Square Fee Calculator — In-Person & Online Rates
Calculate Square processing fees for in-person, online, keyed-in and invoice transactions — see your net per sale and per month.
Last reviewed 2026-10-01. Rates change — verify against the official sources linked below before relying on these figures.
What this is based on
- US standard pricing: in-person 2.6% + $0.15, online 2.9% + $0.30, invoices 3.3% + $0.30, keyed/card-on-file 3.5% + $0.15.
- Free plan rates shown — paid Square subscriptions (Retail, Restaurants Plus) lower some rates.
- Chargebacks on Square are typically free of dispute fees, unlike most processors.
Square's rates are simple — the mix is what matters
Square charges a single flat rate per payment method: 2.6% + $0.15 for in-person payments, 2.9% + $0.30 online, 3.3% + $0.30 on invoices and 3.5% + $0.15 for keyed-in or card-on-file charges. No monthly fee on the free plan — which is why the blended rate across your actual payment mix is the number that matters, not any single rate.
The 15-cent fixed fee on in-person payments is unusually low (Stripe charges 5¢, most processors charge 25–30¢). For businesses with small average tickets — coffee, bakery items, market stalls — that difference is the entire comparison: on a $5 sale Square takes $0.28 while a typical 2.9% + $0.30 processor takes $0.45.
Keyed-in and card-on-file are the margin killers
Every manually-entered card number costs 3.5% — nearly a full percentage point above in-person rates. Businesses that take orders by phone feel this hard: on $10,000/month of keyed transactions that's an extra $90 versus tap-and-dip. If phone orders are a real channel, invoicing at 3.3% or sending a payment link is cheaper than keying.
When Square beats Stripe — and when it doesn't
For physical businesses Square's free POS hardware/software bundle plus 2.6% in-person rate is hard to beat below ~$20k/month. Online-only businesses usually do better with Stripe (same 2.9% + $0.30 but better developer tooling) or ACH. The real answer for omnichannel sellers is often Square in store, Stripe online — run both calculators with your actual numbers.
Frequently asked questions
- What percentage does Square take per transaction?
- 2.6% + $0.15 in-person, 2.9% + $0.30 online, 3.3% + $0.30 on invoices, and 3.5% + $0.15 for keyed-in or card-on-file payments.
- Is there a monthly fee for Square?
- No monthly fee on the standard plan — you only pay per transaction. Paid plans (Square Plus etc.) add monthly fees but lower some processing rates.
- Does Square charge for chargebacks?
- No — Square doesn't charge a dispute fee, which is unusual among payment processors and a real saving for dispute-prone businesses.
- Square vs Stripe — which is cheaper?
- For in-person sales Square wins (2.6% + $0.15 vs Stripe Terminal's 2.7% + $0.05 on most tickets). Online they're nearly identical on rate — choose on tooling, not price.
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