Buy Square Online (with Square for Restaurants) if…
8.6/10Restaurants already on Square that want a commission-free ordering page synced with the POS at the lowest fixed cost.
From US$0/mo + 3.3% + 30¢ online
Check Square Online (with Square for Restaurants) pricingChoose ChowNow if…
8.2/10Independents that want a branded app, marketing, marketplace listing and chargeback protection handled by one vendor.
From From US$229/mo (Launch)
Check ChowNow pricingInteractive calculator
Flat-rate (Square) vs interchange-plus contract: monthly cost
Interchange-plus quote (your numbers)
Transactions / month
1,579
Square effective rate
3.21%
processing only
Square all-in / month
US$1,978
Contract all-in / month
US$1,651
effective 2.46% processing
Contract saves per year
US$3,926
Formula & assumptions
Square fees use published rates: US (Square Free) in-person 2.6% + 15¢, online 3.3% + 30¢; AU in-person 1.6%, online 2.2% (sellers signed up from 30 May 2024). Source: squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees and squareup.com/au/en/pricing.
Transactions = volume ÷ average ticket. Interchange-plus = volume × (blended interchange % + processor markup %) + transactions × per-transaction fee.
Assumptions you control: blended interchange (default 1.9% US is a rough mixed debit/credit card-present estimate; AU interchange is far lower, try 0.5–0.8%), markup, software subscription and hardware costs. Toast and Lightspeed do not publish one fixed rate, so enter the numbers from your own quote. Hardware is straight-line amortised over the months you set. Early-termination fees, chargebacks, PCI fees and tax are not included.
Spec comparison
| Feature | Square Online (with Square for Restaurants) | ChowNow | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Free US$0; Plus US$49; Premium US$149 per location | Launch from US$229; Grow from US$319; Elevate from US$409 | 85% |
| Online card fee | 3.3% + 30¢ (Free); 2.9% + 30¢ (Plus, Premium) | 2.95% + 29¢ | 90% |
| Setup | None listed | US$119–US$499 | 50% |
| Chargebacks | Seller responsible | 100% fraud and chargeback protection | 60% |
For a restaurant already on Square, Square Online is the cheaper way to take commission-free orders, from US$0 a month. ChowNow costs at least US$229 a month but adds a branded app, marketing, marketplace listings and full chargeback cover, which is worth it only if you will actually use them to move diners off the delivery apps.
How we compared them
We read ChowNow’s pricing page and Square’s US restaurant pricing page on 4 November 2026. ChowNow shows two “starting at” figures per plan (for example US$229 and US$249) without saying which billing term each applies to, so we use the lower one and note the higher one. We have not placed orders on either system for this article.
Fees side by side
| Fee | Square Free | Square Plus | ChowNow Launch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | US$0 | US$49/location | US$229–US$249 |
| Online card fee | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.95% + 29¢ |
| Setup | — | — | US$119–US$499 |
| Branded app | — | — | Listed in plan features; US$99/yr Apple fee |
| Chargebacks | Seller’s risk | Seller’s risk | Covered by ChowNow |
ChowNow’s Grow plan starts at US$319–US$349 and Elevate at US$409–US$449. Square Premium is US$149 per location with the same 2.9% + 30¢ online rate as Plus.
Worked example: 600 online orders a month at US$40
That is US$24,000 in online sales.
| Option | Calculation | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Square Free | 24,000 × 3.3% + 600 × 0.30 | US$972 |
| Square Plus | 49 + 24,000 × 2.9% + 600 × 0.30 | US$925 |
| ChowNow Launch | 229 + 24,000 × 2.95% + 600 × 0.29 | US$1,111 |
| Delivery app at 22%* | 24,000 × 22% | US$5,280 |
*22% is the average commission ChowNow’s own savings calculator assumes. Your contract may differ.
Both direct options save thousands compared with marketplace commission. Between them, ChowNow costs about US$186 a month more than Square Plus here before setup fees. That buys chargeback protection, marketing tools and ChowNow’s marketplace and discovery listings. Square Plus already beats Square Free at this volume.
Which to pick
- Square Online if you already run Square POS and mainly need a pickup and delivery page that syncs with it.
- ChowNow if you run Toast, Clover, Revel or Square and want a full direct-ordering and marketing program. ChowNow lists integrations with all four.
- Still sending lots of orders through the apps? Compare Deliverect vs Otter for menu sync. Run your own volumes in the fee calculator above.
See Square plans · See ChowNow pricing
Sources
- ChowNow, Plans & Pricing, read 4 Nov 2026.
- Square, Restaurant POS Pricing & Plans (US), read 4 Nov 2026.
FAQ
Does ChowNow charge commission?+
ChowNow says restaurants take unlimited commission-free orders from their website, branded app, marketplace and discovery channels with Profit Protector enabled. You still pay the plan fee and 2.95% + US$0.29 per transaction.
Is Square Online free for restaurants?+
The Square Free plan has no monthly fee and includes an online ordering profile. Online card payments cost 3.3% + 30¢ on Free and 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus (US$49/location/month) and Premium (US$149/location/month).
What other fees does ChowNow list?+
A US$119–US$499 setup fee, a US$99 annual Apple developer fee for branded apps, US$250–US$420 for a printer, and US$7.98 per Flex Delivery order.