Best Payment Processors for Small Business 2026

by Anonymous

Not sure which to pick? We break down Stripe, Square, PayPal on Transaction Fee, POS Hardware, Online Payments, Recurring Billing so you can choose what matters most.

Stripe

2.9% + $0.30 (online)
transaction fee
Stripe Terminal readers ($59+)
pos hardware
Yes, full API and hosted checkout
online payments
Yes, Stripe Billing built-in
recurring billing
2 business days (instant available)
payout speed
$0
monthly fee

Square

2.6% + $0.15 (in-person), 3.3% + $0.30 (online)
transaction fee
Square Reader ($0), Register ($799)
pos hardware
Yes, Square Online store
online payments
Yes, Square Invoices
recurring billing
Next business day (instant for 1.75%)
payout speed
$0 (Free plan), $49/month (Plus)
monthly fee

PayPal

2.59% + $0.49 (US standard)
transaction fee
Zettle readers ($29+)
pos hardware
Yes, PayPal Checkout and buttons
online payments
Yes, subscription plans
recurring billing
Instant to PayPal balance, 1–2 days to bank
payout speed
$0 (Standard), $25/month (Advanced)
monthly fee

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