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Square Register POS Review

Square POS (squareup.com & square.com) with its mobile payment solutions has been one of the most point of sale software products in the market since it launched in 2009. It was founded by Jack Dorsey, who also founded Twitter.com. To confuse matters, Square is also referred to as SquareUp, Square Up, Square Register, and Square POS.

Regarless of what you call it, Square started a revolution in the POS marketplace. It has completely changed the face of payment processing and lead to a mass movement toward mobile software and hardware products. Often the first to market products don't survive, but Square continues to be very popular. Let's explore why.

Pros:
• Free processing on first $1000 in sales
• No monthly fees or early termination fee
• Simple and predictable processing rates
• Inexpensive chip card readers available
• Advanced POS features and reporting included
• Customer Acceptance - Square's logo is easily recognized by customers
• Square can run on an iPhone, iPad or compatible Android device



Three ways to Setup a Square Register and the associated Harware Setup



Square Stand setup

The Square Stand looks sleek and is an easy way to setup a complete POS system for your business in minutes. The USB hub allows you to connect up to 3 USB devices including receipt printer, cash drawer and bar code scanner. And the Square Reader is integrated into the stand. Keep in mind that the printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner cannot be shared between Square iPads when using a Square Stand.

Square Register setup for iPads or a LAN (Local Area Network)

Connecting your Square system using iPad(s) on a LAN is ideal for larger retail businesses and restaurants. Using a LAN allows you to share printers such as kitchen and order fullfilment printers that can be shared between multiple iPads running Square. Square iPads on a LAN use Ethernet (LAN) and Bluetooth printers and scanners. Cash drawers are connected directly to a receipt printer.

Square Register with Android Devices

Android systems have the option of using USB devices or Ethernet (LAN) devices, but with some limitation. Direct connecton to a USB device requires an OTG (On-The-Go) adaptor and may limit you to only one connected device. Another option is to use Ethernet (LAN) or Bluetooth connected printer and a cash drawer that connects to your printer. First see if your Android device is supported by Square, then carefully follow the list of supported hardware for Android devices.


Final Thought Square is an attractive product with very little investment to begin processing credit cards. The easy setup and low requirements make it an excellent option for many small quick food service, casual, mobile and/or temporary merchant outlets. Because of the low investment and no monthly fees or termination fees, it enables small cottage industries to get started without the risks associated with standard merchant agreements with banks.