Square
POS and card processing for the counter. Sales land in Square reports; the ledger still lives in QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave.
Best for
US shops that need a counter, invoices, and card deposits without a monthly software bill, and who already have (or will add) a real ledger.
Not ideal if
Anyone treating Square sales reports as the books, or anyone who only sells online and does not need a counter.
Standout
Free POS software plus next-business-day deposits, with Plus unlocking staff, loyalty, and inventory at $49 per location.
About Square
Square is the register and the processor, not the ledger. You ring sales in the Square Point of Sale app (phone, tablet, or Square hardware) or send a Square invoice. Cards and wallets settle to your linked bank on the next business day, or sooner if you pay 1.95% for Instant Transfer. Sales summary, fees, and a reconciliation report live in Square Dashboard. Those reports are not a general ledger. Square's own community team says Square does not import bank and card expenses for bookkeeping. You still close in QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave, or another file.
It sits next to the books. That is the opposite of Kick (a replacement ledger) and of Wave or QuickBooks Online (the file of record). Stripe is the closer payments peer: online and API cards without a counter. The documented path into QuickBooks Online is Square Connector by QuickBooks (Intuit). Xero is listed on Square's App Marketplace; setup is Amaka-powered and posts a daily sales summary. There is no native Wave connector. If the native QBO import is too thin (one sales receipt per ticket, gift cards, multi-tender), bookkeepers add Synder or post a monthly journal from the sales summary.
People who stick want a counter that starts at $0 software: POS, invoices, online ordering, and Square Banking on Free, with published card rates. They stay because the reader, the invoice, and the deposit live in one login. The catch for books is separate: you still need a ledger, and you must book gross sales and fees, not the net deposit.
What people who used it say
What they tend to like
Easy to start, low hardware
Phone or tablet, a reader, and you are taking cards the same day. Owners contrast that with a $5,000 register install.
Free POS, invoices, and online store in one login
Shops that grow into staff, loyalty, and inventory stay because switching POS is harder than living with the rate.
Next-day deposits and a published flat rate
Owners like knowing the in-person rate up front, including Amex, with no PCI or statement fee on the fees help page.
What they hesitate about
Fees add up at volume
The published rate is simple, not cheap. Owners who cross mid-six figures start shopping custom rates or another processor.
Gross vs net in the books
Booking the bank deposit as sales understates income and misses fees. Bookkeepers want a clearing account and the sales summary, not the net transfer.
Native QBO connector is messy for restaurants
A sales receipt per ticket blows up the register. Bookkeepers post a monthly journal or buy Synder / Bookkeep.
How it hits your books
- Replaces your ledger
- No
- QuickBooks Online
- Yes
- Xero
- Yes
- Multi-entity
- No
- Inventory
- Partial
- 1099s
- Partial
- Payroll
- Partial
Export the sales summary and reconciliation report, or review the QBO/Xero connector, then match the net bank deposit in the ledger. Book gross sales and fees, not the deposit as income. Gift cards, paid in/out, and payout timing are the usual residuals.
Sales summary CSV, reconciliation report, and (if connected) the QuickBooks Online or Xero file. Square Dashboard is not a tax package. Square does not e-file the return.
Images
Features
Take cards at the counter and online
Accept tap, dip, swipe, Tap to Pay, Cash App Pay, Afterpay, cash, and check. Free in-person cards are 2.6% + 15¢. Online and invoice cards on Free are 3.3% + 30¢. The Payments API is 2.9% + 30¢. Manual entry or card on file is 3.5% + 15¢ on every plan.
Invoices, online store, and Square Banking on Free
Free includes the POS app, a website and online ordering, unlimited invoices, and Square Banking. ACH on an invoice is 1% with a $1 minimum ($0 if the payout lands in Square Checking). Next-business-day transfers are included. Instant Transfer is 1.95% on top of processing.
Sales summary and reconciliation, not the books
Dashboard reports show sales, tax, tips, fees, and a reconciliation report that explains the bank deposit. Square does not import your bank and card expenses. Export CSV and close in QuickBooks Online, Xero, or Wave.
Push sales into QuickBooks Online or Xero
Intuit's Square Connector imports sales, refunds, fees, tax, tips, and discounts into QuickBooks Online (one-way). Xero is on Square's App Marketplace and posts a daily sales summary (Amaka setup). There is no native Wave connector. Bookkeepers often replace the native QBO import with a monthly journal or Synder.
Inventory, staff, and loyalty on Plus
Plus is $49/month per location and adds staff management, loyalty, marketing, advanced inventory (unit costs, counts, purchase orders, COGS report), and industry POS modes. Free keeps a basic item library. KDS and Kiosk apps are Plus and Premium only and bill per device on top.
Payroll sits outside the POS plan
Square Payroll is a paid add-on on every plan. Full-service is $35/month plus $6 per person paid. Contractor-only is $6 per person paid. Paper W-2 and 1099 copies are $3 per person per year if you opt in. Payroll can sync to QuickBooks Online. Hardware is sold separately.
Pricing
A one-location shop on Free pays $0 software. The bill is processing: 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person card, 3.3% + 30¢ on invoices and the online store. Instant Transfer adds 1.95% on the payout. Two locations on Plus are $98/month before cards. Five people on Square Payroll add $35 plus $6 each ($65). Hardware, KDS, and Kiosk sit on top. Custom rates are a sales conversation above $250,000 a year.
Square Free
Solo and one-counter shops. Software is free. You pay processing. Multiple locations at no extra software cost.
- POS app, invoices, online store, Square Banking
- In-person cards 2.6% + 15¢
- Online and invoice cards 3.3% + 30¢
- Online API 2.9% + 30¢
- Next-business-day transfers
- ACH invoice 1%, $1 min ($0 into Square Checking)
Square Plus
Staff, loyalty, marketing, and advanced inventory. 30-day trial.
- Everything in Free
- Staff, loyalty, marketing, industry POS modes
- Advanced inventory and COGS report
- In-person cards 2.5% + 15¢
- Online and invoice cards 2.9% + 30¢
- 500 texts/month, then 3¢
Square Premium
Lowest published in-person rate, advanced reporting, and 24/7 phone support. 30-day trial.
- Everything in Plus
- Advanced reporting and 24/7 phone support
- No gift-card load fee
- In-person cards 2.4% + 15¢
- Online and invoice cards 2.9% + 30¢
- 2,500 texts/month, then 1.5¢
Custom
Shops over $250,000 a year in processing. Sales conversation for rates, hardware discounts, and onboarding.
- Custom processing rates
- Hardware discounts
- Onboarding and account management
Integrations
Platforms
Audience
Pick something else instead of Square
Stripe
Pick Stripe instead if you sell online or through an API and do not need a counter POS or Square hardware.
Wave
Pick Wave instead if you need a free cash-basis ledger. Square does not import bank expenses, and there is no native Wave connector. Book the Square deposit from the bank feed.
QuickBooks Online
Pick QuickBooks Online instead if you need the books of record. Square Connector can import sales. Close still happens in QBO.
Synder
Pick Synder instead if Square sales must post into QuickBooks Online or Xero as gross sales, fees, tips, and tax that match the bank deposit. Native QBO import is often too thin for restaurants and multi-tender shops.