Clover vs. Square: Which is Right for Your Business?

A point-of-sale system, often known as a POS system, is one of the most crucial items that every business owner should have before getting started. Depending on the intricacy of the technology and app extensions, you can use a POS system to ring up sales and make payments or even keep track of client purchase trends and inventory.

Clover and Square are the two key players in the point of sale industry. Each business offers a distinct service with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. As a business owner, you must determine which system will work best for you. We have looked at both systems, and this Clover vs. Square comparison outlines the key features to help you make an informed decision.

Hardware

Square and Clover both have attractive hardware to go along with their POS systems. There is not much to pick between the hardware prices offered by each company, but Square’s system works best on iPad, so you will want to consider that before you get started.

Square provides all users with a card reader for free when they use the service, which is beneficial for a small business that is just getting started. However, because Square POS works best on an iPad, you will need one to start if you do not already have one.

Additionally, Square card readers for magstripe are available for as cheap as $10 per unit and connect to an iPad directly. Separate scanners for contactless and chip transactions are available for $49 while the Square Terminal, which accepts payments and generates receipts, costs $299 – though you will need to buy an ethernet cable which is $39 to connect it to the internet.

Clover charges $69.00 for its Clover Go chip and contactless payment reader. The Clover Mini, on the other hand, costs $749 and includes both a touchscreen interface for you and your employees to enter purchases and a chip and contactless reader. Moreover, you can use it to access any information on your business at any moment.

For $1,349, Clover Station is an all-in-one POS system that includes a cash drawer and receipt printer. It costs a little more than Square’s version, but you will not have to buy an iPad if you decide to go with Clover. The cost of Clover Flex, a mobile payment terminal with a display, is $499. It is a well-designed piece of equipment that would be ideal for restaurants with roving crews of servers.

Sales

All major credit cards will be accepted at the same rate when using Square. You may also accept contactless payments through Google and Apple Pay. Furthermore, you can even store your most loyal customers’ credit and debit card information on file. Clover will accept the same payment options as Square. It does, however, provide digital receipts and one-touch tipping, meaning that you will process returns and refunds faster and conveniently.

Analytics

In the same way, all of your sales will be accessible through the Square Dashboard, where you can monitor them. From profit and loss to your products, every aspect of your business can be seen in this dashboard. In addition, you will use the dashboard to acquire key sales insights and export the data so that you may further analyze your data.

Analytical tools provided by Clover also track and analyze your sales in real-time. The sales data across all of your locations, as well as tip and server totals and the volume of credit card transactions, will all be readily available to you.

Add-ons and Integrations

Square’s App Store includes a variety of apps that can be connected to your POS to enhance its functionality. You may link CRM systems like Mailchimp to improve customer relations or accept orders through third-party fulfillment services such as Ecwid. Clover also has an extensive app store that includes anything from payroll applications like Gusto to recruitment applications like JazzHR.

Customer Support

All customers in the United States are entitled to 24-hour help from Clover, regardless of the pricing plan they are on. If you run into any problems, you may also get assistance from their blog, FAQ, and developer pages. Phone support is available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday for Square, while your email support questions are answered within 24 hours. The online support center provided by Square can assist users in resolving any issues they may encounter.

Both Clover and Square provide fantastic tools for helping businesses to increase their sales and customer satisfaction. Clover appears to be more expensive than Square due to its upfront price. Small and medium businesses can save money by just using the Square POS software. Whether you choose Clover or Square entirely depends on your company’s budget, preferences, goals, and requirements.