PayPal vs Square:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Square had more branded searches than PayPal among payment providers in New Zealand. Square was estimated to have 51.6K branded searches compared to PayPal’s 42.7K, and held a 49% Share of Search versus PayPal’s 40.5%.
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Which is more popular in search, PayPal or Square?
Compare the payment gateways and card payment providers New Zealand businesses use to take payments. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Square, PayPal. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Square | PayPal | Windcave | Smartpay | Stripe | Worldline | POLi | Adyen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 38% | 48.3% | 5.6% | 3.2% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 0.39% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.9% | 48.2% | 5% | 3.8% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 0.39% |
| Dec 2025 | 38.6% | 49.2% | 4.9% | 3% | 1% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.37% |
| Jan 2026 | 38.6% | 49.1% | 4.5% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 2% | 1.2% | 0.33% |
| Feb 2026 | 39.2% | 47.8% | 5% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 1% | 0.36% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.9% | 43.7% | 4.6% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.37% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.4% | 47.7% | 5% | 2.6% | 1.3% | 2.5% | 1% | 0.39% |
| May 2026 | 40.1% | 47.8% | 5.1% | 2% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.43% |
| Jun 2026 | 40.3% | 47.7% | 5% | 2% | 1.6% | 2.1% | 0.87% | 0.44% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.7% | 48.7% | 4.9% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0.97% | 0.35% |
| Aug 2026 | 49% | 40.5% | 5% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 1.2% | 0.86% | 0.4% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the PayPal and Square comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 3 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: Square took it in March 2026, PayPal took it in April 2026, Square took it in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, PayPal’s estimated Share of Search among payment providers in New Zealand moved from 48.3% to 40.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 53.3K to 42.7K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Square’s estimated Share of Search among payment providers in New Zealand moved from 38% to 49%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 41.9K to 51.6K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand payment providers in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Square overtook PayPal to take the highest estimated Share of Search among payment providers in New Zealand, at 49%.
In August 2026, PayPal lost estimated Share of Search among payment providers in New Zealand, from 48.7% to 40.5%.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PayPal’s and Square’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
PayPal
25 branded search terms
- buy paysafecard with paypal
- my paypal
- paypal
- paypal app
- paypal aus
- paypal card
- paypal com
- paypal contacts
- paypal cost
- paypal currency exchange
- paypal customer services
- paypal debit card
- paypal eftpos
- paypal founders
- paypal gift card
- paypal me
- paypal me link
- paypal near me
- paypal nz
- paypal online
- paypal pay in 4
- paypal pay in 4 nz
- paypal payment
- paypal payment gateway
- paypal share
Square
21 branded search terms
- square
- square appointments
- square eftpos
- square it
- square near me
- square nz
- square online
- square payment gateway
- square payments
- square pos
- square pos system
- square reader
- square restaurant
- square space costs
- square space examples
- square space price
- square space site
- square space website builder
- square space website design
- square terminal
- squareup com
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.