Square fees at a glance
Square’s published US rates, as read on October 13, 2026:
| Fee | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee, per location | $0 | $49 | $149 |
| In person | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online or through an invoice | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Keyed in, or a saved card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| Cards issued outside the US | plus 1.5% | plus 1.5% | plus 1.5% |
| Instant or same-day transfer | 1.95% | 1.95% | 1.95% |
The sections below give the details and Square’s own wording.
Who they are
Square’s US payment terms describe Square as “a payment facilitator that allows you to accept Cards from customers for the payment for goods and services.” The terms add: “We are not a bank.” It says it works with “card brands, banks, and other partners” to process payments.
This page covers Square’s US prices. Square’s Canadian prices are different; see Square Fees in Canada.
How the pricing works
Square charges a flat rate per sale: one percentage plus a fixed amount, set by how the card is taken and by the plan. Square’s help page says the fee “applies to every card brand at the same rate”, and its pricing page says businesses can accept “Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover — all for the same processing fees.”
| How the card is taken, per Square | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| In person (“tap, dip, or swipe”) | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online or through an invoice | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Online through Square’s payments APIs | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Keyed in, or a saved card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| Cards issued outside the US | plus 1.5% | plus 1.5% | plus 1.5% |
Source: Square US pricing, read 2026-10-13.
Square’s help page says the fee is “taken out of the total amount of each transaction, including tax and tip”, and is “deducted from the total transaction amount” before the money is sent to the bank.
Plans
| Plan | Monthly fee, per Square |
|---|---|
| Square Free | $0 |
| Square Plus | $49 per location |
| Square Premium | $149 per location |
Square says: “With Square Plus and Square Premium, the monthly fee applies to each location you run.” It also says both “offer a free 30-day trial, and you can cancel or switch plans anytime.”
Some apps cost extra per device, per Square’s pricing page. For example, the Square KDS app is $30 a month per device on Plus and $20 on Premium.
Other published fees
| Fee | Amount, per Square |
|---|---|
| ACH bank transfer on an invoice | 1%, $1 minimum ($10 cap on Plus and Premium) |
| Afterpay (“customers pay over time in four installments”) | 6% + 30¢ |
| Gift card loads | 2.5% on Free and Plus; 0% on Premium |
| EBT (SNAP) cards, in person | 1.8% + 5¢ |
| Cash and check payments | Free |
| Instant transfer | 1.95% per transfer |
| Same-day transfer | 1.95% per transfer |
When you get paid
Square’s help page says: “Payments taken before 5 PM PT/8 PM ET will be available in your bank account the next business day.” Payments taken on Friday before 5 PM PT “will post to your bank account by Monday morning”. Payments after 5 PM PT arrive “by the second business day”.
Faster options, per Square:
- Instant transfer: “24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a 1.95% fee per transfer.” New sellers start with “one instant transfer per day of up to $2,000.”
- Same-day transfer: 1.95% per transfer, sent “15 minutes after your close of day”.
Square’s payment terms describe the standard schedule as a payout started before 8 PM PT Monday to Thursday, with Friday’s payout started the following Sunday.
Holds and reserves
Square’s help page says: “We won’t hold funds based on the amount, frequency, or type of transaction.” Its payment terms also say Square “may defer payout or restrict access to your Proceeds, temporarily or indefinitely, if we need to conduct an investigation or resolve any pending dispute”.
A reserve is money held back from sales to cover refunds and chargebacks. Square’s terms say it “may require a Reserve for any reason related to your use of the Services.” Square’s US reserve page says:
- Square uses “a ‘rolling reserve,’” where a percentage of card payments is set aside and released on a rolling basis.
- It considers factors such as payment before delivery, industries “more prone to chargebacks”, a high dispute rate, uneven sales, and no processing history with Square.
- Merchants are told “by email and in your Square Dashboard before the reserve goes into effect.”
- “Accounts with reserves will be reviewed after a minimum of six months.”
- Reserves “only apply to card payments, not ACH bank transfers.”
More: When You Get Paid: Deposits, Holds and Reserves.
Disputes and chargebacks
A chargeback is a sale reversed after the customer disputes it with their bank. Square’s US dispute page says: “There are no fees for dispute management services for chargebacks — we cover the fee for every dispute that we work together to challenge.”
When a dispute arrives, Square says it places “an immediate hold on the disputed funds by withholding funds from your Square balance or debiting your linked bank account.” Its payment terms say that if a business loses a chargeback, it pays “the full amount plus any fees”. See Chargebacks.
Contract length and cancelling
Square’s US pricing page says: “No hidden fees or locked-in contracts. Cancel or switch anytime.” Its general terms say: “You can also choose to deactivate your account at any time.”
Square’s help page on deactivating says:
- “there’s no cost to keep your account open if you’re a seasonal business, using our subscription products, or switching to a new processor.”
- “Once deactivated, you will not be able to reactivate your existing account.”
- Active subscriptions “linked to your account” must be cancelled as well.
On closing, Square’s payment terms say pending transactions are cancelled, and funds held at closure, “less any applicable Fees, will be paid out according to your payout schedule”, unless an investigation is pending. See Switching Processors in the US.
Limits and conditions to know about
- Large sellers. Square’s terms say sellers that process more than amounts set by the card networks must agree to a “Commercial Entity Agreement” with Square’s acquiring banks.
- American Express. Square’s terms say that if American Express considers a business “a high value customer, it may require that you maintain your agreement directly with American Express”. See Accepting American Express in the US (OptBlue).
- Refunds. Square’s payment terms say a refund can be processed “up to 120 days from the day you accepted the payment”.
- More information. Square “may request additional information from you at any time”, such as supplier invoices, a government ID or a business license.
- Location. Square says a business must be in the country where it activated its account to take card payments.
- Records. Square says monthly statements and account summaries are available on its website “for up to one year of account activity”.
Where to check their current pricing
Square’s US prices are on its pricing page, and each account’s own rates are in Square Dashboard, per Square’s help page. This page was checked against Square’s US pages on 2026-10-13.
Where to go from here
For how flat-rate pricing compares with other models, see Flat Rate vs Interchange Plus vs Tiered and Reading a US Merchant Statement. For what sits underneath a flat rate, see Visa Interchange Rates in the US, Explained. Want a partner to review your statement? We will put you in touch. Start the free statement review.