Square vs Clover (2026): Which Costs Less Over 36 Months
3 November 2026 · 9 min read · SwitchYourPOS is published by KwickPOS, a restaurant POS company. Neither Square nor Clover is affiliated with this page.
Square vs Clover usually gets decided on looks: which screen staff like, which handheld feels better. Both run a restaurant. The money question is narrower and easier to answer than it seems: Clover's card rate is lower, Square's fixed costs are lower, and somewhere in between is the sales level where one overtakes the other. This page finds that point from each company's own published prices.
What each one publishes for a full-service restaurant
| Clover (full-service restaurant bundles) | Square for Restaurants | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Starter $179/mo, Standard $239/mo, Advanced $354/mo, each for 36 months; or $1,799 + $89.95/mo, $2,548 + $109.90/mo, $4,447 + $129.85/mo | Free $0, Plus $49, Premium $149 per location per month; hardware bought separately |
| Hardware in the price | Starter: Station Solo. Standard: Station Solo + Flex handheld. Advanced: adds Station Duo. Cash drawer and receipt printer included | Register (2nd gen) $899 or $44/mo over 24 months; Handheld $399 or $37/mo over 12 months; Terminal $299 |
| In-person card rate | 2.3% + 10¢ | 2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium) |
| Keyed-in card rate | 3.5% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| Tap cards and mobile wallets | Not included in Starter; Flex only in Standard; Flex and Station Duo only in Advanced | Contactless supported |
| Online ordering | "No-fee online ordering" listed in all three bundles | Online card rate 3.3% + 30¢ (Free), 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus, Premium) |
| Term | 36 months on the bundle pricing | Plus and Premium: cancel or switch anytime |
Sources: Clover full-service restaurant pricing (read in a browser), Square for Restaurants pricing, Square restaurant hardware, all checked 3 November 2026.
36-month totals at three sales levels
Take a full-service restaurant that wants a counter station and one handheld: Clover Standard against Square Plus with a Register and a Handheld. Card payments are in person, at a $40 average ticket. The totals add 36 months of plan or bundle fees, hardware, and card fees.
| Card sales | Clover Standard, subscription | Clover Standard, bought | Square Plus + Register + Handheld | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20,000/month | $26,964 | $24,864 | $23,762 | Square Plus |
| $40,000/month | $45,324 | $43,224 | $44,462 | Clover, bought |
| $80,000/month | $82,044 | $79,944 | $85,862 | Clover, bought |
Chart of the table above.
How the $40,000 row works: Clover's card fees are 2.3% × $40,000 + 10¢ × 1,000 payments = $1,020 a month; Square Plus's are 2.5% × $40,000 + 15¢ × 1,000 = $1,150. That $130 a month difference is what Clover's bundle has to earn back. Clover's figures include a cash drawer and receipt printer; the Square figure covers the Register and Handheld only, so add any printer or drawer you need.
The break-even point
Each extra dollar of card sales costs 0.2% + (5¢ ÷ $40) = 0.325% more on Square Plus than on Clover. Square's fixed cost is $49 a month plus $1,298 of hardware spread over 36 months, about $85 a month. So:
- Clover Standard on the subscription ($239/mo) catches up at about $47,400 a month in card sales.
- Clover Standard bought outright ($2,548 + $109.90/mo, about $181 a month over 36 months) catches up at about $29,400 a month.
- Square Premium saves 0.1% against Plus but costs $100 a month more, so it only pays for itself above $100,000 a month in card sales.
A higher average ticket lowers the per-payment savings and moves the break-even up; a lower ticket moves it down. Run your own numbers in our sister site's effective rate calculator.
The fine print that changes the answer
- Tap payments aren't in every Clover bundle. Clover's own table lists tap cards and mobile wallets as not included in Starter, Flex only in Standard, and Flex and Station Duo only in Advanced. If your guests tap, Starter is the wrong bundle.
- Tableside ordering starts at Standard. Starter doesn't include it.
- The price depends on who sells it. Clover's page says the prices shown "are only available on Clover.com". Clover is also sold through Fiserv's ISO and bank partner programs, which set their own pricing and terms, so a quote from your bank or a reseller can differ in rate, fees and term.
- The $450 promotion has conditions. Clover's hardware offer is for new merchants, "Requires a 3-year contract", needs credit approval by 1/31/27, and requires processing $10,000 or more in card transactions within the first four billing cycles. It expires December 31, 2026.
- Approval comes first. Clover says accounts are subject to approval, including credit approval, and "Clover devices are only shipped after the application is approved."
- Fast deposits cost extra. Clover lists Rapid Deposit at a 1.75% fee; payroll integrations are an optional add-on.
- Leaving. Square Plus and Premium can be cancelled anytime. Clover's bundles run 36 months; ask the seller, in writing, what ending early costs at month 12 and month 24.
Which one fits
- Choose Square if your card sales are under about $30,000 a month, you want to start without a term, or you're not sure the restaurant's volume will hold.
- Choose Clover if you're comfortably above the break-even, you want hardware, drawer and printer in one monthly price, and you've checked that the bundle you pick takes tap payments.
- Look further if you want to keep your own processor or agent. Square processes its own payments, and Clover is tied to its seller's processing.
For Toast alongside these two, see our Toast vs Square cost comparison and the Toast vs Square vs Clover comparison on our Restaurant POS Guide. KwickPOS works with your choice of processor; for a third quote, find a KwickPOS reseller and ask for the same 36-month total.
Sources
- Clover: full-service restaurant systems pricing (read in a browser 3 November 2026; the page blocks automated checks)
- Square for Restaurants: pricing; restaurant hardware; What are Square's fees?
- Fiserv: ISO partnerships
Prices checked 3 November 2026. Worked examples are illustrations at a $40 average ticket, in-person payments only, before taxes. Confirm current prices and terms with the seller before you sign.