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POS SYSTEMS · MIGRATION GUIDE

Switching from Clover to Square

Leaving Clover is mostly a contract question: Clover hardware cannot be used with Square, and 36-month hardware subscriptions are non-cancelable. The data move itself is a spreadsheet import.

Quick verdict: Settle the Clover contract first: find your provider (Clover Direct or a bank partner), your remaining hardware payments and any termination fee. Then export Clover’s items and customers, import them into Square with its Excel or CSV templates, and buy Square hardware (reader $59, Terminal $299).

Estimate · your inputs

Switching Cost & Friction Estimator

Most buyers only budget for the new subscription. This estimates the hidden labor, data-cleanup, and retraining cost of actually making the switch.

25,000
10

Estimate assumes: 1 hour of data-mapping/cleaning labor per 2,000 records, a blended $75/hr ops rate, tiered migration & cleaning tooling fees, and 4 hours of retraining per seat at a $45/hr fully-loaded rate.

Estimated Migration Time
Data Friction Rating
Total Hidden Switching Cost $0

    Why teams move from Clover to Square

    No contracts

    Square says there are no locked-in contracts.

    A $0 plan

    Square Free costs nothing a month; you pay only processing.

    Cheaper hardware

    Square’s reader is $59 and Terminal $299.

    How the migration actually works

    Check your Clover agreement before you switch: hardware on a 36-month subscription is non-cancelable, termination fees vary by provider, and Clover devices will not work with another processor.

    StepWhat you do
    1Review your Clover agreementCheck your Clover agreement before you switch: hardware on a 36-month subscription is non-cancelable, termination fees vary by provider, and Clover devices will not work with another processor.
    2Export your Clover items and customersOn the Clover web dashboard, export items to a spreadsheet from Inventory, and the customer list as CSV from Customers (not from the device).
    3Set up SquareChoose Square Free, Plus ($49 a location) or Premium ($149) and order hardware.
    4Import itemsUse Square’s item library Excel or CSV template: Items, then Item library, then Actions, then Import library.
    5Import customersCustomers, then Customer directory, then Import/Export, then Import customers.
    6Switch over at close of dayRun the last Clover batch, then start selling on Square the next day.

    What this path doesn’t do for you:

    No Clover importer exists on Square; items and customers move by spreadsheet. Clover hardware cannot be reused, and remaining hardware payments may still be owed.

    Pricing side by side

    PlanCloverSquare
    Monthly softwareEssentials $29.95; Growth $84.95–$129.85 (bundles)Free $0; Plus $49; Premium $149 per location
    In-person rate2.6% + 10¢ (Starter), 2.5% + 10¢ (Essentials), 2.3% + 10¢ (Growth plans)2.6% + 15¢ (Free), 2.5% + 15¢ (Plus), 2.4% + 15¢ (Premium)
    Card readerGo $199$59
    Contract36-month hardware subscriptions, non-cancelableNo locked-in contracts
    Processor lock-inClover devices work only with CloverNot stated

    US prices checked on each vendor’s own pricing pages on September 19, 2026. Clover.com prices may differ from bank and reseller offers. Card processing is charged on top of software fees.

    Feature parity check

    CapabilityCloverSquare
    Import from the other toolSpreadsheet item importExcel/CSV item and customer templates
    Monthly fee to start$29.95 (Essentials)$0 (Square Free)
    Contract36-month hardware subscriptionNone
    Old hardwareClover devices work only with CloverBuy Square hardware
    Support24/7/365Chat; phone weekdays (24/7 on Premium)

    Going the other direction, or want the full comparison first?

    Read the Square vs Clover comparison Switching from Square to Clover instead?
    Verified data

    Security & access: what changes when you switch

    Security, offline and access rules that differ between Clover and Square. Rows where both tools are the same (2) are left out; the full side-by-side is on each tool’s page: Clover, Square.

    What changesClover (today)Square (after)
    ISO/IEC 27001Not publishedCertifiedsource
    Other certificationsPCI DSS (QSA-validated; level not stated)sourcePCI DSS Level 1source
    Two-factor authenticationNot publishedYessource
    EncryptionEnd-to-end encryption and tokenization via Clover Security PlussourceCard-present payments encrypted end to end; no unencrypted payment data touches the devicesource
    Offline limitsUp to 7 days per device; optional per-payment limit, total offline limit and approval threshold; not for EBT or gift cards; uninstalling the app while offline deletes offline payments.sourceUpload within 24 hours, no later than 72 hours; not supported on Square Reader 1st gen v1/v2, Kiosk, Tap to Pay, manually entered cards, gift cards, Afterpay, Cash App Pay, Invoices app or services mode.source
    Device & session controlsNot publishedYesRemote device management: device profiles and codes, printer profiles, monitoring from off-site.source
    Office & room hardwareClover sells its own locked POS devices: Go reader ($199), Compact ($349), Flex and Flex Pocket handhelds, Mini, Station Solo, Station Duo ($1,899), Kiosk and Kitchen Display System; they cannot be used with other processors.sourceSquare sells its own POS hardware: Reader for contactless and chip ($59), Terminal ($299), Handheld ($399), Stand ($149), Kiosk ($149) and Register ($899).source

    Checked September 19, 2026 against each vendor’s own trust center, help docs and app pages. Hover or tap “source” to see the exact wording we relied on. “Not published” means we could not find the vendor saying it on its own site — it doesn’t mean the feature is missing. Plan names are the lowest plan the vendor says includes the feature. Security · Offline · Remote vs office · Download the data

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I use my Clover devices with Square?

    No. Clover states its devices cannot be used with other payment processors.

    Do I still owe Clover for hardware?

    Possibly. Clover says hardware bought on a subscription is non-cancelable; check your agreement and provider.

    Can Square import Clover items?

    Yes, by spreadsheet: export items from Clover’s web dashboard and use Square’s item import template.

    Will my sales history move?

    Not as live records. Download sales reports from the old system for your accounting and tax records before you close the account; the imports cover items and customers.

    Sources

    Prices on this page were recorded from each vendor’s own pricing page on the date shown at the top of the page. Vendors change pricing often — check the live source before you buy.

    Every figure is also in our open dataset (JSON and CSV, CC BY 4.0), with its source page and verification date. See how we research pricing.

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    From shortlist to switched

    Built for the leader who owns the selection, answers for the spend, drives the rollout, and lives with the results. HelpCompare covers the whole decision, not just the first step.

    Bill Belcamino, founder of HelpCompare
    About the author

    Bill Belcamino

    Founder and author, HelpCompare

    Bill has worked in software and digital marketing for more than 20 years. He spent nine years as an engineer at HP, served as COO scaling a platform past 200,000 users, and ran Google’s $70M/year search syndication partnership at Alot.com. He has bought, trialled, integrated and cancelled more SaaS tools than he can count, and started HelpCompare because the real cost of switching tools is the part nobody covers.

    “I’ve sat on both sides of the table: the agency recommending the tool and the client paying for it.”

    Researched and fact-checked by the HelpCompare team. Pricing on this page was last verified on September 19, 2026. No paid sponsorships, no affiliate commissions.