I'm in Encinitas and I've set up mobile payment systems for contractors, food vendors, service businesses, and side hustlers across North County San Diego. The honest answer depends on your volume, hardware preference, and whether you need invoicing — I'll tell you which one fits in one text.
Most questions answered in one text. Free. No sales pitch.
Square — Best for Most
Free magstripe reader, $49 for the tap+chip reader. 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person transaction. No monthly fee. Works immediately. Best choice for first-time mobile sellers in San Diego.
Stripe — Best for Tech-Forward Shops
2.7% + 5¢ per in-person swipe. Stripe Terminal hardware is ~$299. Worth it if you need subscriptions, custom invoicing, or integration with your own app or platform.
PayPal Here — Skip It Unless…
2.29% + 9¢ per tap. Fine if your customer base already pays through PayPal. For new setups competing with Square on fees and reliability, PayPal Here loses most comparisons.
SumUp — Best for Low Volume
2.75% flat, no monthly fee, reader is ~$19. Great for occasional sellers — Encinitas farmers markets, Carlsbad pop-ups, one-off service calls. Honest and underrated.
Apple Pay & Google Pay
Square, Stripe Terminal, and SumUp all accept contactless payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay out of the box. No extra setup needed — just tap the reader.
Invoicing on the Go
Square Invoices is free and sends by email or SMS. Stripe Invoicing is more powerful but has a small fee per invoice. For contractors sending jobs-done invoices from a truck, Square wins on simplicity.
Still not sure which mobile payment system to use?
Text PJ — real human, honest answer, no sales pitch. I'm in Encinitas and I'll tell you exactly what fits your setup.
💬 Text PJ — 858-461-8054
Text PJ
858-461-8054