Square Hardware, Matched To The Way You Sell.

What Square hardware is available, and what does each device cost?

Processing is billed separately from hardware: 2.6% + 15¢ per tap, dip or swipe on Square Free. Our Square fees guide covers every plan.

Here are the seven devices on Square’s US hardware page. Every price is Square’s published pricing, checked October 2026, before tax; monthly figures are Square hardware financing, issued by Block, Inc. and subject to credit approval. Square can change any of it, so confirm in your Square Shop cart.

How do you choose the right Square POS hardware for your business?

For the software side of each setup, see Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, Square Appointments or Square for service businesses.

For the hardware, start with where the card changes hands, not the spec sheet. Answer the questions below in order, then match your answers to a starting setup in the table after them.

• Where do customers pay? Fixed counters point to Register, Terminal or Stand; tables and aisles point to Handheld or Terminal on battery; job sites without Wi-Fi point to a Reader or Tap to Pay, which use your phone’s data.
• Own a compatible iPad? Stand and Kiosk are $149 each, but you supply the iPad.
• Need paper receipts? Terminal has a printer built in. Register, Stand and Handheld print through a separate printer; a Kiosk running the Kiosk app can’t connect to accessories directly.
• Still see swipe-only cards? Terminal swipes out of the box; the others need the plug-in magstripe reader.
• How solid is your internet? Register, and Terminal with its Hub, can use Ethernet; Square lists Handheld as Wi-Fi. Offline payments are declined if you don’t reconnect within 24 hours of the first one.
• Kitchen screen or kiosk? Both need Square Plus or Premium and a per-device app fee (details below).

What does Square Terminal cost, and how does it compare with Clover Flex?

Square Terminal is Square’s all-in-one card machine: tap, dip and swipe, a built-in receipt printer, and a battery Square says lasts all day. Square’s published price is $299 before taxes and fees, or $27 a month over 12 months.

It has a 5.5-inch display, weighs 0.9 lb and runs on Wi-Fi, or on Ethernet with the separately sold Hub for Square Terminal, which also adds up to three USB accessories like a cash drawer.

We sell Clover too, so here’s the straight comparison with Clover Flex: a handheld with a built-in printer, a nearly 6-inch screen and a published battery life of at least 8 hours of use for a typical SMB. Clover’s direct price is $749, or $40 a month on a 36-month Starter-plan subscription Clover calls non-cancelable.

Hardware math: $299 vs $749 to own outright. Financed, Terminal totals 12 × $27 = $324 and it’s yours. Flex on Clover’s direct Starter subscription totals 36 × $40 = $1,440, and it’s a rental: at the end of the term you buy or return the device, or it extends at the same monthly charge unless you give Clover 30 days’ notice. That subscription does include Clover’s Equipment Protection Program, covering accidental damage, theft and loss, where Terminal carries a one-year limited warranty. Processing is extra on both.

Terminal wins on up-front cost and needs no long-term contract. Flex wins on screen size, LTE as well as Wi-Fi, a built-in 1D/2D barcode scanner and camera, a published battery rating and the option of Clover processing priced by us. On its Starter plan Clover also lists rates as low as 2.6% + 10¢, a nickel less per transaction than Square Free’s 2.6% + 15¢. More in Square vs Clover.

Is Square Register worth $899 for a busy counter?

Square Register (2nd generation) is Square’s most powerful countertop POS, with a seller touchscreen and a separate customer touchscreen. Square’s published price is $899 before taxes and fees, or $44 a month over 24 months.

Square lists up to 2.7 GHz of processing power, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and an IP54 rating against dust and water splashes. It takes tap, chip and Cash App Pay by QR code; swiping needs the magstripe reader.

Plan the counter first. Register has no battery and must stay plugged in, needs a 14-inch circle to mount, and its hub takes up to five USB accessories plus Ethernet. Square rates it for 32° to 104°F, worth knowing for a patio bar in a Texas summer.

It earns its price on busy counters; for a handful of items, Terminal or Stand costs far less.

Square Stand or Square Kiosk: which iPad setup fits, and what does each really cost?

Both need an iPad you supply.

Square Stand is a countertop iPad POS for your staff. It swivels 180° toward the customer, needs a 13.8-inch circle to rotate fully, and its USB hub takes up to three accessories.

Square Kiosk, formerly Square Stand Mount, is built for self-service ordering. It mounts on any 100 × 100 mm VESA system, a wall bracket or the countertop, with the hardware in the box; Square sells a 3.74-foot floor stand for $299.

Self-service also needs the Square Kiosk app on Square Plus or Premium: $50 a month per device on Plus or $30 on Premium, on top of the plan fee. Two kiosks at one location on Plus come to $49 + (2 × $50) = $149 a month before processing. Orders flow to a primary Square POS device, and a Kiosk running the app can’t connect directly to accessories.

Square Handheld, Square Reader or Tap to Pay: what works for selling on the move?

Square Handheld is $399, or $37 a month over 12 months, at Square’s published price. It’s a 0.7-lb pocket POS with tap and chip, a 1D/2D barcode scanner, a 16 MP camera and an IP54 rating, made for tableside orders, inventory counts and age-verification scans.

Two limits on the move: Square lists Wi-Fi as its only connection (it recommends 25 Mbps down and 3 Mbps up), and away from a Hub for Square Terminal it prints to a network printer over Wi-Fi, so a big patio needs strong coverage.

Square Reader for contactless and chip ($59) pairs by Bluetooth with your phone or tablet, uses its Wi-Fi or cellular data, and takes offline payments for up to 24 hours. The magstripe reader adds swipe: first one free, then $10.

Tap to Pay on iPhone (XS or newer) or Android (most NFC phones on Android 9 or later) needs no reader at all, at a published 2.6% + 15¢ per tap, but it doesn’t take offline payments. See our Square card reader guide and mobile payments for field service.

What accessories and kitchen displays will you need to add?

Most setups need a few extras. Kitchen screens also need the Square KDS app, which requires Square Plus ($30 a month per device) or Premium ($20). Pre-built kits include a Square Stand Kit starting at $689 (iPad not included) and a Square Register Kit starting at $1,189.

Below are individual Square Shop prices for common add-ons; the full catalog may list more.

How does Square hardware financing work, and what about warranties and returns?

Square hardware financing is issued by Block, Inc. Published terms: $49 to $10,000 purchases, a 15% APR, and 3-, 6-, 12- or 24-month plans depending on the amount. Sales tax is due at checkout; every plan is subject to credit approval. If you’re weighing this against a “free” hardware offer, read the fine print on free hardware.

Square Shop hardware has a 30-day, risk-free return, with refunds within seven business days; retailer purchases follow the retailer’s policy. Warranties run six months on the magstripe reader, one year on most devices, two years on Register, and Square Shop lists a 3-year warranty on the MicroTouch kitchen screens (Square takes claims only for locked units).

To be clear about roles: you buy Square hardware from Square or a retailer, Block, Inc. finances it if you choose financing, and Square handles warranty on its own devices; third-party accessories such as printers and scanners are covered by their manufacturers. Lone Star Payments doesn’t sell, stock or finance it; we help you choose it, then pair and configure it with you. See Square setup and support.

• To apply: a Square Shop cart of $49 or more before tax and a verified, linked bank account. Only the owner or an authorized representative can apply.
• Credit check: a soft inquiry to apply; a hard inquiry is reported only if you accept the terms and complete the purchase.
• Where: not offered in Alabama, Delaware, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire or Tennessee. Texas isn’t on that list.
• The math: Handheld 12 × $37 = $444 vs. $399 up front; Register 24 × $44 = $1,056 vs. $899, before tax.

Frequently asked questions

Square and related marks are trademarks of Block, Inc., used here to identify the products Lone Star Payments offers. Square pricing and features described on this page are Square’s published information as of October 2026 and can change — confirm current terms when you sign up.