Square for Retail or Howmuch POS: how to choose
Square for Retail offers a free plan with paid plans per location. Its free plan leaves out loyalty and commission tracking. Howmuch POS includes staff commissions and loyalty in one system, and it works offline with no time limit.
How they compare
| Need | Howmuch POS | Square for Retail |
|---|---|---|
| Works offline | Yes, with no time limit | Offline payments included with every plan. Processed when the device reconnects, and declined if it does not reconnect within 24 hours. Not supported on Square Reader for contactless and chip (1st generation, v1 and v2) |
| Staff commissions | Yes | Tip pooling and commissions tracking: Plus and Premium, not Free |
| Loyalty | Yes | Loyalty rewards program and promotions: Plus and Premium, not Free |
| Multi-store stock | Yes | Plus: inventory management and purchase orders. Premium: cross-location returns and transfer orders |
| Purchase orders | Not claimed on this page | Plus: vendor and purchase order management |
| Appointments and job cards | Yes | Square lists Appointments POS as a separate product |
| Free plan | Not claimed on this page | Square Free: $0 per month per location |
Choose Howmuch POS when
- You pay staff commissions and want them tracked in the same POS, on every plan.
- You want selling to continue offline, with no time limit.
- You run appointments or job cards alongside sales.
Choose Square for Retail when
- You want a free plan to start (Square states $0 per month per location).
- You want card processing from Square, with Square Online.
- You need Square's email marketing and automated campaigns, which Square lists on Plus and Premium.
Pricing
- Square Free: $0 per month per location
- Square Plus: $49 per month per location
- Square Premium: $149 per month per location
- Square Pro: custom pricing for businesses processing over $250,000 a year
- Card processing, tap, dip, or swipe: Free 2.6% + 15¢; Plus 2.5% + 15¢; Premium 2.4% + 15¢. Online: Free 3.3% + 30¢; Plus and Premium 2.9% + 30¢
Source: Square Retail POS pricing page, as saved on 11/11/26 (squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/retail/pricing). Plus and Premium show a 30-day free trial on Square's page.
Frequently asked questions
Does Howmuch POS work offline?
Yes, with no time limit. Sales continue offline and sync when the connection returns.
Does Square take payments offline?
Square states yes. Offline payments are processed when the device reconnects, and declined if it does not reconnect within 24 hours. Square Reader for contactless and chip (1st generation, v1 and v2) does not support them.
Is there a free Square plan?
Square states Square Free is $0 per month per location. It does not include loyalty or commission tracking, per Square's feature matrix.
Does Howmuch report sales tax?
Sales-tax-ready reports for your accountant to review. Howmuch does not file returns for you.
