Authorize.net vs. Square POS

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Authorize.net
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Authorize.net is a payment gateway software solution offered by Visa featuring secure data processing and fraud protection.
$25
monthly gateway
Square POS
Score 9.9 out of 10
N/A
Square POS is a point-of-sale software solution with features such as accept credit cards with your iPhone, Android, and iPad along with the flexibility to accept credit card payments anywhere, from Square headquartered in San Francisco, California.
$10
per each additional reader; first reader free
Pricing
Authorize.netSquare POS
Editions & Modules
All-in-One Option
25 & 2.9% + $0.30
monthly gateway/per transaction
Payment Gateway Only
$25
monthly gateway
Each Transaction
2.6% + $0.10
per transaction
Square Reader for magstripe
$10
per each additional reader; first reader free
Square Stand for contactless and chip
$16
per month
Square Terminal
$27
per month
Square Register
$39
per 24 months
Square Reader for contactless and chip
$49
per reader
Square Point of Sale
Free
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Authorize.netSquare POS
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Authorize.netSquare POS
Considered Both Products
Authorize.net
Chose Authorize.net
The slightly better rates and the recommendation of our bank are probably the only reasons we use it. There aren't any features that blew us away or are enough to make us diehards. If another option presents itself, we may very well switch.
Chose Authorize.net
Square is very bare-bones and does not offer a lot of the options that Authorize.Net does. With Square, you do not get the benefit of the added security features to get protection against chargebacks and fraud. The reporting features are also less helpful with Square. Square is …
Square POS
Chose Square POS
Square POS outshines both Paypal and Authorize.Net in terms of doing the whole kit and kaboodle (website sales, in-person sales, and inventory management). The API is easier to work with, is more supported for e-commerce, and payments are swift and available almost instantly. …
Chose Square POS
We only used Square POS while we were getting set up with Authorize.Net. It isn't as flashy or recognized by the general public, but in our industry, that isn't a priority. We do very large transactions so the higher rates and fees from Square add up insanely quickly making the …
Chose Square POS
Square POS is easier to use and more efficient in a general sense, but the other products I've used can also be better suited for different types of events (such as an auction, where they link up to and integrate into the other software you are using). The Square mobile device …
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Authorize.netSquare POS
Small Businesses
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Shopify
Shopify
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Apple Pay
Apple Pay
Score 9.3 out of 10
Epicor Eagle
Epicor Eagle
Score 8.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Adyen
Adyen
Score 8.6 out of 10

No answers on this topic

All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Authorize.netSquare POS
Likelihood to Recommend
8.3
(31 ratings)
9.9
(59 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(2 ratings)
10.0
(2 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.6
(9 ratings)
Support Rating
5.0
(1 ratings)
8.7
(18 ratings)
User Testimonials
Authorize.netSquare POS
Likelihood to Recommend
Visa
Authorize.net is reliable and I feel confident that customers' information is protected. The security protocols used by Authorize.net appear to be as good, and probably better than many credit card payment processors. However, the initial setup process was very difficult. I distinctly recall getting up and running as being very cumbersome and time-consuming. I also was disappointed with how the processing and deposit of payments were not consistent. I distinctly remember regretting the decision to go with Authorize.net. However, as mentioned before, with the time and effort required to get the account set up and running, I refused to go through the process again and try a different provider.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
Square POS is by far the easiest POS software to use at events and train additional team members on - even with temporary or first-time employees. It's easy to see how each event is doing in live time. It gives the event manager a real-time view of revenue earned. Its really easy to create/manage/delete users to keep the platform secure.
Read full review
Pros
Visa
  • Very smooth workflow to authorizing, capturing, voiding, and refunding charges. This can all be done via API calls, or through their online dashboard.
  • Their AVS settings for validating credit cards are substantial and have been reliable in ensuring that our customers cards are being used safely and properly.
  • Their uptime and response times are very good in general. The only issues we ever have communicating with their services is when our connection quality is compromised.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
  • Mobile transactions (not like from a phone, but in terms of the ability to physically relocate rapidly).
  • Simple setup.
  • Generally uncomplicated pricing.
  • Widespread customer familiarity: because it's so regularly in use in our industry (musicians/entertainment professionals), people know and trust it in a way that you might not with a different provider.
Read full review
Cons
Visa
  • The lack of data portability is a big issue for me.
  • Authorize.net uses the same $49.00 gateway setup fee to scam merchants out of money, which is no better than any of the other gateways out there.
  • Their customer service is not up to the mark. You can get stuck if you need any help from their end.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
  • Too much going on for simple users. There are so many different apps and pages now that I get lost almost every time I log onto Square
  • The high percentage of fees taken from sales
  • The difficulty in changing default settings
  • The layout of the “website” you can create is truly a nightmare
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Visa
Authorize.net has been a useful system for our Chamber. We appreciate the ease of use and access to our Main Frame. Connecting Authorize.net to our system for membership, event and other payment ease has been excellent and we have experienced no problems whatsoever.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
I don't really foresee anything being able to dislodge Square from our organization—we're not evangelists or anything like that—it's just the best solution we've found for our use case. Being able to quickly handle transactions from customers and then track all of those sales for analysis/bookkeeping later on.
Read full review
Usability
Visa
No answers on this topic
Block, Inc (Square)
Once set up, Square POS is very easy to use. I feel it is a little too easy. Many other solutions have some layer of complexity to them but Square POS is pretty straightforward and this makes it the ideal POS solution in my opinion. If a solution can remove the barriers to use and allow end users to get on with their tasks without being slowed down, then it is a winner. This is what we were able to achieve with Square POS.
Read full review
Support Rating
Visa
I have no experience directly with the support offered by Authorize.Net.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
An admission - I have NEVER had to use Square POS support. The system is seamless, it just works! I have never had any queries about how the system worked as everything is so clearly laid out. I have never had any problems with payments. If their support systems are anywhere near as good as their software, I think we'll be in good hands.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Visa
Authorize.net is a reliable and affordable payment processing service that offers more robust security than other services, such as Stripe or PayPal with their monthly fees at $25 dollars month lot of people may be turned off by these high prices but you get what you pay for - protection against fraud in risky transactions so I would recommend using Authorize.net if this matters to your business!
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
We only used Square POS while we were getting set up with Authorize.Net. It isn't as flashy or recognized by the general public, but in our industry, that isn't a priority. We do very large transactions so the higher rates and fees from Square add up insanely quickly making the lower rates and fees from Authorize.Net the nail in Square's coffin for us.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Visa
  • Lets us charge cards so we can get paid on time, every time.
  • It was very difficult to setup the DocuSign integration the first time, but after we got it setup, it's made the onboarding process very easy. That probably saves about 30 minutes every time we get a new client.
Read full review
Block, Inc (Square)
  • The opportunity cost of waiting for payments and manually bringing them to a bank means that we don't have to visit our bank branch. That alone saves us several hours each month.
  • We can use ordinary computers and mobile devices with Square instead of paying for expensive software or terminals.
  • Our clients appreciate not having to process payments to us, and anything that helps our clients and makes them happy carries more import than I can explain in this space.
Read full review
ScreenShots