Can Squarespace take payments? Yes. Here's how it works

Short answer: yes. Squarespace can take card payments, Apple Pay, PayPal, and buy-now-pay-later options, either through its own built-in processor, Squarespace Payments, or by connecting Stripe, PayPal or Square. If you're selling products, services, subscriptions, courses or taking donations, the platform covers it.

The real question is which processor to use. Here's how the options compare, based on the stores we've set up.

Squarespace Payments: the default choice

Squarespace Payments is the native option, and for most new stores it's the right one. Everything (transactions, payouts, chargeback disputes, reports) lives inside the same dashboard as your website, so there's no second platform to manage. Payouts run daily, and onboarding takes minutes rather than days.

It supports Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, Klarna, Afterpay/Clearpay, and Link. The buy-now-pay-later options matter more than people expect: letting customers split a payment measurably lifts conversion on higher-priced products.

On security, it's PCI-DSS compliant with encrypted payment data end to end, and bank payouts are authenticated through Plaid. There's nothing you need to configure; it's the default.

Setting it up

• Open the Payments panel in your dashboard
• Click Turn on Squarespace Payments
• Enter your business and bank details, then Agree & Submit

Already on Stripe? There's a guided import: the Payments panel shows a banner: Get Started → Accept and Continue → Start Import. Then connect your checking account and your existing saved cards and subscriptions carry over.

The limitations

Squarespace Payments is currently available to merchants in the US, UK and Canada. It doesn't yet cover point-of-sale transactions or Acuity Scheduling. If either of those is core to your business, you'll want one of the processors below instead (or alongside).

The alternatives

Stripe

The long-standing default before Squarespace Payments existed, and still the right choice if you're outside the US/UK/Canada or want Stripe-specific features. Customers pay by card without creating an account, and Apple Pay is supported on compatible devices. Check Stripe's supported countries for availability.

PayPal

Adds the "Continue with PayPal" button at checkout, where customers log in to their PayPal (or Venmo, in the US on mobile) and pay without typing card details. Worth connecting alongside your card processor: some buyers simply won't check out without it.

Square

Only relevant if you sell in person. Square connects to Squarespace Point of Sale for card and cash transactions, syncing with your online inventory. US only, and it requires a Commerce Basic or Advanced plan.

Afterpay / Clearpay

Interest-free instalments for your customers. Available as an add-on if you're using Stripe or Squarespace Payments and meet the eligibility requirements.

How to choose

• Fees: every processor takes a per-transaction cut, and rates vary by country and plan. Model your expected monthly volume before choosing. At low volume the differences are pennies; at scale they're real money.
• Where your customers are: if you sell internationally, connect Stripe and PayPal together to cover the widest set of countries and payment habits.
• Where you operate: in the US, UK or Canada with a straightforward online store, Squarespace Payments keeps everything in one place and that convenience is worth a lot.
• Support: when a payout goes missing, you want an answer fast. This is another point for the native option: one support team covers the site and the payments.

Whichever you pick, connect it before you spend another hour on product photography. A store that can't take money is a brochure.