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When shopping for a point-of-sale system you’re looking for comprehensive, easy-to-use software that lets you accept payments, on or offline, and helps you run your business.
Many companies’ point-of-sale software stings you with monthly fees, hidden costs, and extra charges for the basics. But Square is different. We offer a robust, free POS system that sellers and customers alike trust and rely on.
Here’s the lowdown on our free point-of-sale software, its features, and the costs associated with using it.
More than 4 million merchants use Square’s free POS software
The free point-of-sale software from Square allows all different types of businesses to accept credit and debit card payments.
Millions of companies globally use Square for payment processing. From cafes and retail stores to farmers markets and dentists’ offices.
With clear transaction fees and no monthly fees, no required long-term commitments, or surprises, it’s no wonder our free point-of-sale software is so popular. It’s easy to get started and you don’t need a merchant account to accept payments.
Square’s transparent fees are just 2.6% + 10¢ per card-present transaction and 3.5% + 15¢ for manually keyed-in card payments. Custom rates are even available for some businesses with annual revenues over $250,000.
Advanced features in our free POS system
Our POS software allows businesses to create a visual item library with product modifiers to make checkout a snap. Plus, you can leverage more advanced features to help you run your business more effectively and efficiently. With our free plan, you can:
- Learn about your customers and top-selling products with sales analytics.
- Get a handle on your stock with inventory management.
- Manage multiple locations.
- Accept magstripe, chip (EMV), and NFC payments like Apple Pay with Square Reader for contactless and chip, Square Terminal, Square Register, and the most recent Square Stand.
- Turn your computer into a web POS with virtual terminal.
- Offer digital and printed receipts (with in-app or written tips).
- Use open tickets and split tender.
- Make sales even without an internet connection by using offline payments*.
- Send electronic invoices, including recurring payments.
- Use mobile invoicing with the free invoicing app
- Offer a faster checkout experience for your regular customers with Card on File.
Robust point-of-sale software with no monthly fees
That’s right, Square’s POS software comes with robust functionality at a reasonable cost. Here’s a breakdown of cost by feature.
| POS Software Features | Learn More | Square’s Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts all major credit cards for one in-person rate |
Credit card fees are included in Square’s fees, so there are no charges from credit card companies. Every card brand accepted has the same rate. | Standard processing fee of 2.6% + 10¢ for contactless payments. |
| No monthly SaaS fee | Most other point-of-sale software providers charge a monthly fee, but with Square’s POS there are no long-term commitments required and no hidden fees. | Free |
| Detailed sales analytics | Manage sales and get the easy-to-read, real-time sales reports you need to make more informed business decisions. Available from your desktop or mobile device — keep your finger on the pulse wherever you go. Learn more about analytics. | Free |
| Invoices integration | It’s easy to bill clients with Square Invoices. Send invoices right from your mobile device. Invoices paid online are in your bank account in one to two business days. Learn more about invoices. | Free to send — pay 2.9% + 30¢ for each invoice paid securely online |
| Offline payment processing | Sell at a festival? Does your Wi-Fi go down sometimes? If you use a server-based POS, you may be out of luck. With Square you can safely process payments offline. Learn more about offline payments.* | Free to access offline payments — payments are still subject to the standard processing fee of 2.6% + 10¢ for contactless payments. |
| Card not present (CNP) for phone orders | Take payments over the phone with Virtual Terminal on your computer, or through Square Point of Sale, our free POS software. Learn more about Virtual Terminal. | No monthly fee — 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction. |
| Proactive fraud protection |
Square uses machine learning to look at payments from across our ecosystem and adjust our algorithms to account for new trends in fraud. Our systems proactively monitor your payments to keep an eye on suspicious transactions. |
Free |
| Square complies with PCI-DSS | PCI compliance is a rigorous, 12-step requirement that sellers who take card payments need to accept, store, process, and transmit cardholder data securely. Square complies with PCI -DSS, so you don’t have to individually validate your compliance. What is PCI compliance? | Free |
| Customer support | If you ever get stuck, our knowledgeable Support team is here to help you over the phone, by email, and through our online Support Center. | Free |
Affordable POS hardware to match
Our beautiful, user-friendly POS hardware and credit card terminals let you accept any type of payment safely — without breaking the bank. Learn more about credit card machine prices and Square Stand.
How we’re building the best point-of-sale system for small businesses
We started with a simple idea — that everyone should be able to accept credit card payments. Square created intuitive point-of-sale software, enabling small businesses to securely take card payments and run their business better.
We’ve continued to innovate with sales analytics, loyalty programs, inventory management, tools for multi-location businesses, and offline payments so you can keep taking payments even if your internet connection is lost. And the price is right since all of this is available through our free POS software.
We’re a champion for small businesses. We’re inspired by your vision and dedication. You know your business’s pain points better than anyone, which is why we listen to our sellers’ needs and continually innovate, coming out with new products and features to better support your needs.
Ready to get started? Sign up for a free Square account here.
FAQ
How can I keep up to date with new product changes to your point-of-sale software?
Stay in the loop about Square’s improvements to our free POS software by subscribing to our newsletters. Just enter your email address at the bottom of this page. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
If I process payments with Square, what are my transaction fees?
Square charges 2.6% + 10¢ per swiped, dipped, or tapped credit card payment. You can process Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit or debit cards. And you can accept mobile payments like Apple Pay and Android Pay for no extra charge. Card-not-present transactions are manually keyed in and card not present transactions are 2.9% + 30c. If your business has annual revenues over $250,000, with an average transaction of $15 or more, you could be eligible for lower, custom rates.
Learn more about Square’s payment processing fees.
*Offline payments are processed automatically when you reconnect your device to the internet and will be declined if you do not reconnect to the internet within 24 hours of taking your first offline payment. By enabling offline payments, you are responsible for any expired, declined, or disputed payments accepted while offline. Square is unable to provide customer contact information for payments declined while offline. Offline payments are not supported on older versions of Square Reader for contactless and chip (1st generation – v1 and v2). Click here for help identifying your contactless reader. Learn more about how to enable and use offline payments here.
