VitaPay and Square: two ways to price a card payment.
Square publishes flat rates that depend on the plan: a free plan and two paid monthly plans with lower in-person and online rates, and custom pricing for larger businesses.
How Square prices, from its own pages.
Square charges a flat percentage plus a fixed amount per payment, and the rate depends on the plan. Its pricing page lists a free plan and two paid plans, Plus and Premium, charged per location per month, with lower rates on the paid plans. Manually entered cards and cards on file have their own rate on every plan.
Published standard US rates
Square publishes a flat rate per payment for in-person, online and invoice, API, and manually entered or card-on-file payments, with lower rates on its paid plans. The current figures are on Square's pricing page (checked September 21, 2026).
Published monthly plans
Square Free, Square Plus and Square Premium, charged per location per month, as listed on its pricing page.
Square says businesses above an annual processing volume it names can ask whether they are eligible for custom pricing and processing fees. It does not name interchange-plus or publish the custom rates. Square pricing page.
Where each model tends to fit.
Who Square suits
Newer and smaller businesses that want a published rate, a free plan to start on and hardware they can buy off the shelf, with point-of-sale software included.
Where VitaPay tends to fit
Restaurants that want to keep more of every sale with a cash discount program, set up compliantly, and larger groups that want a statement they can audit, on a cash discount program or transparent interchange-plus.
Whether it costs less depends on your card mix, your average sale and the pricing you are quoted, which is why VitaPay quotes in writing against your own statement rather than publishing a headline rate.
VitaPay and Square, point by point.
| Compared | VitaPay | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | A cash discount program for restaurants by default; for larger groups, a cash discount program or transparent interchange-plus. | Published flat rates per payment type and plan, listed on Square's pricing page. |
| Published standard rates | Not published. Quoted in writing after a statement review. | Published flat rates per payment type and plan, listed on Square's pricing page. |
| Contract terms, as publicly stated | No long-term contract and no early termination penalty. | No locked-in contracts, and plans can be cancelled or switched at any time, as stated on its pricing page. Source: Square pricing page |
| Hardware, as publicly stated | Terminals can be bought outright or leased. A phone or tablet you already own can also be used. | Sold outright or paid in monthly instalments, subject to credit approval. The hardware page does not say whether Square devices work with other processors. Source: Square hardware page |
| Statement transparency | No statement, batch or annual fee and no monthly minimum, so every line is one you agreed to. On interchange-plus, interchange and assessments appear at cost, with the VitaPay margin shown as its own line. | Published flat rates per payment type and plan, listed on Square's pricing page. |
When Square may be the better fit.
If you are just opening, take a small amount by card, or want to be set up in an afternoon with hardware you can buy today, Square’s free plan and published rates may suit you better than a quoted account. Square also says larger businesses may be eligible for custom pricing, which is worth asking about before you compare.
Common questions.
What does Square charge for a card payment in the US?
Square's rates depend on the plan and the payment type, with lower rates on the paid Plus and Premium plans and a separate rate for manually entered or saved cards. Check Square's pricing page for the current figures.
Does Square offer custom pricing?
Square says businesses above an annual processing volume it names can ask whether they are eligible for custom pricing and processing fees. It does not name interchange-plus.
Sources and date checked.
Every statement about Square on this page was read on its own website. Prices and terms change; check the source before relying on them.
- Square pricing page Checked September 21, 2026
- Square hardware page Checked September 21, 2026
Other comparisons: VitaPay and Stripe, VitaPay and Toast, VitaPay and Shift4
Compare against your own statement.
Send us a recent statement and we will separate interchange and network costs from the processor’s share, then quote you in writing. No long-term contract and no early termination penalty.
