Square vs PayPal: Cost and Fees Calculator
Enter your volumes to compare estimated monthly costs and fees for Square and PayPal across the selling types both offer, using published US pricing.
In-person card payments
Selling online (eCommerce)
Estimates combine processing fees and monthly subscriptions on the plans noted above. One-time hardware, setup, and add-ons are excluded. Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and may have changed.
How the Square vs PayPal calculator works, and how the two compare
Square is an all-in-one flat-rate payments company covering card readers, full POS systems, and online stores. Square charges 2.6% + $0.15 in person on its free plan (readers from $59, Square Terminal $299), and 3.3% + $0.30 online on the free plan; paid plans at $49 and $149 per month lower those rates. PayPal is the best-known online payments brand, which also covers in-person sales through PayPal Zettle card readers. PayPal charges 3.49% + $0.49 for standard online PayPal checkout and 2.29% + $0.09 in person via Zettle (reader $79, or $29 for your first), with no monthly fee.
How they are similar: Where they overlap: both Square and PayPal cover taking card payments in person with a card reader or terminal and selling online, which is what this calculator compares. They also share the same commercial model: both operate as flat-rate card processing with published per-transaction fees. Neither requires a monthly subscription on the plans compared here, so your cost scales purely with sales. In both cases the bill is driven by a percentage of each sale plus any fixed per-transaction fee, which is why your average transaction size changes the effective rate as much as the headline percentage does.
How they differ: Only Square offers a full POS system, so that side of the business is not part of this comparison. Square is the strongest all-rounder: one account covers in-person, POS, invoices, and a free online store, with no monthly fee required to start. PayPal brings the trust of its consumer brand and one of the lowest in-person rates via Zettle, but its 3.49% + $0.49 online checkout is among the most expensive standard online rates.
Assumptions used in this calculator
- Square is modeled on: 2.6% + $0.15 in person, free plan, $59 reader; 3.3% + $0.30 online on the free plan (2.9% + $0.30 on paid plans).
- PayPal is modeled on: 2.29% + $0.09 in person via PayPal Zettle, reader $79; 3.49% + $0.49 for standard PayPal online checkout.
- Rates are published or typical US pricing as of mid-2026 and change often; quote-based providers are modeled at representative rates. Always confirm current pricing with the provider.
- One-time hardware, setup, add-on apps, keyed-in transactions, international cards, and chargeback fees are excluded from the monthly figures.