Square Payments vs Stax: which one fits your business?
Side-by-side comparison of Square Payments and Stax — fees, features, ease, support, and which one fits your business. Scored on the same rubric.
Short answer: Square Payments wins on our scorecard (7.8/10 vs 7.6/10).
| Scored on | Square Payments | Stax |
|---|---|---|
| Right fit for small biz | 8 | 9 |
| Ease of use | 9 | 6 |
| Fees & pricing | 7 | 7 |
| Customer support | 5 | 7 |
| Features | 9 | 9 |
| Monthly Fee | $0 (Basic) | — |
| In-person Rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | — |
| Online/Keyed Rate | 2.9% - 3.5% + 15¢ | — |
| Instant Transfer Fee | 1.75% per transfer | — |
| Monthly Subscription | — | Starting at $99 |
| Interchange Markup | — | 0% |
| ACH Processing | — | Flat fee (varies by plan) |
| PCI Compliance | — | Included in subscription |
Square Payments in one paragraph
Square is the gold standard for speed and simplicity, though you pay a premium in transaction fees for the convenience.
Skip it if: Skip it if your business processes more than $20,000 per month, as you'll save thousands elsewhere with interchange-plus pricing.
Stax in one paragraph
Stax is the premier 'grown-up' choice for high-volume businesses that are tired of losing thousands to percentage-based markups.
Skip it if: You process less than $5,000 per month or need an instant, no-credit-check setup.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Square Payments or Stax?
On our five-axis scorecard, Square Payments scores higher (7.8/10 vs 7.6/10). Square is the gold standard for speed and simplicity, though you pay a premium in transaction fees for the convenience.
Who should skip Square Payments?
Skip it if your business processes more than $20,000 per month, as you'll save thousands elsewhere with interchange-plus pricing.
Who should skip Stax?
You process less than $5,000 per month or need an instant, no-credit-check setup.