Square Credit Card Reader Review

Pros

• Supports EMV & contactless (NFC-based) payment methods
• All-day battery life
• Free software plans
• No additional monthly fee for additional devices
• Offline mode to take payments with no internet

Cons

• No integrated magstripe reader
• Only works with a Square account

What Is Square Reader?

For many small business owners, the Square Reader for contactless and chip (as it’s officially called) is a great entry-level device that’s compatible with EMV-enabled cards. Also, it supports NFC-based payment methods, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

The Square Reader differs from most competing devices in that it doesn’t include magstripe swiping capability. This isn’t so much a limitation as it is a means of future-proofing the device while still maintaining a small, portable form factor. EMV is now the standard method of accepting a credit or debit card in the US, Europe, and many other countries.

Businesses That Would Benefit From Square Reader

Square Reader is intended for smaller retailers like food trucks or individual vendors like farmers’ market operators looking for a quick way to take card payments. But Square has enough features, and its rates are affordable enough that it’s still a practical option for slightly larger businesses like cafes.

Businesses that are just starting out can also easily scale up to some of Square’s other hardware options if they expand as well.

Pricing

Square has done well at keeping its hardware affordable, and because it handles sales directly, pricing is also consistent. The Second Generation Square Reader for contactless and chip sells for $59, and the older, first-generation version retails for $49.

Square offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on all hardware purchases. You can return the device within that time frame for a refund, no questions asked. Because Square charges no monthly fees and has no contracts, you can simply stop using the app without worrying about a penalty.

Pricing Overview

Note that businesses processing over $250K/year can qualify for discounted processing rates.

Monthly Plans

You can use a Square reader with any of Square’s monthly software plans, either by itself or with additional hardware. Even better, you will not pay any added monthly fees to use additional readers, or other Square hardware such as a Square Terminal. However, there is an additional fee per business location.

Extra Costs

You might also want to spring for the Bosstab Dock, which conveniently holds your reader in place for countertop payments and charges your device. The dock is compatible with both the first and second-generation reader.

Hardware Design

The Square Reader for contactless and chip excels in fundamental product design. Rounded edges and a smooth, slick surface allow it to pair well with the smartphones and tablets intended to work with it.

Like any good tech device, the Square Reader also has various optional accessories you can add, such as cases, receipt printers, and cash drawers. Many of these are third-party products, but they can be conveniently ordered from the Square website.

Ease Of Use

Square is one of the few merchant services providers in the industry specializing in meeting first-time business owners’ needs.

The company emphasizes simplicity and affordability in its products and services, which applies to the Square Reader and Square POS app. If you can follow simple directions, you should be able to set up your reader and start accepting transactions without the need for hours of training, something that is reflected in our scoring system.

While basic processing tasks are very simple, there’s naturally going to be a bit more of a learning curve if you want to take full advantage of Square’s more advanced features and customization options.

At the same time, the company’s offerings can sometimes be a bit too simple for more advanced users. Customization options are often limited, so don’t expect to have the same level of granular control over your checkout interface that you would have with something like Stripe.

Software Features

The free Square POS app is your gateway to unlocking the potential of Square’s mobile processing system and associated services. It’s available for Apple devices running iOS/iPadOS 12.0 or higher and Android (operating system requirements vary by device, so contact Square if you have an older model).

Square is a good, general app that works well for most small businesses, and even includes industry-specific features for retail, service-based, and restaurant businesses.

You can learn more about Square’s software features by reading our full Square POS app review, and also check out an overview of available features below. Some features, such as delivery management and marketing tools, carry additional fees.

One Square software feature worth pointing out when it comes to considering the Square Reader is Tap to Pay. This feature allows you to accept NFC payments using just your iPhone or Android and the Square POS app. This means that if you are OK with processing only contactless payments (no EMV/chip card payments), you don’t necessarily need to purchase a Square Reader in order to take mobile payments.

Customer Service & Support

Square has invested a lot in building its customer support resources. The support center is loaded with helpful informational articles, walk-throughs, and troubleshooting tips that cover every aspect of Square’s services, including advice for dealing with all of Square’s hardware.

In addition to the self-help knowledgebase, there are other support options:

• Telephone Support: Square’s phone lines are open from 6 AM to 6 PM PT, Monday through Friday, although they can sometimes be tricky to track down. Note that if you upgrade to Square Terminal or Square Register, you will have access to 24/7 support. Premium subscribers also get 24/7 phone support.
• Email Support: If your question isn’t urgent, Square’s email support tools will let you message the Square team, and they’ll get back to you.
• Social Media Support: You can tweet at Square for help if you need it or reach out on Square’s Facebook page. This is likely the best option if you’ve tried the self-support resources and can’t find what you need, but it’s not ideal for account-specific questions.

On the whole, Square offers an impressive number of customer support options, including exhaustive self-help resources. However, some customers complain about the quality of said support (see User Reviews section below).

User Reviews

Customer reviews of the Square Reader itself is mostly positive, though many reviews cite issues with Square Payments as a whole—namely account instability and unsatisfactory customer service.

Square is BBB-accredited and has an A+ score with the BBB. On their BBB profile, the company has received over 3,000 complaints in the past year, and 937 complaints filed in the last 12 months. However, those are normal complaint numbers for such a large processor.

On TrustPilot, the company has a score of 4.3/5, out of over 5,600 reviews.

Of course, those reviews mainly discuss Square’s services in general, rather than just the Square Reader.

How Square Reader Compares To Other Devices

Final Verdict

With Square, the overall value is astounding — you get a free POS app, free software for invoicing, inventory management, a virtual terminal, and the ability to add loyalty programs, marketing tools, employee management, and payroll features.

Considering the predictable, flat-rate pricing for payment processing, the total lack of commitment required to sign up, and the lack of mandatory monthly fees, it’s a great deal, especially for new and low-volume businesses.

Nonetheless, the Square Reader for contactless and chip isn’t perfect. The lack of an integrated magstripe reader won’t be a problem in the future, but today it can put you in an awkward situation if you need to switch to the magstripe reader while trying to complete a transaction.

The price point is appealing, and it’s one of the lowest-priced options for contactless payments around.

Need more options? Check out our roundup of the best mobile POS systems.