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Paybrain vs Square for salons
Paybrain gives a salon AI client briefs before every visit, AI promotion ideas, promo texts at 5¢ each and paper forms turned digital by AI, with no monthly fee. It also lets you pass the card fee on at checkout. Square can't do that in Square Appointments: its surcharge isn't supported in the Appointments app and never applies to debit cards, so every card there pays the full rate, $2.15 on an $80 service on Square Plus. With Paybrain's card pricing at 3%, the same sale costs you $0.17, on any card. Without card pricing, Square Free has the lower rate, and Paybrain costs less than Square Plus ($49 a month per location) until about $11,200 a month in card sales.
Competitor prices as of October 2026, from Square's own pricing pages (see Sources).
AI that works from your own sales, included
Every AI tool comes with the account. No add-on fee, no higher plan to unlock it. Each one drafts or suggests, and you decide.
- AI client briefsBefore each visit, the Provider iPad app shows a brief written from the client's real visit history.
- AI promotion ideasOffers suggested from your last few weeks of sales, ready to send as a text in a couple of taps.
- Promo texts at 5¢ eachNo marketing plan to buy. Send a text blast to your customers and pay 5¢ a text from prepaid credits.
- Paper forms, made digitalPhotograph an intake or consent form and AI builds the digital version for you to review.
Fees side by side
| Paybrain | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly feeSquare: per location | $0 | $0 | $49 | $149 |
| In personTap, dip or swipe | 3.0% + 10¢ | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online and invoices | 3.2% + 35¢ | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Keyed-in or card on filePaybrain: online rate | 3.2% + 35¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ |
| Example month: $10,000 in card sales125 in-person payments at $80, monthly fee included | $312.50 | $278.75 | $317.75 | $407.75 |
| Same month, passing the fee onPaybrain: card pricing at 3%, any card. Square: checked out in Square Appointments, where its surcharge isn't supported | $21.25 | $278.75 | $317.75 | $407.75 |
The arithmetic: Paybrain's percentage is higher than Square's and its fixed fee is lower, so Square Free costs less on any ticket over $12.50. Against Square Plus, the $49 monthly fee is the difference: at an $80 average ticket, Paybrain costs less until about $11,200 a month in card sales per location.
With card pricing on, the comparison changes: the markup covers nearly all of Paybrain's fee, so Paybrain costs less than Square Plus at any volume when Square isn't surcharging, which is every sale checked out in Square Appointments. Square's surcharge works only in its POS, Restaurant and Retail apps and only on credit cards; on those sales its lower rate makes it slightly cheaper than Paybrain at the same 3%. Card customers pay more either way, and you need signs. See What is dual pricing?
Passing the card fee on to clients
| Paybrain card pricing | Square card surcharge | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Card price posted on every price; cash payers get your stored price as a cash discount | Up to 3% added to credit card payments at checkout (open beta) |
| Cards it applies to | Any card, debit included | Credit cards only; debit pays the full fee |
| Where it works | Register, the app’s register, web register, booking page. Online invoices add it as a surcharge line | Square POS, Restaurant and Retail apps, and Square Invoices on the web; not the Square Appointments app |
| States | Rules vary by state; check yours | Not available in CT, ME, MA or Puerto Rico; extra rules in some states |
| $80 credit card sale at 3%Net cost to you. Square: in its POS app only, not Appointments | $0.17 | Free $0.11 ahead · Plus $0.19 ahead |
| $80 debit card saleNet cost to you | $0.17 | Free $2.23 · Plus $2.15 |
What a salon gets on each
| Paybrain | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Online booking page | Included, per location | Free plan and up |
| Deposits | Included; late cancels and no-shows forfeit them | Free plan and up |
| Cancellation policy and no-show fees | Deposit forfeits on late cancel or no-show | Plus and up |
| Intake and consent forms | Included, with AI import of your paper forms | Not listed |
| Memberships with recurring billing | Included, with built-in perks | Not listed |
| Loyalty | Included | Plus and up |
| Text promotions | 5¢ a text with AI-suggested promos, no plan needed | Plus and up (500 texts included on Plus) |
| Waitlist | Not offered | Plus and up |
| Booking from Instagram, Facebook, Google | Share your booking link | Free plan and up |
| Treatment-room app | Paybrain Provider for iPad, free | Not listed |
Hardware
| Paybrain | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| Countertop register | $999 kit: 15" touchscreen, cash drawer, receipt printer, scanner and Stripe card reader | Square Register $899 |
| Smaller options | Use the free app with Tap to Pay | Terminal $299, Stand $149, Reader $59 |
| Tap to Pay on a phone | $0 hardware | $0 hardware |
| Monthly financing | Not offered | Offered on most devices |
Which one fits
- Choose Square Free if you're a solo stylist who mainly needs booking and payments and doesn't need no-show fees, loyalty or marketing. Its in-person rate is lower.
- Choose Paybrain if you'd otherwise pay for Square Plus to get no-show protection, loyalty and promotions, or if you want intake forms, memberships and a full front-desk register without a monthly bill. See Paybrain for salons.
- Choose Square Plus or Premium if you need a waitlist, class bookings, resource management or Square's banking and payroll in one place.
Questions people ask
Is Paybrain cheaper than Square for a salon?
If you pass the card fee on, usually yes: Square's surcharge isn't supported in the Square Appointments app and doesn't apply to debit cards, while Paybrain's card pricing covers nearly all of the fee on any card (costs you $0.17 on an $80 sale at 3%). Without it, it depends on the plan you would need. Square Free charges 2.6% + 15¢ in person with no monthly fee, which is less than Paybrain's 3.0% + 10¢ on any ticket over $12.50. Square's no-show fees, waitlist, loyalty and marketing need Square Plus at $49 a month per location; against Plus, Paybrain costs less until about $11,200 a month in card sales at an $80 average ticket.
Can I pass card fees on to clients with Square or Paybrain?
Both offer a way, with different rules. Paybrain's card pricing posts a card price (your price plus a markup up to 4%) and gives cash payers a cash discount; it applies to any card on the Register, the app's register, the web register and the booking page. Square's card surcharge, in open beta as of October 2026, adds up to 3% to credit card payments only (not debit), works in the Square POS, Restaurant and Retail apps and web invoices but not the Square Appointments app, and isn't available in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts or Puerto Rico. At 3% on an $80 sale, Paybrain's card pricing costs you $0.17 on any card; a Square Free credit card sale with the surcharge leaves you $0.11 ahead, and a debit sale costs the full $2.23.
Does Paybrain charge a monthly fee for booking?
No. Paybrain has no monthly fee on any plan. Online booking with deposits, intake and consent forms, memberships and loyalty come with the account; you pay 3.0% + 10¢ per in-person card payment.
Can I take deposits and protect against no-shows?
With Paybrain, the booking page collects a deposit up front, and late cancels and no-shows forfeit it. On Square, deposits are on the Free plan, while cancellation policies and no-show fees are on Square Plus and above (as of October 2026).
What hardware does each need?
Both work on a phone with Tap to Pay. Paybrain's countertop kit is $999 once, with a 15" touchscreen, cash drawer, receipt printer, barcode scanner and a Stripe card reader. Square sells devices separately, from a $59 contactless reader to the $899 Square Register.
Where is Square the better choice?
Square has a lower in-person rate, a genuinely free plan, a wider hardware lineup with monthly financing, and a larger ecosystem: banking, payroll, a website builder, and booking through Instagram, Facebook and Google. If those matter most, Square is a strong fit.
Sources
Square facts checked October 2026. Prices change; check Square's site before you decide.
- Square Appointments pricing (plans, per-plan rates and features): https://squareup.com/us/en/appointments/pricing
- Square fees: https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees
- Square Tap to Pay: https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/tap-to-pay
- Square hardware: https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware
- Square Support: set up and manage card surcharges: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/8596-set-up-and-manage-card-surcharges
- Square: cash discounting (manual discount): https://squareup.com/us/en/the-bottom-line/managing-your-finances/cash-discounting
- Paybrain pricing: https://paybrain.io/pricing
No monthly fee. Booking included.
3.0% + 10¢ in person, and the $999 kit is yours.