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Square Card Machines
Square card machines prove a popular choice for small businesses; we take a look at why...
What do Square Card Machines Provide?
Square card machines provide payment solutions for businesses of all sizes. They focus on making it easier for businesses like yours to simplify how you take payments. Square provides both the hardware and the software required for your business. With its range of card machines available, it caters to businesses of all types and sizes.
In addition, Square offers various software features to make managing your business a bit more simple. This makes Square a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses.
Square Card Machines
Square offers a range of different card readers, each with a different range of uses. Most Square card machines also come with Square’s software already installed, and its mobile app means you can easily turn a device you already own into a payment terminal.
Some of the software and customisations are specifically aimed at certain industries. This further enhances its applicability to some of the most common industries.
Most card machines, like the ones you will read about here, work in conjunction with merchant accounts. If you want to find out more about what they are, read our ultimate guide on merchant accounts.
Want to know more about how card payments work?
While this article focuses on Square, we also have in-depth guides that fully explain all you need to know about taking payments. Explore below:
The Square Reader
Simplistic design makes it easy to use for both you and your customers.
The Square Reader is the entry-level card reader. It allows you to accept payments in several ways, including via chip & PIN, contactless card, or through Apple and Google Pay. This means you can easily cater to your customer’s payment preferences.
Its simplistic design makes it easy to use for both you and your customers, while also ensuring portability. At just £19 (excluding VAT) it’s also a much cheaper option than many other card readers on the market. The addition of data security and 24/7 fraud prevention adds to its appeal, as does its two-year warranty.
It can also be bought with various accessories. It can be mounted on your checkout desk or onto a tablet or smartphone to boost its portability. This makes it an ideal choice for you if you take payments on the go.
If you’re looking for a basic way of accepting card payments, this could be it.
Built around an iPad, the Square Stand puts smartphone technology at its heart. It’s a fully functional electronic point-of-sale system that’s compatible with 10.2″ and 10.5″ iPads. The Square Stand uses one simple device to run your whole payment system; all you need on the iPad is Square’s app and you’re good to go. No training for your staff is required.
The Stand’s swivel ability means it can become a customer display in a second, so you can show your customers exactly what they’ve bought. The Square Stand’s features built-in payments mean your business doesn’t need any extra card readers to make it work, saving you money.
You can also save money by using your own iPad which, provided it’s a compatible size, can be integrated with your POS system with minimal effort. Just download the Square app and you’re good to start accepting payments.
As is the case with the payment systems above, the Square Stand comes with no monthly fees.
It’s also fully customisable; so you can add a receipt printer, barcode scanner, cash drawer and more should you want to.
The Square Register
All-encompassing system designed to compete with some of the best systems on the market.
The Square Register is Square’s highest standard of payment system. It’s a fully integrated EPOS system that allows you to manage card and contactless payments, online sales, click-and-collect and delivery.
With its large touchscreen, the Register is an all-encompassing system designed to compete with some of the best systems on the market. There are no extra tablets or card readers needed, which means it can be the single and most crucial part of your business’s payment system.
The Register takes the customer-focused approach of the Square Stand to the next level with its two-screen solution. It means there’s one screen for you and one for your customer, so your customers can see what they’re buying and you can be accurate in what you’re selling. This puts the customer in the driving seat and means they can securely enter their PIN on screen, without any requirement to pass a terminal across the counter.
The Square Register is also fully compatible with the Square app, which means you can do everything from taking payments to running your business’s online orders and deliveries. All of this can be done right from the Square Register.
The device also supports offline mode and can be customised with things like printers, barcode scanners and till drawers if you need them. Square’s 24/7 phone support and two-year guarantee also make the Register a viable option for any busy business.
Want to know more about how Square Compares to its competitors?
You’re obviously aware that there are other merchant account and card machine providers out there. Lucky for you, we’ve already done our research on them so you don’t have to.
If you want to find out more about how Square compares to SumUp, Takepayments, Zettle, or Worldpay, you’re only a click away. Start exploring more today…
Square's Accessories
As well as the basic card readers and POS software, Square also provides accessories to accompany its machines. These accessories allow you to mould your EPOS system to your specific needs.
If, for example, you buy a Square Register to deal with your customers but, later down the line you require a cash drawer to keep your cash takings in, you can buy one directly from Square. Likewise, if your customers start to ask for printed receipts, you can choose from a whole range of printers available on Square’s website.
Other accessories include barcode scanners, docks for card readers, kitchen touchscreens, and wall mounts. All of these mean your business can grow and develop and stick with Square long term. All this makes Square a viable option even for businesses that are likely to change the way they work.
How Much Does Square Cost?
Square provides a range of hardware to both take payments directly and facilitate the taking of payments.
All of this hardware carries a one-off cost. After you pay for the hardware, there’s no requirement to carry on paying for it over an indefinite period. You’re also not required to pay any monthly fee for using Square’s equipment. This also makes the company a good option for businesses looking to save money.
You are, however, required to pay transaction fees on each payment that is processed through Square. The transaction fee you pay depends on a few factors.
You pay a 1.75% transaction fee on in-person transactions that are chip & PIN payments, mobile payments, or contactless payments.
You pay a higher rate of 2.5% for manually keyed-in payments that go through the Square app. The same fee applies to Square invoices and card payments that happen over the phone with Square’s virtual terminal.
When it comes to online payments, you pay a 1.4% transaction fee (+25p) on payments made on UK cards and a 2.5% transaction fee (+25p) for non-UK card transactions. This pricing structure applies to online store payments, online checkouts, and online API.
If, after reading the above, you want to explore other card machine options, read our articles on some of the best card machines for a small business and the best mobile card machines.
FAQs
How much does Square cost?
One of the best things about Square is that there’s no monthly cost. What you do pay is a 1.75% transaction fee on in-person transactions that are chip & PIN payments, mobile payments, or contactless payments. You pay a higher rate of 2.5% for manually keyed-in payments that go through the Square Point of Sale app, Square invoices, and card payments that happen over the phone with Square’s virtual terminal.
When it comes to online payments, you pay a 1.4% transaction fee (+25p) on payments made on UK cards and a 2.5% transaction fee (+25p) for non-UK card transactions. This pricing structure applies to online store payments, online checkouts, and online API.
These fees are in addition to the one-off cost you pay for the hardware.
What do Square payments provide?
Square provides payment solutions for businesses of all sizes, focusing on making it easier for businesses like yours to simplify how you take payments.
Square provides both the hardware and the software required for your business and, with its range of card machines available, it caters to businesses of all types and sizes.
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