Square vs Braintree Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Square pricing | Braintree pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $49/mo | Custom |
| Number of plans | 3 | 2 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | flat-rate | usage-based |
Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →
Square Free
- POS app for any payment
- Online site
- Item library
- Invoicing
- Booking
- Checking and savings accounts
Square Plus
Popular- Advanced POS features for every industry
- Lower processing fees
- Loyalty rewards program
- Email and text message marketing
- Staff management
Square Premium
- 24/7 priority support
- Advanced reporting
- Lowest processing fees
- More text message marketing
- No gift card load fees
Standard
- Cards and third-party digital wallet transactions: For standard merchants — 2.89% + 0.29 USD
- Pass-through American Express transaction — 0.15 USD
- Presented in any non-USD currency — Additional 1%
- Customer card issued outside of the United States — Additional 1%
- Chargeback — 15.00 USD
- PayPal transactions — PayPal Merchant Fees
- Venmo transactions — 3.49% + 0.49 USD
- ACH direct debit: Per transaction fee when processed via standard ACH network processing schedule (max 5.00 USD) — 0.75%
- ACH direct debit: Per transaction fee when processed via same day ACH network processing window — 1.5% + 0.10 USD
- ACH direct debit: Returned by banking network — 5.00 USD
- ACH direct debit: Disputed by your customer as unauthorized — 5.00 USD
Charity
- Cards and third-party digital wallet transactions: For verified charitable 501(c)(3) organizations — 2.19% + 0.29 USD
- Pass-through American Express transaction — 0.15 USD
- Presented in any non-USD currency — Additional 1%
- Customer card issued outside of the United States — Additional 1%
- Chargeback — 15.00 USD
- PayPal transactions — PayPal Merchant Fees
- Venmo transactions — 3.49% + 0.49 USD
- ACH direct debit: Per transaction fee when processed via standard ACH network processing schedule (max 5.00 USD) — 0.75%
- ACH direct debit: Per transaction fee when processed via same day ACH network processing window — 1.5% + 0.10 USD
- ACH direct debit: Returned by banking network — 5.00 USD
- ACH direct debit: Disputed by your customer as unauthorized — 5.00 USD
Square vs Braintree FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Square has a free plan. Braintree doesn't — you'll need to pay from day one.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. Square uses flat-rate pricing, while Braintree goes with usage-based. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Square: Square sits in the middle of the POS pack — pricier than bare-bones processors like Stripe for pure payments, but cheaper and more self-serve than enterprise retail systems like Lightspeed or Shopify POS Plus. They're chasing brick-and-mortar and hybrid retailers who want hardware, software, and payments bundled without a sales call. Braintree: Braintree targets mid-market to enterprise merchants who've outgrown Stripe's standard rates and want negotiated pricing without moving to a full acquiring bank relationship. They're not the cheapest, but the custom rate structure means high-volume businesses can potentially undercut what they'd pay on Stripe's published rates.
Still deciding? See the best Square alternatives or the best Braintree alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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