Square Pos System Price: Plans, Monthly Cost & Price History

A Square point of sale system has three separate cost layers: the software plan, the fee Square takes on each card payment, and the hardware at the counter. Square's pricing page lets you start on a free plan, so the real question is which layer you will actually pay for and how fast it adds up.

The software and processing figures come from the pricing page published by Square, checked on Oct 14, 2026. The hardware prices come from Square, checked on Oct 14, 2026. Neither page shows a date of its own. Square changes plans, rates and hardware offers, so confirm the current numbers on Square's official site.

Square sells three software plans: Free, Plus and Premium. The paid ones are billed per location.

Plus is $49/mo per location and Premium is $149/mo per location. The page says the monthly fee applies to each location you run, so a business with two shops pays the plan price twice. The Free plan carries no monthly fee, but it has the highest processing rates and fewer features.

Square takes a percentage of each card sale, and the percentage drops as you move up a plan.

For in-person payments, where a card is tapped, dipped or swiped, Square Free charges 2.6%, Plus charges 2.5% and Premium charges 2.4%. For card payments made online or through an invoice, Square Free charges 3.3%. The pricing page also lists a small fixed amount that is added to each transaction in some cases. Check the page for those figures, since they are not part of the table above.

You can start with just a phone and a reader, or buy a full register. Hardware is a one-time purchase.

The Square Reader for contactless and chip is $59. The Stand is $149, the Terminal is $299, the Handheld is $399 and the second-generation Register is $899. Square also offers payment plans on some devices, so the sticker price is not always what you pay up front.

A paid plan lowers your processing percentage, so the savings depend on how much you sell by card. A business with low sales may never recoup a monthly fee. A busier shop may find the lower rate outweighs it. Work through your own monthly card volume against the rates on the pricing page before you upgrade. Square also lists extra features on paid plans, such as advanced point of sale tools, loyalty and staff management.

• Add-on software. Some tools, such as kitchen display and kiosk software, carry their own monthly fee per device.
• Gift cards. The page lists a load fee on some plans.
• Text marketing. Plans include a set number of texts, then a per-text charge applies.
• Taxes. Sales tax or VAT may be added where it applies.

Begin with the hardware your business really needs. A food truck and a boutique have different needs. Decide whether you need more than one location, since each one carries its own plan fee on the paid tiers. Compare Free against Plus using your own sales, and review the choice after a few months. Ask Square support about any bundles or financing before you buy hardware.