Paying too much to process cards? Get a cheaper quote today.Schedule a call →
The restaurant comparison, with rate structures that cross at a $25 average check.
Toast is purpose-built for hospitality; Square is general-purpose with strong restaurant support — and their rate structures cross at a very low ticket.
Published standard rates for domestic cards. Neither figure is a negotiated rate, and both providers may quote you something different.
The answer flips at a $25.00 average transaction. Below that Toast is cheaper, because the fixed fee dominates; above it Square is, because the percentage does.
Cheaper of the two, by average transaction
Paydude is shown for reference, not as the answer to the question in the title. Excludes international, premium-card and dispute fees, which differ between all three.
| Toast | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Card rate | 3.5% | 2.9% |
| Fixed fee | 15¢ | 30¢ |
| Monthly fee | $0 | $0 |
| Pricing model | Flat rate, online ordering | Flat rate |
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.
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.
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.
GOOD QUESTIONS
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 $25. Quick-service and café operators often sit below it; full-service restaurants almost always sit above.
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.
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.