MerchantGreatWhy Square Has the Worst Termination Record
Square's automated risk system and non-existent customer support make it the riskiest processor for growing businesses:
Zero Appeal Process
❌ Square: Automated terminations with no human review
✅ Alternatives: Checkout.com, Braintree have dedicated account managers
Square: Ghost you • Alternatives: Actual support
Funds Held 90-180 Days
❌ Square: Longest hold periods in the industry
✅ Alternatives: Most PSPs hold 30-90 days max with clear timelines
Square: 180+ days • Alternatives: 30-90 days
Terrible Customer Service
❌ Square: Email-only support, 7+ day response times
✅ Alternatives: Phone support, dedicated reps, 24hr response
Square: Email queue • Alts: Live phone support
Volume Spike Paranoia
❌ Square: Flags growth above $10K/month as suspicious
✅ Alternatives: Growth-friendly processors expect scaling
Square: Flags growth • Alts: Support scaling
Hates Online Sales
❌ Square: Built for in-person retail, rejects e-commerce
✅ Alternatives: Most PSPs optimize for online payments
Square: POS-focused • Alts: E-commerce ready
False Positive Hell
❌ Square: AI flags legitimate businesses constantly
✅ Alternatives: Human underwriters review flagged accounts
Square: Auto-ban • Alts: Human review
7 Square Alternatives with Actual Customer Support
Approval odds are ML-predicted based on 8,000+ real merchant outcomes. Your specific odds depend on industry, volume, and risk factors.
Checkout.com
Dedicated account managers, transparent holds (30-60 days), scaling support
Higher fees (2.9% + $0.30), setup complexity
Braintree (PayPal)
PayPal infrastructure support, phone + email, clear policies
Still rejects high-risk, PayPal co-dependency
PaymentCloud
Accepts terminated merchants, dedicated phone support, MATCH-friendly
Higher rates (3.5-5%), rolling reserves
Durango Merchant Services
Fast approval, account managers, reasonable hold policies
US-focused, higher fees for risky profiles
Authorize.Net (Visa)
Reliable, widely integrated, enterprise support
Requires separate merchant account, complex setup
Stripe
Better API, decent support, more transparent policies
Still rejects high-risk, strict compliance
Conekta (LATAM)
OXXO, SPEI, local methods, responsive Spanish support
LATAM only, regional restrictions
Takes 8 questions • Get approval odds for all 7 processors • 100% free
Never Depend on One Processor Again
Square taught you the hard way: single-processor dependency is too risky. Here's how to build payment redundancy:
Primary Processor
Your best-match PSP based on approval odds and fees
Example: Checkout.com for e-commerce (86% approval)
Backup Processor
Secondary PSP ready to activate immediately
Example: PaymentCloud as high-risk fallback
Emergency Processor
Fast-approval option for crisis situations
Example: Stripe or Braintree (2-5 day setup)
Smart Routing
Automatically route transactions to healthy processors
Example: Route to backup if primary declines spike
"Square held $87K for 120 days after terminating us with no explanation. Zero response to support tickets. MerchantGuard™ matched us with PaymentCloud in 60 seconds. Approved in 5 days with REAL phone support. Never using Square again."
How to Choose Your Square Alternative
Your Business Model
Match PSP to your sales channel
In-Person Retail: Square was OK, try Stripe Online Sales: Checkout.com, Braintree High-Risk Online: PaymentCloud LATAM: Conekta, Mercado Pago
Customer Support
Don't settle for email-only support
Phone Support: PaymentCloud, Durango Dedicated Rep: Checkout.com Email + Chat: Braintree, Stripe Avoid: Square (worst in industry)
Hold Policies
Understand reserve and hold terms upfront
Standard (30-60 days): Most alternatives Rolling Reserve: High-risk PSPs Square (90-180 days): AVOID Transparent Terms: Checkout.com, Braintree
Risk Tolerance
Match processor to your risk level
Low Risk: Stripe, Braintree Moderate Risk: Checkout.com, Durango High Risk: PaymentCloud, specialists Square: Only ultra-low-risk retail
Setup Speed
How fast do you need to process?
Emergency (1-3 days): Stripe Standard (3-7 days): Checkout.com, Braintree High-Risk (7-14 days): PaymentCloud Note: Square was fast but terminates frequently
Geographic Coverage
Ensure PSP covers your markets
US: All options work EU: Checkout.com, Adyen LATAM: Conekta, Mercado Pago Global: Checkout.com, Braintree
Stop Guessing. Get Matched in 60 Seconds.
Our ML model analyzes 8,000+ merchant outcomes to predict your approval odds at each PSP. Don't waste applications on processors that will reject you (or freeze your funds like Square).
🚀 Start Free PSP Assessment →Disclaimer: Approval odds are ML predictions based on historical merchant outcomes and should not be considered guarantees. Actual approval depends on underwriting criteria, application quality, and processor risk appetite. MerchantGuard™ is an educational readiness tool and does not submit applications, negotiate terms, or guarantee approvals. We may earn referral fees from some payment processors.