Square vs Stripe vs Shopify Payments
For common US online cards as of 2026-10-24, Stripe and Square online both list 2.9% + $0.30; Shopify Payments depends on plan—Basic 2.9% + $0.30, Grow 2.7% + $0.30, Advanced 2.5% + $0.30. Square in-person lists 2.6% + $0.15. Choose based on online vs in-person mix, not the online headline alone.
Key takeaways
- Stripe and Square Plus/API online commonly list 2.9% + $0.30; Square Free online is 3.3% + $0.30.
- Shopify Payments: Basic 2.9%, Grow 2.7%, Advanced 2.5% (+ $0.30) online in the US.
- Square in-person 2.6% + $0.15 often beats online card rates when most sales are face-to-face.
Calculate with Square →Calculate with Stripe →
Three stacks, three jobs
Stripe is a developer-centric payments platform for custom checkouts and subscriptions. Square combines payments with POS hardware and software for mixed online/in-person sellers. Shopify Payments is the native processor inside Shopify’s hosted commerce plans—rates improve as you move Basic → Shopify → Advanced.
Online US list snapshots as of 2026-10-24: Stripe 2.9% + $0.30; Square online 2.9% + $0.30; Square in-person 2.6% + $0.15; Shopify Payments Basic 2.9% + $0.30, Grow plan 2.7% + $0.30, Advanced 2.5% + $0.30. Sources: stripe.com/pricing, squareup.com pricing, shopify.com/pricing.
Fee comparison table
On a pure online $100 charge, Stripe and Square online both fee $3.20 (net $96.80). Shopify Basic matches that shape; Grow plan saves a bit (2.7% + $0.30 → $3.00 fee, net $97.00); Advanced saves more (2.5% + $0.30 → $2.80 fee, net $97.20)—before Shopify subscription costs.
In-person, Square’s 2.6% + $0.15 on $100 → fee $2.70, net $97.30, beating the online 2.9% + $0.30 shape. If half your volume is in-person, Square’s blended take can beat an online-only Stripe setup even when online rates match.
Worked example: $100 online and in-person
Online $100: Stripe fee $3.20 net $96.80; Square online same; Shopify Basic same; Grow plan fee $3.00 net $97.00; Advanced fee $2.80 net $97.20. Reverse to net $100 online at 2.9% + $0.30 ≈ $103.30 (Stripe/Square/Basic).
In-person $100 on Square: $2.60 + $0.10 = $2.70 fee, net $97.30. Reverse in-person roughly (100 + 0.10) ÷ (1 − 0.026) ≈ $102.77. Run /tools/square-fee-calculator/, /tools/stripe-fee-calculator/, /tools/shopify-payments-fee-calculator/, and /tools/compare-payment-fees/ with your split of channels.
Remember Shopify subscription fees sit outside the card rate. A move to Advanced only pays off if card savings exceed the higher monthly plan cost at your volume—spreadsheet both sides.
How to calculate the right stack
Split last month’s volume into online card vs in-person card vs wallet. Apply the matching Square, Stripe, or Shopify schedule. Add Shopify subscription (and any third-party apps) when comparing total cost of ownership—not only the card percent.
Include hardware needs, developer time, and theme/app costs. A “cheaper” card rate with expensive custom engineering can lose to Square’s POS bundle or Shopify’s hosted store.
- Measure % of volume in-person vs online.
- Apply channel-correct rates from official pricing pages.
- Add platform subscription and app costs for Shopify.
- Add estimated engineering/maintenance for Stripe-custom stores.
- Compare net profit, not only payment fee lines.
When to choose Square, Stripe, or Shopify Payments
Choose Square when POS hardware, in-person rates (2.6% + $0.15), and simple omnichannel tooling matter. Choose Stripe when you need custom billing logic, APIs, and online economics at 2.9% + $0.30 without committing to Shopify’s hosted paradigm.
Choose Shopify Payments when you want a hosted store and can justify plan tiers that unlock 2.7% or 2.5% + $0.30 online. Compare also against Stripe vs PayPal if wallet buttons are the real question, and use the payment processors hub at /payment-processors/.
Practical tips
Do not compare Shopify Advanced’s 2.5% + $0.30 to Stripe’s 2.9% + $0.30 without subtracting Advanced’s higher subscription. Do not ignore Square in-person if you swipe cards daily.
Dispute fees vary by processor—check official docs; see chargeback fees by processor. International cards and Amex mixes also move blends away from these US list snapshots (as of 2026-10-24).
Total cost of ownership beyond the card rate
Shopify’s Advanced rate of 2.5% + $0.30 looks best on a fee table, but Advanced’s subscription is higher than Basic. Compute monthly card fees at your volume under each plan, add subscription, and only then compare to Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30 plus your hosting/engineering costs—or Square with hardware amortization.
Example sketch (illustrative volume only): $40,000 online monthly. Stripe/Square online/Basic fees ≈ 2.9% × 40000 + 0.30 × transactions. If you have 800 orders, fixed fees alone are $240. Grow plan at 2.7% saves 0.2% × 40000 = $80/month before fixed fees and subscription differences—enough to matter, not enough to ignore plan price changes.
Square sellers should weight in-person volume heavily. A shop that is 70% keypad/POS at 2.6% + $0.15 and 30% online at 2.9% + $0.30 will see a blended card take below a pure online Stripe profile at the same online rate. Measure the split before declaring a winner.
Migration and dual-stack pitfalls
Moving from Square to Shopify (or Stripe checkout on a custom site) changes more than fees: tax apps, gift cards, recurring billing, and staff training. Run a parallel month with /tools/compare-payment-fees/ using actual average tickets before you cut over.
Avoid double-paying: turning off Shopify Payments incorrectly or stacking third-party gateways can introduce extra gateway fees. Read Shopify’s current gateway policy. For wallet-heavy audiences, keep Stripe vs PayPal fees in the decision set even when the primary comparison is Square/Stripe/Shopify.
Channel mix spreadsheet you can reuse
Build three rows—online card, in-person card, and other wallets—then assign Stripe, Square, or Shopify Payments rates to each row that the stack actually supports. Multiply volume by percent, add fixed fees times transaction count, and add Shopify subscription only on Shopify scenarios. The spreadsheet answer is your true monthly processing cost before disputes.
Refresh the sheet after peak seasons. Holiday volume can shift you from Basic to Advanced break-even on Shopify, or make Square’s in-person rate dominate when pop-up retail spikes. Keep official pricing URLs in the sheet header with the 2026-10-15 snapshot note so teammates know when to re-verify.
If engineering time is your scarce resource, weight Stripe’s flexibility against the calendar cost of building billing portals that Shopify or Square already ship. Fee tables never show the weeks of roadmap you spend reinventing subscriptions.
- Columns: channel, volume, transactions, percent, fixed, monthly fee subtotal.
- Add subscription and app fees as separate rows for Shopify.
- Add hardware amortization for Square terminals over 24–36 months.
- Compare net profit after fees, not vanity effective rates alone.
| Schedule | Rate | Fee on $100 | Net on $100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe US online | 2.9% + $0.30 | $3.20 | $96.80 |
| Square US online | 2.9% + $0.30 | $3.20 | $96.80 |
| Square US in-person | 2.6% + $0.15 | $2.70 | $97.30 |
| Shopify Payments Basic | 2.9% + $0.30 | $3.20 | $96.80 |
| Shopify Payments (Grow plan) | 2.7% + $0.30 | $3.00 | $97.00 |
| Shopify Payments Advanced | 2.5% + $0.30 | $2.80 | $97.20 |
Sources
- Stripe pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
- Square pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
- Shopify pricing (as of 2026-10-24)
FAQ
Is Shopify Payments cheaper than Stripe?
On Basic, online list rates often match Stripe at 2.9% + $0.30. Shopify and Advanced plans list lower online card rates (2.7% / 2.5% + $0.30) but higher subscriptions. Compare total cost at your volume.
Does Square beat Stripe for cafés?
Often on fee mix when most volume is in-person at 2.6% + $0.15 versus online-shaped 2.9% + $0.30. Hardware, software, and payout features still matter—run both calculators on your ticket size.
What is the fee on a $100 online charge?
Stripe and Square online: $3.20 (net $96.80). Shopify Basic: same shape. Grow plan: $3.00. Advanced: $2.80. Confirm on official pricing and our calculators.
Can I use Stripe inside Shopify?
Shopify’s ecosystem and third-party gateways have specific rules and possible fees beyond Shopify Payments. Check Shopify’s current gateway documentation; native Shopify Payments rates above assume you use Shopify Payments.
Where should I compare side by side?
Use /tools/compare-payment-fees/ with your average order value, and read Stripe vs PayPal fees if wallets are in scope.