Head to head
Compared side by side on published facts and the same six criteria every review is graded on — generated from the live directory, not a sales page.
Moneris
Payment Processor · 2.8/5 mean
Moneris is Canada’s largest payment processor, providing point-of-sale systems, ecommerce payment gateways, and mobile payment solutions for businesses across Canada through a joint venture owned by Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal.
Read the full review →Square
POS System · 3.8/5 mean
Square offers simple, transparent payment processing ideal for small businesses. Flat-rate pricing, no monthly fees, and excellent software make it a top choice — but account holds and limited support are key concerns.
Read the full review →Square holds the higher standing — by grade, then mean category score. The row-by-row picture below is what should actually decide it for your business.
Both graded against the same six criteria. How we grade · Last fact-checked August 19, 2026 and September 2, 2026.
| Criterion | Moneris | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 2.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
| Feature set | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Ease of use | 3.0 | 5.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Moneris | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | 2.4% to 3.5% + per transaction fee | 3.3% + $0.30 for Square Online and invoices on the free plan; 2.9% + $0.30 through the Payments API, or on Plus and Premium |
| Monthly fee | often $10 to $50+ | Not disclosed |
| Payout | Typically 1 – 2 business days | Next business day |
| Contract | Commonly 1 to 3 years, sometimes longer for equipment deals | Month-to-month |
| In-person rate | 1.4% to 2.5% + per transaction fee | 2.6% + $0.15 (free plan); 2.5% + $0.15 (Plus); 2.4% + $0.15 (Premium) |
| Keyed rate | 2.5% to 3.9% + per transaction fee | 3.5% + $0.15 |
From the Moneris review
Square avoids the multi-year commitments, hardware rentals, and early-termination fees that show up in Moneris contracts, offering flat-rate pricing and month-to-month terms instead. Moneris holds up for mid-sized Canadian retailers and restaurants that need full Interac debit support, a broad POS hardware ecosystem, and 24/7 phone support.
Pick Square if you want no contract, free POS software, and simple flat-rate pricing
Ideal for
Not recommended for
Ideal for
Not recommended for
The full reviews carry the pricing narratives, contract analysis and everything else behind these numbers — or let the matching funnel score the whole directory against your business.
| Customer support | 3.0wins this criterion | 1.0 |
|---|
| Contract terms | 2.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 3.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| International rate | higher than domestic rates, often +1% or more | Additional 1.5% on cards issued outside your account's country |
|---|
| PCI fee | $5 to $30 monthly | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Statement fee | $5 to $15 monthly | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | $15 to $25 per dispute | None |
|---|
| Early termination | can range from $100 to several hundred dollars or remaining contract obligation | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | August 19, 2026 | September 2, 2026 |
|---|