Square vs Clover
Last updated: August 25, 2026
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.
Clover
B
Clover is a widely used, all-in-one POS platform (hardware + software + app marketplace) favored by small and medium retailers and restaurants and backed by Fiserv, offering broad functionality but with real-world variability in support and reseller pricing.
VS
Overview
For most small businesses, Square is the safer choice — a published 2.6% + $0.15 in person, no monthly fee, month-to-month terms and free POS software, all of which you can verify before signing anything. Clover has the better hardware range and a deeper app marketplace, but its rate, chargeback fee and contract are set by whichever reseller signs you, so two identical shops can end up on wildly different deals. Choose Clover only if you need specific hardware or apps, and only after getting every figure in writing.
Key Takeaways
- ✓In-person rate — Square: 2.6% + $0.15 published (vs Set by your reseller)
- ✓Online rate — Square: 2.9% + $0.30 published (vs Set by your reseller)
- ✓Monthly fee — Square: $0 to start (vs From ~$14.95 + $5 platform fee)
- ✓Contract — Square: Month-to-month (vs Reseller-dependent)
- ✓Early termination — Square: $0 (vs Reseller-dependent)
Square
Better for transparency and freedom. Anyone who wants a published rate, no contract, and hardware they can buy today — and who would rather not negotiate with a reseller.
Clover
Better for hardware and extensibility. Operations that need a specific piece of hardware or a niche app, and that have someone willing to negotiate a reseller contract properly.
Overall Winner
🏆 Winner
Square
Expert Rating: A
Runner-up
Clover
Why?
Square, unless you need something specific from Clover. Square wins on the things a small business can verify in advance: a published rate, no contract, no termination fee, and free software. You can compare it against every alternative in about ninety seconds, which is not true of Clover at all. Clover’s advantages are real but conditional. If you need a particular piece of hardware, or an app that solves something niche, or you have a banking relationship offering genuinely competitive terms, it can beat Square on both price and capability. That requires you to negotiate well and read the contract, which is exactly what most small operators do not have time to do. Square’s 1.0 support score is the counterweight and it should not be dismissed. If a held payout would be an emergency for you, a reseller who answers the phone has value that does not show up on a rate card.
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
At a glance
Feature
Square
Clover
In-person rate
2.6% + $0.15 published
Winner
Set by your reseller
Online rate
2.9% + $0.30 published
Winner
Set by your reseller
Keyed rate
3.5% + $0.15
Set by your reseller
Monthly fee
$0 to start
Winner
From ~$14.95 + $5 platform fee
Contract
Month-to-month
Winner
Reseller-dependent
Early termination
$0
Winner
Reseller-dependent
Chargeback fee
Published
Winner
Depends on reseller contract
Payout
Next business day
Winner
Reseller-dependent
Hardware range
Reader to full register
Widest in the category
Winner
App marketplace
Built-in tools
Extensive third-party market
Winner
Customer support
1.0 — weakest score in our catalogue
3.0
Winner
In-person rate
Square
2.6% + $0.15 published
Winner
Clover
Set by your reseller
Online rate
Square
2.9% + $0.30 published
Winner
Clover
Set by your reseller
Keyed rate
Square
3.5% + $0.15
Clover
Set by your reseller
Monthly fee
Square
$0 to start
Winner
Clover
From ~$14.95 + $5 platform fee
Contract
Square
Month-to-month
Winner
Clover
Reseller-dependent
Early termination
Square
$0
Winner
Clover
Reseller-dependent
Chargeback fee
Square
Published
Winner
Clover
Depends on reseller contract
Payout
Square
Next business day
Winner
Clover
Reseller-dependent
Hardware range
Square
Reader to full register
Clover
Widest in the category
Winner
App marketplace
Square
Built-in tools
Clover
Extensive third-party market
Winner
Customer support
Square
1.0 — weakest score in our catalogue
Clover
3.0
Winner
Jump to:
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Retail shops and boutiques
Recommended
Square
Published pricing, free inventory management, and hardware you can buy the same day. Below about $50,000 a month the arithmetic almost never favours negotiating a Clover contract instead.
Cafes and quick service
Recommended
Clover
This is where Clover’s hardware range earns its keep — compact stations, customer-facing displays and kitchen printers configured for counter service. Get the rate, chargeback fee and termination terms in writing from the reseller before you commit.
Service businesses and appointments
Recommended
Square
Booking, invoicing, virtual terminal and customer records are built in at no extra cost, and month-to-month terms suit a business whose volume moves seasonally.
Multi-location operations
Recommended
Clover
The app marketplace and reseller relationship both scale better across sites, and at multi-location volume you have the leverage to negotiate a rate that beats Square’s flat 2.6%.
Businesses processing over $50K a month
Neither, necessarily. Both flat and reseller-set rates start losing to interchange-plus at this point. Helcim publishes interchange + 0.40% + $0.08 card present with no monthly fee, and Host Merchant Services publishes even lower for restaurants. Get quotes before renewing either.
High-risk businesses
Neither. Square prohibits high-risk outright. Clover accounts are underwritten by the reseller’s acquiring bank, and most decline restricted categories too. Either way you need a specialist.
Square: Best for 2 use cases
Clover: Best for 2 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
It can be, but you cannot know in advance. Square publishes 2.6 percent plus 15 cents in person for everyone. Clover has no published rate at all because it is sold through resellers who each set their own pricing, monthly fee, chargeback fee and contract. A well-negotiated Clover deal at volume can beat Square; a poorly negotiated one is considerably worse. Always get every figure in writing before signing.
Whichever reseller or acquiring bank signs you, not Clover or Fiserv. That party sets your processing rate, chargeback fee, PCI fee, contract length and early-termination terms. It also means Clover will not help you exit a contract you regret. Ask explicitly who holds the merchant agreement before you buy hardware.
It scores 1.0, the lowest in our catalogue, because account holds are its dominant complaint theme and support is widely reported as slow and hard to reach exactly when a hold occurs. Square approves accounts instantly and underwrites afterwards, so a hold can arrive without warning once volume grows. It is the single strongest argument for a provider with a named account representative.
Generally no. Square hardware works with Square, and Clover hardware is locked to the Clover platform and often to the reseller who sold it. Treat hardware spend as tied to the platform decision, and factor it into the cost of switching later. This is a bigger practical barrier than either rate.
Neither is the strongest choice. Both handle counter service adequately, but a full-service restaurant with coursing, kitchen display and floor management needs a restaurant-specific platform. Toast is the deepest in that category, and Square for Restaurants is the lighter-weight option. Our restaurant guide compares six systems on card-present rate and contract terms.