Square Capital Review
- Date Established
- 2014
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Pros
- Relaxed borrower qualifications
- No credit score requirement
- Short application process
- Low rates and fees
- No additional fees
Cons
- Only available to Square sellers
- Poor customer support
Overview
Square, the most popular and widely known mobile POS on the market, is an innovator in all things small-business and credit-card related. They’ve been the first, or close to the first, to roll out a mobile payments solution, an EMV compliant chip card reader, and, recently, a mobile wallet, among other things. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Square has also entered the world of fast, automated business loans.
The mobile processing behemoth took their first stab at business financing in May of 2014. Originally, Square offered merchant cash advances, a type of non-loan financing in which the company collects their money by deducting a percentage of each sale. Recently, the mobile POS changed Square Capital to a loan product; however, in practice, the loan’s rates, fees, and repayment function basically the same as before.
Square Capital is only available to merchants who use Square (or another POS that has a partnership with Square). Because Square is a payment processor, and already has plenty of information on your business and finances, Square Capital does not have an application or an inconvenient repayment process. Square simply extends the offer to you and, if you choose to accept, the funds will be sent to your account.
As of last year, Square Capital was advertising factor rates of 1.10 – 1.16. In other words, you’re looking at paying around $0.10 to $0.16 worth of fees for every dollar borrowed. This is relatively low in comparison to similar borrowers, but can still be a little expensive because you have to repay the funds quickly (jump down to the Terms and Fees section for more information on this topic).
The bottom line is that Square Capital is a convenient and relatively inexpensive source of capital. For the most part, customer reviewers are happy with the service.
However, some customers have expressed frustration because they do not know when they will receive another offer or because they, for some reason, are ineligible for the service. If you are in this situation and need a loan, I’d recommend looking at our favorite Square Capital alternatives.
Interested in the details? Read on!
Table of Contents
Services Offered
Square Capital offers short-term loans.
Borrower Qualifications
These are the qualifications required to get a loan from Square Capital:
| Time in business: | N/A |
| Credit score: | N/A |
| Revenue: | $10K/year |
In addition, you must meet these requirements, according to Square:
- Be an active Square user with a growing business
- Have a history with Square
- Have a mix of returning and new customers
Be aware that Square Capital is a bit unusual in that you do not apply for a loan; Square extends an offer if you’re eligible. Check out the Application Process section for more information.
Terms & Fees
These are the rates and fees for Square Capital’s loans:
| Borrowing amount: | $500 – $100K |
| Term length: | No set maturity date Maximum of 18 months |
| Factor rate: | x1.10 – x1.16 |
| Origination fee: | None |
| Effective APR: | Learn more |
| Collateral: | None |
Square does not use interest rates. Instead, you’re charged a one time fee, normally called a “factor rate” or “flat fee” that is paid back over the life of the loan. Be aware that this means you cannot save money by repaying your loan early (which you would be able to if the loan had an interest rate).
According to the Wall Street Journal, the factor rates offered by Square are typically between 1.10 and 1.16, which means that you will have to repay between $0.10 and $0.16 in fees per dollar borrowed. Square will disclose the full borrowing fee before you accept the loan.
Because the loans are repaid by deducting a percentage of your credit card sales (which fluctuate day-to-day), there is no set date on which your loan will be repaid. However, you do have a maximum of 18 months to repay your loan. Furthermore, to keep you on track, you have to repay at least 1/18th of your loan every 60 days. Merchants also have the option of making additional payments or paying off the loan at any time without penalty.
Application Process
Square periodically reviews user’s accounts to determine if they’re eligible for a loan. If your account is eligible, you will receive an email and a notification on your Square account. You can find your offers under the Capital tab in your account.
Once you receive the alert from Square, getting the money is pretty easy: decide how much you want from the options presented to you and request the money. Square will use all the information they have already to verify your identity and information, though they may reach out to ask for additional documents if necessary.
This lender will not check your credit to make a decision, so you do not need to worry about a credit check affecting your score.
Once Square has verified your information, the money will be deposited into the bank account hooked up to your account. From then on, Square will automatically deduct their cut from any credit or debit transactions you process through their service. If you want to repay part or all of the loan, you can do so via the Capital tab on your dashboard.
Sales & Advertising Transparency
Square provides a fair amount of information via the main Square Capital webpage as well as the Square Capital support center. By reading through these documents, you should have a fairly good idea of what to expect from this service.
Customer Service & Technical Support
Customer service is, and has always been, Square’s weakness. Support for this particular part of their service is no different. Square has drastically improved its customer support in the last few years, but many customers still report difficulty getting in touch with a representative.
There are a few different ways to get in contact with Square, including email, phone, Facebook message, or Square’s twitter support page @SqSupport. Additionally, Square has recently implemented a quality seller community forum, where you can get answers from Square representatives as well as other Square sellers.
Negative Reviews & Complaints
Square Capital has done fairly well in the negative review department.
In general, the complaints about Square’s payment processing service mostly have to do with account stability issues. The good news is that if you qualify for Square Capital, it means the company believes your business is trustworthy and reliable, and thus is unlikely to initiate any actions that might affect the stability of your account.
Complaints specifically about Square Capital are scarce on the processor’s BBB page. Fortunately, there’s another source of customer reviews specifically about the lending service in our comments section below. Here are the aspects of Square Capital service with which customers are frustrated:
- Inconsistent offers: Many customers are frustrated that they do not know when another offer will be extended to them. Because there’s no way to determine when they are likely to receive an offer, merchants cannot necessarily count on having funding when they need it.
- Verification issues: Some merchants have reported that they’ve been rejected because the information they supplied to Square could not be verified.
- Rejection due to unusual account behavior: Square Capital likes to see consistency. If your card processing or bank statements show unusual activity over the last few months, you might be rejected for a loan until you can once again prove a consistent pattern of activity.
- Communication issues: Because Square’s customer service can be difficult to get in touch with, solving problems related to the above frustrations might be difficult.
It’s also worth noting that if you are a business doing well enough to be eligible for this service, it might be time for your business to switch to your very own merchant account. If you accept an advance from Square, you’re tied down until you repay the company.
That being said, if you need short term financing, Square offers a very compelling deal. Sticking around for a few extra months might be worth it.
Positive Reviews & Testimonials
Square has a couple video testimonials on their website and several merchant reviews on their Capital town square page. You can also find a number of positive reviews across the internet, including our own comments section. In general, merchants are happiest with the:
- Convenient lending process
- Fast access to money
- Hands-off repayment method
- Relatively inexpensive fees
As you can see, convenience is the key word when it comes to Square Capital. Merchants like Square Capital because the service makes the lending process easy; once you’ve requested the money, the system will take care of everything else.
Final Verdict
If you are eligible for financing, Square Capital is a convenient and relatively inexpensive source of financing. This company has streamlined the lending process so it’s almost completely hands off—you don’t need to fill out a long application or remember to write checks every payment period.
However, Square Capital is not without problems. If you have been denied for a loan or Square Capital is simply too undependable for your business, you do have other options available. You will have to fill out an application, but most of these lenders will be able to give you an estimated quote with very little hassle.
Bianca Crouse
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146 Comments
So I’ve had about five loans in the past few years I paid off my last loon around February 2016. Recently got really aggravated because they were not offering me a new lip so I started looking into my account thinking what could be preventing them from offering me a new loan when I’ve always pay my loans off always pay them off early and never had any chargebacks and then I started realizing sometimes I would send a homeowner an invoice and they would decide to pay with check so I had numerous invoices that were open and not paid. So I went through canceled every invoice out that was from like a year ago and guess what within two weeks I got a loan request. To make sure you don’t have any open invoices just sitting around collecting dust that could be preventing you
When you pay money on your loan it take seven days to process it?
Hi Clayton,
I think this question would be best answered by Square. Here is their contact page to help you get in touch.
Just a question, do these loans show up on your credit reports
James,
Check squareup’s help forum for the answer to your question here.
I paid off 2 Capital loans and now Square is not offering me another one! Im going to start using PayPal
I’ve been processing with Square for roughly four years and I’m currently 82% paid on my sixth Square capital loan. My previous renewals varied from 70%-81% but this is the highest % paid thus far without receiving a new offer. I’ve been reading many sellers postings and it seems as though Square Capital is slowing down their loans for some reason. I just hope that they continue to support businesses that have been with them for the long haul. Their loans have been a crucial part of the continued success of my auto detailing business.I’ll keep this posted if/when I get a renewal. Good luck to all!
Same here. I’ve paid 83% of my square capital and not one offer. I’ve received capital offers when 80% of my loans have been repaid. It’s been very different this most recent time.
I loved square capital the whole time as well. I’m at 76 percent paid off of current loan. I’ve always gotten another offer at around 70 percent. I hope they reward their long time customers by continuing to offer loans. I will keep using square, but if they aren’t going to offer anymore, after getting me hooked on the convenience of the loan, then I’m going to switch to PayPal. I bring in 15-20 k a month and I’m consistent.
I’ve been reading the reviews and wondering if anyone that has posted recently received an offer after their post? I am on my 4th Capital Advance and currently 79% paid. The loans are usually paid back (up until a new offer) within 6 – 7 months. The last loan was offered when I reached 70% paid. These loans have been crucial in company growth (38% + so far this year), as I am able to increase inventory with the loans. I also received an email when making an inquiry that states the offer will be made available once/if I become available and will appear in the dashboard. I was just wondering if anyone has had any good news lately?
Were you ever offered another loan??
Our last loan was our 6th and it was at 85% paid before the last offer
I’m at 90% paid still no new offer yet. Just wondering is Square still offering renewal loan
Hi Mary,
According to reports on the Square Seller Community, Square is still offering loan renewals.
You must use a desk top or laptop to access the information I was getting upset I wasn’t getting offers and went to my laptop and it was there good luck
How do you link Square Capital to your credit report? Is that possible?
Hi John,
Thanks for the inquiry. Honestly, we didn’t know the answer to this either, but a quick google search revealed that they do not report to the credit bureaus. Here’s a link to the answer on their seller community: https://www.sellercommunity.com/t5/Questions-How-To/Does-square-capital-show-on-your-credit-report/td-p/13658
I’m so disappointed with square! As a small business we have been processing all of our card transactions through square since 2013. We have had 3 square capital loans and have paid all of them down in a matter of months but have never paid them off in full. We have always accepted a new loan before full pay off. With our last loan we paid down to 70% and was offered a new loan. So before we accepted the next loan we decided to pay our loan in full (bad idea)!!! The offer immediately disappeared. Mind you we are in the middle of an expansion, we would have never used our liquid cash to pay off this loan if we would have known we weren’t going to able to secure another loan. I reached out to square and of course they respond with the a generic response “your account is not eligible for a new loan at this moment, we will continue to monitor your account” blah blah blah. The following day we saw there was a loan offer but it was way lower than the loan they just offer before we paid off the old loan and the flat fee was higher than what our last 3 loans have been. I’m so confused! What changed in one week? I proceeded to email customer service of course another generic response. I’m not sure if they even look at the emails or just copy and paste responses. This situation is so frustrating. It’s like we were penalized for paying our loan off early. Not good business practice, especially when they advertise no prepayment penalties. We will be looking else where for processing and loan options. If anyone has suggestions please let us know.
Hi Art,
I’m sorry to hear that you had a frustrating experience with Square Capital.
If you’re looking for other loan options, I’d recommend looking at our list of the best alternatives to Square Capital. For processing, you might want to look at our merchant account and mobile payment comparison pages. Hope that helps!
Man i had the same issue they just want to get you hooked what is your situation at the moment?
What square actually looks forward to is you paying the additional fee on the remaining balance. You already paid a fee for say $1k…. when you have $300 left, they roll out a new loan for $2k. They only truly give you $1700, but now you’re paying another fee on the remaining $300 from last loan. So in essence you’re paying 2 fees on the same $300.
When you went in and paid it off, they lose that double fee… so they snatch back loan offer and offer it again at a higher rate.
Everything was fine at first. We have been using square capital since 2014. Going on our 5th offer maybe 6th I can’t remember how many times we renewed. It used to be easy, fast and almost a given that after paying off 80% you’d get another offer, and back in November at 80% we did. However after accepting we waited two days and were rejected due to unusual account activity. We have done nothing weird or unusual with our account, same as always. Then we paid our loan off. A week later we were eligible, we accepted. Then a day later rejected for unusual activity, again nothing changed. Then, in April we became eligible again, again a day later rejected for unusual activity. I am so disappointed, we have great revenue, use invoices and loyalty and have been growing every year. I don’t understand what is wrong
Unusually cruel tactics- NO NOT USE SQUARE ! So I built and entires tore , loaded all my customers and sent invoices. everything was awesome then they DEACTIVATED MY ACCOUNT ! WTH ? I did nothing wrong , nothing ! I worked my A%$ off building that site , buying a domain, learning how to use Square then you shut me off instantly ?? Have you no decency or common courtesy for small business ???Horrible horrible people and company ..Do not use !
I recently got offered on my third Capital loan after not being eligible for 3 months and then I got offered period after I got offered a day later they asked me to verify my tax ID number period I put all my information in that was the same information that I’ve had for the past 3 years period they came back two days later and said I was denied because they could not verify my tax ID number then I had to call the IRS and found out because I recently got married my tax ID number has my maiden name on it. Has anybody ever gotten denied for something like this and then once they review your account they then approved it I have been trying to message them for 4 days now to tell them that it’s under my maiden name and have not gotten no response
They did a bait and switch on me, offered on their site about a 11.5 fee and boosted it to 16.5 without me approving it and now we are stuck.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
We’ve also gotten 3 Square Capital loans. And last week at 83% we got a new offer. And honestly this time I was looking for it because we were planning a new showroom but this time we got rejected for two reasons.*Your business has received too many chargeback claims while using Square Point of Sale.*A review of your account indicating recent uncharacteristic payment card processing activity.What I don’t understand is Its always been the same situation. There were charge backs years before but I was approved for square capital loan. Unfortunately there are customers taking advantage of situations. The second reason, I don’t even understand what it means. This has let me down, and I am really disappointed. Once I pay off my remaining balance I am moving to paypal for dreams.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Left a comment before but for some reason hasn’t appeared : anyways I am also a user of square and I have always liked square especially the capital they offer. It has helped us grow. Until recently they have stopped offering us capital as well. Our average customer spends $700 per swipe and I believe the last loan was 7200.00 which was paid in 3 months. We have never had a discrepancy of any sort or even a refund but I guess it is what it is. Hopefully they are able to someday again offer a similar capital loan again it’s unfortunate that they stopped. I can only assume they are not as highly financially backed as other lenders. Good luck everyone.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Suddenly ineligible with no explanation – we do over 20k monthly – no charge backs. We are up 39% from last year at $267k . We have had 4 loans prior all paid off within 7 months. The last one we paid $7000 of remaining off early just because they told me if Possibly would become eligible once it’s been paid in full. Now I just spent my whole cushion on what I could’ve used as downpayment for what I needed! Now here I sit. Sales are going to go down if I can’t keep bringing new inventory in. You’d figure if you were doing good/great – they’d want to keep you going.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
It would seem that paying it off early might not be good. It might indicate that you really don’t need the loan to grow your business. I imagine they want you to grow your business so that they make more money off of the normal fees they charge. I’m not positive, just speculating.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
They did the same thing to my company. Had 3 loans with them before. All of sudden I’m not eligible due to chargebacks. But haven’t had a chargeback in 3 years. So something seems fishy about what they are doing.
Question. In the past how many chargebacks have you had? I have one under review now. It’s a customer trying to scam
This is now absolute garbage. You be loyal to them and process every payment through them and where they would consistently offer you a renewal before, they now say you’re ineligible. Nice one square. Way to reward your loyal customers. After my last little bit is paid, I’m done with you. Jerks.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Im confused…reading the reviews posted looks like a lot of others are also. Is square still offering capital loans before the other one is paid off and adding the balance to the new capital loan? What % paid are others being offered a new capital loan? Ibe had 3 in the past one offered at 70% another offered at 80%. Now im seeing that others are being offered then denied. What is going on? Any new updates from others that were denied or has anyone recieved a recent offer and approved? Just trying to plan in advance if i wont be offered a new one. Thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I was offered another loan yesterday after paying off 77% of my other loan.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I also get offered new loans before mine gets fully paid off. I was worried before the last time I was offered a new one because of reviews like these. Still got an offer, and got it earlier then the last 4 times. Seems to me eveyone who is saying they got denied have a larger dollar amount per transaction than me. Maybe it does have to do with square not having the funds for larger loans or maybe some people are not being truthful or understanding why they aren’t getting offered a new one. I love square and I’m so thankful they do square capital. They have helped me grow so much over the last 5 years.
I’ve gotten 3 Square Capital loan so far. I just paid my last one off I constantly have money come through and I’ve never had a chargeback and now they’re telling me I’m not able to get another one right now but it could change at any time has anybody actually had this happen and it’s been a few weeks or a month and then they been offered another loan?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Melissa,question when they offer you the second loan was after you pay off first one , right?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Yep. They are doing the same to me when I really needed help. I should have been working through my bank the entire time and building actual credit instead of messing with these thieves. After I pay off my last little bit, I’m shopping for a new processor. The thousands of dollars paid in fees to them. Idiots.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I had an offer for square capital-I applied last night. Just curious if all “offers” are approved or is thier a chance of denial?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Bridie,
There is a chance that your offer will be denied if Square finds something in your account that it doesn’t like during the review process.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I had a loan from Square Capital that I paid off rather quickly. Square Capital had been offering me a new loan (or rather a loan extension of funds) all of the way up right until I paid off the existing loan. Once fully paid, the offer was pulled. I sent support a message asking why the extension of the loan would be available the entire time the loan was active, but removed once I actually paid off the balance, it disappeared. They did not give me a specific reason, but said to be “reset assured they are constantly monitoring accounts for qualifications and would notify me once I was re-approved”. It may be more of an issue with banking regulations that they have a waiting period. Not totally sure. So the short of it….don’t let your current loan get fully paid off if you plan on requesting additional funds near the end of your current loan.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
So I’ve finally clicked on the “request amount” link. Had 2 successful loans with Paypal and figured since we do more business with the Square POS that we’d give their capital loan a try.
Question: How long did it take from the time you applied to being approved? I figure at least 24 hrs?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Heidi,
According to this article, the review process takes 1 – 2 business days. Good luck!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I accepted a small loan back in June and recently paid it off Sunday ( so 6 months) any idea if they will offer me a new loan?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Teresa,
Approval is contingent upon a number of factors—if you meet these requirements, you’ve got a pretty good chance of getting another loan. However, there’s no saying for sure, as Square doesn’t state their exact requirements.
It’s worth noting that Square states that it can take up to two weeks to reevaluate your account and give you another offer, so you should know soon whether or not you’ve been approved.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
As a long term user of Square, I have had two capital loans and paid them off both off early w hopes of having a new renewal. It seems square capital has changed the parameters of the loans as nothing has changed with my capital yet I have not been offered another loan. This is extremely frustrating especially because I paid it off early (within 5 months). I have reached out several times and am always told that I am not “eligible” at the moment. I’m confused to what has changed. Any insight would be helpful.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi J,
Unfortunately, because Square does not provide their specific criteria for approval, it can often be difficult to figure out why you are not approved for funding. A lot of commenters claim that they were rejected due to chargebacks or other unusual activity in their financial history (including increases or decreases in sales).
Otherwise, there is a possibility that Square changed their underwriting criteria behind the scenes, though their tips for being noticed remain the same. If you’re in need of capital, and Square will not approve you, I would recommend taking a look at some other short-term finance options instead.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
So I was approved for my loan thursday night says pending deposit what day will my loan deposit..it said next buisness day which is today friday but no funds yet. Will it be Monday?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Angelia,
Were you approved after 5:00pm? According to Square’s help center, Square’s deposit schedule takes two business days when the money transfer is initiated in the evening. If it goes according to that schedule, you will get your loan on Monday.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I’ve had 3 capital loans thru Square each one progressively increasing. Yesterday I was offered a loan and was immediately rejected because of too many chargebacks. I’ve had 11 disputes with 4 actual chargebacks in two years totaling $800. I do $30K to $40K per month. This doesn’t make any sense and I’m very upset to be offered something then rejected. Why offer in the first place.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I agree. Just happened to me today. I do 30-40k per month. Have had 1 chargeback. Which was a customer who got all her items. Square agreed that i was right. Got offered today. And got denied within an hour. I’ve had 5 loans and paid all back really fast. Why offer if you’re just gonna deny me. Most likely leaving square and going to PayPal full time because of this.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
My situation is very similar. I am on my 5th loan and have always paid back long before they were due and got denied for the 6th loan due to a large increase of sales. Ummm, I am growing my business so yes, I have had an increase in sales.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I was offered my fourth loan with square today and accepted. I was glad because we needed it to buy a new piece of equipment. I have a great history with square and have paid 80 percent of my last loan in four months and was glad to get a new offer. Then later in the day was denied because they said I had some charge backs. I have rarely had any refunds or chaegebacks. This week I had a dispute for 333 the first in months . That was very discouraging I have been with them for years
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Question, I have had four advances with them. I am currently at 75% on my 4th one. I paid the first one at 100%. The other three came at 75% or a little after. I haven’t received anything since my 4th one has been at 75% and I am curious as to why. Have the changes affected this? If so, how long and what criteria is different? I really need this next one for some expansions I am wanting to do, and I do not know if I need to check somewhere else or be patient and wait!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Brandi,
For some reason, Square has not provided a clear answer to this question. It appears that renewals happen much slower now that Square has switched their lending model from a cash advance to a loan. There is no way to tell when Square will offer you a renewal, but many people are reporting that they didn’t get a new offer until their previous debt was paid off. Keep in mind that a Square Capital renewal is never guaranteed, as characteristics of your business and financials might have changed since your last offer, which would affect whether or not you are eligible for a loan.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Do you know how long it take to get another loan after paying off the first one?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tiffany!
Square states that it can take up to two weeks for them to reevaluate your account.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
When they do a credit report, is it checked on your personal or business? I’m buying a home so do not want the inquiry on my personal. Thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jamie,
Square is somewhat unclear in regards to this question. According to this community post, if anything, they’ll check your personal credit. However, if they do, they’ll do a soft pull, which means it won’t show up on your credit report or affect your score.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Did you all receive your offer right when you reached the $10k within a year mark?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Heather,
Because Square Capital evaluates many business characteristics aside from processing $10K/year, looks like a business would only be offered the money right away if they hit all of Square’s other criteria as well. See this article on Square’s website for more information.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Can you make a payment? I realize the they are taking money out of the money they send you, but is that limited?
do you have to do $11,600 in business to pay back a $1000 loan at 16%? or can you make extra payments?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Clarification: I think may be thinking about this the wrong way, I’ll be paying way more than just 16% of $1000 depending on how slow business is. Sorry this is confusing me. can someone just give me an honest answer, is it worth it?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Brandon,
I believe that the 16% you’re seeing is the withholding rate. That’s to say, Square will withhold 16% of each sales transaction until you have repaid your loan plus a fee. If you aren’t making a lot of transactions, you won’t repay very much of your loan, but if you are making a lot of transactions, you will repay your loan much faster. So, yes, you will have to make a little more than $11,600 to repay your loan, but it doesn’t matter how long it takes to repay (though Square caps repayment at 18 months—see the Terms and Fees section above).
Square does allow you to make additional payments on your loan if need be, though.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Im at 84% on second loan. When will they offer me a 3rd? Anyone have an idea?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Britta. I’m currently at 77% on our fourth loan and haven’t received any renewals (which is a little out of the ordinary). We generally pay them back in about 6 months, and usually get a renewal around 70%. Repost if/when you get an offer and I’ll do the same.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Just email them. They’ll review your account and send you a new offer. Ive done this twice now.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
That’s not true. I’ve emailed them three times and get generic blow offs from Ian saying they cant speed up the process or review my acct. yadda yadda. I’m at 81%
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Did you receive your loan yet? If so how long after you were at 84%?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I’m at 81% paid back from my first loan of 12k. I have a second offer but after calculating the APR of the first loan which would have been paid off in a year equates to a 29.2% APR which is horrible. The current offer seems a little worse…….Borrow 12k repay $1980 more.
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I just have a question about square capitol. What questions did they ask you when you applied
What documents did you need to provide.
What did they ask you for to facilitate the loan ie. Id., tax id.,ect. Can someone please explain. Hd.services90@gmail.com
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On my 3rd loan it only took 2 hrs start to finish and funds on the way. I was at 85% paid on 2nd loan when offer came on dashboard
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I was offered a loan (first time under the new program) with 77% paid with previous merchant advance. I accepted and I received a message that I will hear back within 1-3 days. I got the offer Sunday afternoon and accepted the offer that night. The next day afternoon (Monday) I received an email for verification of my square account and the business. I went to dashboard that night, uploaded my business license and answered their questions (ie what will you use the money for) then I submitted. Luckily I went back to my dashboard after submitting and the alert was still on. Clicked on it again and this time, it was saying there was an error with verification flow and to submit copy of social security. I uploaded it as well as my ID just in case they need it. The next day I was approved and funds in the account the next morning. Obviously having previous advance under the old program you don’t necessarily have to pay it off to be offered. Maybe under the new loan you have to pay it off since it is a loan. For fellow business owners that have passed the 77% mark, maybe they are looking for customer mix as well (percentage of old and new customers). Hope my experience will help you answer some of your questions.
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Just paid off my second loan but haven’t had a third offer. Suspicious to what changes are going on. I definitely should qualify. A little frustrating but loved the easy access to funds and low payback amounts. Worth the one time fee!
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Hello, just wanted to let everyone know on here, that if you are asked for verification at any time, and have provided bank statements indicating you had a negative balance for any duration, they will not approve your next square capital loan. I had a large payment come out of my bank 4 months back, and It gave me a negative balance for a week straight. I made it positive again, but this time-frame stayed on my statements. 4 Months later I get a 3rd possible offer of a very large amount in square capital! I applied and within 6 hours I was denied “Due to uncharacteristic card processing” and then I ask for clarification of this reason and after 3 or 4 phone calls and emails, they tell me my “bank activity showed a negative balance for some time” thus, no loan, $54,000 denied over something that only lasted me a week to fix. Anyways I had switched bank accounts and have had a clear record with them ever since! Word of advice, don’t ever let your account go negative in the bank or else they will use this as a reason to deny your next capital loan. – We really needed it as our commercial space lease is up and we wanted to move to a larger more convenient location. Now I don’t know whats going to happen.
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Karen, how long did it take? I’m in the same boat, did u ever get an offer??
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Love square i highly recommend this company.
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My business has been using Square for payment processing for a few years now and have had two Square Capital loans that have been paid in full. Square Capital sent us another invitation for funding, we applied and were denied. The reason for the denial, directly from Square’s email: “…we are unable to offer you a loan through Square Capital at this time due to the following reason(s): An unsuccessful verification of your business information.” An additional email from Square states, “It appears the information you submitted during the Business Verification step of the Capital onboarding flow was incorrect.” Really? UNSUCCESSFUL VERIFICATION of BUSINESS INFORMATION and I submitted incorrect information regarding my business?! What information cannot be verified? Why is Square refusing to correct the information? I have tried multiple times through email requesting to speak to a Square representative regarding this and they just send me canned responses that skirt the issue at hand. Square has incorrect information on my business and they are refusing to correct it. Needless to say, the lack of real-time, live customer support coupled with the impersonal canned responses, has me pursuing another mobile payment processor.
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I think Square is having issues, their company must be headed in the wrong direction, I am hearing a lot of things about issues with management from some insiders.
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I have read of MANY people with the same issue of being denied square capital in the past few months, that previously received capital. It makes you wonder what is really going on. There are a lot in the past two – three months
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I barrow loan from square capital and its paid off from the last week and im woundring if im gonna get another offer from them?
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Did you finally get an offer?
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Lookout people, Squareup credit card processing is fraud.. They are evil, dishonest losers. We did absolutely nothing out of line. We were clients for many years. Then one day they just shut us off with no contact and said we broke our agreement with them. We most certainly did not. No way to contact them now, we are being treated like criminals. I finally reached a person via email when they sent a note to see why we were not sending them any business.. Below is what I was told.Hello,Thanks for writing in. We understand that it can be frustrating to have your account deactivated.Unfortunately, due to security reasons and the obligations of our agreements with card networks and other financial institutions, we cannot reverse this decision and are unable to provide additional details.We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but our decision to deactivate your account is final.ToddSquare Account Services
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They let us take out the loans, then cut off our ability to re-pay them. pretty stupid system.
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Agreed, totally stupid system. In my business, we take in more cash than credit/debit and Square doesn’t allow you to make extra payments towards the loan, and then we look like we are slow payers when in reality it is Square who is not permitting loan payments to be made. If Square cancelled your ability to repay your loan, wouldn’t that be the same as refusing loan payments? You may be off the hook for your remaining balance. Consult an attorney.
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SQUARE is the best thing that has ever happened for small business. or at least my Business !I own a 3 season business that I founded 15 years ago. It has rapidly grown since I started with Square the very 1st year they came out . In the winter my business flatlines and we have nearly no sales. As a independently owned business it seems impossible to get a loan anywhere to make things easier during that down time – even with a strong balance sheet like mine. Most private business lenders require mandatory daily payments and have predatory practices that make their loans VERY EXPENSIVE money-almost like going to a loan shark . Square is very business friendly and unlike the aforementioned,Square Capital has been there each and every time with easy to repay loans of $25,000-$30,000 time and time again . I hardly notice any of the funds being taken out – Its upfront with no compounded interest and very clear on exactly what the money will cost you to borrow, I LOVE SQUARE !Square has revolutionized the way I do business , I process hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card transactions with square each and every year.
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I got approved on a Monday and it says my payback date starts Wednesday and it’s now Tuesday and I have not recovered the $ and it says on the square sight my deposit is pending… Anyone know when that will go through?
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It should go through tonight and you’ll see it in your account tomorrow. How long did the process take for the loan? Are they as fast as when it was merchant cash advance and did they require any paperwork?
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I received a square capital loan in December we are pleased with the process however we could uue some expansion capital asap we are paid at 63% and wanted to get some advice on when it may be another offer. Also is it more offered the second time?
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I am 73% paid on second and still waiting. I think they officially suck now.
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Did you finally get an offer?
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I received a second offer when my original loan was paid down to 70% but I now have my 2nd loan paid down to 75% and still no additional offers. I have paid my loans off much more in advance than their minimum standard requirements, maybe they have ran our of money to loan people.
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Have you heard anything yet? I’m 81% and I’m also waiting to hear back
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We are having the same issue and were told we have to be paid on this second loan 100% and then they will let us know if we can receive additional funds via our dashboard. That is too bad it changed because from what I see, other SB owners are going through the same issue. This was an excellent way for Square to earn money and for the small business owner to flourish. They must be overwhelmed or something is clearly going on. I pray things can get straightened out before they go from top rated to people upset because they were counting on them. I still cannot say enough good about the business model and hope it won’t slide downhill.
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Hi Pat,They usually give higher amount the second time but not much since they usually offer another advance before the first one is paid off which carries over to the second one. I’m not sure if it will be the same since they are now doing loans instead of advance. I was wondering, did you receive another offer yet?
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We were told between 78%-82% paid back we would receive more capital. Square encouraged us to increase our hold rate so that we could get a larger offer. We’ve ramped up sales completed the 78% and they did send us a larger offer, we accepted it and they responded with an email declining any additional funds after we did everything we were told and had repaid over $100k in 4.5 months! We made commitments based off of lies and misinformation which ultimately hurt our business …. I strongly urge you not to do business with square at all! You cannot count on that company, they lie every time they turn around and their customer service is garbage! There are better options out there. And remember I do millions and they did this to me! How are they going to treat you? I would be happy to provide anyone with a list of lies they sent in email.
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HI Bryan,
Could you elaborate on their lies? We have been lied to also.
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Has anyone gotten a renewal lately? My income has gone up pretty consistently but could use a bump in funds to take care of some outstanding items.
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We took out a small square capital loan and have paid off 71% off it. I just read that square is no longer doing the cash advance loans but has moved on to square business loans? anyone know if this is true or not? I was really looking forward to getting another loan after this one is paid off. Thanks!
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Hi Deanna,
Yes, instead of purchasing future receivables (cash advances), Square is now offering loans. Square probably switched because loans are easier to sell to investors; the change shouldn’t affect borrowers like you at all, and the product is still exactly the same.
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It does affect the borrower. After perfect payment history on 2 separate advances and repayment of over $100k in 4.5 months I was declined ANY FUTURE MONEY.
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This is interesting. Why did they decline? They sent you an offer and obviously with a good history repaying them. Can you shed us some light why? I am trying to payoff my current one with them and hoping to get additional offer but now I’m contemplating if I should wait or look somewhere else. Did they provide reason why they declined?
Thank you.
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I received an offer from Square capital about 7 months ago took the offer for 7500 was looking forward to getting another loan through Square capital it’s paid off 100% but still haven’t received any second offers curious why?
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Same here!
I think they change the system I believe its only 1 time barrowers loan!
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I love square capital. This is my first renewal since they have stated using Celtic bank. Is the approval process any different from before? They sent me an offer and again a I have accepted but haven’t received the funds yet
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Hi Qian,
I believe the approval process is a little different than before, just because Square has to meet certain standards that go along with offering loans. For example, they do a credit check now, which they didn’t do before. However, I don’t think that it’s changed significantly—Square hasn’t changed their criteria regarding who qualifies for a loan.
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That makes me feel better to hear that it’s not just me. I just accepted my second offer last Wednesday and still no response. Last time I heard back within an hour!
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Can you give us update with your experience in regards to their process as loan versus advance and how long is the process? At what percentage did they offer you the loan? Thank you.
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Hi Tess,I just got approved under the new loan program….I was offered at 77% paid off on the current advance, I accepted the new offer immediately. After I accepted, the message stated I would hear back in 1-3 days. After two days I was asked to provide documentation, I did so immediately – waited the weekend and was asked for one more piece of documentation on Monday….by Tuesday the loan was approved and the money is ready for deposit. Total turnaround was about 6 days including the weekend. Hope this helps.
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This is great! I appreciate you responding. I am at 73%. Hopefully I will get an offer too. What documentations they’re asking? My credit is not the best so I’m a bit worried. I am in a middle of opening another location and I need cash flow so this loan will definitely give me a peace of mind.
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Hi! Just wondering did you get the loan and how long did it take. I just accepted another one (3rd one) but this one is taking a bit longer to get approved. Going on 2 days and haven’t heard anything
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I received my first offer last week and accepted on Friday. They asked for an additional form on Monday and I submitted it immediately. I am still waiting for a response today so that has been 3 days so far. Maybe they’re backed up.
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I do really high Credit card sales volume, so maybe its different for me. I can easily get 3-4 offers a year for a min of $25,000+++ . The offers always seem to come in the day before the previous loan gets paid off. I tend to wait that extra day and accept the loan offer after the other is paid. I can “turn” the money faster in a way that makes the interest negligible
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Can you please tell me how long does it take for them to fund after you accepted the loan since it’s a different process now. Thank you.
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Beware…Square Capital actually has HUGE origination fees. I borrowed $7,800 at 10% + a $975 flat fee for origination fee. Fee was not posted clearly nor the sizable raise in loan amount it caused not stated clearly until loan was already processed. So, borrowed $8,800 without realizing it.
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I give square capital two Stars for convenience but square capital actually has enormous origination fees almost 12% of what you are borrowing in a flat fee added to your loan and shame on you square capital this is not clearly stated or delineated in the emails until after LOAN is processed .So you’re paying 10% interest plus an upfront 12% origination fee shameful and greedy
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Hi Carolyn,
Are you sure Square is charging interest? The only fee that should be associated with the loan is a one time fee of 12% or 13% of the loan that you repay along with the principal. The fee doesn’t change regardless of how long it takes you to repay the loan. Square collects their money by deducting a percentage of your daily sales; I think that’s the 10% you’re seeing. There shouldn’t be any interest charges. Does that line up with the info you have?
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TEAM SQUARE ALL DAY!Square continues to prove itself to be as innovative, out of the box, and creative as the small businesses they serve and represent.SQUARE IS;CRMPAYROLLACCOUNTING MARKETINGAPPOINTMENT SCHEDULINGCUSTOMER BOOKINGSMALL BUSINESS LOANSOH YEAH, AND PROCESSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SQUARE IS THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER`S PARTNER. This is what SQUARE is to me! What`s SQUARE to YOU?
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Question: What is the typical time frame before square offers a first time loan? We’ve been open (brick/mortar) for 2 months and have met the income (10k) requirements nearly right away. Just wondering what people have experienced. We are looking to expand and the capital seems like a good program.
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For myself it was after 1 year with them
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We started with Square in February, received an offer in May. Hope this helps.
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Quick approval process, easy capital, clean UI. Downside is if you end up paying back the loan too fast because your business is generating high sales. You’re paying interest rates equivalent to a payday loan. My business ended up paying 71% APR after calculating our initial $10,000 loan… My only ask is they integrate an option to pay a lower percentage of sales if you are ahead of repayment schedule. Otherwise never using it again just go apply for a line of credit instead.
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Amazing service. I am on my 3rd square capital loan. My restaurant has grown 40% since I started with square capital. I’m at 70% paid and I am ready for my 4th loan.
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Sounds great. At what point were you offered new deals?
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After 80 % on both.
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I cannot seem to get a straight answer out of Square on when the second loan will be offered. They keep insisting it is only after 100% of the loan is paid back. I am at 78% and I borrowed in late December so I am paying it back way faster than they thought I would. So frustrating when you need a little extra help because you are growing too fast. Has anyone been offered a new loan in the last two months that was not finished paying for the previous loan?
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Our first time was at 66% and the second time was at 88%. I don’t know how they determine it. It’s the same thing we us we are growing faster now to and would have thought this time our loan would have been offered sooner but it wasent.
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For our business we have used square capital 3 times. I tried to find a way the calculate when you will get a renewal but mine were at 60% 75% and 72% Best thing I could come up with is every 4 months they offer one to us it seemed. My first was was June 4,2015 2nd one was Oct 5, 2014 and the third one was Feb 5th, 2016
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Angel
How have you done with the big origination fees on top of interest charged?
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We are so please with square , thank you ! …..we recently were offered a loan through square capital …we once again say thank you and we are excited for the future business growth with square ..Regards
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I love having the ability to use the advance. I am currently at 75% paid and haven’t received another offer. My second offer came at 70percent. Anyone knows where you have to be to get another offer?
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My square capital is currently 84 percent paid. Curious at what percent others have been offered a renewal. My last renewal was at 60 percent. Of course the second offer was much higher than the first.
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My renewal was at 66% the first time! I am now at 67% and have not been offered another one. I am not sure how they choose when they give you another offer.
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Square Capital is an excellent program for businesses. The one downfall I find is when accepting another offering before one is paid off. We went from 13% payback to 23%. Other then that its easy and hassle free!! However at 23% we are at 60% paid in 3 months!
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4.5 Stars !
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I have had serveral loans with square , last offer was 18,600 . never have a problem and I am not tied down to month payments , just whenever I collect card . LOVE IT ! No onw else will approve aloan for me
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Just wondering do you gave to have stellar credit to get approved just got an offer for the first time and just wanted to know if you have to have prefect credit?
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Hi Cory,
You do not have to have perfect credit to get a Square Capital loan.
Unfortunately, Square doesn’t share a whole lot of information about what they require from a credit score. I’m guessing they only check it to make sure there’s nothing especially concerning in your credit history, but they don’t put a lot of stock into the number during the evaluation process.
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I used square capital before the holidays to order extra product. It was a great and easy method and paying it back was seamless. I would recommend this if you need the money for your business and can handle the extra % taken out of your sales until it is paid back!
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I have used square capital five times now. Each experience has been very positive – they are easy to use and repayment is seamless. I highly recommend Square and Square Capital.
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Five stars!
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Do you know how long you have to wait after ur loan is paid off to reapply for another? Thank you
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Brandi….did you have to pay 100% back before they offered you a new loan or 75%?
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Overall it is a great service. We used it to get startup money for a few of our projects. I wish the rates were a bit less, but they are very competitive. Sometimes I feel it is a bit misleading since your processing fees and capital fees are on separate areas and that can make it hard to calculate the total amount that you have to pay out of each transaction. Other than that it is a very good service.
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In your article you write that you’d tied down to square after receiving the loan. Why? Square has no contract, what keeps me from getting the loan and then switching merchant services? I recently received a $5200 advance loan from square and was pad this question from one odd my friends.
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Hi Dan,
Square has an agreement that you should have signed at some point before getting your advance. The agreement is available here: https://squareup.com/legal/capital-agreement-oct-26.
Basically, if you stop using your Square account, Square would eventually ask you to repay the outstanding loan balance in one lump sum. If you really felt like it was time to switch credit card processors, you could stop using Square, but you’d still have to repay the rest of the loan.
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