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Find out how easy it is to take payments with Square by learning how Square accepts credit cards and other forms of payment.
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Square is one of the best POS systems for small business owners, and we’re here to give you a quick guide to the credit cards accepted by Square.
Read on to learn more about Square credit cards accepted in 2023, any hardware/software you need to start taking payments, and why Square could be the perfect fit for your small business.
Table of Contents
Square accepts all US-issued and most internationally-issued magstripe or chip cards managed by the following companies:
Debit card payments are processed the same way as credit card payments. The Square POS app charges the same standard processing fee for both credit and debit cards.
Square can also process prepaid, HSA/FSA, and EDD cards with the standard processing fees.
Square processing fees are deducted before the funds are deposited in your business account. Read up on Square’s fees by payment type for more information.
Now that you know what credit cards Square accepts, you might be wondering what other forms of payment your business will be able to take from your customers. Read on to learn more about the power of Square’s payment processing.
Square takes American Express, and it does not cost more than any other type of payment card.
Square charges a payment processing fee of 2.6% of the transaction price plus a $0.10 flat fee per transaction when a customer taps, dips, or swipes their card at a Square point of sale (POS) terminal. The fee is 3.5% plus $0.15 per transaction for card-not-present payments.
Square sellers can also offer online payment options with checkout links and take any form of payment, including American Express, whether they have a website or not. The fee for online payments is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
Related: If you have a mid-size or large business, you may pay more if you use Square instead of registering for a traditional merchant account. Check out our Square vs. traditional merchant account comparison to find the right payment processing and accounting provider for your business.
Currently, business owners who want to take EBT, SNAP, or WIC payments with Square can only do so by connecting Square with Totilpay, a fully certified POS solution with integrated EBT software.
To use Totilpay, you have to pay a fee from $19.99 to $29.95 per month, depending on your industry. The app works seamlessly with whatever hardware you use to collect payments.
Read our small business guide on taking EBT payments to learn more about EBT regulations, getting an EBT-friendly card reader, and the best EBT payment processing companies.
Related: Shopify, another all-in-one online and offline selling solution, also allows you to take in-person EBT payments through a third-party solution. Read our Square vs. Shopify comparison to decide which all-in-one platform is right for your business.
Square sellers can now accept Cash App Scan To Pay online and in person. During an in-person checkout, the seller generates a QR code on their mobile POS device (iPad, Android POS on a smartphone, dedicated POS hardware, etc.) for customers to scan. That QR code will take them to pay through their Cash App account.
If a customer checks out on the mobile version of a business’s website, customers can tap the Cash App button to start payment. On the desktop version of a website, customers use their mobile devices to scan a QR code generated on their computer screen to start payment.
Square sellers can accept Cash App Pay at no additional cost, with no additional steps to complete at signup. However, Cash App Pay is currently only available for businesses processing payments on Square Register, Square Stand, Square Terminal, Square Online, and the Square Point of Sale app for iOS and Android devices.
Not sure where to start with Cash App? We made a complete guide on setting up a Cash App business account and what fees you’ll have to pay.
Related: If you do more selling online than in person, Stripe may be a better fit for your payment processing needs. Read our Square vs. Stripe comparison before you decide.
Cash App Scan To Pay is a payment method that allows customers to pay through their Cash App account. Square in-person sellers generate a QR code at checkout; customers scan it with their mobile device and pay via the app. If you have an online store, customers can use Cash App Pay during online checkout.
Square sellers can accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other NFC (near-field communication) or “contactless” forms of payment. Square processes NFC payments as if they were credit card payments.
To accept contactless payments in person, sellers must purchase a $49 Square chip and tap reader because the standard card magstripe or chip reader cannot read NFC signals.
Online sellers just have to enable payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay in their Square Online account settings. When that’s enabled, an online shopper can pay by simply logging onto their Apple or Google account.
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Square POS is an intuitive and simple point of sale platform. It offers customizable tools and a variety of add-ons to fit your business needs and reach your goals.
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Square POS is an intuitive and simple point of sale platform. It offers customizable tools and a variety of add-ons to fit your business needs and reach your goals.
Get Started
