Square is better known for the card reader at a craft fair table than for online commissions, but its invoices are one of the more useful tools a US artist can have. The headline card rate is the highest of the common payment apps. The bank transfer rate on the same invoice is the lowest of any method that leaves the client a paper trail. Which one your client picks decides whether Square is the dearest or the cheapest way you get paid.
The short answer. Square works well for art commissions if you send a Square invoice and let the client pay by bank transfer. On the free plan a card payment on an invoice costs 3.3% plus $0.30, which is $5.25 on a $150 commission, more than Stripe ($4.65) or Venmo ($2.95). The same invoice paid by bank transfer (ACH) costs 1% with a $1 minimum, so $1.50 on $150 and $10 on a $1,000 book cover. Square charges nothing extra for a chargeback, takes cards from clients without a Square account, and pays out free the next business day.
Square commission fee calculator
Pick how the client pays and which Square plan you are on. The top line shows Square's fee, what reaches your balance, and the price to quote if you want the fee covered. The list ranks every Square option against the other payment apps artists use on the same order.
Would you rather clients ordered a defined tier than a figure agreed in DMs? A gig page lists your commission tiers with scope, revisions and delivery time and takes the brief with the payment. See how artists sell art commissions from their own page.
Is Square good for art commissions?
Yes, for US artists who invoice their clients, and especially for large pieces. A Square account on the free plan has no monthly fee, and a Square invoice lets the client pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer without creating an account. The invoice itself is the record: it carries the line items, the tier and the due date, which a payment note in an app never does.
The weak point is the card rate. Square's free plan charges 3.3% plus $0.30 on "card payments made online or through an invoice", which is the highest online card rate among the apps artists commonly use. If most of your clients pay a $60 sketch by card, Square costs you more than a Stripe link or a Venmo business profile and gives you little the others do not.
How much does Square charge for art commissions?
It depends on how the client pays. These are the Square Free fees on four common commission sizes, with the price you would set on a card invoice to still receive your sheet price.
| Commission | Invoice, card | Invoice, bank (ACH) | In person, tap | Charge to net (card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 sketch headshot | $1.95 | $1.00 | $1.45 | $52.02 |
| $150 colored half body | $5.25 | $1.50 | $4.05 | $155.43 |
| $400 full body with background | $13.50 | $4.00 | $10.55 | $413.97 |
| $1,000 book cover or mascot | $33.30 | $10.00 | $26.15 | $1,034.44 |
Two more rates matter less often. A card you type in by hand, or a card on file, costs 3.5% plus $0.15 on every plan. And a 50% deposit plus balance on a card invoice means two $0.30 charges, so a $150 piece costs $5.55 instead of $5.25.
Why the bank transfer option is the cheapest way to take a big commission
On a Square invoice the client can choose to pay from their bank account. Square charges 1% for that, with a $1 minimum. On a $1,000 commission that is $10, against $33.30 by card on the same invoice, $29.30 on a Stripe link and $35.39 on a PayPal invoice. Among the apps that keep a client-facing invoice and receipt, no other method on this list comes close on a large order.
The trade is speed and habit. Most clients reach for a card by default, so if you want the bank option used, say so in the message that carries the invoice. For a brand mascot or a book cover, where the client is often a small business paying from a business account, a bank transfer is normal and the saving is real. If the client trusts you already and their bank offers it, Zelle for art commissions costs nothing at all, but gives the client no protection and no invoice.
Square Free or Square Plus for an artist?
Square Free is the right plan for almost every commission artist. Square Plus costs $49 a month and lowers the online card rate from 3.3% to 2.9% plus $0.30. That 0.4 point saving only covers the subscription once you take about $12,250 a month in online card payments. Plus also caps the bank transfer fee at $10, which only matters on invoices over $1,000. Premium, at $149 a month, has the same online rate as Plus.
How to use Square for art commissions
- Open a Square account on the free plan. Sole proprietors sign up with their own name and tax number; you do not need an LLC to start.
- Agree the order before you invoice. Tier, references, revision limit, deadline and what happens to the deposit if the client cancels after the sketch.
- Send a Square invoice with the tier as the line item. Square Invoices can request a deposit up front and schedule the balance, so the split lives on one invoice instead of two separate requests.
- Mention the bank transfer option on large orders, where it saves the most.
- Start when the invoice shows as paid, not when the client says they sent it.
Square's dashboard keeps every invoice, so year-end bookkeeping is mostly an export. If you keep your books in QuickBooks, you can convert the CSV export into a QuickBooks file and import a year of commissions in one go instead of typing them in.
Square vs PayPal, Venmo and Stripe for art commissions
| Method | Fee on $150 | You keep | Works for clients abroad | Client needs an account |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square invoice, bank (ACH) | $1.50 | $148.50 | No, US bank accounts | No |
| Venmo business profile | $2.95 | $147.05 | No | Yes, Venmo |
| Cash App Business | $4.05 | $145.95 | No | Yes, Cash App |
| Stripe payment link | $4.65 | $145.35 | Yes | No |
| Square invoice, card | $5.25 | $144.75 | Yes, most cards | No |
| PayPal invoice | $5.73 | $144.27 | Yes, about 200 markets | No |
Venmo is cheaper than a Square card invoice, but only works for fans who already have Venmo; our Venmo for art commissions calculator runs its numbers. A Stripe link beats Square's card rate by $0.60 on $150 and works the same way for a client abroad, which Stripe for art commissions covers. The full comparison of art commission payment methods puts every option side by side, and Cash App for art commissions covers the one app with an in-person rate close to Square's.
What happens if a client files a chargeback on Square?
Square holds the disputed amount, asks you for evidence, and the client's card issuer decides. Square says it charges no extra fee for a dispute. If you win, the held money comes back including the processing fee. If the client wins, the money goes back to them and you do not get the processing fee back. When your Square balance cannot cover a dispute, Square can debit your linked bank account.
For commissions the evidence that wins is the approved sketch, the written scope and the delivery message. An invoice whose line item names the tier and the revision limit is better evidence than a payment note that says "art".
How fast does Square pay out commission money?
The standard transfer to your bank is free and arrives the next business day for payments taken before 5 PM Pacific. An instant transfer costs 1.95% of the amount moved and needs at least $25 in the balance; new Square sellers start with one instant transfer a day of up to $2,000. On the $144.75 left from a $150 card invoice, an instant transfer costs another $2.82, so it is worth waiting a day unless you need the money now.
Where Square stops being enough
Square is very good at the money and has nothing to say about the order. Clients still find your prices on a sheet, negotiate in DMs and send references in three different apps before you can write an invoice. A gig page does that part: it shows your tiers with what each includes, takes the brief with the order and stores both with the payment. Pricing the tiers themselves is covered in our guide to art commission prices.
Plans run Starter $9 a month plus 8% on completed orders, Pro $19 plus 5% and Studio $49 plus 3%, on top of card processing, which is more than a Square bank invoice on any single piece. Keep sending Square invoices to the clients who already pay you that way, and point new ones at the page. Compare the plans and fees before you decide.