Comparison · Updated September 21, 2026
GoDaddy Payments vs Square
GoDaddy Payments
B
GoDaddy's in-house processor, built on the Poynt technology it bought in 2020. Flat published rates, no monthly fee and next-business-day payouts make it a genuinely competitive small-business option — provided you are willing to run your commerce inside GoDaddy's ecosystem.
Square
A
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.
VS
Overview
GoDaddy Payments and Square both give a small business a card reader, a countertop terminal, an online store, invoices and pay links with no monthly fee and no contract, and both publish a full rate card. GoDaddy, graded B on Payment Review, undercuts Square on almost every published rate: 2.5% with no per-transaction cents in person against Square's 2.6% + 15¢, 2.7% + 30¢ on its own online store against Square's 3.3% + 30¢ on the free plan, 3.5% flat on keyed cards against 3.5% + 15¢, and a 1.75% same-day payout against Square's 1.95%. Square, graded A, charges no dispute fee where GoDaddy charges $15, gives away its first magstripe reader and sells its contactless reader for $59 against GoDaddy's $79, and sits on a far deeper platform: restaurant and retail point-of-sale editions, a kiosk, payroll, marketing, loans and a developer API that GoDaddy does not attempt to match. GoDaddy is the cheaper processor for a business already on GoDaddy's website and store products, or one that simply wants the lowest flat rates in the US; Square is the better business platform, and the one to pick if the point of sale has to do more than take a card.
Key Takeaways
- ✓GoDaddy wins the in-person rate: 2.5% + 0¢ beats Square's 2.6% + 15¢ on every ticket on the free plans, and GoDaddy's $28.99-a-month Point of Sale Plus plan at 2.3% + 0¢ beats Square Premium's 2.4% + 15¢ at $149 a month.
- ✓GoDaddy wins online: 2.7% + 30¢ on its own store and 2.9% + 30¢ on invoices, pay links and WooCommerce, against Square's 3.3% + 30¢ on the free plan; Square only matches at 2.9% + 30¢ once you pay $49 a month for Plus.
- ✓Square wins on disputes: it charges nothing per chargeback, where GoDaddy charges $15.
- ✓Square wins on reader price and hardware breadth: a free magstripe reader and a $59 contactless reader against GoDaddy's $79 reader, plus a Register, Handheld, Kiosk and Stand that GoDaddy has no equivalent for; like for like, GoDaddy's $275 Smart Terminal Flex undercuts the $299 Square Terminal.
- ✓Square wins on platform: restaurant and retail editions, a self-service kiosk, payroll, loans, marketing and an API. GoDaddy Payments is built around GoDaddy's websites, online store, appointments booking, invoicing and its Smart Terminals, and works with WooCommerce.
GoDaddy Payments
GoDaddy Payments is the better pick for a business that already runs its website or store on GoDaddy, or a shop or service business in the US or Canada that wants the lowest published flat rates and a simple terminal without paying for a software plan. Budget for the $15 dispute fee and expect GoDaddy's support to be the same 24/7 desk that handles its domains and hosting.
Square
Square is the better pick for a business that needs the point of sale to run the business: tables, inventory across locations, staff, payroll or an online store that is not on GoDaddy. It costs a little more per transaction on the free plan, charges nothing for disputes, and its A grade reflects a broader product and a longer record.
The Verdict
It Depends on Your Needs
Why?
It depends on whether you are buying a processor or a business platform. On the rate card GoDaddy Payments wins almost every row: it is cheaper in person, online, on invoices and on keyed cards with no software plan, cheaper again on its $28.99 Plus plan than Square is on its $149 Premium, and its same-day payout costs 1.75% to Square's 1.95%. For a business already on a GoDaddy website or store, or a small shop that wants a $275 terminal and the lowest flat rates in the US, that is the whole decision. Square charges nothing for disputes where GoDaddy charges $15, sells cheaper readers, and offers restaurant and retail editions, a kiosk, payroll, marketing, loans and an API that GoDaddy does not, which is why Payment Review grades Square A and GoDaddy Payments B. If the point of sale has to run tables, multi-location inventory or a team, Square's extra 0.1% and 15¢ per transaction is the price of a platform GoDaddy does not sell; if it only has to take a card and put the money in the bank the next day, GoDaddy does that for less.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Card processing rates (US rate cards, September 2026)
| Feature | GoDaddy Payments | Square |
|---|---|---|
| In person, no software plan | 2.5% + 0¢ Winner | 2.6% + 15¢ |
| GoDaddy is cheaper at every ticket size: on $20 it charges 50¢ against Square's 67¢; on $100, $2.50 against $2.75. | ||
| In person, on a paid plan | 2.3% + 0¢ with Point of Sale Plus ($28.99 a month billed annually) or a Websites + Marketing Premium or Commerce plan Winner | 2.5% + 15¢ on Square Plus ($49 a month per location); 2.4% + 15¢ on Square Premium ($149 a month per location) |
| Online store checkout | 2.7% + 30¢ on a GoDaddy Online Store or Appointments; 2.9% + 30¢ through the WooCommerce plugin Winner | 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium; 2.9% + 30¢ through the Payments API on every plan |
| Invoices and pay links | 2.9% + 30¢; 2.8% + 30¢ with Point of Sale Plus or Invoicing & Pay Links Plus Winner | 3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium |
| Keyed or card on file | 3.5% + 0¢ Winner | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| ACH bank transfer | 1%; 0.8% capped at $10 with a Plus plan | 1% with a $1 minimum; $10 fee cap on Plus and Premium invoices; $5 cap through the API |
| Level for most businesses. Neither free tier caps the fee on an invoice; GoDaddy's cap needs Point of Sale Plus or Invoicing & Pay Links Plus, Square's needs Plus or Premium. | ||
| Chargeback fee | $15 per dispute | None; dispute management is included in the processing fee Winner |
| Cards issued abroad | Not disclosed | Additional 1.5% |
| Buy now, pay later | Not on the rate card | Afterpay at 6% + 30¢ Winner |
| Passing the fee to customers | Rate Saver, an opt-in credit-card surcharge on the Plus plans that brings the merchant's credit-card fee to 0% Winner | Not offered on the rate card |
| Rate Saver applies on the Smart Terminal, Card Reader, invoicing, pay links, the virtual terminal and the Commerce app, notifies customers of the surcharge at checkout and on receipts, and charges lower debit-card rates by channel. Surcharging is restricted or prohibited in some states and by card-network rules regardless of processor. | ||
In person, no software plan
GoDaddy Payments
2.5% + 0¢
Winner
Square
2.6% + 15¢
GoDaddy is cheaper at every ticket size: on $20 it charges 50¢ against Square's 67¢; on $100, $2.50 against $2.75.
In person, on a paid plan
GoDaddy Payments
2.3% + 0¢ with Point of Sale Plus ($28.99 a month billed annually) or a Websites + Marketing Premium or Commerce plan
Winner
Square
2.5% + 15¢ on Square Plus ($49 a month per location); 2.4% + 15¢ on Square Premium ($149 a month per location)
Online store checkout
GoDaddy Payments
2.7% + 30¢ on a GoDaddy Online Store or Appointments; 2.9% + 30¢ through the WooCommerce plugin
Winner
Square
3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium; 2.9% + 30¢ through the Payments API on every plan
Invoices and pay links
GoDaddy Payments
2.9% + 30¢; 2.8% + 30¢ with Point of Sale Plus or Invoicing & Pay Links Plus
Winner
Square
3.3% + 30¢ on Square Free; 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium
Keyed or card on file
GoDaddy Payments
3.5% + 0¢
Winner
Square
3.5% + 15¢
ACH bank transfer
GoDaddy Payments
1%; 0.8% capped at $10 with a Plus plan
Square
1% with a $1 minimum; $10 fee cap on Plus and Premium invoices; $5 cap through the API
Level for most businesses. Neither free tier caps the fee on an invoice; GoDaddy's cap needs Point of Sale Plus or Invoicing & Pay Links Plus, Square's needs Plus or Premium.
Chargeback fee
GoDaddy Payments
$15 per dispute
Square
None; dispute management is included in the processing fee
Winner
Cards issued abroad
GoDaddy Payments
Not disclosed
Square
Additional 1.5%
Buy now, pay later
GoDaddy Payments
Not on the rate card
Square
Afterpay at 6% + 30¢
Winner
Passing the fee to customers
GoDaddy Payments
Rate Saver, an opt-in credit-card surcharge on the Plus plans that brings the merchant's credit-card fee to 0%
Winner
Square
Not offered on the rate card
Rate Saver applies on the Smart Terminal, Card Reader, invoicing, pay links, the virtual terminal and the Commerce app, notifies customers of the surcharge at checkout and on receipts, and charges lower debit-card rates by channel. Surcharging is restricted or prohibited in some states and by card-network rules regardless of processor.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Business with a GoDaddy website or online store
Recommended
GoDaddy Payments
GoDaddy Payments is built into GoDaddy's Online Store, Appointments and Websites + Marketing plans at 2.7% + 30¢ online, with the in-person rate falling to 2.3% on the Premium and Commerce website plans. Square's online rate on the free plan is 3.3% + 30¢, and its store is a separate product.
Market stall, food truck or mobile trade that only needs to take cards
Recommended
GoDaddy Payments
GoDaddy's 2.5% with no per-transaction cents is cheaper than Square's 2.6% + 15¢ on every ticket, and small tickets widen the gap: on a $10 sale GoDaddy charges 25¢ and Square 41¢. Square's free magstripe reader and $59 contactless reader are cheaper to buy, which matters less than the rate after the first hundred sales.
Restaurant or retailer that needs industry point-of-sale features
Recommended
Square
Square's restaurant and retail editions, kiosk and multi-location inventory have no equivalent at GoDaddy, whose Smart Terminals run one general-purpose point of sale with an online-ordering-for-pickup add-on.
Business with a chargeback problem
Recommended
Square
Square charges nothing per dispute and includes dispute management; GoDaddy charges $15 for each one. Ten chargebacks a month cost $150 on GoDaddy and nothing on Square.
Business that wants to pass the card fee to customers
Recommended
GoDaddy Payments
GoDaddy's Rate Saver, on its Plus plans, adds a disclosed surcharge to credit-card payments and brings the merchant's credit-card fee to 0%; Square's rate card has no surcharging programme. Check your state's surcharge rules first.
Multi-location business or one selling outside the US and Canada
Recommended
Square
Square prices its Plus and Premium plans per location and operates in several countries on separate rate cards. GoDaddy Payments is available in the United States and Canada.
GoDaddy Payments: Best for 3 use cases
Square: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
On published rates, yes, almost everywhere. In person GoDaddy charges 2.5% with no per-transaction cents against Square's 2.6% + 15¢; online GoDaddy charges 2.7% + 30¢ on its store and 2.9% + 30¢ on invoices and pay links against Square's 3.3% + 30¢ on the free plan; keyed cards are 3.5% flat against 3.5% + 15¢. Square's exceptions are disputes, which it does not charge for while GoDaddy charges $15, and Afterpay, which GoDaddy does not offer.
No. Square states there are no fees for chargebacks and dispute management, and covers the network fee itself. GoDaddy Payments charges $15 per dispute.
They are level on the standard schedule: both send funds the next business day for payments closed before 5 PM Pacific, and neither transfers on weekends or bank holidays on the standard schedule. For faster money GoDaddy charges 1.75% for a same-day payout, including weekends and holidays, and Square charges 1.95% for a same-day or instant transfer, with a $25 minimum and a $2,000-a-day cap for new sellers on instant transfers.
GoDaddy sells a $79 card reader with a charging dock, the $275 Smart Terminal Flex handheld, the $399 dual-screen Smart Terminal Duo and the $499 Smart Terminal Pro, all with free two-day shipping. Square gives away its first magstripe reader ($10 for more), sells the contactless and chip reader for $59, Square Terminal for $299, Square Handheld for $399, Square Stand and Square Kiosk for $149 each and Square Register for $899, with monthly instalments on the larger devices. Both support Tap to Pay on a phone at no extra cost.
No. Both process with no monthly fee and no contract. GoDaddy's Point of Sale Plus plan is $28.99 a month billed annually and lowers the in-person rate to 2.3%, adds Rate Saver surcharging and unlimited products; Square Plus is $49 a month per location and lowers rates to 2.5% + 15¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online, and Square Premium is $149 a month per location at 2.4% + 15¢ with 24/7 support.
Yes. GoDaddy Payments works with its Smart Terminals, card reader, Tap to Pay, pay links, invoicing and virtual terminal on their own, and its WooCommerce plugin takes payments on a WordPress store hosted anywhere at 2.9% + 30¢. It is available to businesses in the United States and Canada.
The scores are not directly comparable. GoDaddy's 4.4 Trustpilot score from more than 143,000 reviews is for the company's domains, hosting and websites as much as for payments; Square's 3.7 from 7,474 is for Square alone. Both carry A+ BBB grades, thousands of complaints in three years and customer-review averages near 1 out of 5, with frozen funds the dominant theme on Square's profile. Payment Review grades Square A and GoDaddy Payments B, on the strength of Square's platform and record rather than its rates.
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