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Clover vs Square: 10¢ against 15¢ a sale, and a $199 reader against a free one
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Clover Starter and Square Free both have no monthly software fee and charge 2.6% per in-person card sale, but Clover adds 10¢ and Square 15¢: about $0.88 against $0.93 on a $30 sale. Clover's cheapest reader is $199; Square's first magstripe reader is free and its chip reader is $59. Square has no contract; Clover's terms vary by provider.
At a glance, by our score
- Top scoreLowest price
#1 Square POS
A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader
8.9/10Very goodOur scoreVisit Square POSOn squareup.com - Lowest pricePromotion
#4 Clover
$0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller
Offer Essentials or Services Growth (90-day free trial)Checked Sep 27, 2026 · ends Dec 31, 2026
6.1/10FairOur scoreVisit CloverOn clover.com
Side by side
| Criterion | Clover | Square POS |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 6.1/10FairOur score #4 of 8 | 8.9/10Very goodOur score #1 of 8 |
| Card rate (30%) | 9.3 / 10 | 8.2 / 10 |
| Monthly software fee (25%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Contract (15%) | 0.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Cheapest card reader (15%) | 3.4 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (15%) | 2.0 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $0 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller | A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader |
| Visit | Visit CloverOn clover.com | Visit Square POSOn squareup.com |
Who should pick which
- Clover: $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller
- Square POS: A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader
At a glance
| Clover | Square POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter | Square Free |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.6% + 15¢ |
| Fee on a $30 card sale | about $0.88 | about $0.93 |
| Monthly software fee | $0 | $0 per location |
| Cheapest card reader | Go reader $199 | first magstripe reader free; chip reader $59 |
| Contract | not published; varies by provider | none; cancel anytime |
| Inventory tracking | not on Starter (Essentials, $29.95) | not on Free (from Square Plus, $49) |
| Online store or ordering | optional add-on | online site and ordering page |
| Offline payments | yes, once turned on | yes, if the device reconnects within 24 hours |
| Customer directory or loyalty | not on Starter (pages conflict) | customer directory; loyalty from Plus |
| Employee timecards | no shift management (pages conflict) | not on Free (from Plus) |
Entry plans from Clover's Go pricing page and Square's pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
Both entry plans are $0 a month. The in-person rate differs only in the fixed part: 2.6% + 10¢ on Clover Starter, 2.6% + 15¢ on Square Free. On a $30 sale that is about $0.88 against $0.93, so Clover costs $0.05 less per sale.
Other fees:
- Keyed-in cards: 3.5% + 10¢ on Clover, 3.5% + 15¢ on Square.
- Online and invoice payments on Square Free: 3.3% + 30¢ (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium).
- Cards issued outside the US add 1.5% on Square.
- Clover Rapid Deposit, for funds within minutes, costs 1.75%.
Hardware: Clover's cheapest device is the $199 Go reader (shop). Square's first magstripe reader is free, one per account, and its chip and contactless reader is $59 (hardware). Square also takes Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android with no reader.
The next plan up: Clover Essentials is $29.95 a month at 2.5% + 10¢; Square Plus is $49 a month per location at 2.5% + 15¢, with a free 30-day trial.
Where they differ
- Contract. Square's POS page says "No locked-in contracts. Upgrade or cancel anytime." Clover's pricing FAQ says contract terms and termination fees "can vary based on your service provider", and 36-month device subscriptions are "non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds".
- What the $0 plan includes. Square Free includes an online site, a branded online ordering page, a customer directory and low-stock alerts. Clover Starter has no stock tracking, and a new online store is an optional add-on. Clover's pages conflict on Starter's customer database; we use the worse reading, not included.
- Support. Clover promises 24/7 phone support on every plan (payments page). Square Free has chat and email, with phone support 6am-6pm PT, Monday to Friday, for the first 90 days only.
- Offline. Both take payments offline. Square's footnote says offline payments are declined unless the device reconnects within 24 hours.
- Staff. Neither includes timecards on its entry plan: Square's start at Plus, and Clover's pages conflict on shift management on Starter.
Who should pick which
Pick Clover if you want 24/7 phone support and the lower 10¢ fixed fee, and will pay $199 for the reader and get the contract terms in writing.
Pick Square if you want to start with no contract and no hardware cost, an online site and a customer directory on the free plan, and chat or email support is enough after 90 days.
See both in our POS ranking.