⭐ Best for Online Business
Square Card Machines Review 2026
Global payment giant with strong EPOS & online integration. Great for businesses selling both in-person and online. Flat-rate pricing makes budgeting simple.
Quick Summary
Overall Rating
4.3/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Transaction Fee
1.75%
Monthly Fee
£0
Setup Time
Same Day
Square UK Pricing
Square Reader
1.75%
per transaction + £0 monthly
Bluetooth card reader (£19 one-time)
Works with iPhone/Android via free app
Chip, PIN & contactless up to £100
Next-day settlement
Free online store included
✨ Best For:
- • Very low volumes (<£5k/month)
- • Market traders & events
- • Businesses wanting free online store
Square Terminal
1.75%
per transaction + £0 monthly
All-in-one terminal (£249 one-time)
Built-in WiFi & 4G connectivity
Receipt printer included
Full EPOS system included free
Inventory & staff management
Customer directory built-in
✨ Best For:
- • Retail shops & restaurants
- • Businesses wanting full EPOS free
- • Monthly turnover £5k-£15k
⚠️ Important: Square Gets Expensive at Higher Volumes
Monthly Turnover
£20,000
Square Cost (1.75%)
£350/mo
Dojo Cost (bespoke rate)
£259/mo
Square costs £91/month MORE = £1,092/year
See full Dojo vs Square comparison →Square Pros & Cons
Pros
- Simple Flat-Rate Pricing1.75% for everything - easy to budget
- No Monthly FeesOnly pay when you take payments
- Free EPOS IncludedFull point-of-sale system at no extra cost
- Free Online StoreSell online with same rates
- Great Software IntegrationsConnects with 100+ business apps
- Global BrandTrusted by millions worldwide
Cons
- Expensive at Higher Volumes1.75% becomes costly over £10k/month turnover
- High Hardware CostTerminal £249 upfront (vs Dojo's leasing option)
- Account Holds/FreezesKnown for sudden account restrictions
- US-Focused SupportUK support can be slower than local providers
- No Interchange++ OptionFlat rate means you can't benefit from lower costs
When Does Square Make Sense?
✅ Choose Square If You:
- • Process less than £10,000/month in card payments
- • Want a free EPOS system with inventory management
- • Sell both in-person and online (omnichannel)
- • Need lots of software integrations (accounting, bookkeeping)
- • Prefer simple, predictable pricing
- • Don't mind paying upfront for hardware
❌ Avoid Square If You:
- • Process more than £15,000/month (too expensive)
- • Want the lowest possible fees
- • Need guaranteed UK-based support
- • Can't afford £249 upfront for Terminal
- • Want transparent interchange++ pricing
💡 Our Recommendation:
Square is great for new/small businesses, but if you process over £10k/month, Dojo will save you £500-£1,000/year with lower rates and no upfront hardware costs.
Compare Square With Other Providers
See if Square is right for your business or if you could save with Dojo, SumUp, or others.