The short answer
For online sales there is no cheaper option: Stripe and Square both charge 2.9% plus $0.30 per card payment. A $100 online sale costs $3.20 with either processor, and the math matches at every amount. The comparison only gets interesting for in-person and manually keyed-in payments, where the fee structures differ enough to create clear winners on each side of a crossover point. All rates below are the published US pricing as of October 2026, and both companies let high-volume businesses negotiate custom rates, so neither list price is the final word at scale.
Online payments: an exact tie
Stripe's standard online rate is 2.9% plus $0.30 per successful charge. Square charges 2.9% plus $0.30 per remote transaction, which covers online checkout, payment links, and card-on-file payments. Run the math on any amount and the two answers match: on $25, both take 0.725 plus 0.30, which is $1.03. On $250, both take 7.25 plus 0.30, which is $7.55. If your business sells entirely online, the fee decision comes down to everything except price: developer tools, dashboard quality, payout speed, and add-ons. Both charge no monthly fee and no setup fee.
Where they differ online is philosophy. Stripe is the developer platform: deeper APIs, stronger subscription billing, and more payment methods. Square is the simpler all-in-one: free point-of-sale software, easier onboarding, and a gentler learning curve. Fees will not separate them, so pick the one whose tooling fits your team.
In-person payments: the crossover sits at $100
This is where the two diverge. Square charges 2.6% plus $0.15 per tap, dip, or swipe. Stripe charges 2.7% plus $0.05 for in-person Terminal payments. Square's lower percentage helps on big tickets; Stripe's lower fixed fee helps on small ones. The two cost exactly the same at $100: Square takes 2.60 plus 0.15, or $2.75, and Stripe takes 2.70 plus 0.05, also $2.75.
Worked examples make the split concrete. On a $20 in-person sale, Stripe takes 0.54 plus 0.05, or $0.59, while Square takes 0.52 plus 0.15, or $0.67: Stripe wins by eight cents. On a $300 sale the picture flips: Stripe takes 8.10 plus 0.05, or $8.15, while Square takes 7.80 plus 0.15, or $7.95: Square wins by twenty cents. The rule of thumb is simple: under $100 at the counter, Stripe is cheaper; over $100, Square is cheaper. On tiny tickets the gap is dramatic: a $2 coffee costs about $0.10 in Stripe fees (5.2% effective) but about $0.20 with Square (10.1% effective), because Square's 15-cent fixed fee dominates small amounts.
Keyed-in payments: the crossover sits at $150
Manually entering a card number, for phone orders or virtual terminal sales, is the most expensive way to take a card with either processor. Stripe charges 3.4% plus $0.30 for keyed-in payments. Square charges 3.5% plus $0.15 for virtual terminal and card-on-file transactions. Again there is a crossover, and it lands at $150: below it, Square's lower fixed fee wins; above it, Stripe's lower percentage wins. On a $50 keyed-in payment, Square takes 1.75 plus 0.15, or $1.90, against Stripe's 1.70 plus 0.30, or $2.00. On a $100 keyed-in payment, Square takes $3.65 against Stripe's $3.70. Above $150 the percentage dominates and Stripe pulls ahead. If phone orders are a big share of your volume, the average order value decides this round.
Invoices: Stripe adds a percentage, Square is free to send
Stripe Invoicing charges 0.4% per paid invoice on its Starter plan (0.5% on Plus), on top of the standard 2.9% plus $0.30 processing. A $1,000 card-paid invoice costs $29.30 in processing plus $4.00 in invoicing fees, $33.30 total. Square Invoices is free to send on the base plan: the same $1,000 invoice costs just the $29.30 processing. Square's paid Invoices Plus plan runs $20 per month and raises the card rate to 3.3% plus $0.30, so it buys features, not cheaper fees. For invoice-heavy freelancers, Square's free tier undercuts Stripe by 0.4% of every invoice unless you need Stripe's API and automation.
Effective rates at common ticket sizes
Percentages hide the real cost on small sales, so here are effective rates, meaning total fee divided by the sale. Online at $10: both charge 0.29 plus 0.30, or $0.59, a 5.9% effective rate. At $50: $1.75, or 3.5%. At $500: $14.80, or 2.96%, converging on the headline 2.9% as the fixed 30 cents fades. In person at $10: Stripe takes 0.27 plus 0.05 ($0.32, 3.2% effective) while Square takes 0.26 plus 0.15 ($0.41, 4.1% effective). At $500 in person: Stripe $13.55 (2.71%), Square $13.15 (2.63%). The pattern is consistent: fixed fees dominate small tickets, percentages dominate large ones, and each crossover is the point where they balance.
The fees beyond the rate card
Secondary fees rarely decide the choice, but they deserve a line in the comparison. Card disputes cost $15 each with Stripe. International cards add 1.5% on Stripe, and Square adds its own cross-border fees on international transactions. Instant transfers cost 1.5% with a $0.50 minimum on Stripe; Square charges 1.75% for instant transfers. Standard next-day or two-day payouts are free with both. Neither charges for refunds beyond keeping the original processing fee. If you sell internationally or need money same-day, price these into the comparison instead of discovering them on the first payout.
Which should you pick?
Sell only online: fees are identical, so choose on tools and fit. Stripe suits developer-led teams and subscription businesses; Square suits sellers who want the simplest setup. Sell mostly in person with an average ticket under $100: Stripe Terminal is cheaper on every sale. Sell in person with tickets over $100: Square is cheaper on every sale. Take lots of phone orders: under $150 per order, Square wins; over $150, Stripe wins. Send lots of invoices: Square's free invoicing beats Stripe's 0.4% per-invoice fee unless you need Stripe's automation. And whatever you choose, revisit the decision as your sales mix changes: the business that picked Square for a farmers-market stall may find Stripe cheaper once the average ticket climbs past $100.