Is Square Right For Your Business?
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Based on the multitude of messages I’ve received, I believe there are four stages business owners go through when considering Square’s payment processing. First, joy. This is an amazing service that includes a sleek and capable POS, online selling tools, affordable hardware, and an easy-as-pie application process. When they discover the existence of Square and find out what it can do, people who have spent weeks stressing out about negotiating credit card processing rates and choosing from the limitless number of tablet-based POS systems breathe a sigh of relief.
But next come dread. After poking around the Square (see our review) site and sufficiently fantasizing about a long, prosperous future with the service, the business owner decides to read some reviews, perhaps on our site. At this point, the business owner is confronted with hundreds of devastated and infuriated fellow business owners, all crying SCAM!, cursing Square’s name, and pleading for someone, anyone, to help them get their money back from the evil clutches of that pernicious polygon.
Square’s Services At A Glance
| Reader | eCommerce | Retail | Food Service |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| Free App & Reader | Square eCommerce | Square for Retail | Square for Restaurants |
| Get Started | Get Started | Get Started | Get Started |
| Free, general-purpose POS software and reader for iOS and Android | Easy integration with popular platforms plus API for customization | Specialized software for more complex retail stores | Specialized software for full-service restaurants |
| $0/month | $0/month | $60/month | $60/month |
| Always Free | Always Free | Free Trial | Free Trial |
When joy and dread meet, the third stage – confusion – is born. Now the business owner has absolutely no idea what to do. Square seems so uniquely perfect and such a great value, but is it worth the risk? Is Square really stealing money from unsuspecting business owners? Can the company be trusted?
Which then leads to the inevitable question I have received an uncountable number of times: “Is Square right for my business?”
Well, frankly, I’m growing tired of answering this particular question. Let’s put it to rest once and for all so everyone can get to the coveted, much sought-after fourth stage of the “Square for business” consideration process: acceptance. Acceptance either that this service is not going to be much of a saving grace after all, or acceptance that the risks, overall, are outweighed by the rewards.
Table of Contents
- How Do Square’s Merchant Services Work?
- Can Anyone Really Use Square’s Payment Processing?
- What Happens If Square Terminates My Account?
- I’m Willing To Accept The Risk. Is Square’s Pricing A Good Deal?
- Does Square Help Protect My Business?
- Is Square’s Free Software Really The Best?
- How Do I Really Know If Square’s Processing Is Right For My Small Business?
How Do Square’s Merchant Services Work?
Square is a third-party payment services provider (PSP), sometimes called an aggregator. This puts it in contrast with other merchant services providers that offer individual merchant accounts.
Why is that important? Understanding the difference will go a long way toward putting some of the complaints against Square in context and help you better analyze its strengths and weaknesses.
A merchant account is an account into which funds are transferred from customers’ credit and debit card purchases after they’ve been processed. You don’t actually directly interact with the account–you can’t manually add or withdraw funds from it. Instead, those processes are automated. Funds deposited into it will eventually be transferred to your business account, usually after a day or two. Qualifying for a merchant account can be time-consuming and onerous; new businesses, in particular, may have a hard time getting one.
As an aggregator, Square does things a little differently. They pool their customers into what is, essentially, one giant merchant account rather than individually assigning one. This makes it easier to qualify, as well as faster. But instead of doing exhaustive due diligence (called “underwriting”) in advance, they more heavily scrutinize the behavior of their customers after they’re enrolled. This is where businesses sometimes run into trouble. The main complaints you’ll find from businesses that use Square are issues involving reserved funds, account suspensions, and account terminations.
What sets Square apart from other aggregators is the sheer volume of business services they provide, ranging from virtual terminals, to invoicing software, to online stores, to point-of-sale (POS) hardware, to business loans. Square can serve businesses in any sales channel, and legitimately be a one-stop-shop for small business-related software (as well as most of your hardware).
Can Anyone Really Use Square’s Payment Processing?
Trick question!
Square allows anyone to sign up, so long as they can verify your identity. However, Square actually has quite a few restrictions on who gets to use their services. Some of them are no-brainers, while others may surprise you:
- Any illegal activity or goods
- Buyer or membership clubs, including dues associated with such clubs
- Credit counseling or credit repair agencies
- Credit protection or identity theft protection services
- Direct marketing or subscription offers
- Infomercial sales
- Internet/mail order/telephone order pharmacies or pharmacy referral services
- Unauthorized multi-level marketing businesses
- Telemarketers
- Prepaid phone cards or phone services
- Rebate-based businesses
- Up-sell merchants
- Bill payment services
- Betting
- Financial institutions offering cash disbursements
- Prepaid cards, checks, insurance or other financial merchandise
- Sales of money-orders or foreign currency by non-financial institutions
- Wire transfer money orders
- High-risk products and services, including telemarketing sales
- Service station merchants
- Automated fuel dispensers
- Adult entertainment, any medium
- Sales of firearms, firearm parts or hardware, ammunition, weapons and other devices designed to cause physical harm
- Drug paraphernalia
- Occult materials
- Hate or harmful products
- Escort services
- Bankruptcy attorneys or collection agencies
- Internet/mail order/telephone order of age-restricted products.
Of particular note is the “high-risk products and services,” which can serve as a bit of a catch-all for business activities that Square feels fall into a gray area. It should go without saying that you shouldn’t lie or misrepresent your business to get a Square account; you’re better off going with another processor. If you’ve already been told that you’re a high-risk business, you should definitely seek out a high-risk merchant account.
Square may also just decide that your business is unsuited for miscellaneous reasons, and reserves the right to not service a business. This could conceivably happen to any business, at any time.
What Happens If Square Terminates My Account?
So the fickle forces at Square have decided to terminate your account. What should you expect?
Square typically holds funds for 180 days, which is equivalent to the standard chargeback window for credit card transactions. This is normal operating procedure for any payment processor, whether it’s a merchant account or aggregator. Even if your account is not terminated, certain transactions may trigger a hold on some funds for up to 180 days (or until you can provide Square with documentation that the transaction is legitimate).
You probably don’t need me to tell you that having your funds frozen for six months is bad for your business. A few safety precautions can minimize the risk of being terminated or having your funds held. In addition to avoiding the types of transactions outlined above, you’ll want to preempt activity like a sudden large increase in sales volume and notify Square before this “suspicious” activity begins. You’ll also want to inform them if the size of your average sale changes significantly. And, of course, you’ll want to minimize chargebacks. Getting invoices with detailed contracts for large transactions can also help mitigate risk for your business.
You should also be aware that if Square terminates your account, there’s no appeals process. Once your account is closed, that’s it: You’ll need to find a new processor and wait for the held funds to clear. However, if Square merely puts a hold on your account, pending further information, there may be some hope of restoring your account. You’ll need to provide whatever information Square requests as part of the review, and then wait for a decision.
If some of your funds are tied up in limbo, you might be able to get a working capital or bridge loan to help manage your cash flow. Check out our guide to working capital loans to learn more! You can also learn more about how to analyze and improve your cash flow.
I’m Willing To Accept The Risk. Is Square’s Pricing A Good Deal?
Until recently, Square offered a flat 2.75% processing fee, which was a pretty good deal for small businesses that processed a high volume of small transactions.
In September 2019, Square started phasing out that price point and replacing it with 2.6% + $0.10 fee per transaction. What this means in plain English is that the cost of transactions under $66.67 (or around $40 if you qualify for the 2.5% + $0.10 rate) will go up, and the cost of transactions above $66.67 will go down. There’s no way to sugarcoat it: for businesses that do a high volume of small transactions, this makes Square a much worse deal than it was at 2.75%.
Whether or not Square is still a good deal will depend on which other features and services you use; it’s just unlikely to be the cheapest option available. Square’s software is still pretty competitively priced, particularly its iPad POS software. However, businesses with high volume that are doing above $10K/mo in card transactions can probably get a better rate with a merchant account.
Does Square Help Protect My Business?
If it sounds like you’re trusting your business entirely to the whimsy of a PSP…you are. That said, there are still some advantages to using Square.
One of the bigger potential burdens of accepting card payments is PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance. The PCI-DSS, or Payment Card Industry-Data Security Standard, is intended to protect customer data and govern liability. It’s broken down into four sets of guidelines (or risk levels) according to the size of your business, outlining your responsibilities for safeguarding data. Yes, I said “four sets,” which should give you an idea of how complicated this can get. The benefit of using a service like Square’s is that it offloads much of the PCI compliance burden onto the PSP and requires very little work from you to maintain compliance. You also won’t have to pay any sort of fee for PCI compliance, whereas many merchant accounts — even the most ethical and transparent ones — do charge some sort of monthly fee for it.
Square also offers chargeback protection of up to $250/month, which can give you some peace of mind. In most chargebacks, the merchant must cover the cost of the original disputed transaction, plus an additional fee assessed by your payment processor. Square has done away with the chargeback fee and will cover the cost of qualifying disputed transactions up to $250 per month.
Just remember, too many chargebacks may still trigger a hold or an account termination, so you’ll still want to take reasonable precautions, especially when you’re dealing with card-not-present transactions.
Is Square’s Free Software Really The Best?
If you’ve visited a business that uses Square, you’ve probably seen their logo on a wide range of software and peripherals. One of the biggest draws is Square’s free iPad POS software and smartphone-friendly mobile app, both of which are powerful and easy to use. You also get a free online store, virtual terminal, invoicing software, and eCommerce integrations.
Of course, the operative word here is “free.” While Square’s ecosystem provides a ton of value at no extra cost, you will find more powerful options for a subscription fee, some of which are even available through Square itself.
If you’re just starting out, or if your business has pretty straightforward payment and inventory needs, Square’s free software will probably be adequate. It’s definitely the industry leader as far as free options. As your business expands and gets more complex, however, you may need to move onto paid options.
How Do I Really Know If Square’s Processing Is Right For My Small Business?
As is the case for most things, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to credit card processing or business software. Square provides a robust, easy-to-use ecosystem at a reasonable cost. Is it the cheapest option? No. Will it offer every feature you could possibly want? No. But knowing your business, the types and frequency of payments you take, your customer demographics, and even your own personal habits will help you make an informed decision. Larger businesses, for example, will probably have more complex software needs and be able to leverage their size and transaction volume to get discounts with other payment processors.
Square is a great starter option, one that’s able to grow and scale with your business as it develops. Better yet, you can sign up for Square without making a commitment, so it’s relatively easy to leave if you aren’t happy with the service. Nevertheless, there is still some risk involved, so weigh your options accordingly.
If you’re still not sure Square is the best choice for you, I recommend checking out our favorite alternatives to Square. Have a question about Square? Leave us a comment and well get back to you!
Square’s Services At A Glance
| Reader | eCommerce | Retail | Food Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | |
| Free App & Reader | Square eCommerce | Square for Retail | Square for Restaurants |
| Get Started | Get Started | Get Started | Get Started |
| Free, general-purpose POS software and reader for iOS and Android | Easy integration with popular platforms plus API for customization | Specialized software for more complex retail stores | Specialized software for full-service restaurants |
| $0/month | $0/month | $60/month | $60/month |
| Always Free | Always Free | Free Trial | Free Trial |
Based in New York’s Hudson Valley, Tom has written for Merchant Maverick since 2013. His work is cited by publications including TechCrunch, Washington Business Journal, and Bank Advisor. He currently serves as Partner Marketing Manager, where he works to connect exceptional brands with the readers they serve best.
Latest posts by Tom DeSimone (see all)
- Is Square Right For Your Business? - October 28, 2019
- The Best Mobile & Low-Volume Payment Processing Solutions - February 22, 2016
- Did Square Kill Flint Mobile? What Flint’s Processing Shutdown Means For The Future Of Mobile Payments - February 16, 2016
- What Is Peer-To-Peer Lending? - November 18, 2015
- Will Chip Cards Kill Mobile Processing? - July 23, 2015
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Hi and thanks for your question. Check out The Best CBD Oil Merchant Account Providers as you’ll find some great options. Best of luck!
Tom, I am a small town wood turner who is stating a small business selling my art, I have placed pieces in three store fronts on a consignment basis and want to do a website! Would square be right for my business to receive payments from both avenues of revenue?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Glen,
Congrats on starting your business! Typically speaking, consignment is entirely dependent on the shop owners. You may be better off setting up a PayPal account to get paid by the shop owners but again it depends on the shop owner and their knowledge of technology and how they’re used to paying people out. As far as online sales — Square or Paypal would definitely be good options. Paypal is just for payments, so you’d still have to set up a website. While with Square you’d get a free Weebly shop. Sounds like you have lot’s to consider! Best of luck!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
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Hello,
I am in the process of opening a remote IT support business. We will be accepting payments via credit/debit cards over the phone only. We haven’t accepted any business as of yet since we are still setting up shop. I’ve looked around and have been told my business is considered “high risk” because of a “few bad apples” in the industry as well as a higher percentage of chargebacks. Am I doomed to using high risk merchants with higher rates and fees or is there a way to accept payments with a reputable vendor such as Square?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Steve,
Square has a prohibition against “high risk products and services” and if you’re already being told that you’re in a high risk industry, that’s likely the case. You could certainly reach out to Square and plead your case though! Typically speaking, remote tech support companies are considered high-risk. I think you’ll find this blog post “Are You A High-Risk Merchant?” to be quite insightful. If Square won’t have you, I’d suggest looking at Durango, or any of our top rated high-risk providers.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
My husband recently started his own software consulting business and a customer asked if he accepted credit cards. He would use a credit card processing company only infrequently, and for transactions, generally, of $3000-$5000 dollars. It sounds like Square would not be a good fit? Also, would this be considered an unstable business because of transaction size and the fact that it is a new business? It appears that if the account was canceled, he would forfeit any payment(s) in the account?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Christy,
If Square decides to terminate the account, the funds will be held for the standard 180 days (6 months) and then released to the business owner. Some consulting businesses do seem to work with Square, but we have seen other cases where the account is suddenly closed. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of data to say what sets one business apart from another, but the fact that he only processes occasionally and for large amounts *could* be a red flag, though that alone is not automatically a problem. Sending invoices is less of an issue than swiping a card with a mobile reader, though, especially because he can lay out the terms of the agreement in the invoice.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Thank you so much for the great article. It really helped me in understanding the basics.
I am a convenience store owner. We currently process high volume but low ticket transactions. Our average transaction is like $4 and we process around 2000 transactions. We accept payment face to face and usually via the pin or signature confirmation. We never had any charge backs or even any refunds.Do you think this qualify as low risk business.
Also, when I tried to contact the square sales rep, they gave me the rate of 2.5%+$0.10. I asked him for the advertised rate of 2.7% but they said they can’t give it to us because of our low average ticket size. But I think if we sign up with square online without any sales rep, we will get their advertised 2.7% rate. Do you think that if we don’t contact the sales rep again and just sign up online and get the rate of 2.7%, their is a risk they will realize it after the review of our business and shut us down?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Alisha,
You could try signing up online, as long as the free Square POS with mobile card reader or stand will meet your needs. If you need Square Register, you’ll be looking at the rate the rep quoted you.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
I OWN A HEALTH FOOD STORE WHICH I HAVE HAD FOR MANY YEARS. RECENTLY MY MERCHANT PROCESSING FEES HAVE BECOME PROHIBITIVE AND I AM LOOKING FOR A LESS EXPENSIVE OPTION.
WOULD SQ BE ABLE TO SECURELY DO THAT WITH A NEXT DAY DEPOSIT TO MY BANK. WOULD I ALSO BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR ONLINE selling ?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Joe,
You should be fine selling health foods online via Square, but you may want to avoid any supplements. Things can get a bit tricky when you cross over into supplement territory. We can’t say for sure if Square is going to be more cost effective for your business, without knowing your processing volume, but if you average less than $5k/mo, I’d say it’s a good bet. I’d recommend checking out our Square Instant Deposit post for more info on how that works.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hello I’m trying to get some basic information using Square. I’m an author looking to sell my books at book signings too.but will only use the reader at times here as my publisher will deal with the sale of my books. Would square allow me to work on this type of basis. I won’t continuously use the reader. And then their monthly fees.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Scott,
Square sounds perfect for your situation! There are no monthly fees or minimums to worry about and you could also use their online store to sell bookmarks and signed copies of books, etc. I hope that helps!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
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I would recommend anyone and everyone to find an alt solution. The customer service is terrible. They cancled our account with out any notice and noone would speak with us. If y ou’re a small business, look elsewhere.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Quick Question:
I work for a company with a mobile workforce. We are looking for a mobile POS solution. The one thing i have noticed with square is that anyone can pair with the device as long as they have a square account… this leaves it open for the possibility of an employee to filter some of the transactions to their personal account as opposed to the company account. Is there any way around this? Are there any providers that allow for BYOD but also have the option of locking the device to the CC reader?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Ankit,
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any mPOS apps that lock to the card reader device. If you figure it out, please let us know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Tom
I am starting an immigration consultancy, it is a corporation. I have been reading your review of Square and seems like Flint may be better for me. I will be accepting mostly in person transactions but possibly some remote ones, the value will be between $150 and $3000, depending on the services I am providing, there is no way of knowing how often as of yet, what would you recommend?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Janine,
Given the transaction size, I would not wholeheartedly recommend any of the mobile-specific processors. I’d recommend that you sign up with either Helcim ($12 per month, no commitment, no minimums) or CDGcommerece ($10 per month, no commitment, no minimums). Both offer mobile processing capabilities. CDGcommerce currently has a promotion running that will give you 50% off the monthly fee ($5 instead of $10) for the life of the account if you sign up with promo code MERCHMAV. Check both out and see what you think.
I would recommend that you go this route for at least the first six months. At that point, you’ll have a better idea of your average transaction size and monthly volume and you can reassess your needs.
Hope this helps!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
I am just starting my first business. I will be receiving on-line payments only, at least at first. My typical sale will be between 5 and 20 dollars. My website is DIY. I have read poor reviews of Square and Moolah. The other is Stripe, which I will research shortly. Should I just go with PayPal?
I can’t go with a merchant account since I have done no business as yet.
Can you advise me?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Tracy,
For your new business, if you think you’ll start out averaging less than $5k/month, I’d recommend Square. They offer a 30-day free trial and no early termination fee, and you can always switch to a merchant account once your business takes off.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hello Tom,
I am the newly elected treasurer of a non-profit organization and my first task is to be able to accept credit cards at our few fund raising events a year, as well as the occasional members fees as needed. We do auction items that have gone for several thousand dollars and was wondering if you think we should just go with Square or a merchant account? If we accept taking a credit card payment for a large auction item and somehow lose the money, it could cripple the organization. Look forward to hearing your response.
Thanks,
-Robert-
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Robert,
My apologies for the delay. I would encourage you to open a merchant account rather than use Square. While Square has the benefit of no monthly fee, I would be very concerned about the possibility of issues with large, sporadic transactions.
Accepting credit cards will always come with some risk, but using a merchant account can help you to minimize the risk. If you only need the account to be active during certain months of the year, any of our preferred merchant account providers can help you to set up a seasonal account so you can avoid monthly fees during inactive months.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Thanks Tom!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
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Hi Tom;
I’m opening a martial arts academy; transactions will be minimal since tit will only have a monthly fee for students. What do you suggest in my case? I was searching for various options and i was incline to open a BofAmerica account since they provide the whole system with a cheap monthly fee and don’t charge any fee for the transactions.
TIA;
Wilson
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Wilson,
Thank you for your inquiry, I am happy to help you with this. You can see our review of Bank of America here. I would encourage you to try our filtering tool to see some alternatives. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let me know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,
I’m a hairstylist that rents a chair in a salon. I accept payment directly from the customer. I basically am running my own business. I just accept payment for the services that I provide. I don’t sell anything. I opened a merchant services account with Bank of America a little over a year ago. I wanted to know if I should stick with that or if it would be better for me to switch to Square? Thanks in advance!
Irene
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Irene,
Thank you for your inquiry, I am happy to help you with this. Since your processing needs are minimal, Square would probably be a cheaper option for you in the long run. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let me know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hey there Tom!
I’m part of a non-profit organization- we offer in-house retreats, counseling, and a few products in an online store. I’m trying to learn more about what type of pos we should be using. I was going to suggest we use square, but am now running up against a lot of information saying its a bit dangerous to use!
I was wondering if you could provide a bit of advice? What risk would we be classified as? Do you know of any programs that are low cost and set up for appointment booking, online ordering, and non-profit organizations? Preferably one that offers an online store capability??
Thanks,
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Jasper,
Square would actually be a great fit. I would also recommend looking at CDGcommerce and Helcim. Make sure you let them know that you are a non-profit organization, as all 3 will offer special rates. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let me know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
This is not a review, but a question. I’m looking to have an “online only” setup. I’m making this website as we speak, and I need to accept visa, MC, AMEX, and Discover. The product is magazine subscriptions. I have no idea if square, flint, or another is right for me. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Don,
Thank you for your inquiry, I am happy to help you with this. Magazine subscriptions are considered “high-risk”, so you will need a high risk processor. I would recommend Durango Merchant Services and Payline Data. I hope this helps and if you have further questions, please let me know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi,
I am about to start a small specialty food store and looking for suitable, affordable POS system. I read your article about Square and it looks like not for my business, then found ShopKeep and Clover, and thinking about getting one of their POS kits. Will it good choice for me?
Thanks much,
AG
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi AG,
I am going to send you an email right now, so please keep an eye out!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
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Last week I finally decided to go with Square, for now, and I found what I believed to be their website with their logo and a phone number. Today, I learned that somehow, that site was either bogus or this was a case of spyware or adware. I don’t know how they did it, but when I called to apply by phone, I was apparently speaking to someone with Millennium Bank (which I never heard of until today) and they passed me on to PayWare (which I also never heard of until today). Has anyone else encountered this scam? I finally got my card reader today and called a technician to set up, which is when I began to understand something was very wrong. I have a sale in 3 days, in a time crunch, and decided I had no choice but to use the service. However, the reader isn’t even compatible with my Android phone. I still have the EVO application form which was saved on my computer. I had not looked it over carefully since I had already researched the terms for Square and thought that was who I was speaking with, however, now that I look at it, there is “Square” at the top which I captured in a screen shot. It is not on the form, but shows in my computer. Now this company has all my info. I don’t understand what has happened really. Any advice? Help. I am just starting my business and I’ve already been scammed before my first sale date. Very sad.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Tom Thanks for your article.
I followed your link to Flint Mobile and it said that they terminated their services. Is there an alternative that you can suggest other than Square. Does Amazon have a processing center?
Just a briefly about our business. We are home accessibility contractors specialising in home modifications and modular products to make home accessible to people dependent on a wheeled device as in wheelchairs and walkers etc. We install Ramps, Lifts and do a lot of bathe remodeling. Thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Jacob, that’s true that Flint recently closed up shop. Intuit GoPayment, Spark Pay, and PayPal Here are all quality Square alternatives you can use to take mobile payments.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Can I do manual charges by putting the credit card info into the square reader?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Linda,
Yes, you should be able to do keyed-entries with Square, but the rate will be a little higher. You can find more information in our review here.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hey Tom,
What would be your suggestion POS system advice for a full service restaurant with 5 or more POS stations necessary? I first looked into BREADCRUMB, but after the bad reviews moved on to SHOPKEEP, and then heard about clover (our San Antonio location banks with Boa our other 3 locations do not but are potentially going to be integrated asleep) Am I in the right direction or do you have any suggestions? Clover is not an issue, should we sheer away from its? What’s cost effective? We are currently using a type of ePad as a check presenter at our tables for an email club database….. and want to continue using something for our customers at each table to have in hand as well as POS systems for our servers to be using. I love all the features that come with these prior mentioned systems and would really like your opinion thank you for your time.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Sadie,
Try our POS finder for a good recommendation tailored to your business. We’ve reviewed Clover, so you can check out our thoughts about it to see if it makes sense for you.
Note that it doesn’t matter who you bank with, it only matter who your merchant account is from. Clover required a First Data or BofA Merchant Services account (Dharma and Payment Depot also issue First Data accounts). Most other POS systems work with just about any merchant account.
Hope this helps! Good luck.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.