How much does Square charge?

Square charges 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person taps/dips, 2.9% + $0.30 for online, and 3.5% + $0.15 for manually keyed-in transactions. No monthly fees for the basic plan.

Is Square free to use?

Yes, Square POS is free with no monthly fee. You only pay per-transaction processing fees. Hardware (terminals, registers) is sold separately.

Is Square good for small business?

Yes, Square is one of the best options for small businesses, especially retail and food service. Its free POS, simple pricing, and ecosystem of tools make it easy to start.

Finance

Square Pricing 2026: Plans, Costs & Value

A complete breakdown of Square pricing plans, what each tier includes, and how it compares to alternatives in the Finance space.

Quick Answer

Square offers a free tier. Paid plans start at $2.6/mo, billed monthly.

Pricing Overview

Free Tier

Get started at no cost

Starting Price

$2.6/mo

base price

Pricing Model

Usage Based

Billed monthly

Pricing Details

Square POS is free with 2.6% + $0.10 per tap/dip. Online payments are 2.9% + $0.30. Plus plan is $60/location/month. Hardware ranges from free readers to $799 terminals. No long-term contracts.

Understanding Square's Pricing Model

Usage Based

Square uses usage-based pricing. You only pay for what you actually consume, whether that's API calls, storage, bandwidth, or another metric. This model is cost-effective for teams with variable workloads but can make monthly costs less predictable. Monitor your usage carefully to avoid surprise charges.

Square Pricing vs Alternatives

Tool	Starting Price	Free Tier	Pricing Model
Square	$2.6/mo	Yes	Usage Based
Stripe	$2.9/mo	No	Usage Based
PayPal	$2.99/mo	Yes	Usage Based

Is Square Worth the Price?

When evaluating whether Square is worth the investment, consider what you get for the price:

Free to start
Simple transparent pricing
Great hardware
All-in-one ecosystem

With a free tier available, you can try Square before committing to a paid plan. This makes it a low-risk option to evaluate.

Square Pricing FAQ

Square starts at $2.6/month. A free tier is also available with limited features.

Yes, Square offers a free plan that you can use to get started. The free tier typically includes basic features with usage limits. Upgrade to a paid plan to unlock the full feature set.

The cheapest option is the free plan. The lowest paid plan starts at $2.6/month.

Compared to alternatives like Stripe, PayPal, Square starts at $2.6/mo. Check the comparison table above to see how pricing stacks up across all options.