Square vs Stripe
Find the right credit card payment platform for your business.
Sign up for Square
How Square works
Square provides every business owner with the right solution to take credit card payments in person, online or both. Square also goes beyond, offering flexible business solutions that include hardware, payroll, marketing, an online store builder, appointments, invoices, inventory management, and banking. Square hardware and solutions help small businesses hit the ground running thanks to its flat rate pay-as-you-go payment model.
How Stripe works
Stripe provides software and API’s to accept payments and send payouts. In addition, Stripe also offers pre-built integrations with third-parties, like Wordpress, or allows your developers to build your own checkout option with multi-currency support. Similar to Square, Stripe also offers a flat rate pay-as-you-go model. However unlike Square, it charges $15 for chargebacks and 1% extra for international transactions.
Why people choose Square
Square makes payment processing and integration easy. Simplicity is a necessity for a business that is getting started. You can get started right away without worrying about contracts or hidden fees no matter the size of your business. Square can fit almost any kind of payment for your business from in-person to online, or even on-the-go. Square also offers fast access to your funds with Square Checking and allows you to transfer your money into an external bank account as quickly as the next business day. Even if you’re not too tech-savvy, you can still expand your business with Square because they make it easy right from the start.
Square can help transform your business with innovative payment processing both physically and digitally. If you’re still unsure about which solution is right for your business, the Square sales team can help you find the best fit.
Omnichannel solutions for your business
Business solutions to sell anywhere and get paid anytime.
Square vs Stripe: a closer look
Fees
Both companies offer flat rate pay-as-you-go transparent pricing, so you don’t have to worry about any hidden costs or surprises.
| Square | Stripe | |
| Online payments cost: | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| In-person payments cost: | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.7% + 5¢ |
| Chargeback fees: | none | $15 |
| Refunds: | No charge | No additional charge, but Stripe keeps the fees from the original charge |
| Hardware: | $10 - $299 | $56 - $249 |
| ACH payments: | 1% per ACH transaction with a minimum fee of $1 per transaction, $0 monthly fees, and failed transaction fee included in the transaction fee. | $1 per ACH credit transaction, 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH direct debit standard settlement, and $4 for failed ACH direct debit payments |
Hardware
Square is well known for its innovative, simple-to-use POS systems and kits. While Stripe offers only two different types of terminals, Square provides businesses with a wider array of POS and KDS hardware that best meets their needs.
Security
Both Square and Stripe take security very seriously with end-to-end data encryption. Square software maintains Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and handles all PCI compliance instead of merchants. On the other hand Stripe members must go through an annual PCI compliance validation.
Online store, pay links and payment API
Square offers a free online store and online ordering page builder with integrated credit card payment. If you already have an existing eCommerce you can easily add Square payments with third-party integrations or by using the API. Square also offers flexible pay links that you can use as embedded buttons, payment links or QR codes for online uses or for print pieces. With Stripe you can use their API or their pre-built checkout on your existing website. And similarly to Square Online Checkout you can use payment links.
Hardware for selling anywhere.
We design and build our hardware in-house, so it all works together seamlessly.
Take payments, print receipts and run your business with a powerful and portable payment terminal.
$299 or $27/mo over 12 months*
Square Reader for contactless and chip
Take contactless payments anywhere with a card reader that pairs directly with your device.
$59
Accept payments anywhere using this magnetic stripe reader for swiping credit cards anywhere on your smartphone or tablet
First reader free¹
Turn your iPad into a point of sale with integrated contactless and chip payments - no readers required.
$149 or $14/mo over 12 months*
Get an all-in-one POS register with a dedicated customer display that lets you start selling right out of the box.
$799 or $39/mo over 24 months*
Square business solutions
Competitive data on this page was collected as of June 15, 2022 and it is subject to change or update without notice. Square does not make any representations as to the completeness or accuracy of the information on this page.
*All credit sale plans are issued by Square, Inc. Not available to merchants in AL, DE, MS, MO, NH, and TN. Purchase amounts must be from $49 to $10,000. APR is 15%. Available plan lengths vary from 3, 6, 12, and/or 24 months installments depending on purchase amount. Sales tax, where applicable, will be due at checkout. All plans subject to credit approval and other factors.
¹Offer is limited to one redemption per Square account holder.