# Toast vs Square: Which Is Actually Cheaper?

URL: https://www.paydude.io/resources/tools/toast-vs-square-fees
Type: Free interactive calculator
Summary: Toast publishes 3.5% + 15¢; Square publishes 2.9% + 30¢. Which costs less depends on your average transaction — see where the answer flips.

Toast is purpose-built for hospitality; Square is general-purpose with strong restaurant support — and their rate structures cross at a very low ticket.

## Summary

Toast publishes 3.5% + 15¢. Square publishes 2.9% + 30¢. The answer flips at a $25 average transaction. Compare at your own average transaction — the headline rate alone does not decide it.

## Published rates

**Standard published rates for domestic online cards, September 2026**

|  | Toast | Square |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Card rate | 3.5% | 2.9% |
| Fixed fee | 15¢ | 30¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Flat rate, online ordering | Flat rate |

## Which one is cheaper

Toast's 15¢ fixed fee is half Square's 30¢, but its 3.5% online rate is higher than Square's 2.9%. The crossover is $25: below that Toast is cheaper, above it Square is.

> **Most restaurant tickets sit above the crossover:** A $25 average check is low for full service and high for a coffee counter. Quick-service and café operators frequently sit below the crossover; full-service restaurants almost always sit above it.

## What actually decides it

Your average check, and how much you value the integrated platform. Toast bundles point of sale, online ordering and payments tightly, which is worth real money operationally — and means switching processors usually means switching platforms.

## For reference

The calculator above also shows Paydude, which publishes 2.6% + 25¢ improving with volume. It is there as a third data point rather than as the answer to a question about Toast and Square — for every provider side by side see the [full processor fee table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison).

**Compare every provider at once** Published rates for 18 processors, with the effective rate at three ticket sizes. — [See the table](https://www.paydude.io/resources/payment-processor-fee-comparison)

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Toast cheaper than Square?

Below a $25 average check, yes. Toast's lower fixed fee wins on small tickets; Square's lower percentage wins above $25. These are the online-ordering figures — both price card-present transactions differently.

### At what transaction size does the answer change?

At $25. Quick-service and café operators often sit below it; full-service restaurants almost always sit above.

### What is the difference between Toast and Square?

Toast is restaurant-specific software with payments bundled in; Square is a general point-of-sale platform that also serves restaurants. Toast's integration is deeper; Square's is more flexible and cheaper to leave.

### Where do these rates come from?

Both are publicly published standard rates for domestic card payments as of September 2026. Neither is a negotiated or promotional rate, and either provider may quote you something different from its list price.