Square for Retail review

Square's retail pricing page splits the product into three plans. Free covers automatic item and SKU creation from a scanned GTIN barcode, bulk catalog import, discounts, refunds and sales reporting. Plus, at $49 per location per month, adds inventory management and stock intake, vendor profiles, purchase orders and cost of goods sold reporting, which is where most specialty stores will land. Premium, at $149, adds cross-location returns, transfer orders and 24/7 phone support. Online sync is a strong point: Square Online sites draw on the same item library, a store can run several sites from one account, and Square also lists a sync with Wix online stores. Card rates fall as you move up, from 2.6% plus 15 cents in person on Free to 2.4% plus 15 cents on Premium. The limits are the per-location fee on paid plans and offline payments, which Square declines if the device stays offline for more than 24 hours.

Who it is for

Boutiques and specialty shops with one or a few locations that want to start free and add stock tools as they grow.

Price

Free plan; Plus $49 and Premium $149 per location per month; in-person cards 2.6% + 15¢ on Free.

With Square Plus and Square Premium, the monthly fee applies to each location you run. $0/mo. per location $49/mo. per location
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 9, 2026.

Key features

• GTIN barcode lookup that creates items and SKUs automatically
• Vendor profiles, purchase orders and bulk stock intake on Plus
• Barcode label printing with supported templates and printers
• Square Online stores that share the POS item library
• Cross-location returns and transfer orders on Premium

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: $0 plan covers item creation, discounts, refunds and sales reporting
• Strength: Card rates are published for every plan
• Strength: Online store, gift cards and loyalty come from the same vendor
• Weakness: Inventory intake, vendors and purchase orders need Plus
• Weakness: Plus and Premium fees apply to each location
• Weakness: Offline payments are declined if the device does not reconnect within 24 hours

Key facts

• Plans: Free $0, Plus $49, Premium $149 per location per month
• In-person card rate: 2.6% + 15¢ Free, 2.5% + 15¢ Plus, 2.4% + 15¢ Premium
• Online card rate: 3.3% + 30¢ Free, 2.9% + 30¢ Plus and Premium
• 24/7 phone support: Premium plan
• Custom pricing: Square Pro for businesses processing over $250,000 per year

Where it ranks

Square for Retail is No. 1 in our Best POS Systems for Retail verdict.