Square

Payments, point-of-sale, invoicing, and online booking for small businesses — with no monthly fees on the free plan.

Visit Square

Pricing

Free plan available

Setup

Easy

Free Plan

Yes

Free Trial

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What is Square?

Square is a payments and business operations platform with a notably accessible free tier. It covers in-person and online payments, invoicing, appointment booking, and basic POS. For small service businesses that need to accept payment, Square is often the lowest-friction starting point — no monthly subscription on the base plan means you only pay per transaction.

Pricing note: No monthly fee on the base plan. Transaction fees apply per payment — check squareup.com for current rates. Square Appointments is free for solo users, with monthly fees for teams.

Best for

✓ Solo operators starting out who want $0/month base cost
✓ Businesses needing simple in-person payment
✓ Service businesses wanting combined booking + payment
✓ US, UK, CA, AU markets

Not ideal for

✗ Businesses with complex field service scheduling needs
✗ Businesses needing a full CRM
✗ High-volume businesses where per-transaction fees add up vs. flat-rate alternatives

Pros & Cons

Pros

+ No monthly fee on base plan
+ Handles booking and payment in one place
+ Free card reader available to new users
+ Easy to start — no complex onboarding

Cons

− Transaction fees on every payment
− Booking features are simpler than dedicated tools
− Limited automation
− Not designed for complex service businesses

Key Features

In-person payment via card reader

Online payment links

Invoice creation and online payment

Square Appointments (booking)

Recurring payments

Customer directory

Basic reporting

Square Online store

Sources

Square Pricing — retrieved 2024-11-01

Information on this page is based on documented product features and publicly available pricing. Details may change — always verify with the official website.