I received some detailed information about my options through chat today. Not sure if it was a person or a bot, but it was helpful! Essentially, the answer to my question is Yes. I have deactivated two underutilized "locations," so we won't be charged for them. We would, however, be charged for the Catering location.
Here's where it gets interesting per chat:
1. The "Plus" Billing Reality
Squareโs new pricing model (as of January 2026) treats "Locations" as the billing unit for Square Plus. If you want Square Plus features on both sites (like the lower 2.9% + 30ยข online rate, advanced customization, or custom fonts), you will be charged $49/month for each. This is because each site is tied to a unique "location" in your dashboard to keep the sales data separated.
2. The "Hybrid" Strategy (Highly Recommended)
You don't have to pay for "Plus" on both sites. Many sellers in your exact position do this: Keep the Food Cart on Plus ($49/mo): This gives you the best in-person rates (2.5% + 15ยข) and the full suite of restaurant tools for your daily fast-paced operations. Put the Catering Store on "Free" ($0/mo): Since catering is seasonal or occasional (like your holiday pickups), you can keep this site on the Free plan. The Trade-off: The online processing rate for the Free plan is 3.3% + 30ยข. The Math: Unless your Catering site does more than $12,500 (or stated as 12,250 later in the chat) in a single month, it is actually cheaper to pay the higher 3.3% fee than to pay the $49 monthly subscription.
3. Unified Sales, Two Sites?
If your primary goal is just to keep the money separated for accounting, you could technically run both sites under one single location in the dashboard. Pros: You only pay one $49 fee. Cons: Your sales reports for the Food Cart and Catering will be mashed together in one big pile, which might make your end-of-year taxes a headache."
We're announcing another Soup CSA signup tomorrow, so I may pay one month of the new plan to get the better rates. Hope the above info helps others!
