Square Online ordering fees in 2026: which plan is actually cheapest?
Updated October 20, 2026
Square Online ordering costs $0 a month on Square Free, $49 a month per location on Square Plus and $149 on Square Premium, and Square charges a card fee on every online payment: 3.3% + 30¢ on Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium (Square US pricing page, read October 20, 2026). There is no commission and no setup fee. So the real question is not the plan price but your online card volume: below about $12,250 a month in online card sales, Free is cheaper than Plus; above it, Plus pays for itself.
In short
- Square Free is genuinely free to start. An online ordering profile, a basic website, pickup and local delivery, with no monthly fee and no contract.
- The catch is the online rate. Free charges 3.3% + 30¢ per online card payment, 0.4 points more than Plus and Premium.
- QR ordering, a custom domain and loyalty need Plus at $49 a month per location.
- Delivery has two models. Your own couriers with zones and fees you set, or on-demand DoorDash or Nash couriers, with the fee paid by the customer, you, or split.
- Square fits best if you already use Square POS, or sell small volumes online.
What does Square Online cost in 2026?
Square's US pricing page and its online store plans page show the same three plans (read October 20, 2026). Plus and Premium are charged per location.
| Plan | Price | Online card rate | What's included for ordering | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Free | $0 a month | 3.3% + 30¢ | Online ordering profile, website builder with SEO tools, Order with Google, pickup and local delivery, restaurant preorders, third-party order management | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Square Plus | $49 a month per location | 2.9% + 30¢ | Everything in Free, plus custom domain, QR code ordering, loyalty, email marketing, 500 marketing texts a month | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Square Premium | $149 a month per location | 2.9% + 30¢ | Everything in Plus, plus 2,500 marketing texts, no gift card load fee, 24/7 phone support, reservation integrations | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Square Pro | Custom | Custom | For businesses processing over $250,000 a year | Oct 20, 2026 |
Square says Plus and Premium "each offer a free 30-day trial, and you can cancel or switch plans anytime", and the page promises "No hidden fees or locked-in contracts."
What fees come on top of the plan?
| Fee | Free | Plus | Premium | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online card payment | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Manual entry or card on file | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Card issued outside the US | +1.5% | +1.5% | +1.5% | Oct 20, 2026 |
| In-person tap, dip or swipe | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Commission per order | None | None | None | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Setup or onboarding | None published | None published | None published | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Square KDS app | Not available | $30 a month per device | $20 a month per device | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Gift card load | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0% | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Text message marketing | Not available | 500 texts, then 3¢ each | 2,500 texts, then 1.5¢ each | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Phone support | 6am–6pm PT weekdays, first 90 days only | 6am–6pm PT weekdays | 24/7 | Oct 20, 2026 |
| On-demand delivery | Courier fee per order, not published on Square's US pricing or help pages | Same | Same | Oct 20, 2026 |
| Contract | None; cancel or switch anytime | Same | Same | Oct 20, 2026 |
Hardware is optional for online ordering and priced separately on Square's hardware pages.
How do Square's delivery fee options work?
Square's help article on delivery for online ordering profiles (read October 20, 2026) gives you two models, on every plan:
- In-house delivery ("My own couriers"). You draw delivery areas by postal code or radius and set the fee yourself: free delivery, a flat fee, free above a minimum, or distance-based fees. You can set a minimum order. You run the drivers yourself: we found no Square driver app for them.
- On-demand delivery. Square sends the order to a courier: DoorDash, or "Best Available", powered by Nash, which picks a local courier on cost and reliability. You choose whether the customer pays the full delivery fee or you do; if you use on-demand inside your own zone, you can split it by amount or percentage.
You can also add a service fee, as a dollar amount or a percentage, "charged in addition to the delivery fee." Square does not publish on-demand courier prices on the US pages we read, so get the live quote in your dashboard before you decide who pays.
Worked example: 600 online orders a month at $30
One US restaurant takes 600 online orders a month, all paid by card online, at $30 on average: $18,000 a month of online card volume. One location, no KDS, no delivery.
| Line | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plan | $0 | $49 | $149 |
| Percentage fee | 3.3% × $18,000 = $594 | 2.9% × $18,000 = $522 | $522 |
| Fixed fee | 600 × $0.30 = $180 | $180 | $180 |
| Monthly total | $774 | $751 | $851 |
| First year | $9,288 | $9,012 | $10,212 |
At this volume Plus is $23 a month cheaper than Free, and you also get QR ordering and a custom domain.
Where the free plan is genuinely cheapest. The gap between Free and Plus is 0.4% of your online card sales. Plus costs $49, so it only pays off once 0.4% of your sales passes $49: $49 ÷ 0.004 = $12,250 a month of online card sales, about 408 orders at $30. Below that, stay on Free. A café selling 150 online orders at $30 ($4,500) pays $148.50 + $45 = $193.50 a month on Free, against $49 + $130.50 + $45 = $224.50 on Plus.
The same 600 orders on Menuthere. Menuthere Lite is $17 a month with unlimited orders and card payments on your own Stripe account at 2.9% + 30¢:
| Line | Menuthere Lite, monthly | Menuthere Lite, first year |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | $17 | $204 (or $170 billed yearly) |
| Card fees on your own Stripe account | $522 + $180 = $702 | $8,424 |
| Total | $719 | $8,628 (or $8,594 billed yearly) |
That is $32 a month less than Square Plus at this volume. At low volume the picture flips: Menuthere's Free plan has no online card payments, and Lite only beats Square Free once 0.4% of your online sales passes $17, which is $4,250 a month. Below that, Square Free costs less.
When is Square Online worth the price?
- You already run Square POS. Online orders land on the same POS, kitchen printer or KDS, with one menu. Menuthere does not connect to Square.
- You sell little online. Square Free has no monthly fee and no order cap, so a small or seasonal shop pays only card fees.
- You want marketing in the same system. Plus adds loyalty, email marketing and marketing texts; Premium adds 24/7 phone support.
- You want couriers without your own drivers. On-demand DoorDash or Nash couriers are built in.
Square is less of a fit if your online volume is high and you don't use Square POS: you pay Square's rate on every payment and need Plus for QR ordering.
How does Menuthere's pricing compare?
Menuthere has a Free plan ($0, 50 orders a month, QR table ordering included, no card needed), Lite at $17 a month (unlimited orders, own domain, card payments on your own Stripe account) and Pro at $39 a month (adds loyalty and your own riders with a rider app and a live tracking map for customers). There is 0% commission and no per-order fee on every plan, and no contract. Menuthere is not a POS and has no Square integration. See Menuthere vs Square Online, Square Online alternatives, Menuthere pricing and, for a POS with an unpublished ordering add-on, Toast online ordering pricing. Running your own drivers? Read about in-house delivery for restaurants.
Compare your own numbers. then try Lite or Pro free for 7 days (card needed). Questions?
Frequently asked questions
How much does Square Online ordering cost?
Square Free is $0 a month, Square Plus is $49 a month per location and Square Premium is $149 a month per location. Online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Free and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium, with no commission (Square US pricing page, read October 20, 2026).
What are Square Online's fees per order?
Square charges no commission or per-order fee on online ordering profile orders. You pay the card fee on each online payment: 3.3% + 30¢ on Free, 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus and Premium, plus 1.5% for cards issued outside the US. On-demand delivery adds a courier fee that you or the customer pay.
When is Square Plus cheaper than Square Free?
When your online card sales pass about $12,250 a month. Plus saves 0.4% on every online payment, and 0.4% of $12,250 is $49, the price of Plus. Below that amount, Square Free costs less.
How does Square Online delivery work, and who pays?
You can deliver with your own couriers, setting zones by postal code or radius and your own delivery fee, or use on-demand couriers from DoorDash or Nash. For on-demand delivery you choose whether the customer pays the full fee or you do, and inside your own zone you can split it.
Does Square Online have a contract or setup fee?
No. Square says there are no hidden fees or locked-in contracts, and you can cancel or switch plans anytime. Plus and Premium have a free 30-day trial.
Is Menuthere cheaper than Square Online?
At 600 online orders a month at $30, Menuthere Lite costs $719 a month including Stripe's card fees, against $751 on Square Plus and $774 on Square Free. Below about $4,250 a month of online card sales, Square Free costs less. If you use Square POS, Square keeps everything in one system.
Sources (5)
- Square US pricing: https://squareup.com/us/en/pricing (read 20 Oct 2026, curl, full plan grid). Free $0 / Plus $49 / Premium $149 per location; Square Pro custom over $250,000 a year; online 3.3% + 30¢ / 2.9% + 30¢ / 2.9% + 30¢; in person 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 15¢; manual entry 3.5% + 15¢; international card 1.5%; KDS not on Free, $30 / $20 per device; gift card load 2.5% / 2.5% / 0%; text marketing not on Free, 500 then 3¢, 2,500 then 1.5¢; phone support Free first 90 days, Plus weekdays, Premium 24/7; online ordering profile, Order with Google, restaurant preorders, pickup and local delivery, third-party order management on all plans; QR code ordering, custom domain, loyalty, email marketing on Plus and Premium; reservation integrations on Premium; FAQ "free 30-day trial … cancel or switch plans anytime"; "No hidden fees or locked-in contracts."
- Square online store plans: https://squareup.com/us/en/online-store/plans (read 20 Oct 2026, curl): same plan grid and rates; "Pickup and local delivery … with your staff or third-party couriers" on all plans; custom domain connect from Plus.
- Square help, "Set up delivery options for your online ordering profile": https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/8609 (no updated date shown; read 20 Oct 2026). In-house zones by postal code or radius, fee types, minimum order; on-demand DoorDash or "Best Available" powered by Nash; customer pays / you pay / split; service fee "charged in addition to the delivery fee".
- Square help, On-Demand Delivery FAQ: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/7436-on-demand-delivery-with-square-online-faq (read 20 Oct 2026): no fee amounts listed.
- Stripe US pricing, archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20261007160914/https://stripe.com/pricing (archived 7 Oct 2026; "2.9% + 30¢ per successful transaction for domestic cards"). The live stripe.com geo-redirects to the India page from our office (checked 20 Oct 2026).