Square vs Zeller — Australia 2026
Square vs Zeller for AU businesses. Compare card rates (1.6% vs 1.4%), EFTPOS hardware, monthly fees, integrations & AU data hosting.
Zeller wins on card rates and AU credentials
Zeller's 1.4% in-person rate (incl. GST; 1.2% for integrated Zeller POS) still undercuts Square's 1.6% for new accounts. Neither is evidenced as AU-only hosted: Square systems are in the United States; Zeller's privacy policy lists overseas processing. Zeller terminals are $99 promotional / $199 standard incl. GST with POS Lite on both 1x and 2 — not a $299 SKU. Square has Tap to Pay, a wider hardware range (Reader $65 to Register $1,099) and industry Plus plans ($40–$129). Choose Zeller for the published card rate; choose Square for hardware variety and retail/restaurant software depth.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Square | Zeller |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco, CA, USA (Block Inc) | Melbourne, VIC |
| Entry Price | Free | Free |
| BAS Lodgement | POS system. BAS lodgement is via accounting software (Xero, MYOB), not Square. | EFTPOS/POS. BAS via Xero integration or other accounting — not Zeller lodgement. |
| STP Phase 2 | n/a | n/a |
| Payday Super | n/a | n/a |
| Modern Awards | N/A | N/A |
| Data Hosting | US | Not AU-only |
| AU Support Hours | Mon-Fri 9am-5pm AEST on free restaurant POS; Restaurants Plus lists 24/7 phone | 24/7 |
| Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | 300+ apps | 600+ apps |
Pricing Comparison (AUD, Mar 2026)
Square Plans
- ✓Locations: unlimited
- ✓Registers: unlimited
- ✓Locations: per_location
- ✓Registers: unlimited
- ✓Advanced Inventory: Yes
- ✓Locations: per_location
- ✓Kds: unlimited
- ✓Mobile Pos Extra Monthly: 50
- ✓Locations: per_location
- ✓Locations: per_location
Zeller Plans
- ✓Transactions: unlimited
- ✓Pos Lite: Yes
- ✓Transactions: unlimited
- ✓Pos Lite: Yes
AU Compliance Scores
Square
Zeller
Pros & Cons
Square
Pros
- Free POS software — $0/month on the base plan
- 1.6% flat card-present rate for new sellers (same rate across Visa, Mastercard, eftpos, JCB, Amex)
- Tap to Pay on iPhone/Android with no Square hardware
- Hardware from $65 Reader; Terminal $329; Register $1,099 — buy outright, no rental
- Offline card payments for up to 24 hours if enabled before the outage
- Retail Free includes standard inventory; Retail Plus adds POs, stocktakes and COGS
- Xero and MYOB integrations listed for sales sync
Cons
- Systems hosted in the United States — not AU data residency
- 1.6% is higher than Zeller's published 1.4% incl. GST in-person rate
- Pre-30 May 2024 accounts can still pay 1.9% on Reader, Stand and Tap to Pay
- Paid Plus is $109 (retail) or $129 (restaurants) per location, not the old $69 SKU
- eftpos-only cards, gift cards and Afterpay do not work in offline mode
- No in-product BAS or payroll
Zeller
Pros
- 1.4% in-person incl. GST (1.2% Zeller POS integrated) — lowest published flat rate in this set
- No monthly software or terminal rental
- POS Lite now on Terminal 1x and Terminal 2
- Hardware $99 promotional / $199 standard incl. GST
- Free Transaction Account and debit cards on the pricing page
- PCI Level 1 claimed; AU company with local phone support
Cons
- Privacy policy discloses overseas processing — not AU data residency
- POS Lite is a basic item library, not Lightspeed inventory
- Offline card-taking for POS Lite was not documented on the pages opened this check
- Invoice 1.1% is a dated promo for new accounts, not the ongoing standard
- RBA surcharge ban from 1 Oct 2026 removes Zero-Cost EFTPOS as a long-term fee-offset
- About page support hours (9AM–1AM) differ from the pricing-page 24/7 claim
Who Should Choose Square
Square is best suited for businesses that need cafe, retail shop, market stall.
Choose Square if you are:
- Cafe
- Retail Shop
- Market Stall
- Pop Up Store
- Food Truck
- Small Retail
Who Should Choose Zeller
Zeller is best suited for businesses that need small retail, cafe, market stall.
Choose Zeller if you are:
- Small Retail
- Cafe
- Market Stall
- Tradies Taking Payments
- Low Volume Eftpos