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Payment guides · Hardware

POS terminal comparison: Canadian prices, sourced.

What the main countertop and mobile terminals actually cost in Canada — purchase price, lease or financing, and the specs that matter — with a source and check date on every figure. No rankings, no verdicts: just the numbers, so you can do the comparison yourself.

How this table was built. Every figure below was checked against at least two independent sources before being printed here. Financing terms appear only where verifiable — anything else reads "quote / not published" rather than a guess. Figures are re-verified quarterly. We don't sell hardware — advisory and sourcing only, so the advice stays honest.

The terminals, side by side

Prices last verified: 2026-10-04

All prices in Canadian dollars unless labelled otherwise. If a number here is older than our quarterly re-verification, treat it as a starting point and ask the vendor for current pricing.

Terminal Upfront price (CAD) Lease / financing Connectivity Receipt printing Processor lock-in Canadian availability FeeDecoder note
Moneris Go Terminal [1] not published $34.95 CAD/mo terminal rental [2] Cellular + Wi-Fi [3] Built-in [3] Moneris processing only [4] Sold in Canada through Moneris [5] If you'd rather rent than buy, this is that model: the terminal arrives as a monthly line on your Moneris bill, not a purchase. Ask us to run the rent-versus-own math on your volume before you sign.
Square Terminal [6] $399 CAD [7] quote / not published Wi-Fi; Ethernet via optional hub [8] Built-in [9] Square processing only [10] Square Shop; Amazon.ca, Best Buy [11] Square's countertop all-in-one for merchants already on (or moving to) Square. Bring us the quote and we'll check the total cost against what you're paying now.
Square Reader (2nd generation) [12] $69 CAD [13] quote / not published Bluetooth LE to your phone or tablet [14] No built-in printer — receipts via the Square POS app [15] Square processing only [16] Square Shop; Staples, Best Buy, Amazon.ca, Home Depot [17] The smallest hardware commitment on this page — it pairs with a phone or tablet you already own. A sensible way to take cards at a market stall or on a service call.
Helcim Smart Terminal [18] $429 CAD [19] $39 CAD/mo × 12 months [20] 4G cellular + Wi-Fi [21] Built-in [22] Helcim processing only [23] Sold in Canada through Helcim [24] For merchants who want to own the terminal outright instead of renting — financing is available if you'd rather spread it out. We can run the own-versus-rent comparison on your numbers.
Square Stand (2nd generation) [25] $249 CAD (iPad not included) [26] $21 CAD/mo × 12 months [27] Through your iPad — Bluetooth and network via the iPad; USB hub for accessories [28] Requires external printer (connects via the included USB hub) [29] Square processing only [30] Square Shop (Canada) [31] A way to build a countertop setup around an iPad, with the reader integrated into the stand. Talk to us before you buy — we'll check the full setup cost, iPad included.
A note on lock-in. A terminal that only works with one processor ties your hardware to your processing contract — switching processors later can mean replacing the terminal too. Our resources page explains how bundled platforms work; worth a read before you buy.

Sources

  1. Moneris — Moneris Go Terminal product page (moneris.com/en/solutions/terminals/moneris-go), Helcim — Helcim vs Moneris comparison (helcim.com/compare-alternatives/helcim-vs-moneris/) — checked 2026-10-04
  2. Moneris — Moneris Go Terminal product page (moneris.com/en/solutions/terminals/moneris-go), Helcim — Helcim vs Moneris comparison (helcim.com/compare-alternatives/helcim-vs-moneris/) — checked 2026-10-04
  3. Moneris — Moneris Go terminal help guide (moneris.com/help — Moneris Go terminal), Moneris — Moneris Go Plus terminal help guide (moneris.com/help — Moneris Go Plus terminal, Go Plus is now the Moneris Go Terminal) — checked 2026-10-04
  4. Moneris — Moneris Go Terminal product page (moneris.com/en/solutions/terminals/moneris-go), Moneris — Moneris Go campaign page (moneris.com/campaign/monerisgo) — checked 2026-10-04
  5. Moneris — Moneris Go Terminal product page (moneris.com/en/solutions/terminals/moneris-go), Helcim — Helcim vs Moneris comparison (helcim.com/compare-alternatives/helcim-vs-moneris/) — checked 2026-10-04
  6. Square — Square Terminal (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/terminal), Amazon.ca — Square Terminal CA Edition listing (amazon.ca/dp/B083ZB8M8S) — checked 2026-10-04
  7. Square — Square Terminal (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/terminal), Amazon.ca — Square Terminal CA Edition listing (amazon.ca/dp/B083ZB8M8S) — checked 2026-10-04
  8. Square — Square Terminal (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/terminal), Amazon.ca — Square Terminal CA Edition listing (amazon.ca/dp/B083ZB8M8S) — checked 2026-10-04
  9. Square — Square Terminal (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/terminal), Amazon.ca — Square Terminal CA Edition listing (amazon.ca/dp/B083ZB8M8S) — checked 2026-10-04
  10. Square — Square Terminal (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/terminal), Square Community — Choosing the right Square POS hardware (Canada) (community.squareup.com) — checked 2026-10-04
  11. Square — Square Terminal (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/terminal), Amazon.ca — Square Terminal CA Edition listing (amazon.ca/dp/B083ZB8M8S) — checked 2026-10-04
  12. Square — Square Reader (2nd generation) (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Reader (2nd generation)), Home Depot Canada — Square NFC Card Reader (2nd Generation) (homedepot.ca) — checked 2026-10-04
  13. Square — Square Reader (2nd generation) (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Reader (2nd generation)), Amazon.ca — Square Reader (2nd generation) listing (amazon.ca/dp/B0BXYSJ7SW; third-party seller pricing varies) — checked 2026-10-04
  14. Amazon.ca — Square Reader (2nd generation) listing (amazon.ca/dp/B0BXYSJ7SW), Home Depot Canada — Square NFC Card Reader (2nd Generation) (homedepot.ca) — checked 2026-10-04
  15. Amazon.ca — Square Reader (2nd generation) listing (amazon.ca/dp/B0BXYSJ7SW), Square — Square Reader (2nd generation) (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Reader (2nd generation)) — checked 2026-10-04
  16. Square — Square Reader (2nd generation) (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Reader (2nd generation)), Square Community — Choosing the right Square POS hardware (Canada) (community.squareup.com) — checked 2026-10-04
  17. Square — Square Reader (2nd generation) (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Reader (2nd generation)), Home Depot Canada — Square NFC Card Reader (2nd Generation) (homedepot.ca) — checked 2026-10-04
  18. Helcim — Smart Terminal pricing (Canada) (helcim.com/start/ca/smart-terminal-pricing/), Helcim — What is the Helcim Smart Terminal? (learn.helcim.com) — checked 2026-10-04
  19. Helcim — Smart Terminal pricing (Canada) (helcim.com/start/ca/smart-terminal-pricing/), Helcim — What is the Helcim Smart Terminal? (learn.helcim.com) — checked 2026-10-04
  20. Helcim — Smart Terminal pricing (Canada) (helcim.com/start/ca/smart-terminal-pricing/), Helcim — What is the Helcim Smart Terminal? (learn.helcim.com) — checked 2026-10-04
  21. Investors Hangout — Helcim Smart Terminal launch coverage (investorshangout.com), Decoder.ca — Calgary's Helcim introduces Smart Terminal (decoder.ca) — checked 2026-10-04
  22. Decoder.ca — Calgary's Helcim introduces Smart Terminal (decoder.ca), Calgary.Tech — Helcim unveils Smart Terminal (calgary.tech) — checked 2026-10-04
  23. Helcim — What is the Helcim Smart Terminal? (learn.helcim.com), Digital Transactions — Helcim Smart Terminal debut (digitaltransactions.net) — checked 2026-10-04
  24. Helcim — Smart Terminal pricing (Canada) (helcim.com/start/ca/smart-terminal-pricing/), Decoder.ca — Calgary's Helcim introduces Smart Terminal (decoder.ca) — checked 2026-10-04
  25. Square — Square Stand (2nd generation, USB-C), Square Shop (Canada) (squareup.com/shop — Square Stand (2nd generation)), Square — Square Stand technical specifications (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/stand/specs) — checked 2026-10-04
  26. Square — Square Stand (2nd generation, USB-C), Square Shop (Canada) (squareup.com/shop — Square Stand (2nd generation)), Square — Square Stand technical specifications (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/stand/specs) — checked 2026-10-04
  27. Square — Square Stand (2nd generation, USB-C), Square Shop (Canada) (squareup.com/shop — Square Stand (2nd generation)), Square — Square Stand technical specifications (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/stand/specs) — checked 2026-10-04
  28. Square — Square Stand (2nd generation, USB-C), Square Shop (Canada) (squareup.com/shop — Square Stand (2nd generation)), Square — How Square Stand can help your business grow (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Stand) — checked 2026-10-04
  29. Square — How Square Stand can help your business grow (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — Square Stand), Square — Square Stand technical specifications (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/stand/specs) — checked 2026-10-04
  30. Square — Square Stand (2nd generation, USB-C), Square Shop (Canada) (squareup.com/shop — Square Stand (2nd generation)), Square — Square Stand technical specifications (Canada) (squareup.com/ca/en/hardware/stand/specs) — checked 2026-10-04
  31. Square — Square Stand (2nd generation, USB-C), Square Shop (Canada) (squareup.com/shop — Square Stand (2nd generation)), Square — Square introduces the next generation of Square Stand (Canada) (squareup.com/ca — press release) — checked 2026-10-04

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