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Square POS review: a $0 plan at 2.6% + 15¢, and what Plus adds
Updated Oct 15, 2026 · scored under rubric v1
Square POS suits new and small sellers who want to start at $0 a month with no contract and a free swipe reader. The catch: inventory tracking, timecards and restaurant tools like split checks start at Square Plus, $49 a month.
Square POS's entry plan, Square Free, costs $0 a month per location; you pay 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person card sale, or about $0.93 on a $30 sale. There is no contract. The first magstripe reader is free and a chip and contactless reader is $59. Inventory tracking, timecards, floor plans and split checks start at Square Plus, $49 a month.
What it does well
- $0 a month on Square Free, per location.
- No locked-in contract; cancel or switch plans anytime.
- First magstripe reader free; chip and contactless reader $59.
- Offline payments and an online site on every plan.
Where it falls short
- Inventory tracking starts at Square Plus.
- No timecards on Square Free.
- Phone support only for the first 90 days on Square Free.
- Online payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free.
What Square POS costs
| Plan | Monthly fee (per location) | In-person card rate | The limit that matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $0 | 2.6% + 15¢ | no inventory tracking or timecards |
| Square Plus | $49 | 2.5% + 15¢ | 30-day free trial |
| Square Premium | $149 | 2.4% + 15¢ | 24/7 phone support |
| Square Pro | custom | custom | for over $250,000 a year in card sales |
Prices from its pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026. Plans are billed monthly; no annual price is published.
At 2.6% + 15¢, a $30 in-person sale costs about $0.93 in fees on Square Free.
Over time
Total = monthly price × 12 × years, or yearly price × years, or a one-time price once. Only current plan prices; fees are listed separately. Taxes, add-ons and promotional prices are not included.
Current prices
| Plan | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Square Free Per location; you pay only processing fees (in person 2.6% + 15¢). | $0 per month | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Square Plus Per location; free 30-day trial; in person 2.5% + 15¢. | $49 per month | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Square Premium Per location; free 30-day trial; in person 2.4% + 15¢; 24/7 support. | $149 per month | Oct 9, 2026 |
| Square Pro Custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000 a year. | See price on squareup.com | Oct 9, 2026 |
Fees and other costs
| Cost | Kind | Amount | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square KDS app Per device: $30 a month on Square Plus, $20 on Square Premium; not available on Square Free. | Fee | $30 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| International card transaction fee An extra 1.5% on cards issued outside the United States, every plan. | Fee | See price on squareup.com | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Manual entry or card on file 3.5% + 15¢ per keyed-in or card-on-file payment, every plan. | Fee | See price on squareup.com | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Online and invoice card payments (Square Free) 3.3% + 30¢ per online or invoice card payment on Square Free (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium). | Fee | See price on squareup.com | Oct 9, 2026 |
What you get on Square Free
- The POS app and an online site.
- Offline payments, included with every plan. Square's footnote says offline payments are declined unless the device reconnects within 24 hours, and they don't work on the first-generation contactless and chip reader.
- Automatic customer data collection and segmentation, a customer directory. The loyalty program is a Square Plus feature.
- Low-stock alerts. Full inventory tracking shows a dash for Square Free.
- A branded online ordering page and pickup and local delivery, per its restaurant pricing.
Not on Square Free: timecards with break and overtime, and clocking in and out with passcodes. Both start at Plus.
Catches and fine print
- Other card rates. Online and invoice payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free (2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium). Keyed-in or card-on-file payments cost 3.5% + 15¢, and cards issued outside the US add 1.5%.
- Hardware. The first magstripe reader is free, "limited to one redemption per Square account holder". The cheapest chip and contactless reader is $59 (hardware page). Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android needs no hardware.
- Restaurant tools cost more. Custom floor plans and split checks start at Plus. The Square KDS app isn't available on Square Free; it is $30 a month per device on Plus and $20 on Premium.
- No contract. The POS page says: "No locked-in contracts. Upgrade or cancel anytime." No termination fee is mentioned.
Support
Chat and email support are on every plan. On Square Free, phone support runs 6am to 6pm PT, Monday to Friday, for the first 90 days only. Plus keeps phone support on those hours, and Premium has it 24/7.
Who it suits
Square POS suits shops, market stalls and cafes that want to start selling at no monthly cost, with no contract and cheap hardware. Upgrade to Plus when you need inventory tracking or staff timecards. Restaurants that need a kitchen display, floor plans or split checks will pay for Plus plus the KDS app, and Square isn't on our restaurant list because Square Free states only one of the four restaurant features we check. Compare it in our POS ranking and how we score POS systems.
Alternatives in POS systems
| Alternative | Score | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify POS | 8.2/10Very goodOur score | Shops that also sell online: in-person sales on the $29-a-month Basic plan, cancel anytime No affiliate relationship | Visit Shopify POSOn shopify.com |
| Toast | 6.4/10FairOur score | Restaurants: $0 Starter Kit hardware and software at 3.09% + 15¢, on a 2-year agreement No affiliate relationship | Visit ToastOn pos.toasttab.com |
| Clover | 6.1/10FairOur score | $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller No affiliate relationship | Visit CloverOn clover.com |