Square vs Clover for Restaurants
Square and Clover compared for UK restaurants from their own pages in October 2026: plans, hardware, kitchen features, card rates and what to ask.
Updated 3 min read
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Key takeaways
- Square has a free plan and publishes its UK card rates; Clover publishes plans and monthly hardware fees but quotes card rates individually.
- Clover rents its hardware by the month (from £15 to £30 plus VAT), while Square sells its hardware up front.
- Both cover table management and kitchen routing; compare them on your devices and your card volume, not on the plan name.
- Clover's UK plan pages did not state VAT, so confirm it in a written quote.
In short: Square is cheaper to start and sells its hardware; Clover rents its hardware monthly and quotes card rates. Both can run a restaurant. Compare them with your device list and your card volume. Facts below come from each vendor's own pages in October 2026.
Side by side
| Square for Restaurants (UK) | Clover (UK) | |
|---|---|---|
| Software plans | Free; Plus £69 a month per location (Square) | Payments £0, Register £39.95, Table Service £59.95 a month; VAT not stated (Clover plans) |
| Hardware | Sold: Reader £19, Terminal £149, Register £699, plus VAT (pricing) | Rented: Flex Pocket and Flex £15, Mini £20, Station Duo £30 a month plus VAT (Clover restaurants) |
| Card rates | 1.75% UK cards in person; 1.4% plus 25p online | Bespoke: request a quote |
| Table management | In Plus | Digital floor plan, bill splitting, table mapping (Table Service) |
| Kitchen | Kitchen display from £15 per device a month | Direct kitchen routing and order or kitchen printers; check any screen cost |
| Online ordering | Click and collect and delivery, no monthly fees or commissions | Takeaway and delivery ordering to the kitchen; check fees |
| Trial | 30 day trial of Plus | Register Lite or Essentials free for 90 days for eligible merchants |
| Contract | Not stated on the page we read | No contract length shown on the pages we read |
Where Square leads
A free plan, hardware you own, and published card rates, so you can calculate processing cost before you sign. Its add ons are priced per device, which is simple but adds up.
Where Clover leads
Clover's Table Service plan lists bill splitting by amount, percentage, item and guest, service charges, table mapping, kitchen printers and enhanced inventory. Its restaurants page adds loyalty, review collection, shift scheduling and tip tracking, and over 150 app integrations. Paying for hardware monthly lowers the upfront cost, though it is an ongoing bill, and the page does not say what happens if you stop.
What neither page tells you
- Clover's card rate, because it is bespoke.
- Contract length and any early exit cost for either.
- VAT status on Clover's plan prices.
A worked example
Round, made up figures. A restaurant with one till and two handhelds, taking £20,000 a month by card.
- On Square at 1.75%, card fees are £350 a month, plus Plus at £69 and purchased hardware.
- On Clover, the Table Service plan is £59.95, the hardware rental depends on the devices, and the card fee depends on a quote.
Use the same method with your devices. If Clover quotes 1.5%, the fee is £300, which could offset its rental. At 1.9% it is £380. The rate matters more than the plan name.
Other options
If you want your own payment provider, flat pricing per location and no hardware sale, DineHarbor is one option: £69, £129 or £219 a month with till, kitchen screens, waiter phones and online ordering included, excluding VAT. It does not take delivery app orders. See the best POS systems for UK restaurants and the Square comparison.
Checklist
- Count tills, handhelds, kitchen screens and printers.
- Ask both for a written, VAT inclusive total for a year.
- Ask what happens to rented hardware if you leave.
- Test one service before you move over.
Questions and answers
Which is cheaper, Square or Clover?
Square has a free plan, so it is cheaper to start. Clover's Table Service plan is £59.95 a month and its hardware is rented from £15 a month plus VAT. Card rates decide the rest, and Clover's are by quote.
Does Clover charge for hardware monthly?
Its UK restaurants page lists Flex Pocket and Flex at £15, Mini at £20 and Station Duo at £30 a month, plus VAT. Check the page for current terms.
Do they work offline?
Clover's page says card payments can be taken offline and authorised when the connection returns, if enabled. Check Square's own help pages for its offline behaviour.
Can I choose my own payment provider?
Both are built around their own payments. If you want your own provider, compare systems that connect to one, such as DineHarbor.
See it in DineHarbor
About the author
Editorial team
The DineHarbor team writes this blog for restaurant owners and managers. Every article is checked against the product before it is published, so what we describe is what the software does.
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