Poynt vs Square

Both Poynt and Square are great for small and mid-sized businesses, though there are a few differences to consider before making your final choice.

The last thing you want to do is invest in a brand that doesn't have the functions you need!

We're here to highlight the best features offered by each POS solution, enabling you to make a confident decision for your business.

Choose Poynt If...

If a simple payment terminal is your priority, then Poynt is the system we recommend.

Its open platform design works for businesses of all sizes, and you'll find a wide range of integrated apps that can increase its functionality. The portable design means you can take it with you on the go, and you'll have the freedom to connect with the payment processing platform of your choice.

Choose Square If...

Square POS is a fully functional POS system that goes beyond standard payment processing, making it an excellent option for small businesses such as retailers and restaurants that need back office features. Inventory management, employee management, and loyalty programs are included.

Poynt VS Square Comparison Chart

	Poynt	Square
Ideal For	Small business owners who need a basic payment processing terminal with customizable POS additions	New sellers, small retailers, or restaurants
Hardware Cost	Buying depends on the reseller; rentals run from $15 to $30 per month	$49 to $799
Software Cost	$30 per month starting	$0 per month starting
Online Transactions	2.3% flat-rate	2.9% +$0.30
In-Person Transactions	2.3% + $0.30	2.6% +$0.10
Mobile Device	Yes	Yes
Customer Service	Phone, email and text support. 24/7 support only comes in the form of “robochat”	Customer support from 6 AM to 6 PM PST over phone, email, and live chat. 24/7 support for Premium plan users
Contract	No contract	No contract
What’s Missing	Built-in POS features, free trial, and initial startup training	24/7 support hours with free plan, vendor management tools in the free plan, and age-restricted online purchasing tools

Digging Into The Details

Poynt's Best Features:

Sleek Hardware

Poynt has state-of-the-art POS hardware with a sleek and modern look. If you run a modern business, there is no doubt that you and your customers will appreciate the streamlined design of the company's available hardware.

The main Poynt Smart Terminal has a dual-facing touchscreen display for customers and employees to see both ends of the transaction with ease.

The hardware comes with a micro USB port, speakers, built-in microphones, barcode and QR scanners, an NFC antenna, and magstripe/EMV card readers.

If you need something a bit more portable, you can opt for the more compact version of the hardware, which is about the size of a smartphone.

Integrations

Poynt markets itself as your most basic POS system, and while it's pretty bare to start, you can integrate it with plenty of apps to expand its capabilities. The range of apps is quite wide, providing business owners with plenty of management tools to perform tasks such as:

Inventory management
Employee management
Printing and verifying gift cards
Taking orders
Booking appointments
Accessing daily reports
Utilizing kitchen display systems

The system also comes with an open API, allowing you to play around with the coding and create apps that gel with the needs of your business.

Payment Processing

While Square might be one of the most popular payment processing platforms, it simply can't beat the competitive payment processing rates offered by Poynt. Poynt's in-store processing fee is a flat rate of 2.3% for standard credit card processing, though it also offers flexible payments, such as contactless payments, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.

The online and invoice payments are quite inexpensive as well, topping off at 2.% + $0.30.

If you're looking for a cashless payment solution with low credit card processing fees, Poynt is one of the best payment platforms around.

Accounting Software

So many small business owners use Quickbooks to keep track of their business cash flow.

With Poynt, you can link your Quickbooks account so that all of your payment data syncs up with your Poynt smart terminal.

While Square allows for Quickbooks integration as well, the streamlined approach Poynt takes to integrate processes is far more efficient.

Customer Rewards

Any smart business owner knows how important customer retention is, and with Poynt's out-of-the-box loyalty program, you can find plenty of ways to boost your sales and bring in repeat customers. Merchants can easily keep track of customers using their Poynt Terminal or Poynt HQ, while customers can view and use their points using their mobile phone or Apple Wallet, as Poynt is one of the few Apple-authorized service providers.

From creating campaigns to redeeming rewards, the customer rewards program available with Poynt can take you through the whole process.

Square's Best Features:

Free Online Store

When you sign up for your Square POS account, you get a free online store right away. The great thing about this online store is that it is incredibly user-friendly.

You can use the automated tools within Square's system to create your online store based on a few given color and style preferences.

There are certainly more robust website builders out there, though the fact that you get it at no cost means you can get started with eCommerce right away.

Specialized Industry POS Features

While Poynt is more or less a smart terminal for making transactions rather than a full-fledged POS system, Square has a number of industry-specific point-of-sale features built directly into it. You can purchase the Square plan that's best for your business based on your need.

For example, if you run a retail business and you need a detailed inventory management platform, you can opt for Square for Retail. On the other hand, if you need to hook up kitchen display systems and increase service workflow between your kitchen and front-of-house staff, you can use Square's Restaurant POS systems.

The company even has a robust Square Appointments system for appointment-based businesses, such as hair salons, gyms and personal trainers. Visit Square POS cost to see detailed pricing.

You won't find specified uses in Poynt's platform.

Flexible Hardware

While the Poynt smart terminal is very sleek and modern, it doesn't beat the flexibility of Square's hardware.

When you sign up for Square, you get a free credit card reader to run magstripe payments.

This card reader can be hooked up to your tablet or smartphone, and you can begin making transactions right away without paying a dime.

Beyond its minimal setup, Square also offers a register platform that can be connected to a number of other peripherals, including cash drawers, receipt printers, barcode scanners, and more.

To match the sleek look and versatility of the Poynt Smart Terminal, Square offers the Square Terminal. This all-in-one device comes with a card reader, receipt printer, and high-definition touchscreen display.

Mobile Solution

While Poynt offers a mobile solution for business owners as well, Square's is a bit more robust when it comes to its intuitive design, versatility, and performance. Beyond your Mac, Windows, or Linux desktop, you can use Square on your iPhone device, Android device, or on Linux mobile.

Square's mobile solution, similar to its standard POS solution, works with a wide range of third-party applications, making it a solid choice for on-the-go businesses. Whether you're an art vendor at your local flea market or driving a food truck, you can find Square features that work for your business needs.

Having the ability to access your dashboard from anywhere in the world you are can be helpful too, as you'll never have to worry about leaving your business behind.

Appointment Services

As previously mentioned, Square has a number of industry-specific feature bundles for different kinds of businesses. One of its more interesting bundles is Square for Appointments. It's one of the best POS solutions for businesses that have customers book online, such as spas and salons .

Poynt can't even lift a finger to Square in this regard.

The Square for Appointments POS solution is set up to set up recurring invoice payments and appointments, send out SMS reminders, charge cancellation or no-show fees, and handle the ins and outs of the booking process.

You can choose between sending out invoices or checking clients out at the counter when they are there, giving you the flexibility to run your business how you deem fit.

One thing we truly enjoy about Square for Appointments is the ability to build in-depth customer profiles to enhance each customer's service experience.

Poynt Drawbacks:

One of the main downsides of Poynt is that it is not a true POS system like Square POS. This means that you'll have to integrate with various third-party apps if you want to take your Poynt Smart Terminal beyond simple payment processing hardware. Unlike Square, it doesn't come packed with cloud-based retail management features right out the gate, which could be a disadvantage for those who want a turnkey solution.

It's also worth noting that to obtain Poynt hardware and accessories, you'll likely have to go through a reseller. Trying to compare prices from different resellers to find the best one can be a huge hassle.

Square Drawbacks:

There are two main complaints when it comes to Square overall, and those complaints include a lack of quick customer service and random fund holds.

These issues often overlap. Several Square users complain that trying to get in touch with someone at Square customer support to get issues resolved can take a long time. Plus, the company does not offer 24/7 live support, leaving you waiting around if you run an after-hours business, such as a bar or nightclub.

Though Square provides customer service for free with its free starter plan, you risk not being able to get in touch with someone when you need it most.

Secondly, Square is a payment processor. Without a third-party provider that is solely focused on processing payments, you'll get less stability with Square's bundled features. If Square deems anything suspicious on your account, it can put a hold on funds or, in the worst case, terminate your account altogether.

Which is A Better Value?

Poynt offers tons of useful features and competitive processing rates, though Square is a more feature-rich solution right off the bat. If you don't want to assemble a customized system for your business, you might consider going with Square to get a better value.

Small business owners will enjoy the clear and versatile platform that Square offers. The mobile payments system is high-quality, and there are plenty of industry-specific features that you can choose between to manage and grow your business. Even the basic inventory and eCommerce features that come with Square's free plan are far more than what you'd get from most POS vendors.