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Read More Jul 10, 2023 Filed under: Accounting, Bookkeeping, Invoicing, Small Business
Square Credit Card Processing Review (Square Payments)
Our review covers everything you need to know about Square's many excellent payment processing features, including rates, fees, extra features, and more.
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Expert Analyst & Reviewer
UPDATED
Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.
Square
| Total Rating | 5.0 |
|---|---|
| Fees & Rates | Excellent |
| Features | Excellent |
| Customer Service | Good |
| Customer Reviews & Complaints | Excellent |
Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.
Square At A Glance
- Part of Square’s vast ecosystem of scaleable products and services for businesses
- Merchants typically pay a flat rate of 2.6% + $0.10 for swiped, dipped, and tapped transactions (fees vary for online and keyed-in transactions)
- Very affordable and accessible, especially for new merchants or very small businesses
Pros
- Predictable flat-rate pricing for processing
- Ideal for low-volume merchants
- No monthly fees
- Impressive feature set
- Affordable chip card readers
- Enables omnichannel selling
Cons
- Account stability issues
- Not suitable for high-risk industries
Table of Contents
- What Is Square?
- Square Payments Fees & Rates
- Looking For These Square Features? Here Are Our Other Square App Reviews
- Square Merchant Services & Other Features
- What’s New With Square?
- Square Contract & Commitment
- Square Customer Service & Technical Support
- Square Customer Reviews & Complaints
- Final Verdict On Square Payments: Is Square Worth It?
Key Takeaways
Square Payments and point of sale from Square.com earn a perfect 5-star score for ease of use, astounding feature set, transparent and affordable pricing, and overall status as a powerhouse for merchants. While Square credit card processing is not appropriate for all business types, many small businesses enjoy the predictable pricing and the quick setup.
What Is Square?
Square is a great many things, but for this review, we’re focusing on Square Payments, a third-party payment service provider (also known as a PSP).
Square credit card processing (formerly Squareup) is, without a doubt, the most feature-rich and advanced solution you can find without a monthly fee. There’s no monthly fee, no statement fees, and no monthly minimums. This is a great deal for many merchants, especially new ones who don’t have an established processing history.
It is important to note that Square Payments has one major drawback. Because it’s a third-party payment processor, Square is prone to terminating accounts when the risk department decides a merchant has proven to be too much of a liability. So while you can get set up with a Square account almost immediately, you’ll be under scrutiny and have a higher chance of encountering a hold or termination than if you were to open a merchant account with a traditional processor. That said, the majority of users actually won’t have any problems.
Square compares well to Stripe, and we think it’s better than similar mobile payment processors, such as PayAnywhere, but we encourage you to look at our top picks for small business credit card payment processing before making any final decisions.
Square Review Video
Don’t have time to read the whole review? Watch this video to see what one of our payments experts thinks about Square.
Is Square Legit?
Square is as legitimate as any third-party processor can be. While there have been occasional issues with account freezes, Square features upfront pricing and highly-rated customer service while being an extremely popular and convenient choice for small business owners.
Square helped to revolutionize the payment processing game, and one of the biggest reasons for its popularity is its reliability. You really can be up and selling in a matter of minutes, if not seconds, and the user-friendly interface makes it a no-brainer for small business owners who don’t want to overthink their payment processing.
Square Payments Fees & Rates
Square’s pricing is simple. Most people will pay a flat rate of 2.6% + $0.10 for swiped/dipped/tapped transactions. With all of the new products and services Square has launched lately, things have gotten a little bit more complicated, but even so, you’ll find a flat, predictable rate that is consistent no matter what type of card you’re processing.
| Pricing Plan | Monthly Fee | Transaction Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Square POS | $0/month | 2.6% + $0.10 |
| Square Appointments | $0-$69/month | 2.6% + $0.10 for free plan, 2.5% + $0.10 for Pro and Premium plans, 3.5% + $0.15 for manual or card-on-file payments |
| Square For Retail | $0-$60/month | 2.6% + $0.10 for the free plan, 2.5% + $0.10 for the Pro plan, and a custom rate for Premium, 3.5% + $0.15 for manual or card-on-file payments |
| Square For Restaurants | $0-$60/month | 2.6% + $0.10 |
| Square Register | $799 or $39/month for 24 months | Dependent on the software plan |
| Square Online Store | $0/month | Dependent on the software plan |
| Square Invoices | $0-$20/month | 2.9% + $0.30 |
| Square Virtual Terminal | $0/month | 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, 3.5% + $0.15 for manual or card-on-file payments |
The only way you’ll get lower processing rates, and a comparable suite of features is to open a merchant account and choose a compatible POS or eCommerce system. A few mobile processors offer lower rates, but their apps aren’t even close to being as robust as Square’s, and you don’t get any of the extra features that Square has built into its ecosystem. There’s a definite appeal to a system that will work seamlessly, guaranteed, with minimal effort to set up or maintain.
That said, as you start processing higher volumes or larger transactions, a merchant account is probably more stable. Depending on your processor, you might get a dedicated account rep to answer questions and resolve problems. But for a new merchant or a low-volume business, it’s hard to argue with Square’s sheer value. And we do want to note that even large businesses are finding value in staying with Square.
Other Costs For Using Square
Square also has separate processing fees for the growing CBD industry. Again, these rates are upfront and consistent, although they are a little higher as the industry is still considered high-risk. Here are those rates:
- Online: 3.8% + $0.30
- In-Person: 3.5% + $0.10
- Card-On-File: 4.4% + $0.15
Square does not have additional fees for chargeback fees or for being PCI compliant.
Looking For These Square Features? Here Are Our Other Square App Reviews
Square now has separate apps to help with all facets of being a small business owner. As you might expect with Square, these are affordable and easy to use and can be purchased separately depending on your business needs, making Square an exceptionally scaleable product. Check out our reviews for some of Square’s other products:
- Square POS
- Square Appointments
- Square for Retail
- Square for Restaurants
- Square Inventory
- Square Online Store
- Square Invoices
- Square Cash App
- Square Banking
- Square Capital
Square Merchant Services & Other Features
Square’s processing features are set up to help small businesses thrive. Square makes it easy to take virtually any form of payment and easily syncs with its own hardware and software platforms, even while integrating with other popular POS systems. Square is also PCI-compliant and helps you get your money quickly with no hidden fees.
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Credit Card Processing | |
| ACH Payment Processing | |
| Cryptocurrency Processing | |
| Currency Conversion | |
| PCI Compliance | |
| Real-Time Reporting | |
| Recurring Billing & Subscriptions | |
| Invoicing | |
| Native eCommerce Integrations | |
| Pre-Made Online Checkout Form | |
| Custom Online Checkout Form | |
| Native POS Integrations | |
| POS Integration SDK |
Integrated Payment Processing For POS & Invoicing
You can use Square’s built-in tools to send invoices or link up a third-party integration. Square’s invoicing tools support one-off and recurring invoices as well as installment payments.
More importantly, Square offers assistance with contract creation by providing a wide range of templates. You can set up default invoice templates based on your business’s information and attach all sorts of files, including purchase orders, images, and more.
Here are a few key features that Square Payments can handle:
- Save and update payment methods on file
- Add or remove bank account
- Card on file security
- Card-on-file email notifications
- One rate for tap, dip, or swipe payments
- PCI compliance
- Chargeback assistance
- Real-time reporting
If you’re interested in more information about invoicing, see how Square compares to QuickBooks.
Square Payment Gateway
You can use your own domain or purchase one through Square and get free hosting. If you have a website built already, and it’s powered by BigCommerce, WooCommerce, Weebly, Ecwid, Magento, or a handful of others, you can integrate Square directly to process payments.
Supported features for these integrations vary, so do your research if you want a seamless platform for selling both in-person and online.
Square Online Checkout is a flexible way to take payments from your shoppers, donors, or clients without necessarily having a full eCommerce site. We see this as an effort by Square to compete with PayPal and the ease and flexibility of the PayPal button.
You can add a payment button to an existing web page through a link or text or create a shoppable Instagram or Facebook post. This new feature also includes a QR code system that allows you to break your shop or outdoor pick-up area into zones. Customers can place an order and pay, and your team is updated on where to bring items, whether that’s in-store or local delivery.
Here are a few other key features:
- Single transactions
- Recurring transactions
- Multiparty transactions
- Afterpay installments
- Digital wallets
- ACH bank transfers
- Custom rates for large payment volume
Square Hardware
We’ll look briefly at Square’s hardware, but for a more detailed explanation — including options for bundled POS kits — check out our guide on Square POS hardware. Here are the main options:
- Basic Magstripe Card Reader: First reader, $0; subsequent readers, $10 (Square now offers both 3.5mm headphone jack and Lightning variants)
- Square Contactless & Chip Reader: $49; you’ll also get a free basic magstripe reader, and financing is available (check out our full Square Contactless & Chip Reader review)
- Square Stand With Contactless & Chip Reader: $169
Additionally, Square now offers two all-in-one POS devices with built-in card readers: Square Register and Square Terminal. Square Register is a customized piece of Android hardware designed to run Square Point of Sale. You can get the Register on its own for $799. Financing is available with reasonable terms, so you can spread that out over monthly payments.
Square Terminal is the ideal compromise if you think Square Register might be too much for your needs. This small credit card terminal features a smartphone-sized screen and runs Square Point of Sale. It also has integrated card readers for magstripe, chip card, and contactless transactions as well as a built-in receipt printer.
| Square Free Reader | Square Stand With Contactless Chip Reader | Square Terminal | Square Register | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free (Additional Readers $10) | $169 (excluding iPad) | $299 | $799 |
| Supported Payment Types | Magstripe | Magstripe, EMV, contactless | Magstripe, EMV, contactless | Magstripe, EMV, contactless |
| Compliant With Square App? | ||||
| Compliant With Square Appointments? | ||||
| Compliant With Square For Retail? | ||||
| Compliant With Square For Restaurants? | ||||
| Works With Cash Drawer? | ||||
| Supports Wireless Use? |
If you’d like a more detailed examination of the hardware options available, take a look at our complete Square Register review and then read our full Square Terminal review.
What’s New With Square?
One of the more exciting things about using Square is that it is constantly updating its features and adding to its product line. Each year, if not each month, Square rolls out new improvements in the form of integrations or hardware, which continue to make things easier for small business owners. Here are some of their most recent developments over the last 12 months:
- Square Tap To Pay For iPhone: This feature has been talked about for nearly a year and is now available on iPhones. You can simply ring up the sale on your Square mobile app, present your phone to your customer, and allow them to make a contactless payment via ApplePay or other methods.
- Accept Afterpay In-Person And Online: Square’s Afterpay allows customers to pay in no-interest installments while vendors are paid in full. Online payments are processed at 2.6% +$0.10 per transaction.
- New Customer Accounts For Square Online: A new update for Square Online users will allow buyers with a Square Online account to track the status of their orders, look at past orders, and edit Square Pay information.
- Square Banking: Sync up your payments, checking, and savings accounts with Square Banking for easy automation and tracking.
- New Restaurant Mobile POS Kit: Square has unveiled a new kit available for Square for Restaurants Plus users. It comes with a Samsung Galaxy A32 phone and Square Reader for contactless and chip, plus an insert guide. The kit costs $299.
- Square Stand Mount Available For Pre-Order: Square has unveiled a new mount that can affix to countertops and walls that acts similarly to its previous Square Stand.
- Square Photo Studio App Updates: You can now use your camera roll photos with the app, including existing photos. You can also make adjustments to background removal and edit shadows.
- Square Appointments Pricing Changes: As of April 2022, Square Appointments has a new pricing structure. There is still a free plan, while the Plus plan costs $29/month, and the Premium plan is $69/month. The free plan has a processing fee of 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, while the paid plans have fees of 2.5% +$0.10.
Square Contract & Commitment
Is Square Honest & Transparent About Its Merchant Agreement?
Square does very well with transparency — everything the company says in its advertising and marketing checks out. There are no wacky sales gimmicks or promises of unbeatable rates, free rate reviews, etc. The “free” basic magstripe reader is actually free, and you can easily find the price for every aspect of Square’s service on a corresponding web page.
Square’s knowledgebase is also incredible, and you don’t even need an account to look through it. That’s great if you want to compare how specific features work before you open an account. The blog (called Townsquare) is full of content targeting merchants and businesses of all types, reflecting Square’s diverse customer base.
What Are The Commitments When You Use Square?
There is no early termination fee or locked-in contract with Square, which is true of almost all third-party processors. Every add-on service is month-to-month, and there’s a 30-day free trial for each, meaning there is no risk. Be warned that you must wait the full 30 days in your trial period before canceling or renewing your subscription.
How Easily Can You Terminate Your Agreement With Square?
As mentioned, Square charges monthly, so you’re never locked into its software products. It’s also easy to deactivate your Square account.
If you have financed hardware, those terms will apply regardless of whether you’re still using Square to process payments. But generally, Square offers a 30-day trial period for its hardware, wherein you can return the hardware with no penalty if you don’t like it.
Square Customer Service & Technical Support
You have a few ways to reach out to Square if you have a problem. Square now has a pop-up messaging window that asks you what you need and drills down to the right next steps. You can also message the Facebook page, use Twitter, or send Square an email to reach their customer service.
But if you’re in a pinch and need an answer right away, you probably want phone support, which is available Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM Pacific Time. Those aren’t the best hours, but they should work for the majority of merchants.
| Option | Availability |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | |
| Live Chat | |
| Community Forum | |
| Knowledgebase | |
| Social Media | |
| Hours | 6 AM to 6 PM Monday through Friday |
Square for Restaurants expanded support hours for the Plus and Premium plans to offer one-on-one implementation services and 24/7 customer support. Square is quick to brag that most other departments keep in close contact with the support team, including the executives. There’s also a useful site that will tell you whether any of Square’s services are having technical issues.
That’s not to say that Square’s system is perfect. The phone support system is still limited only to merchants who can obtain a customer code and then dial in. People whose accounts have been terminated cannot reach Square on the phone, as the company says it will only communicate via email once that happens.
The online user manual probably answers most of your questions regarding the Square system. It is extensive and contains helpful screen captures and walkthroughs for every feature. The Square manual is, in my opinion, the gold standard for merchant services support pages.
And if that’s not enough to help you through, try Square’s Seller Community. Square reps and experienced merchants alike weigh in on questions, so it’s a good way to get an answer you can’t find elsewhere on the web.
Square Customer Reviews & Complaints
Given that Square is such a large platform serving new businesses, Squareup reviews from customers are overwhelmingly positive.
Negative Square Reviews & Complaints
There is a common theme to the Square complaints that do relate to merchant services, and they boil down to one issue: funding holds.
That said, when you start digging into Square complaints on other sites across the web, you’ll notice a few other trends. There are numerous complaints from customers who say a Square merchant scammed them. For instance, you’ll find many Square reviews and complaints about the Cash App.
This is a case where you simply can’t rely on the number of complaints in Square business reviews as an indicator of the quality of service.
Here are the main complaints about Square:
- Stability issues
- Funding holds
- Lack of features
- Fees
Positive Square Reviews & Testimonials
The majority of people are happy and reflect that in Square reviews. Here are the main things people like:
- Robust features
- Simple design
- Low fees
- Easy to open accounts
Final Verdict On Square Payments: Is Square Worth It?
So is Square worth it? Whether you are dabbling in sales for your side hustle or you want to find solutions to improve efficiency in your thriving store, Square could be an amazing tool. Even mid-sized to larger businesses can benefit from everything Square offers. As far as value goes, Square is tough to beat. Square’s pricing for card processing is competitive for a pay-as-you-go processor, and it can sometimes beat out or at least break even with interchange-plus pricing plans.
With features such as inventory management, a free and fully functional virtual terminal, advanced reporting, offline processing, recurring billing, marketing, online sales, and more, Square has more features than I’ve seen from any other no-monthly-fee provider. All of the free software puts merchants in a position to save money, especially with their suite of omnichannel tools that continue to improve.
Looking for something else? Check out our post on great alternatives to Square.
Matt Sherman
Expert Analyst & Reviewer at Merchant Maverick
Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
View Matt Sherman's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Square |
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Square for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Square |
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Square for yourself.
Nightmare……… CBD department only communicates through email. If you have ANY words on your website that they don’t like or feel are in violation, they suspend you and keep all funds frozen until you fix it. However, they will not tell you what to fix. After guessing and hoping we had fixed the few errors, after over 3 months of basic generic responses from Square saying we still had mistakes, they sent a simple email saying we were permanently suspended and no longer able to work with Square. Called Square and they have actually blocked us from reaching someone to help….it simply plays a message saying you are suspended, sorry, and money will be returned to your bank account and no options can be selected to speak with anyone within the company. We are not an isolated case according to another merchant processor….waves of companies are being suspended. We couldn’t be more annoyed and disappointed in the lack of business client support.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: 4H MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC
I have had used square with for my plumbing business for the last 4 years. We have started a new maintenance business and decided to sign up for square for this business as well.After signing up, got my account all set up. Went thru there set up process ect…. I processed a payment for $1900.00. Later that day I got sent an email saying my account was deactivated and they were holding the funds I processed for 90 days. I tried to call the customer service department. well. they basically told me they can’t tell me why my account was shut down, that no manager or higher up would talk to me. They basically opened my account, took our money and shut us down. For what … I couldn’t tell you because they would not explain to me why.I highly recommend not using this company. they have no customer service skills; they don’t care about their customers.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Maverick Flooring
Look elsewhere! They do hold your money for (90) days!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: For Goodness Bake
USE A DIFFERENT SERVICE
Chat support is absolutely useless.
Phone support regularly hangs up on you..
Managers do nothing but take notes…
Features are lack luster even if you are paying for all their extras.
Even when there are clear issues caused by their software, they refuse to adequately look into the issues that are clear to find..
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: VAN TASSEL AND ASSOCIATES
We operate a business providing reports for the real estate industry. In order to take a requested credit card payment from a client we opened an account with Square. All information requested by Square was provided except for the password to our bank account. Square processed the credit card payment to their account and continued to ask for additional information which was provided. Conversations with their “Customer Service” representatives indicated what additional information was needed and it was provided, and the Customer Service representative indicated that all needed information had been received. Square is now indicating that our business is not one that they support and are holding the credit card payment in their account and will not be sending funds to our bank account for over three months, and we have no guarantee that they will do so based on reviews by others having the same experience. DO NOT USE this company,
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: ABSOLUT SPORT INC.
Square is not what they pretend to be… We went through the onboarding process and we used the services. We were able to use the card processing services but Square had been holding our funds. They said Square needed more financial documents to authorize the transaction. We provided the documents but no response for a week.. Later, we got a note they could not support our business needs and they will deposit the funds into our account within 2 business days, probably because we are a tour operator and the pandemic places us in a high-risk business. Why they did tell us that before?? Customer service rating is 0. The account rep was clueless. Then they sent us another note a week later saying our funds will be held for 90 days with no explanation. This is not a 5* star company and we moved on to Stripe. Square has terrible customer service and poor crisis management. I wish we had never contacted this bad company. If you choose them be AWARE at your own risk they might hold your funds with no plausible reason .ABSOLUT SPORT INC.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Grasso's Service Center
Terrible customer service. I will be looking to find another company. A customer refuses to pay a 46.00 bill stating we never performed a road service to her car when i have pictures on the scene showing the service was performed. Customer stated we never showed up to help her. We take pictures of every service we perform and it shows our truck and her car. If i did not perform the service how would i have the pics to prove it. Square was TERRIBLE AND THEIR PROCEDURE TO HANDLE IS TERRIBLE. Think twice if you are thinking of using this company especially in this climate !!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Bigbandforusall
I note that there is a pop-up ad for Square on this review. Clearly the website is profiting from this as review, so its veracity is questionable. You wait more than half an hour to get support to answer the phone. The contact number is hidden as deep as they can arrange; not on the website in the usual place, but as an answer to a question in a support site. It turns out the device and software can’t be used by associations- non -profits with members. They don’t seem to be in any hurry to change that, so ZERO. ZERO (or at least the minimum possible) IS OUR RATING FOR SQUARE, until they get their act together.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi there,
Thank you for leaving your review and I’m so sorry that you have had such a negative experience with them. I’m not sure if this is the same number you have, but I was able to pull this customer support number up for you.
As a side note I wanted to clarify that we actually never get paid to write good reviews! This is how we make money if you’d like to check it out. Best wishes to you!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: LI Toy & Game
Back in October I enabled Square Payments on my Big Commerce website. Everything was fine the 1st two months, then in December I sold an item to someone who used Square Pay (mind you, this is THEIR OWN application).Before I had a chance to pack and ship it out I got an email from Square requesting all sorts of verification information…Hello William,Our system noticed some unusual activity on your Square account. To make sure were keeping Square a safe and transparent payment system for everyonebuyers and sellers alikewere suspending transfers to your bank account until we can confirm some of your information.1. Please provide a copy of the customer(s) credit card processed for the transaction listed below: $96.50 MasterCard 2352 on 12/9/20, 12:10 pm2. Please provide your customer’s state or government-issued identification.We’re able to accept these types of IDs: Drivers License, Passport, Passport Card, State-issued Identification Card $96.50 MasterCard 2352 on 12/9/20, 12:10 pmAgain, this was an ONLINE sale, on my own website, using Square’s plug-in app for the Big Commerce platform… how would I have access to any of this information?! I emailed with someone from support named “[name redacted]” but they never responded to my email after answering thier questions.I sent them a follow-up email a few days later:Hello [name redacted],Due to this experience I have disabled Square as a payment method on our website. I may re-enable it, it depends upon the outcome of this horrible ordeal.Why did Square approve the transaction, then act like I am the one doing something wrong? It was a website payment for a toy using the Square integration with Big Commerce. Ive never had anything like this happen with PayPal, whom weve been using for 15 years! Invoice is attached, it is now 8 DAYS OLD!!I never received a response, but the next day I got this email from “[name redacted]”:Hi William,Your account is currently under review due to some changes in your activity.While under review, we place a temporary hold on your Square funds to ensure that everything is safe. To release this hold, well just need you to confirm a few account details for us.They wanted the same 2 pieces of information that I do not have access to as it is an eCommerce website!My response:Hello [name redacted],This is RIDICULOUS! It was a website order, therefore I do not have a copy of the customers credit card or identification! Ive submitted the invoice online and also via email yesterday to [name redacted].WHY is Square harassing me about a transaction approved and authorized via the Square integration for my Big Commerce website?! I have been using PayPal on our website for 15 years without one single problem. I enable Square a couple of months ago, and now my funds are frozen!!!!His response:Hi William,Thank you for taking the time to reply my email. We are more than happy to help!Unfortunately, we werent able to fully confirm your account details with the information you provided.Until we receive a completed request form from you, we cannot transfer funds to your linked bank account.That was on Dec. 18th with no further communication either way.I received this email today:Hello William,Were sorry to inform you that weve had to deactivate your account. Based on the information you provided about your business, were not able to support your business needs right now. You wont be able to process payments with Square.Unfortunately, this decision is final.Is this some sort of sick joke?!I disabled your platform over 3 months ago, and now you’re dropping me?As the owner of a physical retail store and a successful eCommerce website, I had already determined that your system cannot be trusted. LMAO
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Columbia Booksellers & Variety Store
Our store has just been dealt a massive blow by Square who suddenly deactivated our account because we sell non-firing display replicas of historic 18th and 19th-century firearms in addition to swords and knives pattered after originals from the Colonial through Old West period. They provided no warning or any opportunity to discuss and explain that they are not real firearms and that we sell items in a State Historic Park that interprets the California Gold Rush history. After having an account with them for two years, they just cut the cord and sent an impersonal boilerplate email with a noreply email address. I called our account manager, who said they are unwilling to reverse their decision and wished me well. Our point-of-sale system, website, shipping services, gift cards, rewards program, marketing campaigns, and payroll was all managed in the Square application and is now gone along with countless hours of setup and administration time.
We are completely shocked and dismayed that Square would make a decision resulting in an enormous hardship on a business without the courtesy of a phone call to discuss any concerns with us or to find a workable solution. I suppose it’s another example of a company that lost its heart and soul when it became “big” and no longer cares about their customer relationships anymore. I used to sing the praises of Square and recommended them to many friends. Now, I caution anyone considering Square that they are not the same company they used to be and is no longer a friend of small business.
This is a crushing blow for us, especially on top of the challenges from the pandemic. As a result, we have to close our store until we can find and set up a replacement system, which is not a small task. I really hope that Square reads this and learns how to find their way again.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Gaslamp Thai Massage Therapy
There are hundreds of business owner reviews of both Square and Stripe on this site. Hundreds of NEGATIVE reviews, and a whole lot of them are concerning no notice account deactivation. How on earth are both Square and Stripe rated 5-star by Merchant Maverick. The comments from business-owner customers of Square and/or Stripe are very much at odds with the high-praise, almost fawning, reviews from the Staff writers at Merchant Maverick.
I don’t believe the business-owner customers have anything to gain by sharing their negative experiences. Not all 535 of them. Which makes these Merchant Maverick write-ups suspect. I don’t feel I can trust them under these circumstances.
As a victim of a no notice, no explanation account deactivation by Square, after 30 months and about $280,000, I can assure you that you’d have to be a fool to trust your business’s finances and reputation to these unscrupulous, unethical cretins. Especially with hundreds and hundreds of reviews here warning you against doing that. Don’t trust Square! Don’t trust Stripe! Don’t trust Merchant Maverick!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jeffrey,
That is awful! I’m so sorry that happened to you- I really am. Your opinion of Square is completely understandable, and you are not alone, as you’ve noted. We genuinely hate hearing these types of stories.
I just want to assure you that our writers follow the same rating and scoring criteria for every single review we write, and customer feedback is paramount. Our readers are our number one interest, so actual user feedback carries a lot of weight. It may also be important to note, that we take our reader comments into consideration, especially if trends are noticed, but the star rating is determined entirely by our scoring rubric. It is not an average score made up of the small pool of reader reviews posted here on our site. It’s much, much larger.
The overall complaint volume of a company might seem like a lot, but in Square’s case it’s actually pretty small compared to their merchant base of at least 2 million users.” So, you are absolutely right–there are a lot of negative reviews! But the negative-positive ratio is overwhelmingly positive. Even so, we do try to warn readers about a variety of Square (and Stripe) complaints across various websites, including the BBB. And we make a point to call out the most common complaints- accounting holds/freezes (and how to avoid them). We really do try to provide fair and balanced information so our readers can make informed decisions. And while Square and Stripe have both earned high ratings with us, we still wouldn’t recommend them for every business, but they are an excellent option for many. I hope that helps clarify how our ratings are established, and hopefully alleviates some of your skepticism about our intentions. If there is anything else you’d like to know we are happy to answer with total transparency. Best wishes to you.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Florida Reflo
Squareup has straight up stolen my money; its not even a hold. They said they were releasing my funds weeks ago and they just stopped responding like a two bit scam artist.I was processing over Christmas and had around $35,000 in my account when I received an email that my deposits where suspended and that I need to submit documents to have my account verified. I knew this would probably happened eventually so I was not bothered and started gathering the info.Then, BEFORE I SUBMITTED anything, I got a second email stating that my account was being completely deactivated because of a pattern of high risk transactions and that my funds would be released according to my regular payout schedule, which meant 1 to 2 business days. Well, that wasn’t great but at least there was no hold. Several days go by, and the fund are not transferred. So I thought maybe they still wanted to see my documents. I submit those and I get an email saying I would hear back in business days. That was December 23rd. TOTAL RADIO SILENCE EVER SINCE.I have sent emails through the web contact form to no avail. When I call, I get a recording that tells me to check the email for a release date and to email them if that date passes. Well I never got an email with a release date! I created a burner account just so I could call in and speak to a person, and he says that he cant reach the right team, so I need to send an email and I will get a response in 24 hours. But Ive sent several emails over the course of the last few weeks and total silence.Whats really strange: the email asking for documents says that I can continue editing the documents and responses until the review begins by clicking a link in the email. When I click that link I CAN STILL EDIT MY RESPONSES – WHICH MEANS NO ONE EVER REVIEWED THEM. They are just sitting in limbo.I wouldn’t mind if I had been given a release date but since I don’t have one I am assuming they intend to hold my money forever. Which means time to get a lawyer. Sheesh.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: The Divine Saga Studios, LLC
Square Shady Business PracticesI was customer for a few years, their fees were high but so was everyone’s. I hated the fact that if I had a payment on Friday I wouldn’t get until Monday which I think is crap. But back in Oct or Nov 2019 they changed that by adding a feature that you could turn on that would allow you to get funds sooner on the weekends. The idea was if you receive payment before 5 PM the funds would be processed to your account at * PM but when it showed up in your account sometime between Friday evening and Sunday evening. After 5 PM it wouldn’t be processed to your account until Sunday at 8 PM and would be there Monday morning. So I set it up never had an issue. Any payments recieved before 5 PM were in my account on Saturday morning. I even had payments received before 8 PM that still ended up in my account by Saturday morning. Never had a problem until I got a payment this Friday roughly early on in the day. I woke at 5 AM to check my email and found an email sent oddly enough at 4:38 AM telling me the following: Hello,To improve access to your funds, Square will now send your Friday night transfers on Sunday night. our funds will still arrive by Monday. This update keeps your funds in your Square balance over the weekend, so you can access them instantly if needed. If you would like your Friday transfers to be sent on Friday night disable Weekend Balance from the Friday Transfer Settings page of your Square Dashboard.Note they called this an update and was being done to improve access to my funds. I didn’t have a Square Debit card. I tried support and changed the setting, received an email stating a change had been made. Never received an email before this stating a changed had been made until 4:38 AM with the email they sent. I of course couldn’t get anyone from Support so I did the transfer fee even though I shouldn’t have had to but I needed to process the order and couldn’t wait till Monday to fix it. They have made a bunch of money off of me in fees, never complained once about them but I complained about this not because it $20 bucks but because this company decided all by itself to change a setting that only benefits them. The longer money stays in the account they make money off of it. I contacted support and went through 4 people who told it was impossible for a change to be made from their side but I did software development for a long time. They tried to say the change was made on my end despite an email that I showed them saying this was an update to improve access to my funds even though I had no way of accessing those funds except through depositing it in my account. No Square cards are issued on my account. I did apply for one later the same day of this situation with the idea that they would do the right thing and give me my $20 back but no. I asked to provide me a time and day of this change I made on my side but she couldn’t nor could she explain the email sent at 4:38 AM that was never sent before when I received money. They are liars and cheats. I will create a website and make search the search engine is optimized on my Godaddy server to come up with this information any time someone searches for this crap company that goes in and changing settings and then lies about it. If this company thinks it is ok to conduct business this way and you choose to do business with them you deserve what you get.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.