Link copied to clipboard

# Shift Payment vs Square Payments Comparison - What are their main differences?

Share
[
Export
](/compare/shift-4/square-payments/export.csv)

Shift PaymentSquare Payments[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Shift Payment** [

3.2/5(23)

](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews#reviews)

**Square Payments** [

4.5/5(176)

](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Shift Payment**
No pricing available

**Square Payments**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Shift Payment**
1 month

Based on 7 responses

**Square Payments**
1 month

Based on 6 responses

Return on Investment

**Shift Payment**
11 months

Based on 5 responses

**Square Payments**
7 months4 months sooner

Based on 6 responses

Perceived Cost

**Shift Payment**
Not enough reviews yet

**Square Payments**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Shift Payment**
Not enough reviews yet

**Square Payments**
9%

 ![Shift Payment](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/16646e44bf7483e3243a294c0d9ffb66/shift-4.svg "Shift Payment")

 ![Square Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_d438862d658becefe2b1df5de1374630/square-payments.jpg "Square Payments")

G2 offers free advice on this comparison.

Chat with an expert

How do we contact you?

 ![](/assets/advisor_router/text_message-df41c2977e57ce19bdccb768c56510d9fa9182b581f7903660ca57fd8634bf09.svg)Text Message

 ![](/assets/advisor_router/phone_call-c9171db19e0526ecaea5fcbe1122f2ba459d8ab314c830a23440e5a1a536d62f.svg)Phone Call

Who do you want to talk with?

 ![](/assets/advisor_router/ai_agent-4d78629a3ba354fed449a65c60df3a6f2eda90fb98411b711df4b25d7be52a38.svg)AI Agent

 ![](/assets/advisor_router/human-26a980d7eed0089d422337af1b2588329a59f3fec5a0eff6d1b43312553d4c7b.svg)Human

Pros & Cons

**Shift Payment**
[
Affordable (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1954688&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Excessive Fees (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1590599&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
High Fees (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1590608&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Square Payments**
[
Ease of Use (7)
](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1817649&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Easy Payments (6)
](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1816985&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
High Fees (5)
](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1817045&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Limited Features (3)
](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2510183&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Shift Payment**
Not enough data

**Square Payments**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_4daf806ef7316c988e15a20797c547bd/jotform.png "Product Avatar Image")

Jotform

](https://www.g2.com/products/jotform/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_cf3585642187318ab772bcc30b80ad5a/wordpress-org.png "Product Avatar Image")

WordPress.org

](https://www.g2.com/products/wordpress-org/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/integrations)

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Shift Payment**

6.2

6.214

**Square Payments**

9.3

9.3130

Ease of Use

**Shift Payment**

6.5

6.513

**Square Payments**

9.5

9.5131

Ease of Setup

**Shift Payment**

6.3

6.38

**Square Payments**

9.1

9.156

Ease of Admin

**Shift Payment**

7.4

7.47

**Square Payments**

9.2

9.242

Quality of Support

**Shift Payment**

5.9

5.913

**Square Payments**

8.5

8.5103

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Shift Payment**

5.9

5.99

**Square Payments**

8.9

8.942

Product Direction (% positive)

**Shift Payment**

4.6

4.615

**Square Payments**

8.2

8.2125

Features

Payment Gateways[Hide 37 FeaturesShow 37 Features](javascript:void(0);)

7.4

10

8.9

49

Payment Options

Accepted Credit Cards and Debit Cards

6.4

6

9.9(won by 3.5)

15

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Self Service Portal

6.0

5

9.1(won by 3.1)

37

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Coupons, Discounts, Promotions, and Gift Cards

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

14

Recurring Billing

Not enough data

9.3(won by default)

10

Instant Payment

Not enough data

9.4(won by default)

14

ACH Payments and eCheck Processing

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

10

Split Payments

Not enough data

9.5(won by default)

11

Real-Time Payments

Not enough data

9.7(won by default)

13

Multi-Currency

Not enough data

7.6(won by default)

26

Administration

Reporting/Dashboards

7.5

6

9.2(won by 1.7)

14

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

User, Role, and Access Management

7.8

6

9.6(won by 1.8)

15

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Payout Time

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

15

Manual Payment Entry

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

14

Dispute Resolution

Not enough data

7.6(won by default)

12

Omnichannel

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

30

Levels 1 & 2

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

28

Level 3

Not enough data

8.0(won by default)

22

Security

PCI Compliance

7.7

5

9.1(won by 1.4)

9

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Fraud Protection Tools

Not enough data

9.7(won by default)

11

Data Tokenization

Not enough data

9.4(won by default)

9

Two-Factor Authentication

Not enough data

9.6(won by default)

12

POS Verification

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

33

Development

Customization (Fields, Objects, and Layouts)

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

11

APIs

Not enough data

9.4(won by default)

9

Accounting Software Integration

Not enough data

7.8(won by default)

10

E-Commerce Software Integration

Not enough data

8.0(won by default)

11

Platform

Performance and Reliability

7.7

5

9.4(won by 1.7)

12

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

E-commerce Integration

6.0

5

8.6(won by 2.6)

30

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Internationalization - Currency/Language

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

10

Internationalization - Operating Country

Not enough data

8.5(won by default)

8

API / Integrations

Not enough data

7.9(won by default)

8

PCI Regulation Compliance

Not enough data

9.2(won by default)

6

Supplemental Technology

Not enough data

9.3(won by default)

7

Accounting integration

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

30

Agentic AI - Payment Gateways

Autonomous Task Execution

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cross-system Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Decision Making

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Processing[Hide 73 FeaturesShow 73 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.5

69

Payment Processing

Encryption

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

50

Credit Card Processing

Not enough data

9.4(won by default)

59

Mobile Payments

Not enough data

9.4(won by default)

52

Digital Wallet Integration

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

40

Debit/Credit Card Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Online Payments

Not enough data

Not enough data

Partial Payments

Not enough data

Not enough data

In-Person Payments

Not enough data

Not enough data

Digital Wallet Payments

Not enough data

Not enough data

Administration

Reporting & Analytics

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

51

E-commerce Integration

Not enough data

8.4(won by default)

38

Processing Fees

Not enough data

7.1(won by default)

58

POS Integration

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

45

Omnichannel

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

30

Levels 1 & 2

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

28

Level 3

Not enough data

8.0(won by default)

22

Payment Gateway Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

ACH Payment Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cryptocurrency Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Options

Self Service Portal

6.0

5

9.1(won by 3.1)

37

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Multi-Currency

Not enough data

7.6(won by default)

26

Security

POS Verification

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

33

Platform

E-commerce Integration

6.0

5

8.6(won by 2.6)

30

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Accounting integration

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

30

Additional Functionality

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Transaction Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Purchasing & Receiving

Not enough data

Not enough data

Contactless NFC

Not enough data

Not enough data

Offline Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Electronic Signature

Not enough data

Not enough data

PCI Compliance

Not enough data

Not enough data

Credit Card Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Fraud Detection

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Returns Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Discount Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reminders

Not enough data

Not enough data

Barcode/Ticket Scanning

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting & Statistics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Recurring/Subscription Billing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Compliance Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Transaction History

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Card Reader

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sales Tax Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customer Database

Not enough data

Not enough data

Receipt Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Branding

Not enough data

Not enough data

Invoice Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Cash Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Remote Access/Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multi-Location

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sales Trend Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

CRM

Not enough data

Not enough data

Gift Card Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sales Reports

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multiple Payment Options

Not enough data

Not enough data

Loyalty Program

Not enough data

Not enough data

Status Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Expense Tracking

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Links

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Fraud Prevention

Not enough data

Not enough data

Payment Reconciliation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Import/Export

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Billing & Invoicing

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Shift Payment](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/16646e44bf7483e3243a294c0d9ffb66/shift-4.svg "Shift Payment")](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews)

Shift Payment

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

63.6%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

36.4%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

0%

[![Square Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_d438862d658becefe2b1df5de1374630/square-payments.jpg "Square Payments")](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews)

Square Payments

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

89.7%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

9.1%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

1.2%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

63.6%

89.7%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

36.4%

9.1%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

0%

1.2%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Shift Payment](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/16646e44bf7483e3243a294c0d9ffb66/shift-4.svg "Shift Payment")](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews)
Shift Payment

Non-Profit Organization Management

9.1%

Hospitality

9.1%

Health, Wellness and Fitness

9.1%

Entertainment

9.1%

Airlines/Aviation

4.5%

Other

59.1%

[![Square Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_d438862d658becefe2b1df5de1374630/square-payments.jpg "Square Payments")](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews)
Square Payments

Food & Beverages

10.4%

Health, Wellness and Fitness

6.7%

Non-Profit Organization Management

6.7%

Retail

6.7%

Information Technology and Services

4.3%

Other

65.0%

FAQs

## Shift Payment vs Square Payments FAQs

Generated using AI

Last updated: August 14, 2026

### What is the difference between Square Payments vs Shift Payment?

Square Payments stands out from Shift Payment with a significantly higher G2 rating, stronger ease of setup, and superior support scores.

| [Square Payments](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews) | [Shift Payment](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews) |
| --- | --- |
| 4.5/5 (176 reviews) | 3.2/5 (23 reviews) |
| 9.1 | 6.3 |
| 8.5 | 5.9 |
| Ease of Use | Affordable |

### How do the pricing models of Square Payments and Shift Payment compare?

Square Payments is rated higher for value and pricing satisfaction than Shift Payment, according to G2 reviewers.

- **Square Payments:** Reviewers frequently cite competitive rates and affordable pricing, with positive sentiment around value for small businesses.
- **Shift Payment:** Recent reviews highlight concerns about excessive and increasing fees, with negative sentiment around unexpected contract terms and fee hikes.
- **Switching-reason:** Several reviewers mention switching away from Shift Payment due to rising fees and lack of transparency.

### What are the best alternatives to Square Payments and Shift Payment?

The best alternatives to Square Payments and Shift Payment are PayPal Payments, GoCardless, and Adyen Payments.

| Product | G2 Rating (reviews) | Largest Segment | Pricing Insight | Top Reviewer-Cited Strength |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Square Payments](https://www.g2.com/products/square-payments/reviews) | 4.5/5 (176 reviews) | — | Competitive rates, affordable for small businesses | Ease of Use |
| [Shift Payment](https://www.g2.com/products/shift-4/reviews) | 3.2/5 (23 reviews) | — | Concerns about rising fees and contracts | Affordable |
| [PayPal Payments](https://www.g2.com/products/paypal/reviews) | 4.4/5 (2749 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Widely accepted and trusted |
| [GoCardless](https://www.g2.com/products/gocardless/reviews) | 4.6/5 (321 reviews) | Small-Business | — | Direct debit automation |
| [Adyen Payments](https://www.g2.com/products/adyen-payments/reviews) | 4.0/5 (44 reviews) | Enterprise | — | Enterprise-grade payment processing |

### Which Payment Processing features should I prioritize when comparing Square Payments and Shift Payment?

Buyers should prioritize ease of use, ease of setup, quality of support, integrations, and pricing when comparing Square Payments and Shift Payment.

- **Ease of Use:** Square Payments scores 9.5, Shift Payment 6.5.
- **Ease of Setup:** Square Payments scores 9.1, Shift Payment 6.3.
- **Quality of Support:** Square Payments scores 8.5, Shift Payment 5.9.
- **Integrations:** Square Payments is mentioned for integrations with Xero and Jotform; Shift Payment has no recent integration mentions.
- **Pricing:** Square Payments is cited for competitive rates and affordability, while Shift Payment is noted for concerns about rising fees.

### What are the pros and cons of Square Payments vs Shift Payment?

Square Payments' headline strength is ease of use, while Shift Payment is noted for affordability but faces trade-offs with fee transparency.

- **Square Payments strengths:** Ease of use (7 all-time mentions), easy payments (6), easy integrations (5), competitive pricing (3), and convenience (2).
- **Square Payments trade-offs:** High fees (5), limited features (3), and occasional poor customer support (2).
- **Shift Payment strengths:** Affordability (1 all-time mention).
- **Shift Payment trade-offs:** Excessive fees (1), high fees (1), and negative sentiment around fee increases and contract transparency in recent reviews.

### Is Square Payments or Shift Payment better for small businesses?

Square Payments is the better fit for small businesses, with consistently positive small-business reviewer sentiment.

- **Square Payments:** Reviewers highlight ease of use, quick setup, and competitive rates as major benefits for small businesses.
- **Shift Payment:** Recent reviews from small businesses cite concerns about rising fees and contract terms, with negative sentiment around value.

### Which Payment Processing platform has better integrations?

Square Payments is favored for integrations, with multiple reviewer-cited connections to third-party tools.

- **Square Payments:** Integrations with Xero (2 all-time mentions) and Jotform (1 recent mention) are highlighted by reviewers.
- **Shift Payment:** No recent reviewer-cited integrations.

### How do Square Payments and Shift Payment compare on customer support?

Square Payments outperforms Shift Payment on Quality of Support by a margin greater than 2.5 points, according to G2 scores.

- **Square Payments:** Reviewers frequently mention responsive and helpful support, though a minority cite slow response times or difficulty reaching support.
- **Shift Payment:** Recent reviews highlight negative experiences with support, including slow response, lack of resolution, and poor communication.

### Which is easier to implement, Square Payments or Shift Payment?

Square Payments is easier to implement than Shift Payment, with a 2.8-point higher Ease of Setup score.

- **Square Payments:** Reviewers consistently describe setup as quick and straightforward, with guided steps and minimal technical barriers.
- **Shift Payment:** Reviewers report challenges with setup, including unclear processes and longer implementation times.

Alternatives

**Shift Payment Alternatives**

 ![PayPal Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/6257a9c028b45bdc1f1ca9725d6e214c/paypal.png "PayPal Payments")

[
PayPal Payments
](/products/paypal/reviews)

 ![Adyen Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/119fc41a96a94a828967144f60833c58/adyen-payments.svg "Adyen Payments")

[
Adyen Payments
](/products/adyen-payments/reviews)

 ![Stripe Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/3af79c77413d7e58d0322c1de5bfdb8e/stripe-stripe-payments.svg "Stripe Payments")

[
Stripe Payments
](/products/stripe-stripe-payments/reviews)

 ![Worldpay](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/3ffcf09fa11afb5cd4df8cfca48a0fa5/worldpay.svg "Worldpay")

[
Worldpay
](/products/worldpay/reviews)

**Square Payments Alternatives**

 ![PayPal Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/6257a9c028b45bdc1f1ca9725d6e214c/paypal.png "PayPal Payments")

[
PayPal Payments
](/products/paypal/reviews)

 ![GoCardless](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/f389918c425e74c0dc830a65b379d521/gocardless.svg "GoCardless")

[
GoCardless
](/products/gocardless/reviews)

 ![Adyen Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/119fc41a96a94a828967144f60833c58/adyen-payments.svg "Adyen Payments")

[
Adyen Payments
](/products/adyen-payments/reviews)

 ![GoDaddy Payments](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/21213892b27ab6d36ef493e2935a04f0/godaddy-payments.svg "GoDaddy Payments")

[
GoDaddy Payments
](/products/godaddy-payments/reviews)

## Shift Payment vs Square Payments

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Square Payments easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Square Payments overall.

- Reviewers felt that Square Payments meets the needs of their business better than Shift Payment.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Square Payments is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Square Payments over Shift Payment.