Short on time?
Here’s the short version.
Square can be a great fit, but your total cost depends on how customers pay. Compare credit, debit, online and keyed payments separately, then add hardware, software and any custom pricing before deciding whether to switch.
- A single headline rate doesn’t describe your whole month.
- Small-ticket sales make per-payment fees matter.
- Keep the software and staff time you value in the comparison.
In this article
I’ll start with a confession. I think Square is a great product. The hardware is straightforward, the dashboard is easy to learn and a new shop can start small.
A reader and a clear price can be exactly what you need to get the doors open. Once your shop is busy, the more useful question is what that setup costs on the sales you actually take.
What Square charges in Canada
Square publishes different fees for domestic in-person credit, in-person debit, online sales and keyed payments. Start with the agreement on your own account, especially if you have custom pricing. The figures below are Square’s Canadian posted rates checked on November 2, 2026.
| How the customer pays | Published fee |
|---|---|
| In-person credit | 2.5% |
| In-person debit | 0.75% + 7¢ |
| Online card payment | 2.8% + 30¢ |
| Keyed card payment | 3.3% + 15¢ |
Square lists additional fees for certain internationally issued cards. Software plans, devices and optional services can also change the bill. The price of an in-person credit sale tells you little about an invoice paid online.
The math problem nobody explains
Consider two $20 domestic sales. Under the published fees above, an in-person credit sale costs 50¢. An in-person debit sale costs 22¢. Make the same $20 sale online on a domestic credit card and the fee is 86¢.
So a $30,000 month in a coffee shop can cost a different amount from a $30,000 month in a boutique that ships half its orders. Separate dollars and transaction counts for each way of paying. A fixed fee is charged on each eligible payment.
Curious where a credit card percentage goes? Read the plain-English interchange explanation.
Square at three sales volumes
Here is what volume alone would do if every transaction were an in-person domestic credit sale at the posted 2.5%. These are examples of Square processing charges only. A real fee report includes your mix of payments.
| Monthly sales | Processing cost | Other costs to check |
|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $250 | Software and device payments |
| $30,000 | $750 | Debit mix and online sales |
| $75,000 | $1,875 | Current written terms, including any custom pricing |
Four costs worth looking at beyond the rate
Hardware on the counter
List your readers, docks, printers and tills. Check what a proposed system can reuse and what would need replacing. Put one-time equipment costs in their own column.
Getting paid
Look at when you receive deposits and how refunds affect your balance. Ask each provider what changes if a payment is disputed or an account is reviewed. Include any paid faster-deposit service you actually use.
Staff time and support
If your team can clear a Saturday lineup on Square without pulling the owner away, that has value. Try a refund, exchange, receipt lookup and end-of-day close on the proposed system. Find out who can help during your busiest hours.
Software worth keeping
Inventory, gift cards, bookings and your web store can matter more than the reader itself. Price the features you would have to replace. A lower processing percentage can disappear into another monthly subscription.
When Square is genuinely the right choice
If you process occasionally, run pop-ups, or already get real value from Square’s POS tools, keeping it may be the best choice. An owner opening a second location or taking more online orders has a good reason to run the numbers again.
How to compare without buying a new till first
Export a representative month of sales and fees. Add the equipment and software charges you would keep paying or replace. Ask Dough to price that same month, including anything you need to change at checkout.
If Square has offered custom terms, use that written offer as the baseline. If you are considering a switch, plan for saved cards, deposits and equipment return dates before committing.
What to take back to your business
- Compare debit, credit, online and keyed sales separately.
- Use the current offer attached to your own account.
- Put hardware, software and switching work beside any projected processing savings.
Fair questions
What does Square charge for different payment types in Canada?
The article lists different published fees for in-person credit, in-person debit, online card payments and keyed payments. Start with the agreement attached to your own account, especially if you have custom pricing. Internationally issued cards, software plans, devices and optional services can also change the bill.
Why can two businesses with the same sales volume pay different Square fees?
The way customers pay changes the cost. Separate sales dollars and transaction counts for credit, debit, online and keyed payments rather than comparing monthly volume alone. A fixed fee applies to each eligible payment, and the price of an in-person credit sale does not describe an online invoice.
What costs should I compare besides Square’s processing rate?
Put equipment, software and switching work beside the processing charges. Check which readers, printers and tills you can reuse, and price any features you would need to replace. Look at deposits, refunds, disputes and support, then try the proposed checkout workflow with the people who actually use it.
When might keeping Square make more sense than switching?
Keeping Square may be the best choice if you process occasionally, run pop-ups or get real value from its POS tools. If you are opening another location or taking more online orders, compare a representative month again. Include equipment and software rather than judging the decision on processing percentage alone.
Sources & further reading
Rates, program rules and eligibility can change. Check your current written agreement and the linked Canadian sources. This is a practical guide, not legal advice.