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Compare Shift4 and Square Payments

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At a Glance
Shift4
Shift4
Star Rating
(23)3.2 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (63.6% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Shift4
Square Payments
Square Payments
Star Rating
(154)4.6 out of 5
Market Segments
Small-Business (88.9% of reviews)
Information
Entry-Level Pricing
No pricing available
Learn more about Square Payments
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • Users report that Square Payments excels in ease of use with a score of 9.6, while Shift4 struggles with a score of 6.5, making Square a more user-friendly option for small businesses.
  • Reviewers mention that Square Payments offers superior support quality, rated at 8.7, compared to Shift4's 5.9, indicating that users may find more reliable assistance with Square.
  • G2 users highlight Square Payments' robust payment options, particularly its high scores in accepted credit cards and debit cards (9.9) and recurring billing (9.6), whereas Shift4's scores in these areas are significantly lower, with 6.4 for credit cards.
  • Users on G2 emphasize the strong reporting and analytics capabilities of Square Payments, scoring 9.4, which outshines Shift4's 7.5, suggesting that businesses may benefit from better insights with Square.
  • Reviewers say that Square Payments provides excellent fraud protection tools, rated at 9.8, while Shift4's lower score of 7.7 indicates potential vulnerabilities in security measures.
  • Users report that Square Payments has a more favorable product direction score of 8.5 compared to Shift4's 4.6, suggesting that Square is perceived as a more innovative and forward-thinking solution by its users.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Shift4
No pricing available
Square Payments
No pricing available
Free Trial
Shift4
No trial information available
Square Payments
No trial information available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
6.2
14
9.5
111
Ease of Use
6.5
13
9.6
112
Ease of Setup
6.3
8
9.1
38
Ease of Admin
7.4
7
9.2
36
Quality of Support
5.9
13
8.7
84
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
5.9
9
9.1
36
Product Direction (% positive)
4.6
15
8.5
107
Features by Category
7.0
38
9.0
388
Payment Options
Not enough data
8.9
12
Not enough data
9.6
8
Not enough data
9.6
12
6.4
6
9.9
13
Not enough data
9.2
8
Not enough data
9.6
9
Not enough data
9.8
11
Not enough data
8.1
15
6.0
5
9.0
22
Administration
7.5
6
9.4
12
7.8
6
9.9
13
Not enough data
9.2
13
Not enough data
8.8
12
Not enough data
7.7
10
Not enough data
8.8
18
Not enough data
8.6
17
Not enough data
8.5
12
Security
7.7
5
9.0
7
Not enough data
9.8
9
Not enough data
9.5
7
Not enough data
9.7
10
Not enough data
9.3
23
Development
Not enough data
8.3
9
Not enough data
9.5
7
Not enough data
7.7
8
Not enough data
8.0
9
Platform
7.7
5
9.5
10
Not enough data
9.2
8
Not enough data
8.6
6
Not enough data
7.8
6
Not enough data
9.3
5
Not enough data
9.4
6
Not enough data
8.3
21
6.0
5
8.8
20
6.0
10
8.8
455
Payment Processing
Not enough data
9.2
40
Not enough data
9.6
46
Not enough data
9.6
42
Not enough data
9.1
31
Administration
Not enough data
8.8
40
Not enough data
8.6
29
Not enough data
7.2
43
Not enough data
9.0
36
Not enough data
8.8
18
Not enough data
8.6
17
Not enough data
8.5
12
Payment Options
Not enough data
8.1
15
6.0
5
9.0
22
Security
Not enough data
9.3
23
Platform
Not enough data
8.3
21
6.0
5
8.8
20
Not enough data
Not enough data
Platform Basics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Platform Administration
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Platform Payment Content
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Shift4
Shift4
Square Payments
Square Payments
Shift4 and Square Payments are categorized as Payment Gateways and Payment Processing
Unique Categories
Shift4
Shift4 has no unique categories
Square Payments
Square Payments is categorized as Contractor Payments
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Shift4
Shift4
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
63.6%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
36.4%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
0%
Square Payments
Square Payments
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
88.9%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
9.7%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
1.4%
Reviewers' Industry
Shift4
Shift4
Non-Profit Organization Management
9.1%
Hospitality
9.1%
Health, Wellness and Fitness
9.1%
Entertainment
9.1%
Retail
4.5%
Other
59.1%
Square Payments
Square Payments
Food & Beverages
11.8%
Health, Wellness and Fitness
6.9%
Retail
6.3%
Non-Profit Organization Management
5.6%
Information Technology and Services
4.2%
Other
65.3%
Most Helpful Reviews
Shift4
Shift4
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Kristen S.
KS
Kristen S.
Verified User in Food & Beverages

Allows for real-time electronic payment authorization and reporting. It is easy to control and a very flexible system which is a wonderful feature. I love the web-based capabilities which are nice to be able to access data from an alternate location (home...

Most Helpful Critical Review
Verified User
G
Verified User in Hospitality

The customer service and deposits I have been trying to get help with deposits and merchant numbers for 2 months. It has been an accounting nightmare to try and reconcile what we took in to what is deposited. I am now 3 months behind on reconciling because...

Square Payments
Square Payments
Most Helpful Favorable Review
Natalie M.
NM
Natalie M.
Verified User in Restaurants

I like how the payment processing is streamlined and to the point. Reports and records are simple to assess and greatly facilitate accounting.

Most Helpful Critical Review
Brenda U.
BU
Brenda U.
Verified User in Accounting

It gets a little confusing with the API and set up if you're a newb

Alternatives
Shift4
Shift4 Alternatives
PayPal Payments
PayPal Payments
Add PayPal Payments
Stripe Payments
Stripe Payments
Add Stripe Payments
Adyen
Adyen
Add Adyen
Worldpay
Worldpay
Add Worldpay
Square Payments
Square Payments Alternatives
PayPal Payments
PayPal Payments
Add PayPal Payments
GoCardless
GoCardless
Add GoCardless
Adyen
Adyen
Add Adyen
Heartland Payments+
Heartland Payments+
Add Heartland Payments+
Discussions
Shift4
Shift4 Discussions
Monty the Mongoose crying
Shift4 has no discussions with answers
Square Payments
Square Payments Discussions
Can i use Sqare internationally?
2 comments
HD
You can only use square internationally with cash payments, not card or tap-to-pay phone payments!Read more
How do I get notifications from the app?
2 comments
Nathaniel C.
NC
Hello Read more
Is Square software free?
2 comments
Beau C.
BC
Yes, for the base POS (Point-Of-Sale) system, you will still be subject to the percentage on every card transaction you may. There are additional systems by...Read more