Square Fee Calculator

Compute Square processing fees across every transaction type: in-person tap/chip, online checkout, invoices, and manually-keyed. Includes reverse lookup. Fees last updated 2026-04.

How fees work
  • Square charges less for card-present transactions (tap/chip/swipe at 2.6% + $0.10) than card-not-present (online, invoice, keyed), because fraud risk is lower.
  • Instant transfers cost 1.75% of the amount moved to your bank; next-business-day transfers are free.
  • Reverse lookup tells you how much to charge a buyer so that you receive a specific net amount after fees.
Mode:
Advanced options Instant transfer, custom rates

How Square's pricing works

Square's fee depends entirely on how the payment was presented. In-person transactions (2.6% + $0.10) are cheapest because the card was physically present and the risk of fraud is low. Card-not-present transactions (online, invoices, keyed entries) cost more: 2.9% + $0.30 to 3.5% + $0.15 depending on method, because the merchant is on the hook if it turns out the buyer's card was stolen.

Square's key advantage over Stripe: no setup, no monthly fees, no minimums. You sign up and swipe. For high-volume merchants doing over ~$250k/year, Square's Custom Pricing program offers lower rates, but the standard tiers are transparent and competitive for most small businesses.

Frequently asked questions

Why is in-person cheaper than online on Square?
Card-present (tap/chip/swipe) is 2.6% + $0.10. Card-not-present (online, invoice, keyed) is 2.9% + $0.30 or higher. The cost difference reflects fraud risk: a physical chip-and-pin transaction is extremely hard to repudiate, while an online card transaction has far higher fraud and chargeback rates.
What is Square's Virtual Terminal rate?
3.5% + $0.15. Virtual Terminal is Square's feature for manually entering card details on a computer (e.g., phone orders). Because the card isn't physically present and Square takes on liability for authentication, the rate is higher than online checkout where the customer types their own details.
Should I use Square or Stripe for online payments?
Square is $2.9% + $0.30, Stripe is $2.9% + $0.30 for online. Effectively identical pricing. Stripe wins on developer tools, international support, and advanced features (subscriptions, marketplaces). Square wins on in-person hardware integration (card readers, POS apps) and zero-config setup. Many businesses use both: Stripe for online, Square for retail.
How does instant transfer compare to regular deposit?
Regular Square deposits arrive the next business day, free. Instant transfers cost 1.75% of the transferred amount and land within minutes. For a $10,000 transfer, that's $175 — often not worth it unless you genuinely need funds same-day. Businesses that run tight cash flow sometimes batch instant transfers weekly rather than daily to save.

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