Square Ireland: card machine prices and fees 2026
Square's Irish hardware prices, the 1.75% plus VAT rate, what UK cards cost extra, payout timing and how it compares for a café or shop.
Card machinesUpdated
Square sells card machines in Ireland in euro, with no contract and no monthly processing fee. What separates it from SumUp is the software: Square’s free point-of-sale app is a real till system, not just a payment screen.
That is why Irish cafés and small restaurants keep landing on it.
Square hardware and Irish prices
All prices exclude VAT.
| Device | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Square Reader (2nd generation) | €19 | Contactless and chip card reader, pairs with your phone or tablet |
| Square Stand | €119 | iPad point of sale with integrated chip and PIN |
| Square Kiosk | €119 | iPad self-service ordering for restaurants |
| Square Terminal | €169 | All-in-one card machine with built-in receipt printer |
| Square Handheld | €199 | Portable order-and-pay device |
| Square Register (2nd generation) | €699 | Two-screen countertop till |
You can also take payments with no hardware at all. Tap to Pay works on both iPhone and Android in Ireland, using your own phone as the reader — Square is one of only three providers offering it on both platforms here.
Fees
Square’s Irish rates, all before VAT is added:
| Payment type | EEA cards | UK and non-EEA cards |
|---|---|---|
| In person (tap, chip and PIN, wallet) | 1.75% + VAT | 1.75% + 1.5% + VAT |
| Online | 1.4% + 25c + VAT | 2.9% + 25c + VAT |
| Manually keyed | 2% + VAT | 2% + 1.5% + VAT |
| Invoices, virtual terminal, card on file | 2.5% + VAT | 2.5% + 1.5% + VAT |
There is no monthly processing fee and no contract. Optional software costs extra: Square for Restaurants is €69 a month, Square Online starts free and upgrades from €14 a month.
Two things about that table matter more than the headline.
VAT is added on top. Square is the only major pay-as-you-go provider in Ireland that explicitly states VAT on its transaction fee. At 23%, a 1.75% rate is effectively 2.15% if you cannot reclaim it. If you are VAT-registered, you can, and Square becomes competitive again.
UK cards cost an extra 1.5%. For a border business, a hotel, or anywhere with British tourists, this is not a rounding error. A €100 sale on a UK card costs €3.25 plus VAT instead of €1.75 plus VAT.
Contract and payouts
No contract, no minimum monthly charge, no cancellation fee. A month with no sales costs nothing.
Payouts arrive as soon as the next working day into your own Irish bank account. Next working day, not next day — Friday and Saturday takings land on Monday.
Who it suits
A café, deli, restaurant or shop that wants a till, not just a card machine. Square’s free POS covers items, modifiers, stock counts, staff, reporting and receipts, and it runs on hardware you can buy for €19 if you already have an iPad.
It also suits anyone who wants to grow into a system rather than replace one. Starting on a €19 Reader and moving to a €169 Terminal or a €699 Register later means keeping the same account, catalogue and reporting.
It is a weak fit for a business with a lot of British customers, or one that is not VAT-registered and doing high volume — in both cases the effective rate climbs.
Honest downsides
The VAT-on-fees issue. For a non-VAT-registered sole trader, 1.75% + VAT is 2.15%, which is the most expensive of the simple options in Ireland. SumUp’s 1.69% and Revolut’s 0.8% + €0.02 both look better on that basis.
The 1.5% surcharge on UK cards. Genuinely painful in Donegal, Louth, Monaghan, Cavan and Leitrim, and for tourist-facing businesses anywhere.
Next working day, not seven-day, settlement. Dojo pays out weekends. Square does not.
Account holds are possible. Square is a payment facilitator rather than a bank-backed acquirer, so unusual volume can trigger a review. Standard for the category, but a difference from BOIPA or Elavon.
Frequently asked questions
Is Square available in Ireland?
Yes. Square has a dedicated Irish site with euro pricing, ships hardware to Republic of Ireland addresses, settles to Irish bank accounts and supports Tap to Pay on both iPhone and Android here.
What is the cheapest Square card machine in Ireland?
The Square Reader at €19 excluding VAT, which pairs with a phone or tablet. Or €0, if you use Tap to Pay on a compatible iPhone or Android phone with no hardware at all.
Does Square charge VAT on its transaction fees in Ireland?
Yes. Square’s Irish pricing is stated as 1.75% + VAT in person. At the standard 23% rate that is an effective 2.15%, though VAT-registered businesses can reclaim it.
Why does Square charge more for UK cards?
UK cards fall outside the EEA interchange caps, so Square applies an additional 1.5% on top of its standard rate. The same applies to other non-EEA cards.
Square or SumUp for an Irish café?
Square, if you want the free till software, table service and stock tracking. SumUp, if you only need to take payments and want the lower effective rate — especially if you are not VAT-registered, or if you will use the €19 Payments Plus plan to get to 0.95%.