Square Reader (Contactless + Chip)

How do Stripe, Square, and PayPal compare for small businesses?

Stripe excels for online-first businesses with developer resources — its API is best-in-class. Square is ideal for retail/in-person sales with its free POS hardware and simple setup. PayPal offers the widest buyer recognition but charges higher fees (3.49% + 49¢ for standard checkout). Choose based on where most of your sales happen.

How much does Square charge per transaction?

Square charges 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person card swipes, dips, and taps; 3.5% + $0.15 for manually keyed transactions; and 2.9% + $0.30 for online payments. There are no monthly fees on the free plan. Paid plans (Square Plus at $29/month) reduce rates for high-volume sellers in categories like restaurants.

Is Square good for restaurants?

Square for Restaurants offers tableside ordering, menu management, floor plan layout, and kitchen display integration. The free plan works for simple cafes; the $60/month plan adds multi-location support and advanced reporting. Toast is a stronger choice if you need complex modifier trees or deep kitchen workflow integration with dedicated restaurant support.

Is Square good for retail businesses?

Square for Retail includes inventory tracking with barcode support, purchase orders, vendor management, and customer loyalty — a solid all-in-one for brick-and-mortar retail. The free tier handles basic needs; the $60/month Plus plan adds advanced inventory management and cost-of-goods tracking essential for multi-SKU retailers.