Square vs. Stripe
Find the right card payment platform for your business.
2021 & 2022 Most Satisfied Customers Merchant Services Award Winner
How Square works
Square provides every business owner with the right solution to take credit and debit card payments in-person, online or both. Square also provides business solutions including POS hardware, marketing tools, online store builder, appointments, invoices, inventory management and business loans. Square’s flexible solutions help small businesses hit the ground running with transparent rates and no lock-in contracts or added fees.
How Stripe works
Stripe provides software and APIs to accept payments and send payouts. Stripe also offers pre-built integrations with third parties, like Wordpress, or alternatively allows your developers to build your own checkout option with multi-currency support. Like Square, Stripe also offers flat rate pay-as-you-go pricing, however, unlike Square, Stripe charges $25 for chargebacks and a 1.15% extra fee for international transactions.
Square vs. Stripe: a closer look
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: | 2.2% | 1.75% + 30¢ (Stripe offers integrated per-transaction pricing that applies per successful card charge. A 1.15% fee applies for international cards. A 2% fee applies if currency conversion is required.) |
| In-person payments cost: | • 1.6% on Square Terminal and Square Register • 1.9% on Square Reader or Square Stand |
• 1.75% + 10¢ per successful charge for domestic cards • 2.9% + 10¢ per successful charge for international cards |
| Chargeback fees: | $0 | $25 |
| Refunds: | $0 | No additional charge, but Stripe keeps the original transaction fee. |
| Payout speed: | Next day including weekends | 2 business days |
| POS terminal: | Starting from $65 | Starting from $89 |
Why people choose Square
Square can help you process nearly any kind of payment, any way you want, integrating seamlessly with all the tools to help you run your business. Simplicity is a necessity for any business that’s getting started. You can start taking payments right away without worrying about contracts or hidden fees, no matter whether you sell in person, online or on-the-go.
Square also offers fast access to your funds with Square Instant Transfers for a fee or transfers your money into an external bank account as fast as the next day as standard, even on weekends. Even if you’re not tech savvy, you can still expand your business with Square because it’s so intuitive and simple to use.
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 any time
Develop on the platform that sellers trust
Build online, mobile and in-person commerce experiences that connect more customers and sellers.
Hardware
Square is well known for its innovative but 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 to choose from.
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. By contrast, Stripe members must go through an annual PCI compliance validation.
Online store, pay links and APIs
Square offers a free online store and online ordering page builder with integrated card payment. If you have an existing eCommerce site you can easily add Square payments with either third-party integrations or by using the API. Square also offers easy and 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 the API or the 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 contactless payments anywhere with a card reader that pairs directly with your device.
Take payments, print receipts and run your business with a powerful and portable EFTPOS machine.
Get an all in one POS register with a dedicated customer display that lets you start selling right out of the box.
Turn your iPad into a powerful point of sale with payments built in.
Square’s flexible business solutions
Point-of-sale solutions
Whether you run a restaurant, sell retail goods, or just need a versatile POS for whatever comes next, we have the point-of-sale software that will best support you and your unique business needs.
Business loans
Payments, loans and more – all working together seamlessly. Loan offers are invite-only for eligible Square sellers. See our Terms and further information at the link below.
Appointments / Booking system
An app that turns your device into an appointment scheduling powerhouse.
Restaurant POS
Square for Restaurants is an all-in-one POS system built to help owners, managers and staff make the most of every shift.
Retail POS
Square for Retail streamlines your business and keeps everything synced across in-store and online sales, inventory, purchase orders, Customer Directory, and advanced reports.
Developer tools
Square offers free payment APIs to integrate with your existing software and websites. Access a range of developer tools from Square, available in a wide selection of SDK programming languages, and with a full sandbox environment.
Competitive data on this page was collected as of July 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.