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.
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 →Wells Fargo Merchant Services
Payment Processor · 2.5/5 mean
Wells Fargo Merchant Services is a division of one of the largest U.S. banks, offering credit and debit card processing, Clover POS systems, and e-commerce solutions to small and medium-sized businesses.
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 2, 2026 and August 19, 2026.
| Criterion | Square | Wells Fargo Merchant Services |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0wins this criterion | 2.0 |
| Feature set | 4.0wins this criterion | 3.0 |
| Ease of use | 5.0wins this criterion |
Straight from each provider's published documentation. Where a number isn't published, we say so rather than estimate.
| Metric | Square | Wells Fargo Merchant Services |
|---|---|---|
| Online rate | 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 | 3.50% + $0.15 (drops to 3.30% + $0.15 at $80,000+ monthly volume) |
| Monthly fee | Not disclosed | $9.95 per month, per merchant ID (MID) |
| Payout | Next business day | 1-3 business days |
| Contract | Month-to-month | No long-term contract for the standard flat-rate plan (month-to-month). Custom pricing and B2B merchants may still require a three-year contract. Sellers who sign up for this contract will be charged an early termination fee if they process more than $1 million every year and cancel the agreement in the first three years. |
| In-person rate | 2.6% + $0.15 (free plan); 2.5% + $0.15 (Plus); 2.4% + $0.15 (Premium) | 2.60% + $0.15 (drops to 2.40% + $0.15 at $80,000+ monthly volume) |
From the Wells Fargo Merchant Services review
Square lets merchants sign up and start processing without a specific bank account, with free POS software and 2.9% + $0.30 online pricing well under Wells Fargo's 3.50% + $0.15 entry rate for card-not-present. Wells Fargo still holds up for in-person merchants already banking there who want next-business-day funding and volume-tiered rates.
Pick Square if you want instant online signup, free POS software, and no bank-account requirement
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.
| 3.0 |
| Customer support | 1.0 | 2.0wins this criterion |
|---|
| Contract terms | 5.0wins this criterion | 3.0 |
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| Industry reputation | 4.0wins this criterion | 2.0 |
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| Keyed rate | 3.5% + $0.15 | 3.50% + $0.15, decreasing with volume |
|---|
| International rate | Additional 1.5% on cards issued outside your account's country | Not disclosed |
|---|
| PCI fee | Not disclosed | $10.00 per month, per merchant ID |
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| Chargeback fee | None | Website says, "we don't charge extra fees for downgrades, chargebacks, voice authorization, or foreign transactions." |
|---|
| Early termination | Not disclosed | None for standard card processing (no long-term contracts, per the pricing page); custom and legacy agreements historically carried $500 per location, plus six times the monthly fee for higher-volume accounts. |
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| Last fact-checked | September 2, 2026 | August 19, 2026 |
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