Payments

Square

Payments that work the same in person and online.

Starting price

No monthly fee

Transaction fee

2.6% + 10¢ in person

Price checked

August 2026

Visit Square

Best for

Local businesses selling face to face and online.

What it does well

Strong in-person rates
Free hardware entry point
Simple to start

Where it falls short

Fewer developer tools than Stripe
Online fees are slightly higher

Stacks that use Square

Restaurant Salon & Spa Handmade Pet Services

Payments alternatives

Stripe

No monthly fee

Take deposits, invoices and payment links with no monthly fee.

Stripe Billing

No monthly fee

Subscriptions, trials and upgrades without custom billing code.

Stripe (nonprofit rate)

No monthly fee

Reduced-rate Stripe processing for eligible nonprofits.

Shopify Payments

Included with Shopify

Native Shopify checkout with no extra integration to maintain.

Head-to-head comparisons

Stripe vs Square Stripe Billing vs Square Stripe (nonprofit rate) vs Square Square vs Shopify Payments

Business types we recommend it for

Best Payments for Restaurant Businesses Best Payments for Salon & Spa Businesses Best Payments for Handmade Businesses Best Payments for Pet Services Businesses

Is Square right for your business?

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