Payments & POS
Square
All-in-one POS, hardware, and payments for retail, food, and services.
4.6· 1,208 reviews· via G2Founded 2009 · Oakland, CA
What is Square?
Square, from Block, is an all-in-one commerce platform combining point-of-sale software, payment processing, and hardware like card readers and terminals for retail, restaurants, and service businesses. It bundles inventory, payroll, online ordering, and more.
Best known for: All-in-one POS and payments for small businesses
Key features
- Point-of-sale software
- Card readers and terminals
- Flat-rate payment processing
- Inventory management
- Online store and ordering
- Ecosystem of business tools
Who Square is best for
- Brick-and-mortar retail, cafes, and service businesses that need a POS
- Sellers who want free software plus affordable card readers
- Owners who want payments, invoices, and online store bundled together
Ideal team: Small in-person and omnichannel merchants (1–50 locations) who want free POS software and predictable flat-rate processing.
Square pricing
Popular
Free
$0
- In-person (tap/dip/swipe) 2.6% + 15¢
- Online card payments 2.9% + 30¢
- Free POS app, no monthly software fee
Costs to watch before you commit
- Manually keyed or card-on-file transactions cost 3.5% + 15¢.
- Paid Plus/Premium plans (roughly $29–$89/mo per location by industry) unlock lower rates and advanced features.
- Instant transfers of your balance cost an extra 1.75% versus free next-day deposits.
- Add-ons like payroll, marketing, and loyalty are billed as separate monthly subscriptions.
Top Square alternatives
Popular Payments & POS tools teams evaluate alongside Square.
Checkout.comEnterprise payment orchestration with interchange++ and multi-acquirer routing.
GoCardlessBank debit and ACH collection built for recurring and invoice payments.
Lemon SqueezyMerchant of record for digital products, SaaS, and subscriptions.
Authorize.netLong-standing payment gateway that plugs into existing merchant accounts.
SumUpLow-cost mobile card readers and payments for micro and small businesses.