Square Review
Simplest all-in-one for in-person sales
9.2/10
Ranked #3 of 5 in Credit Card Processing
See plans and pricing Takes you to squareup.com
Quick facts
- In-person rate
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online rate
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Monthly fee
- $0
- Payouts
- 1–2 days (instant for 1.75%)
Our verdict
Bottom line: For straightforward in-person selling, nothing beats Square’s setup speed: order a free reader, download the app, take a payment the same day.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fastest setup in the market
- Predictable flat pricing
- Free POS software included
Cons
- Flat rate costs more at volume
- Account stability issues at high risk
Who Square is best for
Simple setup with zero monthly cost.
- Free reader to start
- Instant transfers available
- POS and payments in one
How Square compares
Our current top pick for credit card processing is Helcim. Here is how they line up:
| Measure | Square | Helcim |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | 9.2/10 | 9.4/10 |
| In-person rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | IC + 0.4% + 8¢ |
| Online rate | 2.9% + 30¢ | IC + 0.5% + 25¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
See the full credit card processing comparison for everything we measured.
How we chose
Every credit card processing provider here gets the same treatment: the BusinessShop research team scores it on five weighted factors, the weights are published, and no provider can pay to move up. Commissions never touch the math.
- 30% Pricing & value
- 25% Product quality
- 20% Customer experience
- 15% Reputation
- 10% Flexibility
More credit card processing reviews
- Helcim review 9.4/10
- Stripe review 9.6/10
- Payment Depot review 8.8/10
- Stax review 8.6/10