Square
$757/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 1.6%
- Online rate
- 2.2%
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- $65
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Next day
- Est. monthly cost
- $757/mo
Square
Pay-as-you-go EFTPOS and online payments with no monthly fees or contracts.
- In-person rate
- 1.6%
- Online rate
- 2.2%
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Contract
- No lock-in
Best for
Small retail, hospitality, and pop-up businesses.
Pricing breakdown
Every fee we track, grouped by where it applies.
In-person payments
EFTPOS terminal and tap-to-pay transactions.
- Transaction rate
- 1.6%
- Monthly fee
- Free
Plus plan from $40/mo for advanced features.
- Terminal cost
- $65
Square Reader. Terminal $329, Handheld $349.
- Setup fee
- Free
Online payments
Online checkout and keyed-in card transactions.
- Transaction rate
- 2.2%
- Monthly fee
- Free
Plus plan from $40/mo for advanced features.
- Setup fee
- Free
Other fees
- Chargeback fee
- Free
Square Resolution Center handles disputes at no extra fee.
- AMEX rate
- 1.6%
Same flat rate as Visa and Mastercard in-person.
- International card surcharge
- 0%
Flat rate regardless of card origin.
- Early termination fee
- None
No lock-in contracts.
- Instant payout fee
- 1.5%
Square Instant Transfers fee.
- Refund fee
- Free
- PCI compliance fee
- Free
PCI compliance included.
Contract terms
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Next day
- Least-cost routing
- No
Smart routing not advertised on AU pricing page.
- Recurring billing
- Yes
Last verified 14 May 2026.
Accepted payment methods
Cards, wallets, and other methods supported by Square for Australian merchants.
Cards
- Visa
- Mastercard
- EFTPOS
- AMEX
- UnionPay
- JCB
- Diners Club
Digital wallets
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
Buy now, pay later
- Afterpay
Strengths and trade-offs
Pros
- No monthly fees
- No lock-in contract
- Next-day settlement
- Free POS app
Cons
- Higher per-transaction rate than bank-quoted plans
- No public bespoke pricing
About Square
Square offers integrated card readers, terminals and online payment processing for Australian businesses. Pricing is per-transaction with no monthly fees on the free tier.
Square was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.
How Square compares
Side-by-side with the closest alternatives by estimated monthly cost.
Stripe
$723/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 1.7% + $0.30
- Online rate
- 1.7% + $0.30
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- Hardware quoted
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Standard payouts
- Est. monthly cost
- $723/mo
Zeller
$633/mo est.
- In-person rate
- 1.4%
- Online rate
- 1.7% + $0.25
- Monthly fee
- Free
- Terminal cost
- From $99
- Contract length
- No lock-in
- Settlement time
- Next business day
- Est. monthly cost
- $633/mo
Common questions about Square
The same questions Australian merchants ask before signing up.
Square charges in-person transactions at 1.6% and online transactions at 2.2% for Australian merchants. Compare these rates against other providers on our payment-providers comparison page.
Square does not require a lock-in contract for Australian merchants. You can switch providers at any time without an exit fee.
Square settles funds on a next day schedule for Australian merchants. Settlement timing can be a deciding factor for cash flow, see how it compares on our payment-providers comparison page.
Square accepts AMEX in Australia at 1.6%. Some providers price AMEX higher than Visa and Mastercard, so check the comparison before signing on.
Square does not advertise least-cost routing for Australian merchants. If you take a lot of contactless debit, compare against providers that do support it on our comparison page.
Square is best suited to small retail, hospitality, and pop-up businesses. To see how it stacks up for your specific volume and card mix, try our free fee calculator.
We may earn a commission when you click through to Square and sign up, where a commercial arrangement is in place. This never affects ranking, the data we publish, or the comparisons we make on this page. Read our terms for the full picture.
Compare Square
Compare Square against every other Australian provider on price, contract terms, and features.