Head to head · In-person card payments
Zeller vs Square: which costs less now surcharges are gone?
Updated
Both charge one flat rate for every card, Amex included, with no monthly fee on their basic plans. The difference is 0.2 percentage points on every sale, which matters more now that you can’t pass it on as a surcharge.
Verdict
On fees, Zeller is cheaper at every volume: at $20,000 a month it costs $3,360 a year against Square’s $3,840, a saving of $480. If you joined Square before 30 May 2024 and still pay 1.9%, the gap is $1,200 a year. Choose Square if its free point-of-sale app or next-day money on weekends is worth more to you than that.
Your numbers
The published terms
Zeller and Square in-person plans
| Plan | In-person rate | Monthly | Upfront | Amex | Settlement | Source | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeller Terminal | 1.4% | $0 | $99 | Same 1.4% rate, no extra fee | Next business day to any bank account, free | Zeller pricing | Zeller (opens in a new tab) |
| Square Reader (Free plan) | 1.6% | $0 | $65 | Same 1.6% as Visa, Mastercard and eftpos | Next day, including weekends, free | Square pricing | Square (opens in a new tab) |
| Square Terminal (Free plan) | 1.6% | $0 | $329 | Same 1.6% as Visa, Mastercard and eftpos | Next day, including weekends, free | Square pricing | Square (opens in a new tab) |
Zeller: “In-person transaction fee 1.4%. For all cards, including American Express.” No set-up fee, monthly fee or lock-in contract, and the terminal is yours for A$99. (Zeller pricing, checked )
Square: “Visa, Mastercard, eftpos or American Express all cost the same rate. 1.6% per transaction.” The Free plan is $0 a month; the Plus plan starts at $40 a month. (Square pricing, checked )
Square sellers who signed up before 30 May 2024 pay 1.9% on Square Reader, Square Stand and Tap to Pay. (Square pricing, checked )
What the 0.2 points costs you
Fees a year at three monthly volumes
| Plan | $5,000 a month | $20,000 a month | $60,000 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zeller Terminal | $8401.40% | $3,3601.40% | $10,0801.40% |
| Square Reader (Free plan) | $9601.60% | $3,8401.60% | $11,5201.60% |
| Square, joined before 30 May 2024 | $1,1401.90% | $4,5601.90% | $13,6801.90% |
Because both rates are flat, your card mix makes no difference here: a customer tapping an eftpos card costs you the same as one using a premium Amex. The gap grows in a straight line with your takings, so a business taking $60,000 a month pays Square about $1,440 a year more than Zeller.
Hardware narrows the first-year gap only a little. A standalone Zeller Terminal is A$99. Square’s cheapest option is the A$65 Reader, which pairs with your phone; its standalone Square Terminal is A$329, so on a counter setup Zeller is cheaper upfront as well.
What each one gives you for the money
Square includes its point-of-sale apps free with every account, and pays out the next day, weekends included, at no charge. Tap to Pay on an iPhone or Android phone is free, so you can start without buying a reader at all. Above $250,000 a year Square says it may offer a custom package.
Zeller settles the next business day into any bank account you nominate, also free, and comes with its own business account. It offers a custom rate above $250,000 a year in card payments. If you take phone orders, its rate for those is lower too:
- Zeller phone and mail orders: 1.7% including GST. (Zeller pricing, checked )
- Square keyed-in and card-on-file payments: 2.2%. (Square pricing, checked )
Per sale, the difference is small; per year, it isn’t
Two tenths of a percent is 2 cents on a $10 coffee, 6 cents on a $30 lunch and 20 cents on a $100 haircut. Nobody notices it at the counter. It shows up on the statement: $480 a year at $20,000 a month, every year you stay.
Stay on Square if you run your menu, stock or appointments in its apps and would otherwise pay for that software elsewhere, or if weekend payouts keep your cash flow working. Move to Zeller if you only use Square to take payments, or you joined before May 2024 and still pay 1.9%. And if neither suits, the banks now undercut both: see Zeller vs CommBank.