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The Square payment system is a game-changer for businesses, allowing them to accept credit card payments on the go.
Square's payment system is designed for mobile devices, making it easy for businesses to accept payments anywhere, from farmers' markets to food trucks.
With Square, businesses can process transactions quickly and securely, with no monthly fees or contracts.
Square's payment system is also integrated with its Point of Sale (POS) system, making it easy to manage sales, track inventory, and analyze customer behavior.
What Square Payment System Offers
Square Payment System is a versatile tool that offers a range of services to help businesses thrive. It allows merchants to accept payments through various methods, including cards, Apple Pay, and Android Pay.
You can process transactions quickly and efficiently with Square, and the money will be deposited into your bank account within two business days.
For traditional payment services, Square charges merchants 2.60% of the sales price plus 10 cents for swipe, insert, or tap transactions, and 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed-in transactions.
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Square provides a free set of tools that analyzes sales and customer data, creating trend and insight reports to help businesses make informed decisions.
The company also offers an online service for booking appointments, and Square Stand allows users to turn an iPad into a complete point-of-sale tool.
Square has expanded its services to include financing small businesses, offering loans up to $250,000 through Square Loans.
With Square Payroll, businesses can access complete payroll services in all 50 states, making it a one-stop-shop for their financial needs.
Setting Up and Using Square
Setting up your Square account is a straightforward process that can be completed within minutes. 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.
To get started, you'll need to download and install the Square Point of Sale app on your mobile device or tablet. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices, and you'll need to be running iOS 14 or higher or Android 7 or higher to use the Square Reader.
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To pair your device with your Square Reader, follow these steps: power up your Square Reader by pressing and releasing the power button, make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your device, launch the Square app and tap 'More' on the navigation bar, navigate to 'Settings' > 'Hardware' > 'Square Card Readers' > 'Connect a Reader,' hold down the reader's power button for three to five seconds, and release as soon as the lights flash orange.
Once you've completed the setup process, you'll be able to use your Square Reader to accept payments and process transactions. You can also use the Square app to send and track invoices, customize products, email receipts, and more.
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Point of Sale
Setting up a point of sale (POS) system is a crucial step in using Square. Square POS lets customers pay, tip, and sign on a merchant's mobile phone or tablet and lets merchants process payments made with credit cards, gift cards, and cash.
To use the Square Reader, you need to install the Square Point of Sale app on your tablet or mobile device. The app is available for both Android and iOS, but you must be running iOS 14 or higher or Android 7 or higher on your device to use the Square Reader.
The Square POS app provides a range of features, including inventory management, cash, mobile, debit, credit, and gift card payments processing, invoicing, website builder, virtual terminal, CRM, and returns and refunds processing. You can also access real-time sales data and track inventory in real-time.
Square offers a range of hardware options, including mobile credit card readers, a versatile iPad stand with a built-in card terminal, and a stand-alone checkout terminal. These devices are designed for scalability and provide a seamless payment experience for customers.
To connect your reader to the Square POS app, simply power up your reader, enable Bluetooth on your device, and follow the in-app instructions to pair the two. This process is straightforward and should only take a few minutes.
Square's basic invoicing functionality is free and offers a range of customization options, including branding, line items, messaging, and more. Invoices can also be customized for recurring billing and post-payment invoicing for businesses that require pre-authorized recurring payments.
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Here are the key features of the Square POS app:
- Inventory management
- Cash, mobile, debit, credit, and gift card payments processing
- Invoicing
- Website builder
- Virtual terminal
- CRM
- Returns and refunds processing
- Tip management
- Digital and printed receipts
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of all the features available in the Square POS app, but rather a selection of the most important ones.
Setting Up Your Reader
Your Square Reader will come with a charging cable, a getting started guide, and payment acceptance stickers. The setup process is straightforward.
To take payments, you'll first need to charge the reader, install the Square app on your mobile device, set up your Square account, and wirelessly connect your device to your Square Reader.
Here are the steps to follow:
- Charge the reader
- Install the Square app on your mobile device
- Set up your Square account
- Wirelessly connect your device to your Square Reader
You can find direct links to the Square Point of Sale apps on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store at squareup.com/app. Click through to the relevant app store for your device and tap on 'Install' to get the app.
To pair your device with your Square Reader over Bluetooth, keep your device and Square Reader within three metres of each other while performing this process.
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Charging Your Reader
Charging your Square Reader is a straightforward process. You'll need the USB C cable that came with your reader.
Plug the USB cable into any USB port, such as a wall socket with a USB adapter, a computer, or even a car charger. This will give your reader the power it needs to charge.
Fully charging your reader from a low battery state takes around two hours. This is a good amount of time to grab a snack or check your email.
To check the battery status, press the power button on the side of your reader. Four green lights on the top of the Square Reader show its charging percentage, with each light representing 25% of the full charge.
If you see a red light, it means your reader needs to be charged before using it. This is a clear indication that it's time to plug it in.
Once your reader is charged, there's no need to turn it off. After two hours of inactivity, it automatically goes into a low-power state to conserve battery life.
To wake it up, simply tap the power button. Your reader will be ready to go in no time.
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Order & Delivery
Setting up online ordering and delivery with Square is a breeze. Every Square account comes with a built-in online ordering system that provides restaurants with a mobile-friendly website where customers can place orders.
You can easily create QR codes for digital menus and embedded Square checkout links for social media platforms. This makes it simple for customers to order from your restaurant online.
Square can be integrated with local delivery service providers, customized from the on-demand delivery setting on the Square dashboard. This is a great feature for restaurants that want to offer delivery to their customers.
You can also create payment links from the Square dashboard to send payment requests via email, text messages, messaging apps, or embedded checkouts on social media posts. This is a convenient way to collect payment from customers.
Square's online ordering system automatically synchronizes all data, greatly simplifying multichannel sales management. This means you can manage your online orders and sales from one place, making it easier to run your business.
Return
Return is a breeze with Square, thanks to its fully integrated ecosystem of customizable software and hardware. Square offers a variety of tools for accepting payments, including POS solutions and online payments.
You can easily manage returns through Square's online portal, where you can view and process returns, issue refunds, and even track the status of returns. Square's return policy is flexible and allows you to customize it to fit your business needs.
To initiate a return, simply log in to your Square account and navigate to the Returns section, where you can select the order and reason for the return. You can also use Square's virtual terminal to process returns and issue refunds.
Accepting Payments with Square
To accept payments with Square, you'll need to pair your Square Reader with your device and have the Square app open. The process is similar for both chip and PIN and contactless payments.
For chip and PIN payments, you'll need to tap the power button to bring the reader out of low-power mode, ensure it's connected to your device, and open the Square app to add items to the sale. You can also enter a sale amount manually.
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Here's a step-by-step guide for chip and PIN payments:
- Ask your customer to insert their card into the Square Reader, with the chip side facing upwards.
- Have them enter their PIN on the PIN pad that appears on your device's screen and press the blue tick to confirm.
- Upon a successful transaction, you'll receive a confirmation message in the app and have the option to send a digital receipt to the customer's email address or phone number.
For contactless payments, the process is even faster, with customers able to make single payments of up to £100. The Square Reader will display a single green light when ready for the card, and you'll need to ask the customer to hold their card over the NFC symbol on the reader.
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Accepting with Your Reader
To accept payments with your Square Reader, you'll need to use both the reader and the Square app. The process is similar for chip and PIN and contactless payments, with some subtle differences.
First, make sure your Square Reader is connected to your device and has been charged. If the lights on the reader are green, it's working. You should be good as long as you've previously paired the devices and enabled Bluetooth on your mobile device.
To accept chip and PIN payments, you'll need to follow these steps: insert the customer's card into the Square Reader with the chip side facing upwards, have them enter their PIN on the PIN pad that appears on your screen, and confirm the transaction.
For contactless payments, customers can make single payments of up to £100 even faster with contactless payment cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. To accept these payments, tap the power button on your Square Reader if it hasn't been used within the last two hours, and double-check it's still connected to your device via Bluetooth.
Here are the steps to accept chip and PIN payments:
- Tap the power button to bring the reader out of low-power mode.
- Make sure the reader is connected to your device.
- Open the Square app and add the relevant items to the sale.
- Tap 'Charge'.
- Ask the customer to insert their card into the reader.
- Have them enter their PIN on the PIN pad.
- Confirm the transaction.
And here are the steps to accept contactless payments:
- Tap the power button on your Square Reader if it hasn’t been used within the last two hours.
- Double-check it’s still connected to your device via Bluetooth.
- Open the Square app and choose the items for the sale.
- Tap ‘Charge’.
- Ask the customer to hold their card over the NFC symbol on the reader.
- Confirm the transaction.
After a successful transaction, you'll receive a confirmation message in the app, and the screen will allow you to send the customer an optional digital receipt.
Processing
Square offers a secure payment processing solution that enables businesses to accept payments conveniently and quickly. This solution is designed for businesses of all sizes and industries.
Square operates as a payment facilitator, holding and disbursing funds on behalf of its customers. It enters into agreements with acquiring banks to create a central merchant account.
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With Square, new businesses can avoid the hassle of long and complicated approvals. They can immediately accept different payment methods with competitive terms.
Square's merchant account connects to various payment networks, including card networks, banks, and the ACH network. This allows Square to process transactions and transfer funds for its business customers.
Square processes transactions for its business customers, including credit and debit card payments, ACH payments, and e-wallet payments. It also offers Cash App Pay and post-pay purchase financing.
As a payment facilitator, Square holds and disburses funds on behalf of its customers. It receives and disburses funds on behalf of its customers, making it a convenient option for businesses.
Square offers universal credit and debit card processing, as well as ACH bank payments. Businesses can accept payments with competitive terms, zero monthly fees, and no long-term contracts.
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Commerce
Square offers a range of payment processing options, including contactless payments with Tap to Pay, which allows customers to pay with just a tap of their card or phone.
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You can also accept credit card payments, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, with Square's credit card reader.
Square's payment processing fees are competitive, with rates starting at 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction for in-person payments.
By using Square, you can easily manage your payments and keep track of your sales, all in one place.
Square's online payment processing fees are 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, with no monthly fees or contracts.
Square's payment processing is secure, with Level 1 PCI compliance and encryption, to protect your customers' sensitive information.
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Sources
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/tech/021017/square.asp
- https://www.expertmarket.com/uk/merchant-accounts/how-to-use-square-reader
- https://technologyadvice.com/blog/sales/what-is-square/
- https://rates.fm/payment-systems/square-payment-a-complete-guide-to-understanding-its-concept-and-functionality/
- https://www.invoiceberry.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-square/
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