Square Retail packs a tremendous amount of features into their free plans while offering more sophisticated plans with advanced eCommerce features at very reasonable cost, plus Square charges by rooftop, not by device (unlike its competitors).
Loyalty and Marketing (previously +$75 / +$120 for Plus / Premium) are now included! Opting for a paid plan are now a no-brainer!
Please see Best Fit Scenarios below
Square Retail Free – numerous core features $0
- Basic item & variation library, fixed, variable, and per-unit pricing, modifiers, inventory counts per item, manual stock adjustments, item‑level tax controls (including tax inclusive). Discounts & promos
- Simple barcode scanning with compatible scanners, simple barcode labeling support
- In‑store POS checkout with cards/tap/wallet, simple customer profiles and sales history
- Customer Portal - they can sign in to view order history and reorder, track offers and loyalty rewards, manage gift card balances, and more.
- Basic Square Online store connection, Print shipping labels in bulk right from your Square Dashboard and save on shipping rates in the U.S.
- Core sales reports, basic item performance reports, basic staff time tracking & permissions.
4% Cash Discount suggested [ Rack Rate: in-person 2.6% + .15, Online 3.3% + .30, Keyed/Vault 3.5% + .30 ]
Retail Plus – added vs Free $49
- Purchase orders & receive‑stock workflows, item cost tracking and margin/profit reporting,
- Stronger multi‑location inventory tools (stock by location, transfers),
- Richer barcode/label workflows (cleaner label printing, better GTIN/UPC handling),
- Enhanced catalog import/export, more granular item & category performance reports, low‑stock & reorder reporting tuned for retail.
- Offer free shipping with a minimum order amount, and show customers how close they are to reaching that threshold during checkout.
- Online enhancements - add badges to sale items, low or out of stock. Limit item purchase quantity per order. Schedule product updates: drops, price changes, and flash sales in advance. Offer subscriptions for items or services on your website. Sell multiple items as a single bundle.
- More advanced role‑based access and staff controls, enhanced support (phone M-F 6am - 6pm) suitable for growing multi‑employee shops.
4% Cash Discount suggested [ Rack Rate: in-person 2.5% + .15, Online 2.9% + .30, Keyed/Vault 3.5% + .30 ]
Retail Premium – added vs Plus $149
- Centralized multi‑location catalog and inventory management at scale
- Advanced multi‑location and consolidated reporting (location comparisons, roll‑up views)
- Sophisticated inventory tools for larger assortments and warehouses
- Advanced team‑management and labor controls across locations, tooling geared to high‑volume and franchised/enterprise retailers
- Automatically email customers with a reminder of the items left in their cart. Display accurate shipping rates at checkout based on weight, destination, and carrier
- Priority/extended 24/7 phone support and higher‑touch account management, deeper integration options (e.g., richer connections to ecommerce, accounting, or ERP stacks).
4% Cash Discount suggested [ Rack Rate: in-person 2.4% + .15, Online 2.9% + .30, Keyed/Vault 3.5% + .30 ]
Best Fit Scenarios
Retail fast rules of thumb:
Free – 1 location, simple inventory, basic barcode scanning and reporting, mostly walk‑in traffic
Plus – 1–3 locations, larger catalog with variants, needs stronger inventory control (POs, vendors, stock alerts), and more detailed sales/margin reporting.
Premium – multi‑location or high‑volume retail, complex inventory across stores, needs centralized controls, advanced analytics, and tighter cost/profit visibility, and stronger support.
Choose Square for Retail Free when all (or almost all) of these are true:
Locations:
You have one location or maybe two small ones with simple inventory needs.
SKU count & complexity:
You have a modest catalog (roughly up to a few hundred SKUs, maybe low thousands) and your inventory is not highly complex (no deep variants, few vendors).
You’re comfortable with basic stock counts and manual adjustments; you don’t need structured purchasing or vendor management.
Item‑level profit reporting:
Nice‑to‑have, not must‑have. You can live without in‑Square cost/COGS reports and are okay tracking margins in a spreadsheet or accounting system. The Free plan doesn’t give you COGS or item cost–based margin reporting.
Other indicators:
You’re early‑stage or volume is still manageable.
You mostly need: item catalog, basic inventory tracking, barcode scanning, simple reports, and checkout.
Break: When you start feeling pain around knowing what to reorder, tracking vendor costs, or reconciling stock across locations, you’re at the edge of Free.
When Plus makes sense
Move to Square for Retail Plus when any of these become true:
Locations:
You have 1–3 locations and inventory is now meaningful across them (you care which store has stock, transfers, etc.).
SKU count & complexity:
You have hundreds to many thousands of SKUs, or
You regularly manage purchase orders, vendor costs, and receiving.
You want structured inventory management and stock intake, not just manual adjustments.
Item‑level profit reporting:
Must‑have or strongly want.
Plus adds item cost tracking and COGS & inventory reports, so you can see gross profit and sell‑through by item/category inside Square.
Marketing & Loyalty
Item-level customer segmentation for use in automated post sale and after sale outreach
Multiple levels of rewards; new, lost, birthday, VIP tiers, spend, visits, and item specific
Loyalty dashboard shows increased spend and frequency compared to those unenrolled
Other indicators:
You want vendor and PO management, better low‑stock/reorder reporting, and more detailed retail‑specific analytics.
You have staff and want stronger role‑based access and inventory controls than Free.
Break: When you say, “I need to know my margins, I want Square to tell me what to reorder, and I don’t want to manage costs in a spreadsheet,” Plus becomes the obvious tier.
When Premium is justified
Upgrade to Square for Retail Premium when you’re operating at scale and need multi‑location control and higher‑touch support.
Locations:
You have several locations and need centralized catalog, pricing, and inventory policies.
Multi‑location reporting and consolidated views (by store and overall) are essential, not optional.
SKU count & complexity:
You have large assortments (many thousands of SKUs) and possibly multiple warehouses or complex transfers.
You rely heavily on advanced inventory and COGS reporting to manage buying and profitability across stores.
Item‑level profit reporting:
Still must‑have, but now at multi‑location / multi‑channel scale, with advanced inventory/COGS insights as a core part of management.
Other indicators:
You want enterprise‑style features: advanced multi‑location reporting, more powerful team controls, and priority/extended support.
You may negotiate custom pricing and integrations as part of a bigger relationship with Square.
Break: When you’re running a small chain or regional brand where central control, roll‑up reporting, and support guarantees matter as much as features, Premium is the right tier.
Retail Marketing Automation (Plus/Premium)
Category- or item-based follow‑ups
Concept: Use purchase history to send post-purchase education, upsells, or refills based on what they bought.
- Segmentation: Customers who purchased specific categories (e.g., “espresso machine”).
- Automation: For each key item/category, design a short email sequence that fires after that product is purchased.
Example (retail – espresso machine):
- Day 0 email: Setup guide + video.
- Day 7 email: “Dialing in your shots” with a link to buy beans and descaler.
- Day 30 SMS: “Running low on beans? Reply Y for 15% off your next bag at pickup.”
Value:
- Higher repeat purchases and attachment of consumables.
- Less support load because onboarding and FAQs go out automatically.