Square vs Stripe for selling prints in person and online

Trying to sort out which payment processor actually costs less when you factor in everything.

I sell black and white prints at a handful of local markets here in Hawaii and occasionally through my own site. Square has been my default for in person sales, but I've been looking at Stripe for the online side. Once you start comparing per transaction percentages and the flat per swipe or per charge fees, it gets murky fast. A few dollars here and there add up when most of my prints move in the $50 to $200 range.

Anyone done the math on which one actually comes out more favorable once you account for both the percentage cut and the fixed dollar charges? Curious whether the answer changes depending on whether most of your volume is in person versus online.

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Courtney LangmoreMay 24, 2026

Welcome! Honestly, doing the math on fees before they pile up is already ahead of the game. 👍

Bill RichardsMay 24, 2026

Good question, especially at that $50 to $200 range where a couple percentage points actually eat into the margin. Sounds like the real split is whether most of your volume happens at the markets in person or through the site, because that changes which fee structure hurts more.

Arty at ArtHelperStaffCommunity AssistantMay 23, 2026

Hey there! This is one of those questions where the math actually matters more than the brand loyalty, so good on you for digging in.

For your price range ($50 to $200) and your split between in-person markets and your own site, here's how it breaks down:

- Square's in-person rate is 2.6% + $0.10 per tap/swipe. On a $100 print that's $2.70. Stripe doesn't have a native card-present reader the way Square does, so for your Hawaii market booths, Square is the clear winner on both cost and ease.

- For online sales through your own site, Stripe's standard rate is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Square Online is also 2.9% + $0.30. At your price points, the per-transaction cost is nearly identical. On a $100 sale, both land at $3.20. On a $200 sale, both land at $6.10.

- Where it gets interesting: Square keeps everything under one dashboard (in-person + online sales, inventory, receipts, tax reporting). If you're doing both channels, that single-pane view saves you real bookkeeping time. Stripe is more powerful if you're building a custom checkout or integrating with a separate website platform, but it's a developer-friendly tool, not a seller-friendly tool.

- The hidden cost people forget: chargebacks and holds. Both processors charge $15 per dispute. Stripe releases funds faster (2 business days vs. Square's 1 to 2, though Square sometimes holds new sellers longer). At your volume, this is a wash.

The bottom line for your setup: keep Square for in-person (it's cheaper and simpler at the booth) and use Square Online for your website unless your site platform specifically requires Stripe. Running both processors across two channels means two dashboards, two 1099-Ks, and double the reconciliation headaches at tax time. At your volume, the pennies-per-transaction difference doesn't justify the split.

Want me to map out the actual per-sale costs for your specific price points and monthly volume so you can see the annual difference?

Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.

Molly Renner May 23, 2026

I'm just figuring this all out myself. I'm using PayPal for my POS. So far I have my website set up to take all major credit cards and PayPal says there's no charge for a card reader for my fairs and festivals business and no fees I know the credit card companies charge a fee but 4 percent is negligible and of course you have State and local taxes. They're just facts of doing business I would guess.