Square Invoices Review: Pros, Cons & Key Features

Panna Kemenes

Square Invoices is a tool that enables you to send, manage and track invoices. It also comes with a suite of advanced features allowing for full customization and automation capabilities, for a monthly fee.

Let’s check out Square Invoices’ key features and fees. We’ll also compare it to some other providers, as well as suggest one provider that could help you invoice international clients.

invoices-receive-in-9-currencies

Square Invoices Review: Quick Overview

Here’s a quick overview of Square Invoices.

Square Invoices
Key features
  • Unlimited invoice, estimate and contract creation
  • Multi-package estimates
  • Autoconversion of estimates to invoices
  • Full invoice design and field customization
  • Milestone-based payment schedules
  • Invoice tracking and management
  • Recurring invoices and batch invoices
  • Can accept payment with Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit card, ACH bank transfer, a Square Gift Card, Cash App or Afterpay
  • Issue refunds
  • Collect tips and apply discounts and taxes
Main fees
  • Online card payment: 2.9% + $0.30 USD (Plus) / 3.3% + $0.30 USD (Free)
  • In-person card payment: 2.6% + $0.10 USD
  • Card on file payment: 3.5% + $0.15 USD
  • Manually keyed in payment: 3.5% + $0.15 USD
  • Online ACH payment: 1% (minimum fee of $1)
  • Cash App Pay: 2.9% + $0.30 USD
  • Afterpay: 6% + $0.30 USD
  • Free Plan: $0 USD per month
  • Plus Plan: $20 USD per month
Great for
  • Small to medium sized business wanting free, unlimited invoices, with the ability to access advanced features for a monthly fee
Trustpilot rating
  • 4.3/5 ¹

Square Invoices: Key Features

Square claims that more than 75% of invoices are paid within a day when using Square Invoices.²

When using Square Invoices, you’ll benefit from the Square Customer Directory. Here you can create instant customer profiles. You can group customers by purchasing behavior, feedback or other factors, all in the one place. Using these smart groups, you’ll be able to send targeted personalized email and text marketing campaigns.³

You can send prospective customers estimates and digital contracts with e-signature capabilities. These estimates can be converted to invoices with one simple click.³

When sending an invoice with Square, you can save time with batch invoicing, allowing you to invoice multiple customers at once. You can customize your invoices, changing the color, brand logo and fields, to suit your business. You also have the ability to schedule daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly recurring invoices, simplifying recurring billing.³

When creating an invoice, you can integrate milestone-based payment schedules all within one single invoice.³

E-invoices can be sent via SMS, email or by manually sharing a link. When your customers want to pay, they can choose to use Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit card, ACH bank transfer, a Square Gift Card, Cash App or Afterpay. This gives them a wide variety of payment options. You can also connect Square Hardware to the Invoices app, enabling you to accept in-person card payments.³

Customers can opt to have their payment information saved to automate and expedite future invoice payments.

You can accept tipping with Square Invoices, as well as apply discounts and taxes.

With Square Invoices, you’ll benefit from real-time tracking, allowing you to check which invoices are paid, unpaid and overdue. You can also set automatic payment reminders and issue refunds directly from the app or Square Dashboard.³

📝 Read on for more:

Ease of Use

Square Invoices simplifies the whole invoicing process through its convenient app, as well as automation.

The centralized Square Customer Directory makes invoicing quick and simple by storing customer data and card information.

Features such as automated recurring invoices, milestone-based payment schedules integrated into single invoices and invoice tracking make Square Invoices easy to use.

Autoconversion of estimates into invoices, as well as integrations with third party software such as QuickBooks and Xero, makes for a smooth invoicing process.³

Trustpilot reviews emphasize the ease of use, ability to get started quickly and ease of tracking invoices as standout features.¹

Some Trustpilot reviewers have commented on the tendency for funds to be withheld for long periods of time for security reasons, as well as high fees, as two points which could be improved.¹

Customer Service

Square has an expansive online knowledge base with FAQs and an online chatbot.⁴ Customer service can also be reached via phone and email.³

Square Invoices Fees

Depending on your business’s needs, Square Invoices offers two payment plans: Free and Plus.

The first plan is free of charge. This gives you access to unlimited invoicing, estimates and contract creation, allowing you to accept payment 24/7.

The second plan is Square Invoices Plus which comes with a $20 USD monthly fee. This paid plan gives you access to advanced features, such as:

  • Ability to offer multi-package estimates
  • Autoconversion of estimates to invoices
  • Full invoice design and field customization
  • Milestone-based payment schedules

If you’ve been wondering “How much does Square charge for invoices?” you should keep in mind that it depends on your plan.

Each plan comes with a slightly different fee structure.

Here are the fees for the free plan:

Payment methodFee
Online card payment3.3% + $0.30 USD
In-person card payment2.6% + $0.10 USD
Card on file payment3.5% + $0.15 USD
Manually keyed in payment3.5% + $0.15 USD
Online ACH payment1% (minimum fee of $1 USD)
Cash App Pay2.9% + $0.30 USD
Afterpay6% + $0.30 USD⁵

And here are the fees for the Square Invoices Plus plan:

Payment methodFee
Online card payment2.9% + $0.30 USD
In-person card payment2.6% + $0.10 USD
Card on file payment3.5% + $0.15 USD
Manually keyed in payment3.5% + $0.15 USD
Online ACH payment1% (minimum fee of $1 USD)
Cash App Pay2.9% + $0.30 USD
Afterpay6% + $0.30 USD⁵

The only difference in fee structure between Square Free and Plus is that Plus comes with a monthly fee of $20 USD, in exchange for a lower online card processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 USD.

Square payment processing does offer custom pricing plans for high volume merchants processing more than $250,000 per year. This may also include custom rates for invoice fees.⁶

Square Invoices Pros and Cons

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of Square Invoices.

BenefitsPossible drawbacks
  • Offers a free plan
  • Square Invoices Plus (the paid plan) offers a 30-day free trial
  • Unlimited amount of users are able to send invoices
  • Unlimited invoice, estimate and contract creation
  • Schedule recurring invoices
  • Send batch invoices (with Square Invoices Plus)
  • Integrates with Square’s suite of tools
  • Integrates with third-party accounting software
  • Can accept payment with Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit card, ACH bank transfer, a Square Gift Card, Cash App or Afterpay
  • Custom Directory instantly creates and saves profiles
  • Custom pricing for high volume merchants
  • Create fully customized invoices (with Square Invoices Plus)
  • Offer multi-package estimates (with Square Invoices Plus)
  • Autoconvert approved estimates to invoices (with Square Invoices Plus)
  • Offer milestone-payment schedules (with Square Invoices Plus)
  • Issue refunds
  • No customization options with the Free plan
  • High processing fees for online card transactions with the Free plan
  • Square Invoices charges a $20 USD monthly fee

What are the benefits of Square Invoices?

For small to medium-sized businesses wanting invoice functionality, Square Invoices is a great option.

Its free plan allows unlimited sending of invoices, contracts and estimates, with e-signature capabilities. You can accept a wide range of payment methods and easily save customer information for expedited future payment processing.

Additionally, you can integrate Square Invoices with Square’s suite of services as well as third-party accounting software, making for smoother operation.

In comparison to other invoice providers, the ability to send unlimited invoices to an unlimited number of clients for free is Square’s standout feature.

If you’re willing to upgrade to Square Invoices Plus, then you’ll benefit from a range of advanced features, allowing full customization. You’ll also be able to send batch invoices, as well as offer multi-package estimates.

What are the drawbacks of Square Invoices?

Despite its benefits, the main disadvantage of Square Invoices is that most of the features require the Plus version to access them.

While the free version allows for basic invoice creation and tracking, you’ll need to upgrade and pay the monthly fee for the more advanced features.

Likewise, a common issue reported by users is the random withholding of funds by Square.

Is Square Invoicing Safe?

Square is PCI-compliant and offers end-to-end encryption for every card present transaction. This makes it a secure invoicing provider.⁷

Square Invoice Alternatives

Here are some alternative invoice providers to consider if you’re thinking about Square Invoices. These competitors also specialize in other key business activities.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks is an invoicing provider suited to freelancers and small businesses.

It offers a range of advanced features, from accounting integrations to tax and financial health reporting tools. ⁸

It offers a free 30-day trial, after which you can select one of four payment plans: Lite, Plus, Premium or Select.

The Lite plan starts at $17 USD per month (currently reduced to $8.50 for 6 months) while Premium costs $55 USD per month (currently $27.50 USD for 6 months). The Select plan offers custom pricing and lower transaction fees.⁸

The Lite and Plus plans restrict you to send invoices to a maximum of 5 and 50 clients, respectively. Only with the Premium and Select plans can you send unlimited invoices. There’s also a restricted number of team members per account, although you can add members for an extra fee.⁸

💡 You can also connect FreshBooks with Wise Business to sync transactions and save time on admin. This is a great feature for businesses with international transactions.

Invoice Ninja

Invoice Ninja is another invoice provider for small businesses.

It offers everything from invoice customization, inventory tracking and vendor categorization, to invoice management.⁹

You can integrate Invoice Ninja with a range of payment gateways, enabling instant payment. You can also integrate it with services such as Zapier, to allow for automated invoice creation, improving cash flow.⁹

Invoice Ninja offers three payment plans:

  • Free—$0 USD per year
  • Ninja Pro—$100 USD per year
  • Enterprise—$140 USD per year

The Free version has a comprehensive suite of features. A downside is that you’re limited to invoicing a maximum of 20 clients.¹⁰

🔍 Read the full Invoice Ninja review to discover more about this option

Invoice Simple

Invoice Simple is designed for small businesses wanting an invoice solution.

It comes with the following features:

  • Integration with PayPal to expedite payment processing
  • Customizable invoice templates
  • Saved client information and invoice items
  • Invoice management and tracking software
  • Estimate conversion into invoices
  • Add signatures, shipping details, discounts and more
  • Business expense tracking¹¹

Invoice Simple offers an Essentials, Plus and Premium plan. Essentials starts at $6.99 USD per month and limits you to 3 invoices per month. Plus costs $13.49 USD per month and limits you to 10 invoices per month. And Premium costs $19.99 USD per month with unlimited invoicing capabilities.¹²

You can read the full Invoice Simple review for more details

Conclusion: Is Square Invoices the Best Choice for Your Business?

So, after reviewing the details, is Square good for invoices?

Square’s free plan stands out by offering unlimited invoices and users. And if you pay for Square Invoices Plus, you’ll have access to a range of features allowing customization and automation of the invoice process.

This makes Square a great option for your business to consider. But, you need to make sure it suits your individual needs as a business. For this reason, you should take time to review the offers of other invoice providers, such as Invoice Ninja, Invoice Simple and FreshBooks, to see which one best suits your business.

Discover Wise Business: Manage and Pay International Invoices With Ease

A Wise Business account can save you time and money when creating and paying international invoices.

Using the Wise Business invoice generator, you can create and send unlimited invoices to international clients, without paying anything in monthly fees.

Receive & manage invoice payments
with Wise Business

Wise is not a bank, but a Money Services Business (MSB) provider and a smart alternative to banks. Wise’s business account enables you to hold up to 40+ currencies and easily convert between them. You can also access up to 9 local account details, meaning you’ll receive invoice payments like a local.

With Wise Business, you can also connect to accounting software such as QuickBooks to track bill payments, making financial management one step easier.


Sources:

  1. Square Invoices Reviews
  2. Free Invoice Software
  3. Free Invoice Software
  4. Square Support Center - US
  5. Square Invoices
  6. Pricing | Square Payments Processing Fee
  7. Square Security - Engineered to protect both you and your customers
  8. FreshBooks Pricing, Lite, Plus and Premium Packages
  9. Invoice Ninja
  10. Pricing - Invoice Ninja
  11. Mobile & Web Invoice Software Features
  12. Invoice Simple | Pricing and Packages

All sources checked November 27, 2023.


*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.

Money without borders

Find out more

Tips, news and updates for your location