Square for Restaurants pricing: the three plans, card rates and what a month really costs
Square for Restaurants has three software plans: Free at $0 a month, Plus at $49 a month per location, and Premium at $149 a month per location. The card rate is the bigger bill: about 2.6% + 15¢ for in-person cards on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus and 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium, and 2.9% to 3.3% + 30¢ for online ones [1] [2]. Hardware, a kitchen screen and a kiosk cost extra. For most small places the Free plan is the cheapest until card sales pass roughly $49,000 a month.
If what you need is a menu page that takes pickup orders and no POS at all, you can build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu. Below: the plans, the card rates, the add-ons, a month worked out at three sizes, where the paid plans start to pay off, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Square for Restaurants plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly, per location | In person | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2.6% + 15¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ |
| Plus | $49 | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Premium | $149 | 2.4% + 15¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
These are the figures most review sites agree on (UpMenu, GetApp, Capterra, FitSmallBusiness) [1] [2] [3]. Two listing sites differ: CostBench shows Plus at $60 and ToolRadar at $29 [4] [5]. Treat those as outliers and check Square's own pricing page before you decide, because plans and rates change. The same sources say the paid plans come with a 30-day free trial and that plans are month to month, with no long contract [2] [4].
Notice the pattern: a higher monthly fee buys a card rate that is 0.1 of a point lower per step. That is a small discount. It only matters at high volume, which is the whole question in this post.
What each plan gives you
The Free plan is a working point of sale: take cards, ring up items, manage a basic menu and print or send receipts. Plus and Premium add the tools a busier restaurant leans on: more control over staff permissions, table and floor management, and better reports. The exact feature lists move, so use Square's page for the current list. What the review sites agree on is the direction: Free fits a counter-service café, a food truck or a small place with one or two stations, and the paid plans fit a sit-down room with servers and tables [1] [6].
Is Square for Restaurants really free?
The software plan is $0 a month. You still pay the card rate on every sale and you still buy hardware (or use your own phone or tablet). "Free" means no monthly software fee, not no cost.
Add-ons that raise the bill
The extras are priced per device, per month:
- Kitchen display system: $30 a month per device on Plus, $20 on Premium [3].
- Kiosk (guests order themselves): $50 a month per device on Plus, $30 on Premium [3].
- Hardware: terminals, stands, printers and cash drawers are bought separately; prices are on Square's hardware page and change with offers.
This is the place where the Plus and Premium plans can pay for themselves in a different way: if you run two kitchen screens, Premium saves $20 a month on them compared with Plus ($40 for two at $20 against $60 at $30). That cuts the real gap between the plans from $100 to $80 a month.
Card rates: where the money goes
On a $25 in-person sale, Square's fixed 15¢ is 0.6% on top of the percentage, so the in-person cost on the Free plan is about 3.2% of that sale. On a $12 coffee it is higher still, because the fixed part is larger. Online orders pay a bigger fixed part (30¢) and a bigger percentage. On a $30 pickup order paid online on the Free plan, the fee is about $1.29 (3.3% of $30 is $0.99, plus $0.30). On Plus it is about $1.17 (2.9% is $0.87, plus $0.30).
None of this is a commission. Square does not take a cut of the order the way a delivery app does. It is a payment fee, and any card payment on any system has one. When you compare against DoorDash at 15% to 30%, see DoorDash commission for restaurants for the real plan rates.
A month at three sizes
We worked a month of in-person card sales at an average ticket of $25. That means the fixed 15¢ is charged on 400, 1,000 and 2,400 sales. Online orders are left out to keep the table honest.
| Monthly card sales | Free | Plus | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (400 sales) | $320 | $359 | $449 |
| $25,000 (1,000 sales) | $800 | $824 | $899 |
| $60,000 (2,400 sales) | $1,920 | $1,909 | $1,949 |
The sums: on Free at $10,000, 2.6% is $260 plus 400 × 15¢ = $60, so $320. On Plus, 2.5% is $250, plus $60, plus the $49 plan, so $359. On Premium, 2.4% is $240, plus $60, plus $149, so $449. The other rows use the same steps. Software fees and card fees only; hardware, add-ons and any online orders are on top.
What the table says
For a place doing $10,000 a month, the Free plan is $39 cheaper than Plus and $129 cheaper than Premium, every month. At $25,000 the three are within $100 of each other, and Free still wins. Plus only comes out ahead at about $60,000 a month, and then by $11. If you pay for the plan for its features, that is a fair reason. If you pay for it to save on card fees, the numbers do not support it for a small place.
Where the paid plans break even
The break-even is the extra monthly fee divided by the rate difference:
- Free to Plus: $49 ÷ 0.1% = $49,000 a month in in-person card sales.
- Plus to Premium: $100 ÷ 0.1% = $100,000 a month.
- Free to Premium: $149 ÷ 0.2% = $74,500 a month.
Online orders help the paid plans a little, because the online rate drops by 0.4 of a point from Free to Plus. If $6,000 of your month is paid online, that is $24 saved. Add it to the in-person saving and the Free-to-Plus break-even falls somewhat below $49,000, but not to a number most single restaurants reach. This is why most independent owners who compare plans stay on Free until they need a feature.
What Square costs against other options
| Option | Monthly fee | Card rate | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $0 | 2.6% + 15¢ in person | Counter service, food trucks, small rooms |
| Toast Point of Sale | $69 per terminal [7] | about 2.49% + 15¢ as reported | Full-service rooms that want one system |
| A free menu page with pickup | $0 | None online (pay at pickup) | Taking orders without a POS bill |
For the full head-to-head with worked months, read Toast vs Square for restaurants and Toast pricing. If online ordering is the main reason you are looking, Square online ordering for restaurants covers that side: setup, fees and what it does not do.
Questions to ask before you sign
- What is the exact online rate on my plan? It differs between Free and Plus, and sources show slightly different numbers.
- What happens to my rate when volume grows? Square lists flat rates; high-volume sellers can ask about custom pricing.
- Which hardware do I need on day one? A phone or tablet can run the Free plan; a printer and a cash drawer are small extras.
- How do I leave? The sources say month to month. Confirm that, and how to export your menu and sales reports.
- Do I need the kitchen screen? Paper tickets cost nothing; a screen costs $20 to $30 a month per device.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Square for Restaurants cost per month?
$0 on Free, $49 on Plus and $149 on Premium, per location, plus card fees and add-ons [1] [2].
What does Square charge per transaction?
About 2.6% + 15¢ in person on Free, 2.5% + 15¢ on Plus and 2.4% + 15¢ on Premium. Online is 3.3% + 30¢ on Free and 2.9% + 30¢ on the paid plans [2] [3].
Does Square charge a commission on online orders?
No commission on your own orders, only the payment fee. Delivery marketplaces are a different product with their own commission.
Is Square cheaper than Toast?
At low volume usually yes, because Free has no monthly fee. Compare with your own sales in our worked months.
Can I use Square for a restaurant without buying hardware?
You can start on a phone or tablet with a card reader. Many places add a stand and printer later.
Is there a contract?
Sources say plans are month to month with a 30-day trial on the paid ones [2] [4]. Read the terms on your own account.
Not sure a POS is what you need? Build your menu site free and take pickup orders with no card fee online. More answers are in all our guides.
The head-to-head with Clover: Square vs Clover for restaurants.
Sources
- Square Pricing Breakdown: Fees & Hidden Costs (2026), UpMenu, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026 (a rival).
- Square for Restaurants, GetApp, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026.
- Square Fees: Is Square Worth It In 2026?, Fit Small Business, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026.
- All Square for Restaurants Plans & Pricing, CostBench, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026 (shows Plus at $60).
- Square for Restaurants pricing, ToolRadar, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026 (shows Plus at $29).
- 10 Square Alternatives (2026), UpMenu, as shown in search results Nov 10, 2026 (a rival).
- Toast's plan price from our Toast pricing guide, sources listed there.
Comparing systems? See Clover POS pricing for the same month on Clover.