
Square offers a range of credit card processing options to help businesses of all sizes accept payments easily.
With Square, you can accept all major credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. This means your customers can pay with their preferred card, making it more convenient for them to do business with you.
Square's payment processing is designed to be fast and secure, with transactions processed in real-time. This ensures that your customers' payments are processed quickly and efficiently.
Square also offers a range of payment processing tools, including mobile payments, online payments, and in-person payments. This means you can accept payments from anywhere, whether it's in-store, online, or on-the-go.
Getting Started
To get started with Square, create an account on their website and provide your business information and banking details. This will allow you to set up your store and start accepting payments.
You can download the Square app to your mobile device or iPad, which will give you access to all the features you need to manage your business. Square offers instant approval, so you can start accepting payments immediately.
You can even start accepting payments without a credit card reader by keying in your customer's credit card information. This means you can get started right away, without any extra equipment.
Payment Options
Square offers a variety of payment options to suit your business needs. You can accept payments in-person or online, and even set up recurring payments.
You can use a Square mobile card reader to accept payments in-person, which can be purchased for $49 or $59 for the 2nd Gen model. The Square Magstripe Reader is also available for $10, but it's only free for the first one.
Square allows you to accept payments in multiple ways, including swiping, tapping, or dipping a card through the card reader, as well as cash, keyed-in credit/debit card, and keyed-in gift card.
If you have an iPhone 11 or later, you can enable tap to pay directly on your phone, which will prompt you to use the tap to pay option on the payment screen. Your customer can then tap the base of your phone with their tap-enabled card or use their own phone's mobile wallet to pay.
To process payments with Square, you can choose from a range of payment methods, including:
- Swiping, tapping, or dipping a card through the card reader
- Cash
- Keyed-in credit/debit card
- Keyed-in gift card
- Card-on-file
- Invoice
- Send payment link
- Pay with QR codes
- Check or another miscellaneous payment method
- Tap to pay
You can also use the Square Virtual Terminal to accept payments remotely and in person, and connect a Square Terminal or mobile card reader for in-person payments.
Payment Methods
Square offers a variety of payment methods to make it easy for customers to pay. You can accept payment through swiping, tapping, or dipping a card through the card reader, or by keying in credit/debit card information.
You can also accept cash, gift cards, and checks. In addition, Square allows you to send payment links or use QR codes to facilitate payment. Tap to pay is another option, which enables customers to tap their phone on the Square reader to make a payment.
Here are some of the payment methods Square accepts:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- JCB
- Union Pay
Square also accepts debit card payments, prepaid cards, HSA/FSA cards, and EDD cards, with the same standard processing fee as credit card payments.
Choose Your Payment Method
You have multiple options for charging payments with Square. Square allows you to accept credit card payments in-person (via swiped, tapped, and dipped transactions in-store or from a mobile device) and online (through a website, payment links, and payment buttons from a website or virtual terminal).
You can also set up Square to accept credit card payments for invoices and recurring payments. The payment processing fee for in-person transactions is 2.6% + 10 cents, while the fee for card-not-present payments is 3.5% + 15 cents.
To process a credit card payment, tap Review Sale > Charge on your Square app. You can also use the Square chip and tap reader to process contactless payments, which are processed the same way as credit card payments.
Here are the payment methods you can accept with Square:
- Swiping, tapping, or dipping a card through the card reader
- Cash
- Keyed-in credit/debit card
- Keyed-in gift card
- Card-on-file
- Invoice
- Send payment link
- Pay with QR codes
- Check or another miscellaneous payment method
- Tap to pay
Some payment methods, like Apple Pay and Google Pay, may require a specific reader or setup. Make sure to check the requirements for each payment method to ensure smooth transactions.
Methodology
We spent a significant amount of time researching and reviewing credit card processing companies to provide you with the most accurate information.
We narrowed down our options to eight credit card processing companies after thorough research.
We spent over 30 days reviewing these companies, talking to their representatives, and reading reviews from actual users.
We compared these providers based on various factors, including transaction fees, setup processes, and support options.
We also considered their knowledgeability, response times, and pros and cons to ensure we were recommending the best services available.
We took into account the different types of merchants and business sizes to provide tailored recommendations.
Payment Process
You can process payments with Square using various methods, including swiping, tapping, or dipping a card through the card reader. Square also offers a range of payment options, including cash, keyed-in credit/debit card, keyed-in gift card, card-on-file, invoice, send payment link, pay with QR codes, check, and miscellaneous payment methods.
To process swiped payments, you'll need to toggle on the Tap Swipe Chip Cards setting in the Square POS app. You can then swipe the card through the reader with the magnetic strip facing the thick side of the reader.
Square's online checkout links are a convenient way to accept online payments. You can set up and customize these links in minutes and give customers more options to pay. Unlike some other providers, Square's online checkout links are free to use on any of its plans, with only a standard 2.9% plus 30 cents e-commerce processing fee charged on sales.
You can also process payments online using Square's virtual terminal. This allows you to manually enter card data in the Square online checkout or POS app. Square's payment links can be added to your email newsletters, text message marketing, and social media to easily accept credit card payments from multiple online channels.
Here are some online payment options with Square:
- Square Online: Create a free online store, connect your Instagram account to make it shoppable, and integrate with your existing Square inventory list.
- Online checkout: Create and send checkout links or buttons to process payments from your social media channels or email; no website is required.
- Payment integrations: Connect Square Payments to your existing ecommerce platform, like WooCommerce, Wix, Magento, BigCommerce, WordPress, and Drupal Commerce.
Square's payment processing solution is advanced and secure, enabling businesses of all sizes and industries to accept payments conveniently, quickly, and securely. Square partners with large financial institutions to approve transactions and safely transfer funds from customers to your bank in exchange for a flat-rate fee.
Features
Square offers a range of features that make it a convenient payment solution for businesses. Square's POS is built to streamline operations, allowing you to take online orders, accept contactless payments, and view client appointments.
The Square Invoices feature is a free, easy-to-use software that helps you request, track, and manage invoices, estimates, and payments. You can pay online invoices via desktop or mobile devices with a credit card, ACH bank transfer, Apple Pay, or Google Pay.
Square Online Checkout quickly generates a checkout button or link for any of your products or services, which you can post anywhere online. This allows you to accept payments from multiple customers.
The Square Virtual Terminal lets you accept payments remotely from a computer or mobile device and manage your business on the go. You can enter customer card details manually to complete transactions in a few clicks without needing extra hardware.
Here are some of the key features of Square:
Square's accessibility and ease of use make it an affordable and quick-to-set-up solution for businesses.
Setup
Setting up a Square account is a breeze. You can create a Square profile in just a few minutes, and it's free to sign up.
To get started, you'll need to provide basic information about yourself and your business, verify your identity, and link a bank account or create a new Square bank account. Anyone over the age of 18 can create a Square profile.
Once you've set up your account, you can start accepting payments within minutes of setting up the system. Square has no application and approval process, and it doesn't run credit checks.
You don't need any training to use Square, thanks to its intuitive interface. You can set up items and use Square's suite of products to run your business without any hassle.
If you need to accept in-store chip and PIN or contactless payments, you can order or pick up a Square Reader. You can also use Square Online to create buy buttons or QR codes as checkout links, so merchants can get paid faster.
Here are the steps to create a Square account:
- Anyone over 18 can create a Square profile
- Provide basic information about yourself and your business
- Verify your identity
- Link a bank account or create a new Square bank account
- Select an individual or corporate account, choose your business type and sales channel, and specify how you will sell and accept credit card payments.
You can also integrate Square into your business by selecting and installing hardware, configuring your account settings, linking Square with third-party apps, and exploring additional Square features.
Online and Offline
You can accept credit card payments online and offline with Square. Square's online checkout links allow you to accept online payments easily and set up and customize the links in minutes.
Square's online checkout links are free to use with any of its plans, and you only pay Square's standard 2.9% plus 30 cents e-commerce processing fee when you make a sale.
Here are some ways to accept credit card payments online with Square:
- Payment links: Create a checkout link for a specific product or service and add it to your email newsletters, text message marketing, and social media.
- Integrate with social media: Make Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok shoppable with "buy buttons" and shopping pages on your business profiles.
- Online store: Set up an online store with Square Online and publish an eCommerce site with no coding required.
Square also allows you to accept offline payments for 24 hours in case you lose internet connection. To enable offline payments, go to Menu > More > Settings > Checkout > Offline payments and toggle Allow Offline payments.
To Offline
To go offline, you can temporarily set the Square app to accept payments without internet. This allows you to continue processing transactions even when you're out of range.
Tap the Menu and then More from the navigation bar to access the Settings. From there, navigate to Checkout and then Offline payments. Toggle Allow Offline payments to enable it.
You'll need to review the information and tap Allow to confirm. Don't forget to set a per-transaction limit amount. This will help you stay on top of your finances.
To disable offline payments, simply go back to the same settings and turn off the Allow Offline payments toggle. This is a simple way to manage your offline transactions and keep your finances organized.
Here's a quick rundown of the steps to enable offline payments:
- Menu > More > Settings > Checkout > Offline payments
- Toggle Allow Offline payments
- Review and tap Allow
- Set a per-transaction limit amount
Remember, the 24-hour window includes uploading payment data, so make sure to do that before the window expires.
To Online
To online, you've got several options for processing payments. Square Online is a great choice, allowing you to create a free online store and connect your Instagram account to make it shoppable.
You can also use Square's Online Checkout feature to create and send checkout links or buttons to process payments from your social media channels or email, no website required.
Square's online checkout links are free to use, with no extra fees except for the standard 2.9% plus 30 cents e-commerce processing fee when you make a sale.
To set up payment links, you can use Square's virtual terminal to send a payment link directly to a customer to easily collect payment.
Square's online checkout links integrate with all Square solutions and come with built-in tracking and reporting, so you'll know when a customer pays your invoice, see transactions, orders and customer data.
Here are some payment options to consider:
Square's payment links are customizable and can be added to your email newsletters, text message marketing, and social media to easily accept credit card payments from multiple online channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Square take Discover credit cards?
Yes, Square accepts Discover credit cards. They can be processed through manual entry, swiping, dipping, or tapping contactless.
What banks does Square work with?
Square works with Square Financial Services, Inc. and Sutton Bank to provide banking services. Both are FDIC-insured institutions.
Sources
- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/how-to-use-square-credit-card-processing/
- https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/8064-best-mobile-credit-card-processor.html
- https://rates.fm/payment-systems/square-payment-a-complete-guide-to-understanding-its-concept-and-functionality/
- https://squareup.com/us/en/the-bottom-line/selling-anywhere/how-can-i-accept-credit-card-payments
- https://www.merchantmaverick.com/cards-square-accepts/
Featured Images: pexels.com