Taking Card Payments at Craft Fairs: Square, PayPal and Venmo Fees Compared
At a craft fair, a lot of shoppers will reach for a card or a phone, not cash. A small card reader can save those sales, but every swipe has a fee. Here’s how three common options compare for a garage maker selling in person, based on the providers’ own pricing pages as of October 2026. Fees change, so check before you sign up.
Square
Square’s free plan charges 2.6% plus 15 cents for in-person tap, dip or swipe payments. Cards you type in by hand cost more, at 3.5% plus 15 cents, so it pays to have a reader that takes chip and tap cards. Square says its free plan has no monthly fee, and its paid Plus and Premium plans lower the in-person rate slightly. NerdWallet lists Square’s contactless and chip reader at $59.
PayPal Point of Sale (formerly Zettle)
PayPal lists card-present transactions through PayPal Point of Sale at 2.29% plus 9 cents, and QR code payments at the same rate. Manually entered cards cost 3.49% plus 9 cents. PayPal notes that the service requires an application and approval, so set it up well before your first event.
Venmo business profile
Many shoppers already use Venmo. According to Venmo’s help center, a business profile pays 1.9% plus 10 cents on payments from other Venmo accounts, and 2.29% plus 10 cents for contactless Tap to Pay on a phone. Venmo says those fees are not refundable.
A quick comparison
On a $40 sale, Square’s free-plan rate works out to about $1.19 in fees, PayPal’s card-present rate to about $1.01, and a Venmo business payment to about $0.86. The difference is small per sale but adds up over a busy weekend.
Tips for fair day
- Test your reader and app at home before the event, including offline mode if your provider offers it.
- Bring a charged phone, a backup battery and a cash box with small bills.
- Post a clear sign showing which payments you take.
- Keep a simple log of sales by payment type so your bookkeeping and sales tax reports are easier later.
For general tips on avoiding payment scams, our sister site has a guide to getting paid safely through PayPal, Venmo or Zelle.
More on Garage Business Blueprint
- Getting Your Garage Business Ready for Holiday Craft Fairs
- Sales Tax Basics for a Garage Business
- Bookkeeping Basics for a Garage Business
