Square lets you take card payments at a market stall, a shop counter, online or by invoice, all from one account. It's for small businesses and makers who sell in person as well as online. The free plan has no monthly fee; you pay per transaction. On Square's US pricing, that's 2.6% + 15¢ in person and 3.3% + 30¢ for online and invoice payments. Other countries, including the UK, have their own rates.
What it can do for you
Use a card reader or your phone to take payments in person, send an invoice that the client pays by card, and set up a simple online store, with all your sales in one dashboard. It's quick to start, and there's nothing to pay until you sell.
What people like
Reviewers like how quickly you can start taking payments, the range of tools for free and the lack of monthly fees. For a small in-person business, it's one of the simplest setups going.
The honest downsides
- Funds can be held. Square's own UK help explains that it may hold funds or set up a rolling reserve after unusual volume, large first payments or chargebacks. Reddit has stories of accounts deactivated with money frozen for months.
- Support is a weak spot. UK reviews and Reddit users describe difficult support when something goes wrong.
- Fees add up online. Per-transaction rates are simple but not the cheapest for high online volume.
- Rates vary by country. The rates above are US pricing; check your country's page.
Skip it if
- you only sell online (a payments tool built for that may suit you better)
- one frozen payout would put your business at risk and you have no backup
Alternatives
There's nothing we list that's better for selling in person and online from one free account.
- Stripe is the standard for online payments and subscriptions, with no monthly fee.
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