Assessment
From one account, Square runs payments for sellers working in person and on the web. The range takes in card readers and terminals, its point-of-sale apps, online stores, invoices, payment links, Afterpay, Cash App Pay, and ACH. Developers receive server SDKs in seven languages, Web, In-App and Mobile Payments SDKs, a free sandbox, and API Explorer. In the second quarter of 2026, Square gross payment volume came to $72.8 billion, higher by 13% year over year, and Block reports the fastest growth among its mid-market sellers, the group above $500,000 in annualized volume.
Square publishes the full price list. On Square Free, a card payment is 2.6% + 15¢ in person, 3.3% + 30¢ online or by invoice, and 2.9% + 30¢ on the Online API. Square Plus costs $49 a month per location and Square Premium costs $149 a month per location, and both reduce the in-person rate and the online store rate. A card issued outside the seller's country adds 1.5%. Chargebacks carry no fee, early termination carries no fee, and a seller above $250,000 a year can request custom pricing. The limits are where Square operates and when support is staffed. Payments are processed in 8 countries and only in the seller's own currency. Live chat is available on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific, and Square Premium includes priority phone support 24/7.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Suitability | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Card hardware for counter and table service | Well suited | Readers, terminals, and point-of-sale apps. In-person rates start at 2.4% + 15¢ on Square Premium. |
| Online checkout written against the APIs | Well suited | On every plan, Online API payments cost 2.9% + 30¢, and SDKs come with a free sandbox. |
| Multi-location chains shifting upmarket | Partly suited | Fees for a plan apply per location. Above $250,000 a year, custom pricing starts as a sales conversation. |
| Sales across borders in several currencies | Not suited | Processing uses the seller's own currency. A card issued abroad adds 1.5%. |
Built for
Sellers operating in Square's 8 countries, from a single shop through a multi-location chain, who want in-person and online payments and published rates in one account.
Less suited to
Sellers taking payment in several currencies across borders, or teams that want orchestration across more than one acquirer.
Who should consider it
Likely to suit
- Restaurants and retailers selling both in person and online
- Developers who build custom checkouts for sellers in Square's countries
- Sellers who look up the rates before they sign
Unlikely to suit
- Merchants that sell abroad in many currencies
- Enterprises routing payments across several acquirers
- Teams that require round-the-clock live support on every plan
Rating by criterion
How the eight criteria that form the rating for Square are each scored out of 100.
Sector criteria
Processing in 8 countries in the seller's own currency, covering cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App Pay, Afterpay, and ACH. A card issued abroad costs an extra 1.5%.
When banks report changes, Square updates stored cards, and it supports network tokens for Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Each country's public status page lists incidents and gives no uptime figures.
Server SDKs in seven languages, Web, In-App and Mobile Payments SDKs, API Explorer, and a free sandbox that includes test cards and webhooks.
Machine learning screens payments. Rules in Risk Manager can decline an online payment or send it to 3D Secure. Chargebacks carry no fee, and the seller remains liable for disputes.
Vendor criteria
Point of sale, hardware, online stores, invoices, banking, and payroll share one account. Q2 2026 added drive-through and order management features for larger sellers. Multi-acquirer routing is absent.
Support runs through a help center and a community, with live chat on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific and phone support that changes with the plan. Priority phone support 24/7 comes with Square Premium.
Each US rate is published by plan, ACH caps included, along with the 1.5% fee on cards issued abroad. Custom pricing is offered above $250,000 in yearly sales.
There is no locked-in contract and no early termination fee. A plan can be canceled or switched at any time. Plus and Premium bill monthly for each location.
Against its peers
How Square compares with other companies we rate in Payments & acquiring.
User comments
Brief quotes drawn from public reviews posted by users of Square. Each one links to the review where it appeared. We omit sites where vendors pay to be featured or pay for a review, plus any review the site flags as incentivized.
Fact file
| Card rates (US, Square Free) | In person 2.6% + 15¢, online or by invoice 3.3% + 30¢, and 2.9% + 30¢ through the Online API Source |
|---|---|
| International cards | On every plan, an extra 1.5% applies to a card issued outside the Square account's country Source |
| Countries | Payment processing covers Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States Source |
| Security | Certification for PCI Data Security Standard Level 1 and for ISO 27001 Source |
| Scale | In the second quarter of 2026, Square gross payment volume stood at $72.8 billion, higher by 13% year over year Source |
Source pages
- Square fees (US): https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square pricing (US): https://squareup.com/us/en/pricing (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square fees help article: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5068-what-are-square-s-fees (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square payments security: https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/secure (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square Risk Manager help article: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/6816-navigating-square-risk-manager (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square support contact options: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/4993-contact-square-support (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square SDKs: https://developer.squareup.com/docs/sdks (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square Sandbox: https://developer.squareup.com/docs/devtools/sandbox/overview (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square Cards API: https://developer.squareup.com/docs/cards-api/overview (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square international development: https://developer.squareup.com/docs/international-development (As of September 24, 2026)
- Square system status, United States: https://www.issquareup.com/united-states (As of September 24, 2026)
- Block Q2 2026 shareholder letter: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1512673/000119312526335117/d91486dex991.htm (As of September 24, 2026)
- Block 2025 annual report on Form 10-K: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1512673/000162828026012254/xyz-20251231.htm (As of September 24, 2026)
How this rating was made
This profile gives our own assessment of Square to companies selecting a Payments & acquiring provider. The Fintech Index receives nothing for featuring a firm, for sponsorship, or for advertising, and Square gave us no payment for the profile.
The rating equals the average of eight criteria, with every criterion running from 0 to 100. Four address buyer needs in this sector, and four address the company together with its commercial terms.
Ratings are our editorial judgment, made from public information: pricing and legal pages, product documentation, compliance disclosures, and filings. This profile had no lab tests, and no accounts were opened. Fact-checking took place on September 24, 2026.
Reviewer, United States / Trustpilot / September 2026
President, Design, 1-10 employees / TrustRadius / September 2020
President, Design, 1-10 employees / TrustRadius / September 2020