You Can Accept These Kinds Of Cards & Payments With Square POS In 2023

Square’s POS (point of sale) system has opened up a number of ways for businesses of every size to accept payments wherever they are. But what kind of cards or other payments does Square accept?

These are the types of cards and payments accepted by Square, plus any hardware and software you may need to start taking specific forms of payment.

What Cards Does Square Accept?

Square accepts these payments:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Discover
• JCB (not supported with the contactless and chip card reader)
• Union Pay

Debit card payments are processed the same as credit card payments.

Does Square Take American Express & Does It Cost More?

Square takes American Express and it does not cost more to take American Express 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. For card-not-present payments, the fee is 3.5% plus $0.15 per transaction.

Square sellers can also offer online payment options with Square Online 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 midsize or large business, you may pay more if you use Square instead of registering for a traditional merchant account. Read our Square VS traditional merchant account comparison to find the right payment processing and accounting provider for your business.

How To Accept EBT, SNAP & WIC Payments With Square

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, how to get 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 Now Accepts Cash App Pay

Square sellers can now accept Cash App Pay online and in person. During an in-person checkout, the seller generates a QR code on their POS device (iPad, 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 device 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.

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.

What Is Cash App Pay?

Cash App 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.

Does Square Accept Apple Pay, Google Pay & Other NFC?

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. This is because a card magstripe reader or chip reader won’t be able to 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.

Square Accepted Forms Of Payment FAQ