Square POS

Square POS Review

Updated as of June, 2023

In this review of Square POS (formerly Squareup), we’re going to provide an overview of the free Square point of sale with pros and cons, features, pricing, and processing fees information. If you own a small business, it’s easy to forget how critical your POS system is for your day-to-day operations.

If you haven’t updated your POS system or cash register in years, you may be stuck with outdated features that hamper your ability to process transactions smoothly. As the POS industry changes to more portable solutions, a range of new point of sale competitors and different types of POS have emerged in the industry.

Gone are the days where clunky, expensive POS systems dominated the market. There are some new players in town. Today, I’m going to take a look at one of the most extensively advertised payments and POS companies in the United States — Square. Does the Square POS system provide all the benefits it promises to its merchants? Let’s find out.

Overview of Square POS

Square POS is a modern register system that’s tablet-based with the primary goal of simplifying point of sale transactions for small business owners. Squareup was started in 2009, and its current CEO is Jack Dorsey — the same tech titan that co-founded Twitter. At present, Square partners with retail and restaurant owners in five countries around the world.

Square’s POS platform allows you to process transactions using a range of different hardware devices. The app is designed to run on a smartphone or tablet. The company is famous for its small Square Reader ‘magstripe’, which plugs easily into a mobile device or tablet. You can use this magstripe to swipe credit card payments from customers.

Square is one of the new entrants to the market that has helped revolutionize how you process payments. Touch screen interfaces with secure payment options allow you to process payments efficiently. The system’s mobile nature also allows you to run its platform on your own hardware devices, as long as they’re compatible with Square’s software.

The Square app works for many business types, including retail stores, restaurants, and service providers. Squareup.com also has a more advanced point of sale systems dedicated specifically to retail shops and restaurants; we have a review of Square for Restaurants here. These software platforms are built with these specific industries in mind. Let’s take a deeper look at the different components that make Square such a unique POS solution.

Pros vs Cons

Pricing

The price of a POS system can have a severe impact on your bottom line. Is Square an affordable POS provider compared to others in the industry? Let’s take a look at the pricing structure that Square offers its customers.

Here’s how much Square POS costs:

Square POS (Free Version)

• Square Point of Sale Software: Free
• Transaction Processing:Square Reader (Free) & Square Stand – 2.6% + .10¢
  • Square Terminal – 2.6% + .10¢
  • Square Register – 2.5% + .10¢
  • Typed Number Charge – 3.5% + .15¢
  • Online Ordering – 2.9% + .30¢
• Next-Day Deposit – Free
• Same Day Deposit – 1%
• Available in the US, CA, JP, AU, UK

Square for Retail

• Free: For businesses getting started in-store and online
  • $0 per month with processing fees of 2.6% + 10¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online
• Plus: For expanding businesses that need in-depth retail features
  • $60 per month per location with processing fees of 2.5% + 10¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online
• Premium: For businesses looking to scale with everything in place
  • $299 per month with customer processing fees available for businesses that process more than $250k in card sales and have an average ticket size of over $15
• Available in the US

Square for Restaurants

• Free: For businesses getting started in-store and online. Unlimited devices and locations.
  • $0 per month with processing fees of 2.6% + 10¢ in person and 2.9% + 30¢ online
• Plus: For expanding businesses that need in-depth restaurant features
  • $60 per month per location + $40 per additional device with processing fees of 2.6% + 10¢ in person, and 2.9% + 30¢ online
• Premium: For businesses looking to scale with everything in place
  • $299 per month with customer processing fees available for businesses that process more than $250k in card sales and have an average ticket size over $15
• Available in the US, UK, and AU
• 30-day free trial

*These prices are subject to change at any time.

As you can see, Square POS offers a competitive pricing structure that won’t take too much out of your bottom line. While some may consider the plus and premium fees high, flat-rate processing can be a great advantage if you are a high-volume merchant with an average ticket price of over $20. Regardless, you’ll find this type of monthly subscription pricing in many of the leading POS platforms. The only downside is that Square hardware can be on the pricey side, but we’ll explore that later.

The overall fees you have to pay will depend on the type of hardware and subscription you’re using. If you experience high sales volume and don’t want to pay their processing fees, you can opt for the premium plan and talk to Square about a volume discount. They don’t publicly advertise the discounts they’re willing to offer merchants, so it’s worth getting in touch with their team.

The free version of Square POS offers most of the features you need to get started. Still, it’s important to note that if you want to purchase additional functions, such as advanced employee management, payroll, marketing, and loyalty, you’ll have to pay an additional monthly charge. It would be best if you considered all of the features your business needs before running a price analysis on Square’s platform.

One of Square’s best pricing features is its no-commitment policy. Many POS providers in the industry make you sign up for multi-year subscriptions with stiff penalties for contract cancellation. If you’re a small business that requires flexibility, Squareup doesn’t tie you into a financial commitment that you may not be able to honor.

Demo Video

How Square POS Works

Key Features

If you’re going to purchase a new POS solution, it’s always important to look at the features on offer through its platform. Below, we have a list of the notable features and benefits that Square offers its customers.

Deployment Type

Like many new entrants to the POS industry, Square offers a hybrid platform that is both cloud-based and locally installed. The Square app is installed on a mobile device, and payments are accepted with Square readers and terminals. It is simple to sign in to Square on a computer or on mobile device to access the dashboard.

Reporting data is saved via the internet, so you don’t have to risk losing valuable data if there is a problem with your equipment (or it’s stolen). The good news is you don’t need a connection to the internet to process credit card transactions, and you can accept payments on your computer through the web. The Squareup POS mobile app is available on iOS and Android.

Industries Served

Traditionally, Square was a platform for small to medium-sized companies. Its mobile nature makes it a perfect solution for companies that offer small storefronts or mobile business locations. But as Square expands the various hardware and software options it provides, it is now also a feasible solution for larger businesses that need robust, fixed terminals, especially if you go for the plus or premium subscription.

It’s a perfect fit for restaurants, bars, and the retail sector in terms of industries. Here’s a list of business types mentioned on the Square website.

• Enterprise
• Retail
• Coffee Shops
• Counter Service
• Table Service
• Bars & Lounges
• Beauty Professionals
• Health & Fitness
• Home & Repair Services
• Professional Services
• Food Trucks

As mentioned earlier, Square offers specific software and hardware solutions for both the retail and restaurant industry. They also provide online ordering and an eCommerce platform that can prove beneficial during the different times we live.

Ease of Use

It’s safe to say that ease of use is Square’s primary advantage. You don’t need experience with a POS system to gain an understanding of Square’s platform quickly. The POS software is both easy to learn and easy to teach to employees or staff. You won’t have any problems getting your team up-to-speed with the application.

Square Register

You can easily import products and menu items, and the interface allows you to find items via categories and other techniques. Overall, it’s a simple and user-friendly system — this is a primary driving factor behind the platform’s popularity.

Squareup.com also offers a ‘Get Started’ page that allows you to set up the software on your hardware quickly. This page also provides comprehensive tutorials on how to operate Square and its various features. It’s an excellent resource that can help you hit the ground running when you first purchase this new POS system.

Hardware

Square has pretty basic hardware requirements to get started. You can access most of its features on touchscreen Apple and Android products: this includes the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. You can also access Square Reader on various Android devices. The software requirements for the Square platform update as the software updates, so it’s essential to keep an eye on their website’s latest specifications. For example, First Generation iPads are no longer supported.

Square Stand with additional hardware

But Square does a lot more than offer you access to its platform via your own devices. You can also purchase a range of different high-end hardware kits, tablets, and accessories that provides all the hardware components you need to improve your ability to process transactions in your small business effectively.

Square POS Hardware Prices

• Square Register – $799.00
• Square Stand (Tablet Not Included) – $169.00 (Reduced from $199.00)
• Square Terminal (T2) – $299.00 (Reduced from $399.00)
• Square Reader (Contactless/Chip) – $49.00
• Square Reader (Magstripe/Lightning/Aux Cable) – $10.00
• Square Reader (Chip) – $35.00

*These prices are subject to change at any time.

As you can see, some of these prices may seem a little high. While you’re receiving value for your money, it can be a significant investment if you’re running a small business. For this reason, many people choose to use their phone, iPad, or tablet. However, if you don’t have one suitable for Square, you may have to purchase a new one.

Integrations

There are a wide variety of integrations that can help you improve the functionality of your POS system. While many of Square’s integrations and add-ons are more relevant to its eCommerce platform, there are still some you can take advantage of for your POS software. These include payment add-ons, inventory management add-ons, employee management add-ons, reporting add-ons, and more.

Square is also continually improving its platform, so there are sure to be more add-ons in the future.

Payment Processing

Square’s fees are competitive, and they offer a range of different hardware devices for credit card processing hardware. The company allows for the acceptance of all major credit cards on a computer or mobile device. Discover, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are all accepted via Square’s payment system. Contactless payment is also supported on Square – this makes it easy to accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, and chip or swipe-based payments.

Customer Service

Squareup.com offers an excellent knowledge base — you can find the answers to the most common problems using this online database. But if you need to speak to someone on the phone, things can get a little more annoying. They offer customer assistance via email and telephone from 6 AM to 6 PM (PST) Monday through Friday – this may leave you a little high and dry if you run into a problem after hours.

Also, they have a great business resource center and a community forum where you can get advice and tips from other professionals and business owners on using the product and growing your business.

In terms of customer satisfaction with Square’s customer service record, you’ll find various negative reviews about Square on consumer watchdog sites. While this is true for almost any business (especially of Square’s size), let’s take a look at what some of the typical negative reviews highlighted:

Account Suspensions/Terminations — It appears a large chunk of the negative feedback that Square receives focuses on suspensions and terminations. It seems that Square periodically conducts due diligence on POS users to determine if any nefarious activity is occurring – this may result in an account suspension or termination, per the company’s Terms and Conditions.

Money Frozen — Some users report money being frozen from withdrawal. This usually occurs for large payments processed by Square terminals (read our complete Square Terminal review) or the eCommerce platform. In many cases, it appears that Square freezes money that it deems as suspicious.

Multiple Charges — This is a complaint that appears to come from customers processing transactions on Square. Some customers have complained about being charged multiple times. While this glitch won’t impact your end of the transaction, it may impact your business’s customer sentiment.

While there is some negative feedback on Square’s services, this can largely be attributed to strict anti-crime measures that attempt to prevent money laundering and other financial irregularities.

Our Verdict

As you can see, there are plenty of things to like about Square’s point of sale. We especially like Square for restaurateurs starting a new restaurant or small to mid-sized businesses. The more advanced versions of their software are very affordable, and the hardware is reasonable if you’re starting a new business or replacing old technology. If you already have a device that’s compatible with its platform, you can get your new POS system set up in just a few minutes and start taking payments.

There are no upfront software costs, and you won’t have to pay any money outside of your standard transaction fees. For people who want to avoid long-term commitments, this is also a reliable option — there are no contracts for Square customers.

If you need a robust, powerful POS system, Square may not get the job done. It’s still not as extensive of a platform as some of the Titans in the industry. Still, Square has millions of users for a reason — this platform is easy to use, offers plenty of features, is compatible with your hardware, and accepts all primary forms of payment.

While its customer service options aren’t stellar, you’ll still find that Square has a much better reputation than some of the other major players in the industry.

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