Card rates: Clover has the lowest percent, Stripe the lowest per-sale fee
Stripe also charges no setup or monthly fee [3]. All three charge a flat rate on standard pricing, so every card costs the same percent no matter what interchange it carries. The difference is in how the price splits between the percent and the per-sale fee.
- Square changes the percent by plan: 2.6% on Free, 2.5% on Plus and 2.4% on Premium, always plus 15¢ in person [1].
- Clover's 2.3% + 10¢ applies to its Standard and Advanced bundles; the Basic bundle is 2.6% + 10¢ [6].
- Stripe charges 2.7% + 5¢ in person, adds 1.5% for international cards, and adds $0.10 per authorization for Tap to Pay on a phone [3].
Per-sale fees matter more the smaller your sale. On a $10 sale, Square Free costs 41¢, Clover Basic 36¢ and Stripe 32¢. On a $100 sale, the order flips: Clover Standard costs $2.40, Square Premium $2.55, Square Free $2.75 and Stripe $2.75.
What a month costs at $20,000 in card sales
Take a store with $20,000 a month in in-person card sales and a $25 average sale, so 800 sales a month. Here is processing plus the monthly charge each company lists.
| Setup | Processing | Monthly charge | Month | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe, 2.7% + 5¢ [3] | $580 | $0 | $580 | $6,960 |
| Clover Basic (retail), 2.6% + 10¢ [6] | $600 | $16 device subscription [6] | $616 | $7,392 |
| Clover Standard (retail), hardware bought for $1,899 [6] | $540 | $84.95 software [6] | $624.95 | $7,499 |
| Square Free, 2.6% + 15¢ [1] | $640 | $0 | $640 | $7,680 |
| Square Plus, 2.5% + 15¢ [1] | $620 | $49 [1] | $669 | $8,028 |
| Clover Standard (retail), on subscription [6] | $540 | $180 for 36 months [6] | $720 | $8,640 |
| Square Premium, 2.4% + 15¢ [1] | $600 | $149 [1] | $749 | $8,988 |
Hardware is extra on the Stripe and Square rows, and the Clover Standard row assumes you paid $1,899 up front. At this size, Square's paid plans only make sense for their features (loyalty, staff tools, kitchen screens), not for the lower rate: the $49 Plus plan saves $20 a month in processing here [1].
Hardware: bought outright from Square and Stripe, bundled at Clover
| Device | Price |
|---|---|
| Square Reader (contactless and chip) | $59 [2] |
| Square Stand (iPad POS) | $149 [2] |
| Square Terminal (with receipt printer) | $299 [2] |
| Square Handheld | $399 [2] |
| Square Register (2nd generation) | $899 [2] |
| Stripe Reader M2 | $59 [4] |
| Stripe Reader S700 or S710 | $299 [4] |
| Clover retail Basic bundle | $349, or $16 a month for 36 months [6] |
| Clover retail Standard bundle | $1,899 + $84.95 a month, or $180 a month for 36 months [6] |
| Clover retail Advanced bundle | $2,648 + $104.90 a month, or $240 a month for 36 months [6] |
Over 36 months, Clover's retail Standard bundle costs $6,480 on subscription against $4,957 if you buy the hardware and pay the software fee. The Advanced bundle is $8,640 against $6,424. Buying saves about $1,500 to $2,200 over three years if you can spare the cash.
Read the end of a Clover subscription
Clover says that if you do not buy or return the equipment at the end of the term, the subscription continues at the same monthly charge, and that you must tell Clover at least 30 days before the term ends if you do not want it to roll over [5].
Contracts and who sets them
- Square: its pricing page says "No hidden fees or locked-in contracts. Cancel or switch anytime," and Plus and Premium come with a free 30-day trial [1].
- Stripe: standard pricing lists "No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden fees" [3]. Its dispute fee is $15 for each dispute you receive [3].
- Clover: hardware subscriptions are "non-cancelable and ineligible for refunds", though they can be paid off or upgraded [5]. Clover says contract terms and termination fees vary by who sold you the account, naming Citi, PNC and Wells Fargo and more than 3,000 other financial institutions that sell Clover [5].
That last point matters in New Jersey, where many owners get Clover through the bank that holds their business checking. The rates on clover.com are Clover's direct prices. A bank or sales agent can quote different rates, a different term and an early termination fee. Ask for those in writing.
Which one fits which business
| If you | Look first at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Have small tickets, under about $15 | Stripe | Lowest per-sale fee in person (5¢) [3] |
| Want to start free and cancel anytime | Square Free | $0 plan, no locked-in contract [1] |
| Have larger tickets and want a counter system | Clover Standard | Lowest listed percent (2.3%), if you accept the hardware term [6] |
| Sell mostly online | Stripe or Square Plus | Both 2.9% + 30¢ online [1][3]; Square Free is 3.3% + 30¢ [1] |
| Process over $250,000 a year | Ask all three | Square offers custom pricing above that level [1]; Stripe offers custom and interchange-plus pricing [3] |
None of these is the only choice. Interchange-plus processors can cost less at higher volume; see cheapest credit card processing. BatchOut is our own processing service; if we show it next to these, we label it as ours.