Clover vs Square: which costs less for your business?

Most Clover vs Square comparisons line up the advertised rates and stop. The rate is only part of the bill: Clover's lower percentage comes with a monthly software fee and more expensive hardware, and Square's $0 plan comes with a higher per-sale fee. What you actually pay depends on how much you sell. So below are the real monthly costs at three sales volumes, with the math shown.

Which one fits your business

Real monthly cost at $10k, $30k and $75k

Assumptions: US list prices, checked October 2026. A $40 average sale. 75% of sales tapped, dipped or swiped in person and 25% keyed in (phone orders, card on file). Hardware bought outright and spread over 36 months, the length of Clover's subscription term. Square on whichever plan is cheapest at that volume. Each cell shows total monthly cost and the effective rate that works out to.

The pattern is simple. Clover's countertop setup carries about $113 a month more fixed cost than Square's (software plus the pricier hardware), and earns it back through a lower rate on every in-person sale. Below about $32,000 a month that saving is too small to cover the fixed cost. Above it, Clover pulls ahead, and the gap widens with volume.

On the entry setups the per-sale fee does the work. Both charge 2.6% in person, but Clover adds 10¢ where Square adds 15¢, and Clover lists no monthly software fee on its Basic bundle. The bigger your average sale, the less that per-sale difference matters; the smaller, the more.

Rates and fees side by side

Published US list prices from each company's own pricing pages, checked October 2026. Clover figures are for buying direct from Clover. Square offers custom pricing to businesses processing over $250,000 a year.

Why your Clover rate might not match Clover's website

Clover is owned by Fiserv, one of the largest payment companies in the US. You can get Clover two ways: directly from Clover, or through a bank or sales rep. The rates on Clover's website only apply if you buy direct. If you got your Clover through your bank or a sales rep, they set your pricing, and it's often higher.

Two things worth knowing:

• Clover devices only work with Clover's payment processing. You can't take them to Square or another provider. Clover's own pricing FAQ says so: its devices "cannot be used with other payment processors."
• A high rate doesn't always mean new equipment. Often you can get a better deal on the setup you already have.

Not sure which deal you're on? Send us your latest statement and we'll tell you, free.

Hardware: what you own and what you rent

Square sells its hardware outright, from a $59 card reader up to the $899 Register, with optional monthly installments. You own it when it is paid off. It only works with Square's processing, so it has no use if you leave.

Clover bundles hardware with a plan. You can buy the bundle outright or take a 36-month subscription. Per Clover's FAQ, subscriptions are non-cancelable, and when the term ends you have to buy or return the equipment. If you do neither, the subscription keeps running at the same monthly charge unless you told Clover at least 30 days before the end.

If a sales rep set you up, check for a separate equipment lease. Leases are often their own agreement, they can outlast the processing contract, and they rarely come out cheaper than buying. Our guide to what a POS system really costs covers the lease trap in detail.

Contracts and switching costs

Square has no contract on any plan. Leaving costs you nothing except the hardware, which won't work anywhere else.

Clover bought direct has the subscription terms above. Bought through a bank or rep, the processing agreement is theirs, and Clover's own FAQ notes that contract terms and termination fees vary by provider. Before you sign, ask for the term length, the auto-renewal date and the exact termination fee in writing. If you are already in one, here is how early termination fees work and when they can be waived.

When neither is the cheapest option

Both Clover direct and Square use flat-rate pricing: one blended rate whatever card the customer uses. As volume grows, interchange-plus pricing usually beats both. You pay the card networks' actual cost, then a stated markup on top, so a cheap debit card actually costs you less.

Here is the same business, priced on interchange-plus. The network cost is our estimate for a typical US card-present mix (1.60%, plus about 0.4 points on keyed sales, which is the gap in Visa's own schedule). The competitive deal adds 0.30% + 10¢ and $25 a month. The fee-heavy deal adds 0.50% + 20¢ and $52.84 a month in account, statement, PCI and batch fees. Hardware is left out because you need it either way.

Even the fee-heavy deal roughly matches the cheaper flat-rate option at $10,000 a month and beats it from there. That is why "Clover or Square?" is often the wrong question for an established business. Clover through a bank or rep can come on interchange-plus pricing on the same hardware. To see where you stand, work out your effective rate and compare it with what a competitive deal delivers, or put your own numbers into the effective rate calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clover cheaper than Square?

It depends on your setup and volume. On basic setups Clover is slightly cheaper at most volumes, because both charge 2.6% in person but Clover adds 10¢ per sale to Square's 15¢. On full countertop systems Square is cheaper until about $32,000 a month in card sales, because Clover's lower rate comes with $84.95 a month in software and a $1,899 station.

Can I use Clover hardware with another processor?

No. Clover's own pricing FAQ says its devices cannot be used with other payment processors, even if you bought or leased them from someone else. Square hardware only works with Square too. If your rate is high, the fix is usually renegotiating or moving to a better Clover deal through a different seller, not new equipment.

Why is my Clover rate different from Clover's website?

The rates on Clover's website only apply if you buy direct from Clover. If you got Clover through your bank or a sales rep, they set your pricing, and it is often higher, sometimes on tiered or interchange-plus pricing rather than a flat rate. Your statement shows which deal you are on.

Does Square or Clover require a contract?

Square has no contract on any plan. Clover bought direct can be paid outright or on a 36-month subscription that is non-cancelable and keeps running at the same price unless you give 30 days' notice before it ends. Clover sold through a bank or rep comes with that seller's own contract and termination terms.

At what volume should I stop using flat-rate pricing?

Sooner than most owners expect. For in-person sales averaging $40, a competitive interchange-plus deal beats Square's free plan from about $3,000 a month in card sales. Even a fee-heavy deal wins from about $14,000 a month.

Disclosure: Bizzy Advisors earns referral compensation from some providers mentioned on this page. This compensation does not influence our verdicts, which are based on the published prices and assumptions stated above. Rates are as published by each provider in October 2026 and may change; verify current pricing at each provider's website before making a decision. Bizzy Advisors is not affiliated with Clover, Fiserv or Square. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice.