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.
Payment Depot
ISO · 2.8/5 mean
Payment Depot, now operating as "Payment Depot by Stax," is a California-based merchant services provider founded in 2013 that pioneered the subscription/interchange-plus pricing model for small businesses, but has experienced significant customer service and transparency issues since its 2021 acquisition by Stax.
Read the full review →Square
POS & Business Software · 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 September 7, 2026 and September 5, 2026.
| Criterion | Payment Depot | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 3.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
| Feature set | 2.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
| Ease of use | 3.0 |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Payment Depot | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | Interchange + 0% + $0.15 | 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 | $0 | Not disclosed |
| Payout | Next business day | Next business day |
| Contract | None | Month-to-month |
| In-person rate | Interchange + 0% + $0.08 | 2.6% + $0.15 (free plan); 2.5% + $0.15 (Plus); 2.4% + $0.15 (Premium) |
| Keyed rate | Interchange + 0% + $0.15 | 3.5% + $0.15 |
| International rate |
From the Payment Depot review
Square pairs transparent flat rates and free POS software with dashboard-based cancellation, a contrast to the billing and cancellation complaints in Payment Depot's recent reviews. Payment Depot can still come out cheaper for high-volume merchants, since interchange plus 8¢ beats a flat 2.6% once average tickets and volume are large enough.
Pick Square if you want simple flat-rate pricing, free POS software, and cancel-anytime terms
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.
| 5.0wins this criterion |
| Customer support | 2.0wins this criterion | 1.0 |
|---|
| Contract terms | 4.0 | 5.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Industry reputation | 3.0 | 4.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Not disclosed |
| Additional 1.5% on cards issued outside your account's country |
| PCI fee | $10/month, or $19.99/month if non-compliant | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Chargeback fee | Not disclosed | None |
|---|
| Early termination | None | Not disclosed |
|---|
| Last fact-checked | September 7, 2026 | September 5, 2026 |
|---|