Tide vs Square: cheaper on paper vs one price for every card
On the numbers both providers publish, Tide undercuts Square at every volume we worked: £85.00 against £87.50 a month at £5,000 of card sales, and £68.49on Tide's paid plan. The catch carries the whole verdict: Tide's rates cover domestic consumer debit cards only, with credit, commercial and international cards priced separately in its terms, while Square's 1.75% is one rate for every in-person card. Which is genuinely cheaper depends on your card mix, and only Square tells you the answer before you sign up.
Rates and contract terms checked 24 August 2026· Based on providers' published pricing
Tide
- Debit rate
- 1.5% + 5p
- Monthly
- £0
- Hardware
- From £15
Rates for domestic consumer debit cards; other card types per Tide's terms.
Square
- All cards
- 1.75%
- Monthly
- £0
- Hardware
- £19
Monthly cost, worked at a £25 average payment
Tide adds pence per transaction, so the sums need an average payment size: we use £25, which makes £5,000 a month equal 200 payments. The Tide columns assume every card is a domestic consumer debit card - the best case for Tide. The more credit, commercial and international cards your customers use, the further Tide's real cost moves from these figures, and the closer Square's fixed 1.75% comes to winning.
| Monthly turnover | Square (all cards) | Tide PAYG (debit only) | Tide plan + £17.99 (debit only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £2,000 | £35.00/mo | £34.00/mo | £38.19/mo |
| £5,000 | £87.50/mo | £85.00/mo | £68.49/mo |
| £10,000 | £175.00/mo | £170.00/mo | £118.99/mo |
The takeaway:in the all-debit best case, Tide's paid plan is the cheapest column from about £2,500 a month, and even pay-as-you-go Tide edges Square. But the gap at £5,000 a month is £2.50 on PAYG - small enough that a modest share of non-debit cards, a 12-month plan lock-in, or waiting up to 3 working days for your money can erase it. Price certainty and next-day settlement are worth real pounds too.
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Feature by feature
| Feature | Tide | Square |
|---|---|---|
| In-person rate | 1.5% + 5p pay-as-you-go, or 0.89% + 3p on the £17.99/month + VAT plan - domestic consumer debit cards only; other card types priced per Tide's terms | 1.75% flat on in-person payments, one rate for every card |
| Cheapest hardware | Tide Nano from £15 + VAT; Card Reader £159 + VAT, Plus £199 + VAT | Square Reader £19 + VAT |
| Monthly fee | £0 pay-as-you-go, or £17.99/month + VAT for the lower rate | £0 |
| Settlement | Up to 3 working days as standard; next-day costs £2.99 + VAT per month | Next day |
| Contract | None pay-as-you-go; subscription plans carry a 12-month minimum term (leave early and the remaining subscription charges are payable) | No contract |
| Price certainty | Depends on your card mix: credit, commercial and international cards are priced separately in the terms | One published rate covers them |
| Banking integration | Takings settle into a Tide business account | Works with any bank account |
How we calculated this
We take Tide's and Square's published or typical advertised rates and apply them to example monthly card volumes (£2,000 to £10,000 a month at a £25 average payment). Total cost is worked out as transaction fees plus fixed monthly fees over 12 months. Rates change and individual pricing can often be negotiated, so treat these figures as a like-for-like guide rather than a quote. Always confirm current pricing with Tide and Square before you commit.
The verdict
Choose Tide if
- Your takings are overwhelmingly domestic debit cards
- You already bank with Tide and want takings in one place
- You are happy with settlement in up to 3 working days, or will pay £2.99/month to speed it up
- You will use the £17.99/month plan enough to clear its fee (roughly £2,500+ a month, all-debit)
Choose Square if
- You want one rate that covers every card a customer hands you
- Next-day settlement matters to your cash flow
- You want no contract and no monthly fee, full stop
- Tourist, corporate or credit cards are a real share of your trade
See also Tide vs SumUp, the full UK card machine rates table, or every provider's exit terms in the exit fees database.