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Square Credit Card Reader Review 2024

The Square Reader is an affordable, entry-level choice that comes packed with value for small business credit card processing needs.

    Matt Sherman
  • Last updated onUpdated

  • Shannon Vissers
  • REVIEWED BY

    Shannon Vissers

    Lead Staff Writer

Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.

Square Credit Card Readers

Total Rating 4.7
Pricing4.6

Ease Of Use5.0

Features4.7

Customer Service4.7

User Reviews4.8

Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Square Credit Card Readers At A Glance

  • Easy to use device for chip and contactless payments
  • Financing available for device and charging dock
  • Syncs easily with Square software

POS Hardware & Mobile Credit Card Reader Rating Methodology

We spend hours researching and evaluating each POS hardware and mobile payments device that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate our product ratings.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Pricing 40%
Features 25%
Ease Of Use 20%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%

When rating POS hardware (which might include registers, mobile card readers, and other similar devices), we use a 38-point rubric that looks at pricing, ease of use, features, customer service, and user reviews. We weigh each section differently to calculate the total star rating.

  • Pricing: 40% of the total star rating
  • Ease of Use: 20% of the total star rating
  • Features: 25% of the total star rating
  • Customer Service: 10% of the total star rating
  • User Reviews: 5% of the total star rating

Each section is further broken down into granular, weighted subsections, in which we look at specific attributes, like whether reduced fees are available for multiple terminals, which payment processing options are available, and how well the hardware integrates with POS or payment processing software apps. We’re also paying careful attention to hardware’s relative cost, any associated fees, and whether financing is available, among other things.

Learn more about how we rate POS hardware.

Matt Sherman

Matt Sherman

Lead Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
Matt Sherman
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The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

Square Credit Card Readers


Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Square Credit Card Readers for yourself.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

Square Credit Card Readers


Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Square Credit Card Readers for yourself.

Sources