PayKings vs Square
Last updated: December 15, 2025
Square
A
★★★★★
Perfect for small businesses seeking easy payments with no contracts or hidden fees, but not ideal for high-risk or high-volume merchants due to risk of account holds.
PayKings
A-
★★★★★
PayKings stands out in the payment processing industry by focusing on high-risk merchants, providing customized solutions for sectors often underserved by traditional processors. Their services include advanced fraud prevention tools, a high-risk payment gateway, and support for various industries such as CBD, adult entertainment, and firearms. While their feature set is robust, potential clients should be aware of limited pricing transparency and ensure they understand contract terms fully.
Overview
PayKings and Square serve very different segments of the payment processing market. PayKings is a merchant services provider that focuses on helping high-risk businesses get approved for payment processing. It offers customized merchant accounts, payment gateways, and risk management tools for industries that are often declined by traditional processors. Approval typically involves underwriting, and pricing is tailored based on the business model, risk profile, and processing history. Square, by contrast, is a widely used all-in-one payment platform designed for low-risk businesses. It is known for its easy setup, flat-rate pricing, and integrated point-of-sale, online payments, and business management tools. Both payment service providers strive for a short approval processes.
Key Takeaways:
- ✓PayKings specializes in payment processing for high-risk industries that are often rejected by mainstream providers. Square is a mainstream provider.
- ✓Square offers transparent flat-rate pricing, while PayKings uses customized pricing based on underwriting
- ✓Square customers can be approved within an hour. Paykings approval process requires more documentation, but is fast for a high risk processor (with approval in as little as 24 - 48 hrs)
processor1:
PayKings is best for high-risk merchants or businesses with complex processing needs. This includes industries such as CBD and hemp, adult entertainment, firearms and ammunition, nutraceuticals, subscription billing, travel, and businesses with high chargeback risk, higher ticket sizes, or limited processing history. It is also a strong option for merchants that have been declined or terminated by other processors.
processor2:
Square is best for low-risk, mainstream businesses that value ease of use and predictable pricing. Typical examples include retail stores, restaurants, coffee shops, salons, fitness studios, service professionals, mobile vendors, and small e-commerce businesses. It is especially well suited for startups and small businesses that want to begin accepting payments quickly without long approval processes.
Overall Winner
It Depends on Your Needs
The right choice depends on a business’s needs. Square is the better option for low-risk businesses that want a simple, affordable, and feature-rich payment ecosystem. PayKings is the better choice for high-risk businesses that need specialized underwriting, compliance support, and a processor willing to work with complex or restricted industries. In short, Square excels at convenience and simplicity, while PayKings excels at access and approval for businesses that fall outside the traditional processing box.
Best For Different Business Types
E-commerce Store
Square
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