Square fee history 2019–2026
Profitvana Editorial Team · Updated November 9, 2026
Square built its name on one number, 2.75% per swipe, and has spent the years since 2019 replacing it with a schedule that looks more like a traditional processor's: a percentage plus a fixed amount, different rates for card-present, online and keyed payments, and from October 2025 three subscription tiers that buy lower rates. In-person went from 2.75% flat to 2.6% + 10¢ (November 2019) and 2.6% + 15¢ (February 2025); online went from 2.9% + 30¢ to 3.3% + 30¢ on the free plan in January 2026; instant transfers went from 1% to 1.5%, 1.75% and now 1.95%.
Square also quietly ended two seller-friendly policies: processing fees have not been returned on refunds since April 2023, and the promotional Afterpay rate gave way to 6% + 30¢ in 2022. What has not changed is the absence of a dispute fee. Several Square announcements live in a login-gated community forum, so some entries below rest on Square's legal terms pages and on Payments Dive or Digital Transactions reports.
What a $100 sale cost in fees, then and now
| Year | Fees on $100 | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $2.75 in person / $2.90 + 30¢ online | 2.75% flat swipe; 2.9% + 30¢ e-commerce |
| 2020 | $2.70 in person / $3.20 online | 2.6% + 10¢ card-present since Nov 2019 |
| 2025 | $2.75 in person / $3.20 online | 2.6% + 15¢ from Feb 2025; online still 2.9% + 30¢ |
| 2026 (free plan) | $2.75 in person / $3.60 online | Online 3.3% + 30¢ from 13 Jan 2026; Plus/Premium 2.9% + 30¢ |
Timeline (newest first)
official source
Bitcoin in-person payments
0% through 31 December 2026→1%
official source
Instant and same-day transfers
1.75%→1.95% of the transfer
Square's US pages show 1.95% without an effective date; the Canadian schedule dates its move to 15 October (new sellers) and 14 November 2026 (existing).
official source
Online processing, free and legacy plans
2.9% + 30¢ (Square Online checkout, payment links, subscriptions)→3.3% + 30¢; Plus and Premium plans stay at 2.9% + 30¢; the Online Payments API stays at 2.9% + 30¢
Invoices and payment links had already moved to 3.3% + 30¢ during 2025.
official source
Extended card-present rate offer expires
2.6% + 10¢ for sellers who held a paid subscription by 26 March 2025→2.6% + 15¢ for everyone
official source
Unified plans replace à-la-carte subscriptions
18 separate product subscriptions→Free $0 / Plus $49 / Premium $149 per location per month; in-person 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 15¢; keyed 3.5% + 15¢ on every tier
official source
In-person tap, dip and swipe
2.6% + 10¢→2.6% + 15¢ (existing sellers from 27 March 2025)
· announced March 1, 2023trade press
Refunds, instant transfers and Square Online plans
Processing fee returned on refunds; instant transfer 1.5%; Square Online Plus $26, Premium $72→Processing fee kept on refunds; instant transfer 1.75%; Square Online Plus $29, Premium $79
official source
Afterpay through Square
Promotional 2.9% + 30¢ online, 2.6% + 30¢ in person→6% + 30¢ on every Afterpay transaction (in person from 10 September 2022)
trade press
Instant and same-day transfers
1%→1.5% (existing sellers from 7 February 2020)
· announced September 2019trade press
In-person tap, dip and swipe
2.75% flat→2.6% + 10¢
Cheaper above about $66.67 per ticket, dearer below it; Square Register and Terminal were already on 2.6% + 10¢.
Digital Transactions, January 2020 (noting the November 2019 change)
How this timeline is built
Each entry carries the figure before and after the change and a source that states it: the platform’s own announcement or help page, an archived copy of its fee page on the Wayback Machine, or a named trade publication. Anything we could not confirm that way is left out rather than estimated. The current schedule, verified against the live fee page, is on the Square fee calculator; changes across all platforms are logged on fee changes. Corrections: tell us.
Frequently asked questions
Is Square still 2.75% per swipe?
No. The flat 2.75% ended on 1 November 2019, replaced by 2.6% + 10¢, which became 2.6% + 15¢ on 25 February 2025. On a $10 coffee the fee rose from 27.5¢ to 41¢ over that period; on a $200 ticket it fell from $5.50 to $5.35.
Does Square refund its processing fee when I refund a customer?
Not since 11 April 2023. Before that date Square returned the fee on refunds, which set it apart from Stripe and PayPal; now all three keep it.