Square POS

Square, Inc. offers a wide range of tools, from quick-setup point-of-sale software and inventory management to sales analytics tools, payroll, and invoicing. In this article, we'll be looking at Square Point-of-Sale.

*Square also offers Free plans for each business type that exclude setup or monthly fees, but customers can expect to pay a processing fee.

Hardware Pricing:

Square offers a wide range of POS hardware designed for retail stores, restaurants, and more. Pricing starts at $49.00 per month, or customers can purchase hardware for a one-time fee.

Square Point-of-Sale Packages:

Square offers three packages. Each is priced differently and two of them are geared toward serving specific industries.

Basic Square Point-of-Sale:

The basic point-of-sale is aimed at anyone looking for a get-up-and-go solution that is easy to use and implement. It includes all of the features and tools necessary for fast checkouts, customer profiles, loyalty programs, and sales tracking, and it allows some customization.

The app is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. One can immediately start to accept payments using the app, without the complementary reader. While the reader is in the post, credit cards can be processed by typing in the credit card numbers.

Square for Retail:

Designed to simplify retail selling, Square for Retail is for brick-and-mortar and online stores, even both at the same time. It handles inventory and employee management, offers secure payments and customer support, and has helpful real-time reports.

With a Square account, you can also access Square tools to integrate with your Square for Retail to grow your business.

In-store use:

• Quick checkouts.
• Advanced search tools.
• Offer returns.
• Manage exchanges.
• Create customer profiles.

Square Online Store:

• Get customers through social media.
• Create a website.
• Syncs with in-store retail POS.
• Manage online orders.

Square Integrations for Retail:

• Square Invoice.
• Square Marketing.
• Square Gift Cards.
• Square Payroll.

Related Hardware:

• Square Stand.
• Square Reader.
• USB Barcode Scanner.
• USB Receipt Printer.

Square for Restaurants:

Square for Restaurants is an all-around restaurant ecosystem that brings together software, hardware, and payment processing. It is designed to support the front and back of the house in both full and counter service restaurants, whether single or multi-location.

Hardware is not included in the package. There are POS Kits to choose from or individual items of hardware. Hardware can be financed. Using Square's cost calculator on the website will help you determine how much your specific setup will cost. The setup examples are also very useful.

Online order platforms supported:

• Doordash.
• Caviar.
• Chowly.
• Postmates.

Square Integrations for Restaurants:

• Square Payroll.
• Square Capital.
• Square Invoices.
• Square Loyalty.

Third-party integrations:

• Avero.
• QuickBooks.
• PlateIQ.

Standout Features:

Unlike Lightspeed and Vend POS, Square's POS is free to download, business owners can sign up for the Square debit card to access funds faster, the software has over a hundred integrations, hardware can be financed, there are no termination or PCI-compliance fees, and the Retail POS comes with useful social media features including Instagram selling tool.

Other Products and Services:

Square Appointments.

• Pricing: $0.00 - $69.00 /mo. + processing fees.

Square's scheduling app allows customers to make bookings from your website, Instagram, and Google. The app automatically reminds both customers and employees of upcoming appointments and handles rescheduling if needed. You can track employee schedules and manage multiple locations.

Square POS is built into Square Appointments. So, all the POS features can be accessed from Square Appointments, including invoicing, payments, and basic inventory reports.

Square Online Store.

• Pricing: $0.00 - $79.00 /mo. + processing fee.
• Transaction fee: From 2.6% + $0.30 /transaction.

With Square's Online Store, you can build an eCommerce site that looks professional and accepts major credit cards, Square gift cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay safely and securely. It also allows you to catalog unlimited items. The Online Store has powerful marketing tools built-in that improve search ranking, and social media integrations allow sales on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Square offers Online Store owners a high-quality photography service. For $9.95, you can have a professional photographer at Square take photographs of your products. They also offer interactive 360-degree images for $29.95.

Square Capital:

Square offers business loans between $500 and $250,000 to eligible Square sellers. There is a fixed loan fee and automatic repayments can be set up, using a percentage of daily card sales. Application is easy, and the funds can be accessed within a day.

Square Payroll.

• Monthly pricing: $35.00 + $5.00 /transaction.

Square's online payroll solution will pay employees, track hours, automate tax filings, and manage employee benefits.

Square Credit Card Readers:

Reader for Magstripe:

• Pricing: First one free. Each additional reader costs $10.00.
• Warranty: 6 months.

There are two versions of the Square Reader for Magstripe, one with a lightning connector for iOS devices, and the other with a headphone jack for use with Android devices. It is pocket size and needs no charging.

Specifications:

• Works on desktop computers.
• Has offline mode.
• Security encryption.
• 1.76 in x 1.06 in x 0.3 in.
• 0.23 oz.
• Glossy white.
• Plastic.