% + 30 cents | - All features in the Retail Plus plan |
In addition to the free POS software, Square also offers upgraded plans for restaurant and retail businesses. This part answers your question, “How much does square cost per month?” as the premium and plus plans often cost extra monthly fees.
Square Restaurant POS
With Square for Restaurants, you get smooth payment processing, efficient menu management, and an easy online ordering system. Here are some of the Square Restaurant POS features:
- Boost sales by accepting online takeout and delivery orders smoothly.
- Increase profits by selling merchandise and enhancing your brand.
- Process orders faster with menus that are always up-to-date.
- Efficiently manage labor and inventory costs.
- Transform customers into fans with detailed data for a competitive edge.
- Access your money right away using integrated banking solutions.
Pricing:
What’s the Square point of sale fees for its Restaurant service? You can use the Square Restaurant POS Plus plan for 30 days for free. After that, Square POS pricing for this plan will be $60/month for each location. There are also additional processing fees as follows:
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
- Manually entered: 3.5% + 15 cents per transaction
- Invoice: 3.3% + 30 cents per transaction
If you use a countertop POS device, it’s an extra $40 per month for each device. If you use mobile POS, Square charges an extra $50 per month for each location.
Square Restaurant Essentials Bundle
This plan saves you more with the set of 6 popular software tools, including:
- Square for Restaurants Plus
- Square Online Premium
- Square Shifts Plus
- Square Team Plus
- Square Payroll
- Square Team Communication
The POS pricing for the Restaurant Essentials Bundle plan starts from $153/month, and processing fees as follows:
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction
- Manually entered: 3.5% + 15 cents per transaction
- Invoice: 3.3% + 30cents per transaction
Square Retail POS
When you look for a tool to build your retail business, whether it’s an in-store or online store, Square Retail POS has everything you need. Check out its features:
- Make sales anywhere: Secure payments with no hidden fees, all tracked in one reliable system.
- Handle inventory and fulfillment: Sync products across all locations for efficient order processing.
- Track your success: Square for Retail Plus offers Reports that provide insightful data for informed decisions. These include sales reports, cost-of-goods sold, vendor sales, project profit reports, and more.
- Lead your team: Empower your staff with management tools to drive business growth.
- Manage finances: Handle payments and accounting needs seamlessly from your POS.
- Support customers: Enhance customer experience and boost traffic with Square Marketing tools. Select from different campaign types and templates to achieve your business goals.
Plus plan:
So, how much does Square cost for its Retail POS Plus plan? You just need to pay $89/month per location to experience all those features. Besides monthly Square POS pricing, there are additional processing fees per transaction for this plan:
- 2.5% + 10 cents (in person)
- 2.9% + 30 cents (online)
- 3.5% + 15 cents manually entered
- 6% + 30 cents (Afterpay)
Square Appointment POS
Square Appointment POS is your all-in-one solution for booking, payments, and more. Key features include:
- Easy scheduling: Simplify your day with web-based appointment-scheduling software and the app.
- Secure payments: Accept payments with no hidden fees using the Square Appointments POS system.
- Client Management: Build customer relationships with profiles on file, streamlined communication with Square Messages, and loyalty programs with Square Loyalty (additional fee).
- Staff empowerment: Manage your team effectively with tools like individual employee accounts, flexible permissions, multiple wage rates, commission tiers, and timecard reporting.
- Retail and inventory: Boost your services by selling products. Utilize features like Square Online for a free, shoppable website, combined services and item checkout, low-stock alerts, and multilocation stock management.
So, how much does Square POS cost for its Appointment product? Here’s the detailed price:
Plus plan:
- $29/month per location
- Processing fees: 2.5% + 10cents (in person) per transaction
Premium plan:
- $69/month per location
- Processing fees: 2.5% + 10cents (in person) per transaction
Square POS Added Costs and Extras
Square POS pricing is free to start, with additional processing fees and hardware costs. There are also various extra software add-ons to consider, depending on your business needs.
- Square Marketing: Starts at $15 per month for crafting and tracking email marketing campaigns within the Square POS system.
- Employee Management: Essential for mid-size businesses at $5 per employee per month. This plan includes roles, clock in/out, access restrictions, and timecard reports.
- Square Payroll: Costs $29 per month, plus $5 per employee. It helps manage an IRS-compliant payroll system that automatically tracks and records employee timecards.
- Square Loyalty: Starts at $25 per month for creating a loyalty program. Customers can enroll, receive digital punch cards, and enjoy tiered reward levels.
- Gift Cards: You can create and manage gift cards with physical ones at 80 cents each or digital ones at a 2.9% + 30 cents processing rate.
Square POS Hardware Pricing
While Square offers free software for businesses, it also provides various hardware options to run your in-person businesses. Some of the most popular Square hardware products are Square Register, Square Terminal, Square Stand, Square Stand Mount, and Square Reader.
But what’s the Square POS system cost for its hardware products? Let’s explore this in detail:
Square Register
Square Register is the very first all-in-one POS system designed for immediate use. This hardware offers speed, power, and reliability without the need for extra tablets or apps.
Here’s the detailed Square POS pricing when using Square Register:
Pricing:
- $799 or $39 per month for one year
- 2.6% + 10 cents per in-person tap, dip, or swipe payment
- 6% + 30 cents per Afterpay transaction
Square Terminal
Square Terminal comes with free built-in point-of-sale software. You can accept payments and print receipts easily with this portable and cordless credit card terminal.
Pricing:
- $299 or $27 per month for one year
- 2.6% + 10 cents per in-person payment
- 6% + 30 cents per Afterpay transaction
Square Stand
Square Stand is a robust iPad point-of-sale system with an easy-to-use, customer-driven checkout and built-in card readers. No additional readers are needed. The integrated payments include guiding LED lights, allowing customers to confirm their orders and make payments seamlessly.
Pricing:
- $149 or $14 per month for one year
- 2.6% + 10 cents per in-person tap, dip, or swipe payment.
- 6% + 30 cents per Afterpay transaction.
Square Stand Mount
Square Stand Mount comes in various configurations to suit your space. It includes all the necessary mounting hardware in the box, eliminating the need for service visits.
Pricing:
- $149 or $14 per month for one year
- 2.6% + 10 cents per in-person tap, dip, or swipe payment
- 6% + 30 cents per Afterpay transaction
Square Reader
Besides free Square POS pricing for software, Square also offers two types of paid card readers. The Square Reader for contactless and chip accepts both chip cards and contactless payments, and it is suitable for on-the-go or counter use. The Square Reader for Stripe enables swiping credit cards on your smartphone or tablet.
Pricing:
- Free at register for your first card reader
- $10 per additional reader
- 2.6% + 10 cents for each swipe
Square POS Review
Now, the Square POS pricing is clear. You may wonder if it’s worth using Square POS. Let’s check out some outstanding features of Square POS.
Square’s POS software streamlines your business by handling payments, tracking sales, managing online orders, inventory, customer interactions, and team operations. Here are some key features of Square POS:
- Payments: Square simplifies payment processing for businesses. Whether online or over the phone, it accepts various credit cards, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and more. Besides, you can store card details for quick checkouts and manage gift cards. Square POS also ensures easy access to funds through Square Checking.
- Check out: With Square POS, you can effortlessly sell online and in-store with synchronized sales and inventory. Moreover, it manages swiped card payments seamlessly offline, processing them within 72 hours.
- Operations: Square POS unifies sales, inventory, and locations in a dynamic system. So, you can gain insights with Square Analytics, sync with inventory partners, and manage multiple locations from your Square Dashboard.
- Add-ons: You can also customize your POS with additional tools like Square Online, Square Email Marketing, Square Team Management, Square Loans, etc., to attract customers, scale your business, and manage cash flow effectively.
Square POS Cost – FAQs
Square POS software is free with no setup or monthly fee. You only pay when you accept payment. Square also offers a range of hardware products at different price points, starting from $149 and going up to $799. You can start using the Square POS system for free (but with limited features). Square POS software is usually free and available to download from the Google Play store or Apple App store. On the other hand, Square hardware costs you anywhere from $149 for a Square Stand to $799 for a Square Register. Square has no setup or monthly fees; you only pay processing fees for your transactions. Besides, they offer various products and services with premium plans that may have additional costs.
Is It Worth Paying for Square POS?
In conclusion, the Square POS pricing model is straightforward and transparent, with no setup or monthly fees. You only pay for the transactions you make, making it a cost-effective option for businesses of all sizes.
Additionally, Square offers premium plans with extra features for those seeking advanced capabilities. With Square, you get the flexibility to choose the pricing structure that best fits your business needs.
Don’t forget to explore our blog for more tips and strategies using Square for your businesses. Also, feel free to contact us if you have any related questions.
