COMPARISON
Square vs Clover for a small restaurant or store
Square costs less to start and has no long-term contract. Clover charges less per card sale but prices restaurant systems over 36 months. Truvana Tech, in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia, wrote this comparison and sells a third option.
- Checked November 10, 2026
- Sources linked
- No sponsored rankings
Square vs Clover: the short answer
Both sell a POS system and card processing together. Square publishes every price; Clover publishes 36-month prices, and banks and resellers also sell it on their own terms.
| Square | Clover | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | $0, $49 or $149 per location | $135 to $354 for 36 months, hardware included |
| In-person card rate | 2.6%, 2.5% or 2.4% + 15¢, by plan | 2.3% + 10¢ on Clover.com; resellers set their own |
| A $100.00 card sale | $2.75 on the free plan | $2.40 |
| Hardware | optional, from $59 | in the bundle; a Flex alone is $749.00 |
| Contract | none; paid plans cancel any time | 36-month pricing; resellers often sign 3 years |
| Spanish | Spanish website and pricing pages | no Spanish US website |
| Setup | you set it up yourself | through whoever sold it to you |
Checked November 10, 2026; sources are linked in the sections below.
Square vs Clover pricing: plans and monthly fees
Yes, Clover charges a monthly fee, and so does Square on its paid plans.
| Square plan | Per month, per location | In person | Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 2.6% + 15¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ |
| Plus | $49 | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Premium | $149 | 2.4% + 15¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
Checked November 10, 2026: Square.
| Clover restaurant system | 36-month price | Or buy the hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Quick service: Starter, Standard, Advanced | $135, $185 or $245 per month | $849.00, $1,899.00 or $2,648.00, plus $89.95 to $109.90 per month |
| Full service: Starter, Standard, Advanced | $179, $239 or $354 per month | $1,799.00, $2,548.00 or $4,447.00, plus $89.95 to $129.85 per month |
Checked November 10, 2026: Clover full service and Clover quick service. Clover says these prices are only available on Clover.com.
The features below also use Square retail and Clover retail.
What 36 months costs
Buying Clover's hardware up front costs less over 36 months: the full-service Starter is $6,444.00 at $179 per month, or $5,037.20 if you buy it. Square Plus is $1,764.00, plus hardware. Ask what you pay after month 36.
Square vs Clover features for restaurants and stores
Both can run a small restaurant or store. Square puts online ordering on its free plan; Clover's restaurant plans include table tools, QR ordering and online ordering with no fee.
Online ordering on both
Square includes an ordering page with pickup and local delivery on every plan. Clover's restaurant plans include an online menu with no-fee ordering.
Kitchen display or printer
Square's kitchen display app costs $30 per device each month on Plus, or $20 on Premium. Clover offers a kitchen printer as an accessory.
Tools for table service
Clover has table maps, open tabs and split checks, with ordering at the table on Standard and Advanced. Square Premium adds coursing and seat management.
Kiosk or QR ordering
Square's self-order kiosk costs $99 per device each month on Plus and Premium. Clover offers QR-code order and pay at the table.
Plans for small stores
Square's retail plans cost $0, $49 or $149 a month. Clover's retail systems start at $16 a month for 36 months for a small terminal.
Deposits to your bank
Square deposits the next business day for free, or instantly for a fee. Clover's Rapid Deposit pays within minutes for 1.75%.
Card rates and fees, worked out
Clover's rate is lower but its monthly fee is higher, so which costs less depends on how much you sell by card.
| On a $100.00 sale | Square | Clover |
|---|---|---|
| Tapped, dipped or swiped | $2.75 on Free; $2.65 on Plus; $2.55 on Premium | $2.40 |
| Typed in by hand | $3.65 | $3.60 |
Rates and deposits checked November 10, 2026: Square fees and Clover.
| $30,000.00 a month in 1,000 sales of $30.00, tapped or dipped | Card fees | Monthly fee | Total for the month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $930.00 | $0 | $930.00 |
| Square Plus | $900.00 | $49 | $949.00 |
| Square Premium | $870.00 | $149 | $1,019.00 |
| Clover quick service Starter, 36-month price | $790.00 | $135 | $925.00 |
| Clover full service Starter, 36-month price | $790.00 | $179 | $969.00 |
| Clover full service Starter, hardware bought | $790.00 | $89.95 | $879.95 |
Truvana Tech's math from the rates above, checked November 10, 2026.
- The six land within about $140 of each other; only Clover's include hardware
- At a $30.00 average sale, Clover's $135 bundle beats Square Free only above about $29,000.00 a month
- A monthly minimum or a lease can cost more than the rate difference
- Passing the fee on depends on your state's card fee rules
Square vs Clover hardware
Square sells devices on their own, or lets you start with Tap to Pay on a phone. Clover sells hardware in bundles. Either way, the machine is tied to that company's processing.
Handheld card machines
- ■Square Terminal: $299.00, Wi-Fi only
- ■Clover Flex: $749.00, or $699.00 without a printer
- ■Mobile data on a Flex costs extra each month
Countertop POS
- ■Square: sold separately, from $59
- ■Clover: Station Solo, Station Duo or Mini, in the bundle
Tap and phone wallets
- ■Square: every plan, at the dip or swipe rate
- ■Clover quick service: included
- ■Clover full service: not on Starter
Moving to another processor
- ■Square Terminal works only with Square
- ■Clover devices usually can't be used with another processor
Contracts, leases and getting out
This is where the two differ most: Square has no long-term contract, while Clover's prices run for 36 months and resellers often sign three-year terms.
The hardware facts above were checked November 10, 2026: Square Terminal, Clover, Merchant Maverick and KORONA POS.
Leases that outlast the account
Some card machine leases can't be cancelled during their first term, and closing your processing account doesn't end them (Merchant Maverick). Leaving Clover? See Clover alternatives.
Get it explained in your language
In a 2022 case, the FTC said one processor trapped small businesses, many run by owners with limited English, in three-year contracts with a $495.00 exit fee (FTC). Our switching checklist shows where to look.
Holding a Square or Clover offer? Put ours next to it.
Send the offer or one card statement. Truvana Tech marks every fee and puts its price in writing, in English or Spanish, free and with no commitment.
Spanish support, customer service and outages
Square has a full Spanish website and 24/7 support on Premium. Clover's US website has no Spanish version (checked November 10, 2026), so Spanish help depends on who sells it.
Ask whoever sells it to you
- Who answers on a Friday night, and in what language?
- Does anyone come to your place?
- Can you keep taking cards when the system stops?
- Is the contract, and any lease, in Spanish?
Square or Clover: which fits your business?
Square fits a new or small business that wants to start cheap and stay month to month. Clover fits an owner who wants a countertop bundle and is fine with 36 months.
A third option: a local team in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia
If you need help in Spanish and someone who comes to your place, Truvana Tech is a third option in DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia, with no equipment lease.
Local and bilingual
Set up on site, in Spanish or English
Truvana Tech installs the system at your place, loads your menu or products and trains your team in their language. After that, a local contact answers in English or Spanish and comes to your place when something breaks.
- Setup, training and support in English or Spanish
- POS, kiosk and kitchen tickets in Spanish
Fees in writing
Every fee in writing before you sign
Your written quote lists the card processing fee and the monthly fee, and there is no contract. We go through it with you line by line, in English or Spanish.
- No contract and no equipment lease
- Hardware free when you process with us
- A free review of one card statement
Restaurants and stores
One system for your counter, kitchen or shelves
Restaurants get handhelds, a self-order kiosk, a kitchen display, online ordering with no commission and AI phone answering. Stores get a barcode database of more than 500,000 items, EBT flags and ID scanning before alcohol and tobacco sales.
- Card processing through our own service
- Wireless card machines for tap, chip and phone payments
We don't publish a $0 plan or a rate card; your price comes in writing after one statement. If you'd rather set it all up yourself tonight, Square is built for that.
Get a free quoteSquare vs Clover questions owners ask
Is Clover like Square?
Yes, in what they do: both sell a POS system and card processing together. The difference is how you buy: Square sells directly, with a $0 plan and no long-term contract, while Clover also sells through banks and resellers.
Which is cheaper, Square or Clover?
Square costs less to start; Clover can cost less once card sales are high. At a $30.00 average sale, Clover's $135-per-month quick-service bundle beats Square's free plan only above about $29,000.00 a month in card sales.
Does Clover charge a monthly fee?
Yes. On Clover.com, restaurant systems cost $135 to $354 per month for 36 months with hardware, or $89.95 to $129.85 per month if you buy the hardware up front (checked November 10, 2026). Banks and resellers set their own fees.
How much does Square take from a $100 sale?
On Square's free plan, $2.75 when the card is tapped, dipped or swiped (2.6% + 15¢), so you keep $97.25. On Plus it's $2.65, and on Premium $2.55. A card typed in by hand costs $3.65 on any plan (checked November 10, 2026).
Does Square or Clover have a contract?
Square has no long-term contract: Plus and Premium start with a 30-day free trial, and Square says you can cancel or change plans at any time (Square). Clover's online offer of a $450 statement credit requires a 3-year contract, credit approval and $10,000.00 or more in card sales in the first four billing cycles (Clover). Both checked November 10, 2026.
Is Square or Clover better for a restaurant?
For counter service, compare Square's free or Plus plan with Clover's quick-service systems on your own sales. For table service, Clover's full-service plans include table maps, open tabs and split checks, and Square Premium adds coursing and seat management. Also compare Toast.
What happens if Square or Clover goes down?
Every Square plan can take payments offline, but they are declined if the device doesn't reconnect within 24 hours (Square, checked November 10, 2026). In September 2023, a Square outage stopped many small businesses from ringing up sales from Thursday afternoon into Friday morning (NBC News). With Clover, ask who supports you and whether anyone comes to your place.
What are the top 5 POS systems?
There is no official top five. Toast, Square and Clover are the names owners search for most, and a local provider is another option. Compare any of them on total cost, the contract and who answers when something breaks.
Put your Square or Clover offer next to a third option
Send one card statement or the offer you have. A person replies in English or Spanish.
Tell us about your business
Your name and email are enough to start. Write in English or Spanish.