Stripe vs Square vs ROLLER Payments: Payment Processors Compared

There are many options to choose from when picking a payment processing system for your business. As a venue operator, you work hard, and finding a few hours to put aside to search for the best payment processing solution can be challenging.

To help, we’ve compared three leading payment processors: Stripe, Square, and ROLLER Payments.

We’ve compared their features side by side and also discussed the key differences between the systems. Read on to learn more!

What is Stripe?

Founded in 2010 and currently headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Stripe has an impressive 8,000 employees.

Stripe caters to millions of businesses, regardless of their size. They help businesses build websites and apps to send payouts and accept payments globally.  

Stripe can also assist in sending invoices, managing business spending, issuing gift cards,  combating fraud, and more.

What is Square?

Established in 2009, initially only as a payments processing system, Square has expanded into software and builds integrated, omnichannel solutions for businesses globally.

Square’s solutions help merchants manage inventory, sell online and in-store, book appointments, and manage staff. Additionally, merchants can manage their cash flows and access business loans from their point-of-sale devices.

What alternatives to Stripe and Square are available?

ROLLER Payments is a ROLLER product. It is the payments arm of the business and is a fully integrated, unified payment processing solution for the attractions industry.

ROLLER Payments features integrated reporting, refunds, and invoicing. It also allows guests to purchase online or in-store using their preferred payment method – including digital wallets and Buy Now, Pay Later.

Additionally, ROLLER Payments utilizes sophisticated features like ‘smart dunning’ to increase the number of successful transactions. And as a result, you save money on rebilling charges, and your guests are left happier.

Finally, ROLLER Payments provides world-class fraud and revenue protection powered by Adyen, a global leader in payments infrastructure. ROLLER invests in advanced tools that protect your venue against fraudsters and reduces your exposure to revenue loss, so you can sleep easy knowing your revenue is secure.

TL;DR

Stripe vs. Square vs. ROLLER Payments: Key differences

1. ROLLER Payments: a payments processor designed for the attractions industry

What separates ROLLER Payments from Stripe and Square is that ROLLER Payments is purpose-built software, designed specifically for the attractions industry.

It integrates seamlessly with your ROLLER dashboard, which handles bookings, scheduling, etc., and takes care of everything payment-related — from invoicing to refunds.

ROLLER Payments comes jam-packed with a host of valuable and easy-to-navigate features, including:

• Guest ability to pay via their preferred payment method — digital wallets and Buy Now, Pay Later included
• Fully integrated payment fields so guests can complete their online purchases all in one view — improving their online experience, and conversions too
• Integrated reporting that you can do from your ROLLER dashboard
• World-class security and compliance so you will never have to worry about your data security again
• Fraud and revenue protection with advanced tools that protect against fraudsters and reduce your exposure to revenue loss

2. Stripe: a payments processor that can cater to crypto businesses

Stripe’s differentiating factor as compared to ROLLER Payments and Square is that it offers an outbound payment option too. An option like this is advantageous for merchants needing to pay suppliers or other business-related bills.

Stripe also offers features that can help crypto businesses process payments and better launch projects.

Stripe is a sound payments processor with lots to offer businesses across many industries. But if you are an attractions venue operator looking for a system to help you better manage all the facets of your business, Stripe may not be a perfect fit. Stripe is not a complete venue management system, and many of its extra features, as impressive as they are, might not be helpful to your particular venue.  

3. Square: a payment processor with multiple add-ons

Square’s product is more similar to the ROLLER product compared to Stripe. It can help you manage many areas of your business, as well as process payments.

Square offers a few unique features such as:

• Payment links, buttons, or QR codes that merchants can create at will and guests can use to pay for a specific item
• A Photo Studio app to help you shoot professional product photos from your iPhone

Square also offers a ‘customer feedback’ tool to help you better understand and cater to your guests. But it is less comprehensive than ROLLER’s Guest Experience tool.

Square’s customer feedback tool does not send surveys to guests; instead, it allows guests to leave feedback through their digital receipts and does not ask any detailed questions about the guests’ experience.

It allows merchants to communicate with guests to rectify any negative experiences, however, it does not encourage guests who leave good reviews to post them publicly — which can be very impactful for potential guests looking you up online.

Weigh your options, and go with what fits best for you

Deciding on which payment processing software is the right one for you can be tough.

We recommend taking some time to think about your business's wants and needs today and into the future and go from there.

Consider if a payment processor is all you are after or if a complete venue management system would be more advantageous, and weigh up all of your options.

If you would like to learn more about ROLLER Payments, please click here, or reach out to us  any time, and we’ll be happy to help.

Read this next: Looking For an Alternative to Braintree? Here’s What You Need to Know (roller.software)