Comparison disclosure
BlueFinch publishes this comparison and sells payment services. The linked sources provide the provider facts; judgments about fit are ours. There is no paid ranking or automatic winner.
Primary sources reviewed 2026-10-02.
Published pricing and conditions
Square Free: $0 monthly; 2.6% + 15¢ in person; 3.3% + 30¢ online or invoice.
Square Plus: $49 per location/month; 2.5% + 15¢ in person; 2.9% + 30¢ online or invoice.
Square Premium: $149 per location/month; 2.4% + 15¢ in person; 2.9% + 30¢ online or invoice.
Online API payments are 2.9% + 30¢ on all three plans. Manual entry/card on file is 3.5% + 15¢. International cards add 1.5%.
When Square may fit
You need a recognizable, integrated POS and straightforward public prices.
Your volume is low or seasonal and avoiding a monthly software charge matters.
You value built-in bookings, invoices, inventory, and online selling more than a bespoke processing arrangement.
When to compare BlueFinch
You want someone to review complete statements and compare a merchant-specific program.
You would actually use the eligible business tools and have confirmed that your current workflow can stay intact.
Before you switch
Square invites businesses processing over $250,000 per year to discuss custom pricing. Every preset volume here exceeds that threshold when annualized.
Plus and Premium subscriptions apply per location. Kiosk, kitchen display, payroll, hardware, and some marketing usage cost extra.
Do not use the online API price for a normal Square Online or invoice transaction.
Beyond the transaction rate
Hardware: Hardware sold separately; the pricing page lists options starting at $59.
Contracts: Free has no monthly subscription. Plus/Premium can be cancelled or changed; check financing and other separate agreements.
Funding: Next-business-day external transfers are free; instant transfers have a fee.
Disputes: Confirm refund and dispute handling for your account; the model does not include disputed or refunded payments.
Software: Free includes core POS, online site, item library, invoices, and booking. Paid plans add capabilities.
Debit treatment: Confirm PIN and other debit pricing with the provider. Use your actual card mix; a credit-card illustration is not a debit quote.
Dual pricing: No applicable dual-pricing terms are established here. Ask about eligibility, posted customer prices and debit handling separately from standard processing.
Review tools: Included review-request and monitoring features were not established from these sources. Confirm the plan and any extra fee.
Website tools: Free includes an online site. Confirm the features and paid plan needed for your own website.
Analytics: Included analytics and export capabilities were not established here. Ask to see the reports your business needs.
AI tools: An included AI business advisor was not established from these sources. Confirm capabilities, connected data and any separate charge.
The BlueFinch side of the comparison
BlueFinch combines a statement review, a payment proposal for your business and tools for eligible accounts. Before counting savings, check your account terms and which tools you would use.
The published program describes a 0% merchant rate for eligible credit-card transactions configured under approved written terms. That is not a claim that every payment or account is free.
Monthly, debit, PCI, gateway, batch, chargeback, equipment, and account-specific costs must be checked in the written proposal.
The current published offer includes a standalone terminal without an equipment lease, long-term contract, or cancellation fee. Confirm the equipment and services included in your proposal.
Do not replace a working POS or business system until the required integrations, receipts, refunds, and payment channels have been checked.
Compare review requests, website tools, analytics and AI by the enabled features in each account. BlueFinch's toolbox lists availability and connection requirements; a feature name alone does not establish a like-for-like replacement.
Cost model
US dollars. One location or station. Domestic cards in a single channel. Inputs stay in this browser and are not saved or sent.
This models one part of the cost, not the complete bill. It leaves out hardware, other software, refunds, disputes, international/FX charges, optional funding and any other fees not modeled. It does not imply savings compared with BlueFinch.
Transaction count = volume ÷ average ticket, rounded to the nearest whole payment. Charges are calculated from published percentages, per-payment fees, and the selected monthly plan. Wholesale cost is added only when you enter it.
Is BlueFinch always cheaper than Square?
No. Compare the actual proposals, payment mix, remaining fees, software you would otherwise buy and any change to customer pricing. This page does not treat missing costs as zero or promise savings.
What should I send for a fair comparison?
Use three complete representative processing statements and a written proposal. Include settled volume, transaction counts, card mix, channel mix, monthly costs, software, hardware, and cancellation terms. Do not send cardholder numbers.
Can I use the model as a quote?
No. It shows arithmetic for the published components and conditions identified here. Custom prices, underwriting, additional services, and card mix can change your bill.
Sources
Square US pricing. Reviewed 2026-10-02. Plan, channel, location, international-card, and custom-price conditions.
Compare the complete bill.
- Merchant statement decoder
Use settled card volume and all fees from the same statement period.
- Analyze your own merchant statement
Compare the proposed account with the full cost of your current statement.
- BlueFinch costs and account charges
See which costs must be confirmed in a complete written proposal.