Square POS Pricing 2026
Complete pricing guide with plans, hidden costs, and cost analysis
Square POS has a free plan. Paid plans start at $49/month (Plus) and go up to $149/month.
Square POS costs Free to $149 per month as of March 2026, with 4 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Free (free), Plus at $49/month, and Premium at $149/month. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.
Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.
- Free tier: Yes
Square POS offers 4 pricing tiers: Free, Plus, Premium, Enterprise. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Plus at $49/location/month, Premium at $149/location/month. The Plus plan is growing businesses processing $15,000+ monthly wanting lower fees and advanced inventory features.
Compared to other retail pos software, Square POS is positioned at the budget-friendly price point.
- Median contract: $1,788/yr from 0 purchases 0
- 2 documented hidden costs beyond list price
How much does Square POS cost?
Square POS Pricing Overview
Square POS has 4 pricing plans, including a free tier. Paid plans range from $0 to $149/month. The Free plan is free and is best for small businesses and startups wanting free pos software with pay-per-transaction pricing. The Plus plan costs $49/month, best for growing businesses processing $15,000+ monthly wanting lower fees and advanced inventory features. The Premium plan costs $149/month, best for established retailers processing $50,000+ monthly needing premium support and customization. The Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for a custom quote and is designed for large retailers and chains processing $250,000+ annually requiring custom pricing and enterprise support.
The median Square POS customer pays $1,788/year.
There are at least 2 documented hidden costs beyond Square POS's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.
This pricing was last verified in January 29, 2026 from 6 independent sources.
Square POS pricing starts at $0/month for the Free plan, which includes basic point-of-sale features with transaction fees of 2.6-3.5% per sale. For businesses needing advanced features, the Plus plan costs $49/month and the Premium plan runs $149/month. Enterprise pricing is custom-quoted for large operations.
How Square POS Pricing Compares
Compare Square POS pricing against top alternatives in Retail POS.
All Square POS Plans & Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free transactionFees: 2.6% + 10¢ in-person, 2.9% + 30¢ onlineadvancedFeatures: Not included | Free | Free | Small businesses and startups wanting free POS software with pay-per-transaction pricing |
| Plus transactionFees: 2.5% + 10¢locations: Per location pricing | $49 /location/month | Custom | Growing businesses processing $15,000+ monthly wanting lower fees and advanced inventory features |
| Premium transactionFees: 2.4% + 10¢support: Priority with dedicated manager | $149 /location/month | Custom | Established retailers processing $50,000+ monthly needing premium support and customization |
| Enterprise minimumVolume: $250,000 annual card salestransactionFees: Negotiable | Contact Sales | Contact Sales | Large retailers and chains processing $250,000+ annually requiring custom pricing and enterprise support |
View all features by plan
Free
- Unlimited devices and locations
- Inventory management
- Sales reports
- Digital receipts
- Team management
- Square Online store
- Contactless payments
- Gift cards (activation fees apply)
- Customer directory
- Payment links
- eCommerce integration
Plus
- Everything in Free
- Reduced processing fees: 2.5% + 10¢ per sale
- Custom permissions
- Advanced inventory management
- Multi-location management
- Automated reorder points
- Smart cash tracking
- Item-level margin reporting
- Category management
- Vendor management
- Customer engagement tools
Premium
- Everything in Plus
- Even lower processing fees: 2.4% + 10¢ per sale
- Custom reporting dashboards
- Advanced employee management
- Priority customer support
- Dedicated account manager
- Advanced data exports
- Custom integrations (API access)
- Labor management tools
- Performance tracking
- Multi-currency support
Enterprise
- Everything in Premium
- Custom processing rates for $250,000+ annual volume
- White-glove onboarding
- Dedicated implementation specialist
- Custom contract terms
- Advanced security and compliance
- Priority API access
- Custom reporting and analytics
- Enterprise-grade SLAs
Compare Square POS vs Alternatives
Before committing to Square POS, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.
Independent retailers with single location needing essential day-to-day POS functionality
Compare pricingEntrepreneurs testing in-person sales or selling occasionally at pop-ups and markets
Compare pricingSmall independent retailers with single location and moderate transaction volume under $20,000/month
Compare pricingWhat Companies Actually Pay for Square POS
The median Square POS buyer pays $1,788/year based on 0 verified purchase transactions.
How Square POS Pricing Compares
| Software | Starting Price | Top Price |
|---|---|---|
| Square POS | Free | $149/month |
| Lightspeed Retail | $89/month | $289/month |
| Shopify POS | Free | $89/location/month |
| Vend | $119/outlet/month | $299/outlet/month |
Square POS Pricing FAQ
01 How much does Square POS cost?
Square POS software is free with no monthly subscription or setup fees. You pay only transaction fees: 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person sale and 2.9% + 30¢ online. Optional paid plans are Square Plus ($49/mo per location with 2.5% + 10¢ fees) and Premium ($149/mo with 2.4% + 10¢ fees). Hardware costs $49-$799 separately.
02 What are Square's transaction fees?
Square charges 2.6% + 10¢ per card-present transaction (Free plan), 2.5% + 10¢ (Plus plan at $49/mo), or 2.4% + 10¢ (Premium plan at $149/mo). Online transactions cost 2.9% + 30¢. Manually keyed-in cards are 3.5% + 15¢. For businesses processing over $250,000 annually, custom Enterprise rates are negotiable.
03 Is Square POS really free?
Yes, Square POS software is completely free with unlimited devices, locations, and features like inventory management, reporting, and team management. However, you must pay transaction processing fees (2.6% + 10¢ minimum per sale) and purchase hardware ($49-$799). The free plan is suitable for most small businesses, but high-volume retailers save money with paid plans that reduce per-transaction costs.
04 Should I upgrade to Square Plus or Premium?
Upgrade to Square Plus ($49/mo) if you process $15,000+ monthly - the 0.1% fee reduction (2.5% vs 2.6%) saves $15+ monthly, paying for itself. Premium ($149/mo) breaks even at $50,000+ monthly volume. Plus adds advanced inventory and custom permissions. Premium adds custom reporting, dedicated support, and priority service for high-volume businesses.
05 How much is Square hardware?
Square hardware ranges from $49 (Square Reader for contactless/chip) to $799 (Square Register with built-in screen and receipt printer). Square Terminal (all-in-one device) costs $299 or $27/month financing. Square Stand is $149. You can also use Square with iPad or smartphone and just purchase a card reader ($49). Hardware is purchased once, not monthly.
06 Does Square charge monthly fees?
No monthly fees for the Free plan - you pay only per-transaction (2.6% + 10¢). Square Plus costs $49/month per location with reduced fees (2.5% + 10¢). Premium costs $149/month per location with even lower fees (2.4% + 10¢). Multi-location businesses pay per-location monthly fee, so 3 stores = $147-447/month depending on plan.
07 How does Square compare to Shopify POS on pricing?
Square POS is free with 2.6% + 10¢ fees, while Shopify POS requires $5-89/month subscription plus 2.7% fees. Square has lower upfront costs and simpler pricing. Shopify wins for omnichannel retail (unified online/offline inventory) but costs more. For in-person-only sales under $20,000/month, Square is cheaper. For e-commerce + retail, Shopify may justify the premium.
08 Are there hidden fees with Square?
Square's main hidden fees include: $15-25 chargeback fees (even if you win), 3.5% + 15¢ for manually keyed-in cards (vs 2.6% card-present), 1.5% for instant deposits (vs free 1-2 day transfers), and $1 per physical gift card activation. Hardware financing adds interest. Multi-location businesses pay monthly fees per location, not flat rate.
09 What transaction fees does Square POS charge?
Square charges processing fees on all card transactions. Multiple users note these fees are higher than some competitors, with standard rates typically ranging from 2.6% to 3.5% per transaction depending on the card type and processing method. The Free plan starts at $0/month for the software, but transaction fees apply to all plans.
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