Short answer: Square is a full point of sale. If your business already takes payments on Square, on-screen tipping and, on a paid plan, tip pooling are built in. Square suits a business with a counter and a card reader. TipIns suits a person: a waiter, driver, guide or busker who wants tips paid to their own bank, without a merchant account or monthly plan.
Side by side
| TipIns | Square | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A tipping app for workers and performers: a personal QR code and tip page, with tips paid to your bank. | Square is a point of sale and payments platform from Block that lets sellers take card payments in person, online and through payment links, with on-screen tipping. |
| Cost of taking a tip | No monthly fee. A 10% platform fee plus card processing (2.9% + $0.30 in the US) per tip, added on top for the person tipping by default, so you receive the full tip. | By plan (Free / Plus / Premium): in person 2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 15 cents; online or invoices 3.3% / 2.9% / 2.9% + 30 cents. Plans cost $0, $49 or $149 a month per location. Payment links: 3.3% + 30 cents with no monthly fee. |
| What the person tipping needs | No app or account. They scan with the phone camera and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay in the browser. | No Square account needed. In person the tipper pays by card or phone wallet on the seller's device. Payment links: Square says buyers can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards and more; Cash App Pay is also offered. |
| QR code | Yes: a personal QR code and link, plus printable signs. | Yes. Payment links can be shared as a QR code, and the 'Collect a payment' type has an optional Tipping toggle. |
| Where it works | 41 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and most of Europe. | Square's site has regional versions for the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain and Japan, each with its own pricing. Figures above are US. |
| Getting the money to your bank | Weekly payout every Friday, free; it usually arrives 24 to 48 hours later. Instant payout: 2% plus a small fixed fee, from 14 days after joining. | US: standard next-business-day transfer, no fee. Instant transfer and same-day transfer: 1.95% per transfer. Individual payments over $10,000 go by next-business-day transfer. |
| Sharing tips with a team | Yes. A group has one QR code and splits each tip equally or by set percentages, with optional active shifts. | Yes, on paid plans: tip pooling equally divides each credit card tip across all tip-eligible team members clocked in at the time of the transaction, with options by hours worked or percentage; Square for Restaurants also has tip outs. |
| Rules that matter for tips | Built for tips. Stripe checks your identity before you can receive tips. | Square is a merchant account for sellers, not a friends and family payment service. Tip pooling requires Square Plus or Premium (or the listed Shifts Plus / Retail, Restaurants or Appointments Premium plans). |
Square figures are from Square's own pages, checked on 20 October 2026; they are US figures unless the row says otherwise. Fees change, so check before you decide.
When Square is the better choice
Square is a full point of sale. If your business already takes payments on Square, on-screen tipping and, on a paid plan, tip pooling are built in.
When TipIns fits better
Square suits a business with a counter and a card reader. TipIns suits a person: a waiter, driver, guide or busker who wants tips paid to their own bank, without a merchant account or monthly plan.
Using both
Nothing stops you showing two codes. Many workers keep a payment app for regulars and a TipIns code for everyone else. The QR tip jar maker turns any payment link into a printable code.
Sources
- Square US: Understanding our fees
- Square help: Learn about Square fees
- Square Payment Links (US)
- Square help: Create and share payment links
- Square help: Set up and edit transfer options
- Square help: Get started with tip pooling
Common questions
Is TipIns cheaper than Square?
It depends on how you take tips. No monthly fee. A 10% platform fee plus card processing (2.9% + $0.30 in the US) per tip, added on top for the person tipping by default, so you receive the full tip.
Does the customer need Square to tip me?
No Square account needed. In person the tipper pays by card or phone wallet on the seller's device. Payment links: Square says buyers can pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, credit cards and more; Cash App Pay is also offered.
Does the customer need an app to tip with TipIns?
No app or account. They scan with the phone camera and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay in the browser.
App Store
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