Clearent vs Square
A feature-by-feature comparison for ISVs integrating payments.
Note: Clearent rebranded to Xplor Pay on July 8, 2025. Press release →
Clearent (now Xplor Pay) wins for ISVs building embedded payments into vertical SaaS with PayFac capabilities and white-label branding. Square wins for direct-to-merchant solutions where hardware elegance drives adoption.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Clearent | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Integration Architecture | 6 | 7 |
| API & Developer Experience | 5 | 7 |
| White-Label Capabilities | 6 | 3 |
| Processor Flexibility | 3 | 1 |
| Pricing & Fee Structure | 7 | 6 |
| Omnichannel & In-Person Payments | 6 | 9 |
| Fraud & Security | 6 | 6 |
| Revenue Sharing | 6 | 4 |
| Merchant Onboarding | 7 | 9 |
| Global Reach | 3 | 5 |
| Recurring Billing | 5 | 5 |
| Customer Support | 6 | 5 |
| PayFac Options | 5 | 4 |
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Best for
Clearent
ISVs and vertical SaaS platforms wanting to own the payment experience with white-label PayFac capabilities and revenue sharing.
Best for
Square
SMB-focused platforms where Square's trusted brand, elegant hardware, and merchant-facing ecosystem add value.
Note: Clearent has rebranded to Xplor Pay. This comparison reflects the combined capabilities of the Clearent/Xplor Pay platform.
Clearent vs Square: What ISVs Need to Know
Choosing between Clearent and Square for embedded payments is a decision that directly impacts your ISV’s revenue model, merchant experience, and technical architecture. This comparison breaks down where each platform excels from an ISV integration perspective.
Key Differences for ISVs
The most important distinction between Clearent and Square comes down to how each platform approaches ISV payment facilitation. Clearent and Square take fundamentally different approaches to merchant onboarding, revenue sharing, and platform integration — and those differences matter when you’re building payments into your software.
Integration architecture varies significantly between the two. ISVs evaluating Clearent vs Square should consider how each platform handles sub-merchant onboarding, payment splitting, and settlement timing. The right choice depends on your specific vertical, transaction volumes, and how much control you need over the merchant payment experience.
Pricing and revenue economics also differ. ISVs earn money from embedded payments through the spread between what they charge merchants and what the processor charges them. The pricing model each platform uses — flat-rate, interchange-plus, or custom — directly affects your payment revenue per transaction.
Which Platform Fits Your ISV?
The best choice between Clearent and Square depends on your ISV’s specific requirements:
- Transaction volume: Higher-volume ISVs may benefit from interchange-plus pricing, while lower-volume platforms often prefer flat-rate simplicity
- Merchant type: B2B merchants have different payment needs than consumer-facing businesses
- Geographic scope: International payment support varies significantly between providers
- Integration depth: Some ISVs need white-label checkout while others are fine with co-branded experiences
- Revenue model: How much of the payment margin you want to capture determines which platform’s economics work better
The ISV Payment Integration Perspective
For ISVs evaluating Clearent vs Square, the comparison shouldn’t stop at processing fees. Consider the total cost of integration, ongoing maintenance, and the revenue opportunity from embedded payments. The platform that generates the most payment revenue for your ISV while providing the best merchant experience is the right choice — and that calculation is different for every software company.
Evaluate both platforms against your specific use case. Request ISV-specific pricing from each, and compare the total economics including setup costs, per-transaction revenue, and the engineering investment required to integrate and maintain each platform.