For an Australian business that mostly sells online, or needs subscriptions, bookings or custom payment flows on its website, Stripe is usually the most flexible fit. Square suits businesses that sell in person and online in roughly equal measure and want one simple system for both. Tyro suits businesses that already use Tyro terminals, often in hospitality, retail or health, and want to stay with their existing setup. Fees matter, but they change and vary by plan, so compare on fit first and check each provider’s current pricing page last.
Where do your customers pay: online, in person or both?
Start with the split of your sales, because each provider grew up in a different place.
- Stripe started online. It is built for websites and apps, with tools for checkout pages, payment links, invoices and subscriptions. It also offers in-person card readers, but most small businesses choose it for the online side.
- Square started with in-person sales: card readers, a point-of-sale app and hardware for counters. It also offers online stores, invoices and payment links, so a café or boutique can run both from one account.
- Tyro is an Australian provider best known for EFTPOS terminals that integrate with many point-of-sale and practice management systems. Its online options are narrower than Stripe’s, so check what it currently offers and which website platforms it connects to before planning around it.
If nearly all your revenue comes through the website, the in-person features are not worth much. If nearly all of it comes over the counter, the online tools matter less than how the terminal fits your till.
Do you need subscriptions, deposits or bookings?
Recurring and part payments are where the providers differ most for a website.
Stripe has mature tools for subscriptions, trials, plan changes, failed-payment retries and customer self-service. It is also the most common choice for custom flows such as taking a deposit when a booking is made and charging the balance later. Square supports subscriptions and recurring invoices, which suits simpler memberships and regular orders. For anything beyond the basics, compare the specific features you need against each provider’s current documentation, because they change.
If you are a trade or service business taking deposits online, our article on quotes, bookings and deposits shows how the pieces fit.
What does your existing system already use?
Often the decision is made for you by software you already rely on. Check what each of these supports before choosing:
- Your point-of-sale system. Many POS systems work with only certain terminals. Changing payment provider might mean changing your POS, which is a much bigger job.
- Your website platform. Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, Wix and Webflow each have their own list of supported gateways, and some charge extra for using a gateway other than their own.
- Your booking, practice or membership software. Clinic, salon and gym software often has preferred payment partners built in.
- Your accounting software. Check how payments and fees flow into Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks, and whether reconciliation will be automatic or manual.
- Your CRM or email tools. If paid customers should be tagged or added to a list, check there is an integration, or plan for a small custom one.
Using one provider for everything keeps reporting simple. Using two, such as Tyro at the counter and Stripe online, is common and perfectly workable, as long as you accept two dashboards and two sets of payouts to reconcile.
How do payouts and reporting compare?
Ask each provider how quickly money reaches your bank account, whether that changes for new accounts, and how refunds and disputes are taken back. Settlement timing and any options for faster payouts vary by provider and account, and Tyro has its own settlement options for customers who also bank with it. Look at the reports too. If your bookkeeper needs a daily summary by location, check that the provider can produce it.
How hard is it to connect to a website?
For a standard store on Shopify or WooCommerce, connecting a supported gateway is mostly configuration. The work grows when the website needs to do something after payment, such as confirming a booking, unlocking a download or updating a CRM.
Stripe has the most developer documentation and integrations, which makes custom work more predictable. Whichever you choose, the website should confirm payments from the provider’s server-side notification, usually a webhook, not from the customer landing on a thank-you page. Our article on Stripe webhooks explains why, and our Stripe page covers the jobs we do most.
What about surcharges?
Australian businesses that pass card fees on to customers must follow rules on how much they can charge and how they disclose it. The Reserve Bank of Australia sets the framework and the ACCC enforces it, and the RBA has been reviewing surcharging, so the rules may have changed since you last looked. Check the current RBA and ACCC guidance, and talk to your adviser, before adding or changing a surcharge on your website.
Never put a payment provider’s secret key in website code that runs in the browser, and never send it by email. Our guide to giving a developer access without passwords covers how to invite a developer to your Stripe or Square account safely.
A quick way to decide
- Mostly online, subscriptions or custom flows: start by looking at Stripe.
- Counter and online together, wanting one simple system: start by looking at Square.
- Already on Tyro terminals with an integrated POS: check whether Tyro covers your online needs before adding a second provider.
- Locked into a platform or POS: use what it supports well, and do not fight it.
If you only do three things
List where your sales happen and what software must connect, check each provider’s current pricing page for your actual mix of cards and volumes, and make sure your website confirms payments from the server, not the browser.
If you have chosen a provider and need it connected to your site, booking system or CRM, that is a defined API integration job. For a new site that takes payments from day one, see our small websites work. From $600. Most integrations land between $600 and $3,500.
