Choosing a POS and payments stack is one of the most consequential decisions an independent Canadian restaurant makes. Two names come up constantly: Clover and Square. This comparison looks at total operating fit — pricing visibility, restaurant operations, payments, online ordering, hardware, and implementation — rather than a single advertised rate.
Pricing visibility
Square publishes its Canada restaurant pricing. The Free plan is $0/month, Plus is $60/month, and Premium uses custom pricing. Square lists Canada processing rates of 2.5% for in-person major credit cards, 0.75% plus 7 cents for in-person debit, 2.8% plus 30 cents online, and 3.3% plus 15 cents for manual entry or card-on-file transactions. No long-term contract is required, and businesses processing more than $250,000 annually can request custom processing pricing.
Clover's Canada restaurant pricing page does not publicly display plan prices or processing rates. Clover is sold through reseller and banking channels, so software, hardware, and processing terms are set in your written quote. Treat any Clover price you see online as illustrative until it appears in your own contract.
Compare total operating fit, not a single advertised payment rate. A lower processing percentage can be offset by software fees, hardware costs, or contract terms.
Restaurant operations
Clover's Canada restaurant page confirms table mapping, open tabs with card pre-authorization, bill splitting, discounts, QR-code order and pay, tipping, tableside ordering and firing, item and category management, stock tracking with sold-out marking, item modifiers, real-time sales and detailed reporting, individual logins and permissions, and shift management.
Square's Plus plan adds course management, live sales reporting, 24/7 support, and Square KDS with unlimited devices. Both platforms cover the restaurant essentials; the difference is how features are packaged and which device unlocks them.
| Capability | Clover | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Table mapping & open tabs | Yes | Yes (Plus) |
| Tableside ordering & firing | Yes (device-specific) | Yes (Plus) |
| Kitchen display | Clover KDS (add-on) | Square KDS (Plus, unlimited devices) |
| QR-code order & pay | Yes | Yes |
| Bill splitting & tipping | Yes | Yes |
| Inventory & sold-out marking | Yes | Yes |
Payments
Square's published Canada rates make it easy to model costs before you commit. Clover's processing rate is negotiated in your quote and depends on card mix, volume, and channel. For a fair comparison, request a Clover quote that lists the blended effective rate you can expect, not just a headline percentage.
| Transaction type | Square Canada rate | Clover Canada rate |
|---|---|---|
| In-person credit | 2.5% | Quote-dependent |
| In-person debit | 0.75% + 7¢ | Quote-dependent |
| Online | 2.8% + 30¢ | Interchange + markup (quote) |
| Manual / card-on-file | 3.3% + 15¢ | Quote-dependent |
Online ordering
This is where the two platforms diverge meaningfully for independents.
Clover's Canada online-ordering page states there are no additional subscription or commission fees to use Clover Online Ordering, provided you have an eligible Clover device and a Counter Service or Table Service software subscription. Card-not-present interchange rates apply to online orders, but there is no per-order commission on top. Orders are managed in Clover POS and fired directly to the kitchen.
Square Online is included with Square and does not charge a per-order commission either — its cost is the plan fee plus Square's card-not-present processing rate of 2.8% plus 30 cents on eCommerce orders. So neither platform takes a cut per order; the online-ordering comparison comes down to your software plan, the card-not-present rate in your agreement, and how tightly orders flow into the kitchen.
Hardware & implementation
Clover's page names three devices — Station Solo, Flex, and Station Duo — with certain functions noted as device-specific. Cash drawers and receipt printers are optional add-ons. Because Clover hardware is bundled into your reseller quote, you can often finance it within the same agreement.
Square hardware is purchased outright or through Square's instalment program, and you can start with a single terminal and scale up. There is no contract, but there is also no negotiated bundle — you pay list price for each device.
Which operator each fits
Choose Square if you want transparent, published pricing, no long-term contract, and the ability to start small with a single terminal. It is well suited to new or low-volume operators who value predictability and simplicity.
Choose Clover if you want no-commission online ordering, tableside service on dedicated hardware, and a single negotiated quote that bundles software, hardware, and processing. It is well suited to established full-service and quick-service operators doing meaningful online volume.
Written-quote checklist
Before you sign, obtain a full written quote from each provider that includes:
- Software plan and monthly fee
- Payment-processing rate (blended effective rate, not just headline)
- Hardware cost (each device, cash drawer, printer)
- Contract term, cancellation policy, and early-termination fee
- Online-ordering fees (subscription, commission, or per-order)
- Add-on costs (KDS, gift cards, loyalty, integrations)
Put both quotes side by side. The right POS is the one whose total cost and feature fit match how your restaurant actually operates — not the one with the lowest advertised rate.
Sources: Square Canada restaurant pricing, Clover Canada restaurant pricing, Clover Canada online ordering.