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Square, the popular point-of-sale system and app, is on an upswing. This article will explore if Square POS is right for your business.
Square is a mobile point of sale system that allows for cash transactions and card swipes. Square has many different features, but does it work for your business? This review will help you decide if it’s the right choice for your business. Read more in detail here: is square a good pos system.
Square POS is a widely used app-based point-of-sale (POS) system that runs on iOS and Android smartphones as well as Square’s own hardware. It contains payment processing, inventory management, sales reporting, and customer management systems, as well as industry-specific solutions for stores, restaurants, and appointment-based companies.
Its free software, user-friendly tools, and available add-ons make its value unrivaled for most small enterprises. Square may be the ideal POS software for you if you’re a new company owner with less than $10,000 in monthly sales.
Square POS may be found here.
For What Square POS Is Recommended
For a small company, I’ve utilized Square POS to process transactions and manage inventory. Square provides a free online shop and site construction tool, team management capabilities, and social media management tools in addition to free POS software. Payroll and benefits processing, marketing, and customer loyalty are examples of paid add-ons. Few other systems have such a comprehensive feature set or as many free items.
Square POS is especially useful for:
- Square is our top-rated mobile POS app, with a rating of 4.66 out of 5 stars. This makes it ideal for market sellers, pop-up store owners, and solo proprietors in need of an on-the-go solution, such as cosmetics artists and handymen.
- Square is absolutely free to use for small businesses. And, unlike many other free software options, it offers feature-rich plans that you may upgrade to as your company expands. Square received the highest rating of 4.51 out of 5 in our review of free POS software. Square is an excellent solution for seasonal or temporary enterprises since it is free software with no commitments or minimums.
- Businesses looking for an iPad POS system: Square has a 4.5 out of 5 rating, making it excellent for processing transactions on the sales floor.
- In our review of multichannel POS systems, we gave Square’s synchronised free POS and free online shop software a 3.9 out of 5 rating. Square was by far the most economical alternative, even though Shopify and Lightspeed provide more feature-rich capabilities.
- Vape stores with physical locations: Square POS earned a 3.25 out of 5 rating on our list of preferred vape shop POS systems. It is the greatest choice for small vape businesses on a budget since it is a free POS that can manage thousands of SKUs and allows limitless items and transactions.
- Small coffee shops: With a 4.5 out of 5 star rating, Square provides both a basic POS and restaurant-specific software for free, making it one of the finest options for low-cost cafe POS systems.
Individuals and small companies looking for a simple payment processor might choose Square POS. It has an integrated payment solution, which we consider to be the finest overall merchant service for small companies.
As the retail columnist for Fit Small Business, I’ve set up multiple Square accounts and thoroughly evaluated the Square POS software and Dashboard. Based on my own experience, Square has one of the most user-friendly platforms. You can get started in minutes and use the program with ease without any prior experience. It is without a doubt one of the most effective point-of-sale systems for small companies.
When Square POS Isn’t the Right Fit
- Those in charge of large inventories: Despite the fact that Square can manage thousands of SKUs, it isn’t equipped to handle more sophisticated requirements such as kitting, packaging, assembly, components, special orders, or work orders. It also has limited reporting and reordering capabilities, which may be a concern for firms with significant stockpiles. Lightspeed, our top-rated POS for inventory management, is a superior fit for those that want these functionalities.
- Businesses that want a highly configurable POS interface: If you need a free POS but want to design a bespoke solution, an open-source POS system may be a better fit.
- Retailers of food and beverages: Convenience shops, grocery stores, marketplaces, and liquor stores would benefit from an industry-specific system that can manage more complicated inventory.
Overview of Square POS
Square POS may be found here.
Pricing for Square POS
The usage of Square POS is entirely free. The only costs are those associated with processing credit card payments and implementing more services. Every new Square account comes with a free magstripe card reader that can be used to take credit card payments on iOS or Android smartphones and tablets. In my experience, the free reader gets in the mail very soon.
However, I suggest investing in a card reader that supports EMV/chip technology, since this ensures a more secure transaction. These readers start at $49, with interest-free payment options available for orders that meet certain criteria. See the table below for additional information on Square’s hardware alternatives.
Square’s pricing is, on the whole, highly open and predictable. For software items, it provides flat-rate, pay-as-you-go transaction costs and month-to-month pricing. There are no long-term commitments or contracts, and users may add or remove add-on subscriptions at any time.
Monthly Software Fees for Square POS
- Free POS software — Pro POS options are available for $60 per month, per location.
- Online ordering and ecommerce are both free, with monthly additions ranging from $12 to $72.
- $35 per month in payroll + $5 per employee
- Team management is free, however Team Plus costs $35 per month per location.
- Starting at $15 per month for up to 500 client connections, marketing
- Loyalty program: Starts at $45 per month for up to 500 loyal visits per location.
Fees for Square POS Payment Processing
- Transaction fee: 2.6 percent + 10 cents each transaction (flat rate).
- 2.9 percent + 30 cents per transaction on invoices
- 2.9 percent + 30 cents each transaction in ecommerce
- 3.5 percent + 15 cents per transaction for recurring billing and card-on-file transactions
- 3.5 percent + 15 cents per transaction for keyed-in payments
- Square will develop unique pricing packages for any company that does more than $250,000 in credit card purchases.
For an estimate of the monthly fees you’d pay if you used Square, enter your current in-store and/or online sales volumes and average order values.
If you’re ready to get started with Square, read our step-by-step tutorial on how to use Square to process credit cards, or read our Square Payments review to learn more about Square’s merchant services capabilities.
Hardware for Square POS
Any iOS or Android device can run the Square POS software, and the browser-based Square Dashboard can be accessed from any computer. Simply attach a card reader to your smartphone or tablet to use Square.
Square, on the other hand, provides a number of complete POS hardware solutions that you can use in conjunction with, or instead of, a smartphone or tablet.
Features of Square POS
Creating a free account on Square’s website is the first step in utilizing Square to run your company. The Square Dashboard allows you to customize company settings like as goods, taxes, team members, payment processing, and more. A Setup Guide from Square will lead you through all of the essential processes. This was a really simple and natural approach for me. It takes roughly 10 minutes to complete the procedure.
Then, to begin selling, download the free Square POS software. Any goods or settings you add in your Square Dashboard will sync to your Square POS software immediately. You may also make changes to the app’s settings, which will sync back to your Square account. Instead than entering goods individually using the app, I propose importing inventory in bulk through Square Dashboard to save time.
When you’re ready to sell, you may use your free magstripe reader, buy a different reader, or process the payment through an invoice or by putting in the card details. Square can also record cash payments and offers gift card functionalities. I’ve discovered that Square POS requires very minimal training to begin selling things or collecting payments.
Create a free Square account and follow our step-by-step guide to setting up Square POS if you’re ready to get started.
- Payments are processed offline.
- Any iOS or Android smartphone may be used.
- Unlimited mobile registers may be added and synced.
- There are no limits to how many times you can log in.
- Receipts should be sent through email and SMS.
- There are a variety of payment alternatives available, including contactless, invoicing, and virtual terminal.
- Square Terminal is an all-in-one mobile point-of-sale system.
- Reports on sales may be seen on any device.
Square is very handy for completing sales while on the move. It offers an offline mode, which means you can collect payments even if you don’t have access to the internet. Square also has an automated customer database that records clients by payment method, allowing it to deliver digital receipts and offer extensive information to companies. This function came in handy when I needed to look up earlier transactions in order to handle returns or refunds.
You may download the Square app and utilize the POS from any mobile device that can sync back to your Square account since a Square account comes with limitless registers and users. So, if you have a physical shop with a central terminal, you can still process transactions on the go at events or throughout your sales floor while keeping them all in sync.
Mobile Square Terminal Features
Square Terminal is an all-in-one POS and payment mobile device with a built-in receipt printer if you don’t want to use your smartphone as your mobile POS. Because you can personalize your checkout screens and processes, this device provides greater versatility than the iOS or Android app. It also includes an integrated library of articles and video training, as well as 24-hour phone assistance (for some users).
- Online shop or website for free
- Payment link/checkout page on the internet
- The POS and the internet shop are instantly synced.
- BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store) is a function that allows you to buy online and pick up in store.
- Make curbside pickup available.
- Local delivery is available (in-house and on-demand options)
- Integrations with Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest
- Making an appointment over the internet
- Billing for subscriptions and memberships on a recurring basis
Online Square
Every free Square account also comes with a free Online Square account. Online Square can be used to create an online store or checkout page, and it automatically syncs with Square POS so that you never oversell items. Retail stores can expand beyond their local customer base by shipping out orders, and busy cafes can offer customers the option to order ahead. However, for ecommerce-native businesses, Shopify might be the better option.
A number of shipping, delivery, or curbside and in-store pickup options are available through Online Square. All orders come through on Square POS, so employees never miss an order. Though Online Square is free, you can upgrade to a paid plan for a custom domain, discounted shipping labels, and abandoned cart emails.
I tested building an ecommerce website with Online Square. The whole process takes just a few minutes. The templates are quick to set up, and it’s easy to list and delist products depending on availability.
To learn more, read our guide on how to set up a free Online Square store.
Social Selling in Square Form
With Square POS and your free Online Square account, you can seamlessly sell on social media by:
- Paste Square Checkout shoppable links into any Twitter or Facebook post, or use Instagram to do so. Square Checkout links take you to a one-page checkout that focuses on a single product or deal.
- Creating shoppable Instagram posts: Create an ecommerce site with Square using your Instagram account. If you tag things in your photos, your followers will be able to buy them without ever leaving Instagram. Shipping, pickup, or local delivery are all options.
- Creating Facebook campaigns: From your Square Dashboard, create offers and promos. You may share these offers on Facebook in addition to launching email campaigns.
- Becoming a verified Pinterest seller: Integrate your Online Square store with Pinterest similar to how the Instagram integration works. You’ll need to create a Pinterest account, and you’ll need a custom domain for your Online Square store.
- Customer database that is automated
- Recognize customers based on their payment method.
- Collect email addresses from customers throughout the checkout process
- Using digital receipts, collect and assess feedback.
- Omnichannel loyalty program as an add-on
- Create marketing programs that are segmented and automated.
- Marketing through text messaging
- Marketing Assistant for Square creates, monitors, and provides smart suggestions for campaigns.
- Digital or physical gift cards may be sold, redeemed, and managed in the same way.
- For a speedier checkout, have payment methods on hand.
The client directory is one of Square POS’s greatest features. Square is able to identify clients based on their payment methods. Businesses may also add new clients straight from the sales screen by entering payment information, phone numbers, email addresses, and other details. Customers who are regulars may also preserve their payment details for future transactions.
As I previously said, one of my favorite features is the semi-automated directory. Without a tangible receipt, it’s quite simple to search up sales and client history.
Square POS allows you to process sales in a variety of ways and deliver digital receipts in a variety of formats. Additionally, companies may add new clients directly from the sales screen. (Image courtesy of Square)
One of the other great Features of Square POS is customer feedback. When you send a text or email receipt after a sale, it includes a customer feedback form where customers can indicate and explain a positive or negative experience. Businesses get this feedback instantly, can respond via text or email, and even issue coupons or refunds as needed. Most POS systems charge a monthly fee for collecting customer feedback or issuing coupons, so this is a fantastic deal.
A free customer feedback and coupon system is included with Square POS. (Image courtesy of Square)
- Log in to Square Dashboard from any computer to keep track of inventories.
- Import large volumes of items and inventories.
- Data and reports may be exported.
- Quantity changes and real-time tracking
- Set up email notifications for low stock levels.
- Modifiers for items may be added and managed.
- Interface that is simple to utilize
- Square for Retail Pro Plan provides more sophisticated features including COGS, buy ordering, and anticipated profit reporting.
While Square POS’ inventory management software isn’t the most advanced on the market, it does include some of the most user-friendly inventory capabilities. It’s built for efficiency and dependability. It’s also free, so if you’re presently using a spreadsheet, moving to Square would be a significant improvement.
While I would advise firms with thousands of SKUs or complicated inventory requirements to use a more powerful POS inventory system, I have talked with several small company owners, especially card and collectable sellers with extensive inventories, who enjoy Square. For their stores, simplicity of use takes precedence above detailed management.
You may add goods to your inventory one at a time using Square’s free POS or import all of your products at once with a CSV spreadsheet. Product categories, modifiers, SKUs, and variations may all be added. Pricing may be determined by the item, the hour, the liter, the ounce, the pound, or the yard.
Through Square Dashboard, the cloud-based POS software allows you to view your inventory from any iOS or Android smartphone or computer. Stock notifications are delivered to your inbox every day, letting you know when a stock is trading at a cheap price.
Square inventory is centralized, meaning any orders or transactions processed with Square POS or Online Square are immediately and automatically reflected in your stock counts.
The Square Dashboard, one of Square’s free inventory management solutions, enables you to manage inventory from any computer. (Image courtesy of Square)
Read our step-by-step guide to Square Inventory Management to discover more.
Square for Retail Pro ($60 per month) features a barcode generator, vendor tracking, tools to make and submit purchase orders, and multilocation management if you require more advanced inventory capabilities. It also provides more specific inventory data, such as COGS, profit margins, inventory sales by category, and vendor sales.
Reporting
- All statistics and analytics may be viewed and exported from anywhere using the Square Dashboard.
- Reporting features inside the app
- Alerts on low stock prices
- Multiple places to manage
- Data is synchronised in real time across all sales channels.
- View information about customers such as average expenditure and new vs. returning customers.
- Data on sales by hour, location, item, and other variables
- Daily summaries will be sent to you through email.
Square’s reporting dashboard allows you to dive down into sales data by payment type, category, discounts, time of day, and other factors. The data is given in an easy-to-navigate style with pictures that make it simpler to understand. (Image courtesy of Square)
The data analytics tool in Square POS allows you to look at a range of reports to see how your firm is performing. Reports may be used to keep track of sales, customers, and inventories. You may see how much the average sale is, how many consumers are new or returning, and even which hour of the day is the busiest.
Modular Add-Ons for Square POS
- As required, add and uninstall services and applications.
- Billing is done on a month-to-month basis.
- Customize to meet your company’s requirements
- Square can help companies of all sizes create personalized strategies.
You may wish to add Square’s invoicing function to your POS toolkit if you run a made-to-order or subscription-based firm. Square Invoicing lets you send digital invoices to your customers through email, SMS, or a shareable link, and they can pay you quickly using Google Pay, Apple Pay, credit card, ACH bank transfer, or even a Square gift card.
With the sophisticated Square Invoice plan, you can build templates that you can reuse or estimations that can be automatically converted into invoices. (Image courtesy of Square)
Within the Square invoicing module, you can also rapidly create customer profiles and get feedback from them once they pay their bills. Square invoice’s basic plan is free, with unlimited users, invoicing, estimates, and contracts, but you’ll need to switch to the subscription plan for customization tools and multiple package estimates, which costs $20 per month.
Users may manage and complete payroll tasks from their mobile device using Square Payroll. (Image courtesy of Square)
Set up payroll and benefits, such as health insurance, for any number of workers or contractors. This costs $35 per month to begin with, plus $5 per month for each additional person. Square Payroll, in my opinion, is a perfect match for extremely small companies looking for a simple method to handle payroll and provide basic benefits like healthcare. I know a few small company owners who use Square Payroll and rave about how simple it is to use and how reasonable it is in comparison to other payroll systems.
With its free employee management capabilities, Square POS makes things easy and straightforward. You may use your POS platform to onboard new employees, manage permissions, and coordinate their schedules. The Square Team app is also available to you and your team. You’ll need the add-on Team Management Plus functionality for more extensive personnel management tools.
The Square Team app is a mobile program that allows your employees to clock in and out of the register, see, accept, and request schedule changes, as well as examine their timecards and paystubs. (Image courtesy of Square)
You’ll need to subscribe to the advanced plan if you want extensive time tracking, the ability to calculate for numerous pay rates, configure multilayer permissions, and access to team reports. With Square’s time tracking features, you can avoid unexpected shifts, manage varied salaries, and have payroll processed precisely and on time with Square Payroll integration.
By allocating week-long shifts by job or employee, you can keep track of personnel schedules. Employees may also submit requests for shift swaps and schedules for approval. (Image courtesy of Square)
A 30-day free trial is included with Team Plus, which costs $35 per month per location.
Square Marketing allows you to create personalized emails and deploy automated campaigns to your consumers. In Square Dashboard, you can see all of your email campaigns. Square Marketing has a number of email templates that allows firms to segment and target their customers. The monthly fee for this add-on is $15 for up to 500 contacts, $25 for 501 to 1,000 contacts, and $35 for 1,001 to 2,000 contacts.
Square Marketing is a wonderful match for any company that wants to use email campaigns to boost sales, give promotions or discounts, send regular newsletters, or make announcements to their consumers. Users may send automated messages to thank customers on their birthdays, welcome new shoppers, and attract back lost customers, in addition to one-time specials and bespoke campaigns. Square Marketing for Square POS might assist brick-and-mortar stores, as well as mobile retail firms, cafés, coffee shops, and service providers.
With Square Marketing, POS, and Dashboard connectivity, you can monitor and redeem discounts and promotions in real time. (Image courtesy of Square)
Marketing Assistant for Square
Marketing Assistant for Square comes with every Square Marketing subscription. It’s a real time-saving feature for small businesses because it sends personalized suggestions for email and text campaigns, plus reports on how the campaigns are performing and tips on how to create more effective campaigns.
Retail establishments, coffee shops, breweries, and any other company that wants to reward frequent customers may utilize Square Loyalty. Square Loyalty allows companies to design a personalized points-based rewards program that consumers may enroll in at the time of purchase. When customers earn points or get a reward, they receive automated SMS reminders.
For organizations with up to 500 loyalty transactions, Square Loyalty costs $45 per month, $75 per month for 501 to 1,500 loyalty transactions, and $105 per month for 1,501 to 10,000 loyalty transactions.
View the points and award history of your most loyal customers at a glance, and personalize and give numerous incentive levels that work best for your company. (Image courtesy of Square)
Are you looking for something a little more specific? Square Appointments, Square for Retail, and Square for Restaurants are also available. These are some of our most highly rated POS systems for certain industries. They all feature a free plan that may be upgraded at any time.
Ease of Use for Square POS
- Support through phone, in-app message, and chat
- FAQs and how-to articles abound in this extensive reference collection.
- Forum for the Square Seller Community
- Any PC, iOS, or Android device may be used to log in.
- To get started, there are guided in-app instructions.
- Editing and uploading products in bulk
- Interface that is simple to utilize
Square is a very user-friendly platform. There are also several articles, blogs, videos, and community resources. In-app texting in the mobile POS software and guided step-by-step training are two unique support features.
I’m aware that many retail shops and suppliers operate outside of regular business hours, and that some customers who buy software subscriptions or gear may get help 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, phone assistance is not always accessible when you need it for free Square users. Square’s support hours are restricted and only accessible to active clients, so getting help fast might be a chore.
Businesses must also utilize Square’s built-in payment processing. While the rates are reasonable, they are not the cheapest, particularly for high-volume transactions. Square, on the other hand, works effectively with a variety of third-party applications for ecommerce, inventory management, accounting, and other tasks.
Alternatives to Square POS
The top Square competitors include affordable prices and all-in-one POS, payment, and ecommerce solutions.
What Users Have to Say About Square POS
Square is a highly regarded POS system among both users and reviewers. The POS software has a 4.8-star rating in the Apple App Store, based on over 280,000 reviews at the time of writing. Square POS has a 4.4 rating on Google Play with over 136,000 ratings.
Square POS has the following ratings on prominent review sites at the time of publication:
Finances Online also has a Customer Satisfaction Algorithm that collects reviews, comments, and opinions from all over the internet from Square POS customers. Square POS has a 97 percent user satisfaction rate, according to it.
Following are some of the tendencies I discovered when reading customer reviews and conversing with Square users:
Conclusion
After direct experience with Square POS in a retail setting, I can state that it is a highly user-friendly system. To begin tracking inventory or processing sales right away, just establish a free Square account and download the iOS or Android app. Few other POS systems, particularly those with integrated payment processing, provide such a short setup.
For new and small enterprises, as well as individuals wishing to sell goods or services, Square POS provides unparalleled value. Square is one of the top POS systems on the market because of its quick setup, integrated payments, free software (including an online shop), economical and versatile hardware choices, and modular add-ons. To get started, go to Square and sign up for a free account.
Square should be visited.
Square is a mobile point-of-sale system that allows small business owners to accept credit card payments and process orders. This review will help you decide if it’s right for your business. Reference: square for small business reviews.
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