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Square card machine fees

Square charges 1.75% on in-person payments with UK cards and 1.4% + 25p online, with no monthly fee on its Free plan and no contract.

What does Square charge?

Square charges 1.75% per in-person payment with UK cards and 1.4% + 25p for online payments with UK cards, with no monthly fee on its Free plan and no contract. Non-UK cards cost an extra 1.95% in person, and manually keyed payments and invoices cost 2.5%. The Square Reader costs £19 plus VAT.

Want to see how Square stacks up for your own takings? Use the card machine fees calculator, or see every provider on the comparison table.

Square at a glance

Plan compared	Free
Monthly fee	£0.00 (checked 19 October 2026)
In-person rate	1.75% per sale (checked 19 October 2026)
Online / payment links	1.4% + 25p per sale (checked 19 October 2026)
Amex / commercial cards	Same as standard rate
Reader (buy)	£19.00 (checked 19 October 2026)
Reader (rent)	£0.00 a month
Contract	None
Payouts	2 working days

What Square would cost: worked examples

Estimated monthly cost for three example businesses taking all payments in person, using the figures above.

Example business	Per month	Effective rate	First year (incl. reader)
Low: £800/month, £15 average sale	£14.00	1.75%	£187.00
Medium: £3,000/month, £20 average sale	£52.50	1.75%	£649.00
Higher: £12,000/month, £35 average sale	£210.00	1.75%	£2,539.00

Who Square suits

Small businesses that sell both in person and online
Businesses that want free point-of-sale software
Anyone who wants to start with Tap to Pay on a phone and add a reader later

Things to check before signing up

Non-UK cards cost an extra 1.95% in person
Manually keyed payments and invoices cost 2.5%
Free transfers take one to two working days; instant transfers cost extra

Check current prices on Square's website.

Square head to head

Compare Square with

Frequently asked questions

What does Square charge per transaction?

1.75% for in-person payments with UK cards (contactless, chip and PIN or mobile wallets), with no fixed fee. Online Store and Online Checkout payments with UK cards cost 1.4% + 25p. Keyed-in payments and invoices cost 2.5%.

Does Square have monthly fees?

Not on the Free plan: no setup fee and no monthly fee, you only pay when you take a payment. Square Plus plans start from £29 a month and add industry features; you can cancel any time.

How much is the Square card reader?

£19 plus VAT for the Square Reader (2nd generation), bought outright. Square's pricing page was also showing it at £13.30 plus VAT as an offer when we checked. You can also take payments with Tap to Pay on a compatible phone without a reader.

What are Square fees on non-UK cards?

Square adds 1.95% for non-UK cards: 1.75% + 1.95% in person, and 2.5% + 25p online.

How fast does Square pay out?

Square says transfers to your bank take one to two working days for free, or you can pay for an instant transfer.

Is Square cheaper than SumUp or Zettle?

In person the rates are close. Online, Square is usually cheaper on bigger sales. See SumUp vs Square and Square vs Zettle.

Where do these Square prices come from?

Square's own UK pricing and help pages (listed under Sources below), on the date shown next to each figure. Prices change, so always confirm on Square's site before you sign up.

Sources and last checked

Square UK pricing — checked 19 October 2026
Square: reader — checked 19 October 2026

Last reviewed 19 October 2026 by Oliver Burton. Editorial policy.