PayPalvsSquare

Service

Score Comparison

Overall

Pricing

Usability

Performance

Support

Reliability

Onboarding

Mobile

Security

Integrations

PayPalSquare

Signals Comparison

Reliability

PayPal

Account frozen with funds held for 180 days(10/10)
Account limited or closed without explanation(9/10)
Service outages during peak hours frustrate users(7/10)

Square

Random account freezes without warning(10/10)
Payment holds delay business cash flow(9/10)
Major service outages affect payments(9/10)
KDS stops working when internet goes down(8/10)

Support

PayPal

Customer support rated 1.3/5 on Trustpilot(9/10)
Dispute resolution takes weeks with no human review(7/10)

Square

Customer service is unhelpful and repetitive(9/10)
No transparency on account issues(9/10)

Pricing

PayPal

International fees add 4.49% plus currency conversion markup(8/10)
Dispute fees up to $30 for high-volume merchants(7/10)
PayPal Credit has predatory interest rates(8/10)

Square

Processing fees not refunded on refunds(8/10)
Transaction fees increased in 2025(7/10)
Hardware is expensive and proprietary(6/10)
Add-on features require extra fees(6/10)

Usability

PayPal

Buyer protection often favors buyers over sellers unfairly(8/10)
Instant transfer costs 1.75% of amount(5/10)
Updating bank accounts takes up to 2 days(4/10)

Square

App glitches and freezing issues(7/10)
Register lacks features iPad app has(5/10)

Security

PayPal

Scammers exploit buyer protection loopholes(7/10)

Square

No signals

Mobile

PayPal

No signals

Square

Android app removed from non-Square hardware(7/10)

Integrations

PayPal

No signals

Square

Cannot process international payments(7/10)

Performance

PayPal

No signals

Square

Connectivity issues cause abandoned sales(8/10)

Pricing Comparison

PayPal

Online Payments (Express Checkout)

Popular

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction, International fees high, Account freeze risk, Support issues

3.49% + $0.49 per transaction. International +4.49% + fees. Currency conversion 3-4% markup. Instant transfer 1.75%. Chargeback $15-30.

Card Payments (Direct)

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 2.99% + fixed fee, No PayPal brand trust benefit, Same account freeze risks

2.99% + fixed fee per transaction. International fees additional. Currency conversion extra.

In-Person (Zettle)

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction, Hardware cost upfront, Limited geographic availability

2.29% + $0.09 per transaction. Hardware purchase required for card reader.

Micropayments

$0/mo

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 5% + $0.05 per transaction, Must qualify and apply, Not automatic

5% + $0.05 per transaction. Better for transactions under ~$10.

Square

Free

$0/mo

Users: Unlimited

Limits: Limited reporting, No advanced inventory, Basic marketing tools only, No loyalty program

2.6% + $0.15 per in-person transaction, 3.3% + $0.30 online, 3.5% + $0.15 keyed-in. No refunds on processing fees.

Plus

Popular

$49/mo

Users: Unlimited

Limits: Some advanced features still require Premium, No custom pricing

2.5% + $0.15 per in-person transaction, 2.9% + $0.30 online. $49/month per additional location. Hardware costs extra.

Premium

$149/mo

Users: Unlimited

Limits: Custom pricing only for $250K+ annual volume

2.4% + $0.15 per in-person transaction, 2.9% + $0.30 online. Hardware costs extra. $149/month per location.

Feature Comparison

Feature	PayPal	Square
Trust
Consumer trust Highest brand recognition
Payments
In-person payments 2.6% + $0.15 per transaction
Online payments 3.3% + $0.30 (Free) or 2.9% + $0.30 (Plus)
International payments US only - major limitation
Next-day deposits Free; instant transfer costs 1.75%
Fast fund access 21-day holds, reserves
Coverage
Global acceptance Millions of merchants
Security
Buyer protection Up to $20,000
Seller protection Favors buyers heavily
Mobile
Mobile apps iOS and Android
POS
Free POS software Basic features on Free tier
Inventory management Basic on Free, advanced on Plus
P2P
Venmo P2P Free personal transfers
Hardware
In-person POS Zettle system
Reliability
Offline mode Limited - KDS doesn't work offline
Account stability Freezes, 180-day holds
Pricing
No monthly fees Pay per transaction
Low international fees 6-8% total
Transparent fees Hidden international costs
Marketing
Customer loyalty program Plus plan and above
Features
Invoicing Send invoices
Support
Responsive support 1.3/5 rating, AI-only
Human support Automated responses only
Clear dispute process Weeks, changing staff
Business Tools
Payroll integration Additional cost
Integrations
API access Available for developers

Signals Comparison

Reliability

PayPal

Account frozen with funds held for 180 days(10/10)
Account limited or closed without explanation(9/10)
Service outages during peak hours frustrate users(7/10)

Square

Random account freezes without warning(10/10)
Payment holds delay business cash flow(9/10)
Major service outages affect payments(9/10)
KDS stops working when internet goes down(8/10)

Support

PayPal

Customer support rated 1.3/5 on Trustpilot(9/10)
Dispute resolution takes weeks with no human review(7/10)

Square

Customer service is unhelpful and repetitive(9/10)
No transparency on account issues(9/10)

Pricing

PayPal

International fees add 4.49% plus currency conversion markup(8/10)
Dispute fees up to $30 for high-volume merchants(7/10)
PayPal Credit has predatory interest rates(8/10)

Square

Processing fees not refunded on refunds(8/10)
Transaction fees increased in 2025(7/10)
Hardware is expensive and proprietary(6/10)
Add-on features require extra fees(6/10)

Usability

PayPal

Buyer protection often favors buyers over sellers unfairly(8/10)
Instant transfer costs 1.75% of amount(5/10)
Updating bank accounts takes up to 2 days(4/10)

Square

App glitches and freezing issues(7/10)
Register lacks features iPad app has(5/10)

Security

PayPal

Scammers exploit buyer protection loopholes(7/10)

Square

No signals

Mobile

PayPal

No signals

Square

Android app removed from non-Square hardware(7/10)

Integrations

PayPal

No signals

Square

Cannot process international payments(7/10)

Performance

PayPal

No signals

Square

Connectivity issues cause abandoned sales(8/10)

Pricing Comparison

PayPal

Online Payments (Express Checkout)

Popular

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction, International fees high, Account freeze risk, Support issues

3.49% + $0.49 per transaction. International +4.49% + fees. Currency conversion 3-4% markup. Instant transfer 1.75%. Chargeback $15-30.

Card Payments (Direct)

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 2.99% + fixed fee, No PayPal brand trust benefit, Same account freeze risks

2.99% + fixed fee per transaction. International fees additional. Currency conversion extra.

In-Person (Zettle)

Free

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction, Hardware cost upfront, Limited geographic availability

2.29% + $0.09 per transaction. Hardware purchase required for card reader.

Micropayments

$0/mo

Users: Unlimited

Storage: Unlimited

Limits: 5% + $0.05 per transaction, Must qualify and apply, Not automatic

5% + $0.05 per transaction. Better for transactions under ~$10.

Square

Free

$0/mo

Users: Unlimited

Limits: Limited reporting, No advanced inventory, Basic marketing tools only, No loyalty program

2.6% + $0.15 per in-person transaction, 3.3% + $0.30 online, 3.5% + $0.15 keyed-in. No refunds on processing fees.

Plus

Popular

$49/mo

Users: Unlimited

Limits: Some advanced features still require Premium, No custom pricing

2.5% + $0.15 per in-person transaction, 2.9% + $0.30 online. $49/month per additional location. Hardware costs extra.

Premium

$149/mo

Users: Unlimited

Limits: Custom pricing only for $250K+ annual volume

2.4% + $0.15 per in-person transaction, 2.9% + $0.30 online. Hardware costs extra. $149/month per location.

Feature Comparison

Feature	PayPal	Square
Trust
Consumer trust Highest brand recognition
Payments
In-person payments 2.6% + $0.15 per transaction
Online payments 3.3% + $0.30 (Free) or 2.9% + $0.30 (Plus)
International payments US only - major limitation
Next-day deposits Free; instant transfer costs 1.75%
Fast fund access 21-day holds, reserves
Coverage
Global acceptance Millions of merchants
Security
Buyer protection Up to $20,000
Seller protection Favors buyers heavily
Mobile
Mobile apps iOS and Android
POS
Free POS software Basic features on Free tier
Inventory management Basic on Free, advanced on Plus
P2P
Venmo P2P Free personal transfers
Hardware
In-person POS Zettle system
Reliability
Offline mode Limited - KDS doesn't work offline
Account stability Freezes, 180-day holds
Pricing
No monthly fees Pay per transaction
Low international fees 6-8% total
Transparent fees Hidden international costs
Marketing
Customer loyalty program Plus plan and above
Features
Invoicing Send invoices
Support
Responsive support 1.3/5 rating, AI-only
Human support Automated responses only
Clear dispute process Weeks, changing staff
Business Tools
Payroll integration Additional cost
Integrations
API access Available for developers