Clover vs Square: A Comprehensive Guide to POS Selection (2024)

In the fast-paced realm of ecommerce, choosing the right payment processing and point-of-sale (POS) system is crucial.—it's a strategic move that can significantly impact your sales and customer satisfaction. Clover and Square are two industry leaders offering solutions tailored to the needs of online merchants.

Clover, established in 2012 by Fiserv, is known for its customizable hardware and software, catering to a variety of business models.

Square, founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, pioneered mobile payment solutions and has since expanded into a comprehensive platform for both online and offline sales.

Overview of Square vs Clover

Here is a table that sums up the key features of both Clover and Square:

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For ecommerce businesses, understanding how these platforms support online sales, inventory management, and customer engagement is crucial. This article provides a direct comparison of Clover and Square, emphasizing features specifically beneficial for ecommerce operations.

In-Depth Feature Analysis

We have compiled the most important features and looked both Clover and Square to cover what they each have and what the differences of them are.

Ecommerce Integration

Seamless ecommerce integration is vital for online businesses aiming to provide a smooth shopping experience.

Clover integrates with popular ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. This allows businesses to synchronize online and offline sales, manage inventory in real-time, and streamline order processing.

Square offers a built-in ecommerce platform through Square Online, powered by Weebly. It provides an all-in-one solution where you can build your online store with drag-and-drop tools, without needing technical expertise. Square also integrates with platforms like Magento and Wix.

Comparison:

• Platform Flexibility: Clover's integration with multiple ecommerce platforms offers greater flexibility for businesses already established on platforms like Shopify.
• All-in-One Solution: Square's integrated ecommerce platform is ideal for businesses looking to set up an online store quickly and manage everything within one ecosystem.

If your ecommerce business relies on a specific platform like Shopify or requires advanced customization, Clover's integrations might serve you better. However, if you're starting fresh and prefer simplicity, Square's built-in tools can get you online faster.

Payment Processing Fees

Transaction fees directly affect profit margins, especially for ecommerce businesses with high sales volumes.

• Clover: Charges a lower rate of 2.3% + $0.10 per online transaction, potentially offering cost savings for businesses processing a large number of sales.
• Square: Charges 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction, which is standard in the industry but slightly higher than Clover's fees.

For ecommerce businesses with high-volume, low-margin products, Clover's lower fees can significantly improve profitability. Square's slightly higher fees might be offset by its ease of use and integrated services for smaller online businesses.

Inventory Management

Effective inventory management ensures that ecommerce businesses can meet customer demand without overstocking.

Clover provides robust inventory management features that sync across online and offline channels. It supports:

• Real-Time Tracking: Monitor stock levels as sales occur.
• Bulk Item Import: Upload large numbers of products using CSV files.
• Variants and Modifiers: Manage product variations like size and color.

Square offers comprehensive inventory management with:

• Real-Time Updates: Automatic stock adjustments with each sale.
• Low-Stock Alerts: Notifications when inventory levels fall below set thresholds.
• Multi-Location Management: Track inventory across different locations.

Comparison:

• Advanced Features: Clover offers more advanced tools suitable for businesses with complex product catalogs.
• User-Friendly Interface: Square's system is intuitive, ideal for small to medium inventories without the need for dedicated inventory staff.

If your online store carries a wide range of products with various attributes, Clover's advanced inventory features may provide better control. For smaller inventories, Square's simplicity can save time and reduce errors.

Abandoned Cart Recovery

Recovering lost sales from abandoned carts can significantly boost revenue.

Clover supports abandoned cart recovery through integrations with ecommerce platforms like Shopify, which offer automated email campaigns to send reminders to customers who left items in their carts, along with personalization options to customize messages and encourage conversions.

Square includes abandoned cart recovery features within Square Online, providing built-in functionality with no need for additional integrations or costs, and automatic emails using pre-designed templates to re-engage customers.

Comparison:

• Integration Dependence: Clover relies on third-party platforms, which may require additional setup and costs.
• Ease of Use: Square offers this feature natively, making it simple to implement.

For businesses keen on maximizing conversions without additional expenses, Square's built-in abandoned cart recovery offers a clear advantage.

SEO Tools

Visibility in search engines is critical for driving organic traffic to your ecommerce site. Clover relies on the SEO capabilities of the integrated ecommerce platforms.

Features available depend on the platform but may include meta tag editing to customize titles and descriptions, URL management to create SEO-friendly URLs, and schema markup to enhance search listings with rich snippets.

Square provides basic SEO tools within Square Online, allowing you to edit meta tags to optimize page titles and descriptions, customize URLs to improve URL structure for better SEO, and ensure mobile optimization to make your site mobile-friendly, boosting search rankings.

Comparison:

• External Dependence: Clover's SEO effectiveness depends on the third-party platform's capabilities.
• Integrated Tools: Square's inclusion of SEO tools simplifies the optimization process.

If you're looking for an out-of-the-box solution to enhance your online store's visibility, Square's integrated SEO tools can be beneficial. However, if you're using a platform like Shopify with advanced SEO features, Clover's integration might be sufficient.

Multi-Currency Support

Selling internationally requires the ability to accept multiple currencies. Clover has limited multi-currency support, largely dependent on the merchant service provider's ability to process different currencies and ecommerce platform integration, where platforms like WooCommerce may offer plugins for multi-currency.

Square supports multi-currency transactions in select countries, enabling international payments to accept payments from customers in different currencies and automatic currency conversion to simplify transactions without manual calculations.

Comparison:

• International Reach: Square offers better support for multi-currency transactions out of the box.
• Dependence on Integrations: Clover may require additional setup and costs to handle multiple currencies.

If expanding internationally is a goal, Square's multi-currency support provides a smoother path for ecommerce businesses.

Pricing Models

Understanding the total cost, including hidden fees, is essential for ecommerce businesses operating on tight margins. When comparing Clover and Square, it's important to consider both upfront and ongoing costs.

For Clover, hardware costs range from $69 for Clover Go to over $1,000 for Clover Station. Software plans start at $14 per month for basic plans, with higher tiers offering more features. Additional costs may include fees from merchant service providers and expenses for premium apps in the Clover App Market.

In contrast, Square offers hardware costs starting at $0 for the basic magstripe reader, going up to $799 for Square Register. Basic ecommerce features are free with Square Online, while premium plans start at $12 per month with added features.

Additional costs are minimal, as many features are included in the basic plan, though some advanced features may require higher-tier subscriptions.

Comparison:

• Upfront Investment: Square generally requires a lower initial investment, which is advantageous for new ecommerce ventures.
• Ongoing Costs: Clover's lower transaction fees may offset higher upfront costs over time for businesses with high sales volumes.

Consider the total cost of ownership, including transaction fees and any additional charges from ecommerce platform integrations, when choosing between Clover and Square.

Must Have Features for Ecommerce

This table checks whether or not the Clover and Square have the needed features to accompany ecommerce businesses.

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Both Clover and Square cover essential ecommerce features, but the ease of implementation and built-in capabilities differ.

• Integration Simplicity: Square's features are often built-in, reducing the need for additional integrations or costs.
• Customization Depth: Clover, through its integrations, can offer more advanced or specialized features, depending on the ecommerce platform used.

If you need a wide array of built-in features with minimal setup, Square is advantageous. For businesses that require specific functionalities or wish to leverage the advanced capabilities of platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce, Clover provides the necessary flexibility.

If you have chosen Square, make sure to check out these other 9 top Square alternatives.

Pick the Right Solution for Your Online Shop

Selecting the right platform hinges on your ecommerce business's specific needs, goals, and resources.

Choose Clover if:

• You require advanced customization and are already using or plan to use platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce.
• Lower transaction fees will significantly impact your profitability due to high sales volumes.
• You need robust inventory management for a complex product catalog.
• Access to a wide range of third-party apps and integrations is essential.
• You're willing to manage multiple platforms to achieve a tailored solution.

Choose Square if:

• You prefer an all-in-one solution with integrated ecommerce capabilities.
• Ease of use and quick setup are top priorities.
• Built-in features like SEO tools, abandoned cart recovery, and multi-currency support are important for your business.
• You want to minimize upfront costs and avoid long-term contracts.
• Simplifying operations by managing everything within a single ecosystem is desirable.

By aligning these considerations with your ecommerce objectives, you can choose the platform that best supports your online business's growth and success. It's advisable to take advantage of free trials or demos to experience firsthand which system aligns with your operational needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here we answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the Clover vs Square debate:

Can I sell digital products with Clover and Square?

Yes, both systems support the sale of digital products. With Clover, this depends on the ecommerce platform you integrate with, such as Shopify or WooCommerce, which offer digital product support. Square Online allows you to sell digital goods directly, managing downloads and delivery within the platform.

Which platform offers better support for dropshipping?

Clover can integrate with ecommerce platforms that support dropshipping, like Shopify, providing access to dropshipping apps and suppliers. Square Online does not natively support dropshipping but can work with third-party services through additional integrations.

How do both systems handle sales tax for ecommerce?

Clover relies on the ecommerce platform's capabilities for tax calculations, which often include automatic tax rates based on customer location. Square Online automatically calculates sales tax during checkout, simplifying compliance and reducing manual errors.

Are there any limitations on the number of products I can list online?

With Clover, product limits depend on the ecommerce platform used; platforms like Shopify offer plans with varying product limits. Square Online's free plan allows unlimited products, with higher-tier plans offering additional features rather than increased product limits.

Do they offer support for subscriptions or recurring billing?

Clover can support subscriptions through integrations with platforms like WooCommerce and appropriate plugins/extensions. Square offers subscription billing through Square Invoices, which can be integrated into your online store to handle recurring payments.