What is Square?
Hi there, I’m Kouta Shimizu, a web director. In this article, I’ll introduce Square, a versatile payment platform designed for both in-person and online sales.
Square is particularly convenient for those who need to manage both physical and online transactions.
Personally, I currently use Square for selling agricultural products.
Basic Information
| Product Name | Square |
| Company | Block, Inc. (formerly Square, Inc.) |
| Official Website | https://squareup.com/ |
| Launch Year | 2010 |
| Free Plan | Available |
| Pricing | Transaction fees from 3.25% |
Square is a payment platform tailored mainly for small and medium-sized businesses. It supports credit card payments and offers POS (Point of Sale) systems that can be easily set up using tablets or smartphones.
Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Block, Inc. has expanded into various financial services.
One of Square’s key features is the ability to easily start accepting credit card payments and cost-effectively build a POS system.
In 2018, Square acquired Weebly, a web hosting and site-building platform, integrating online store functionality into its offerings.
This service, known as Square Online, provides features like delivery orders and in-store pickup payments.
Square’s key feature is its ability to leverage the strengths of both physical store and online payment solutions.
What Square can do
Key Features
In-Person Payments
- Credit card payment
- Electronic money payments (e.g., Suica, PASMO, Apple Pay)
- Affordable and portable payment devices, from card readers that connect to smartphones/tablets to standalone terminals
Online Store (Square Online)
- Easy-to-build e-commerce websites feature
- Manage delivery orders and in-store pickup orders for businesses with physical locations
- Issue online invoices
- Accept payments online through a browser.
POS System
A POS (Point of Sale) system is used by businesses to process payments and manage sales data.
With Square’s POS system you can do as follows:
- Sales and payment tracking
- Customer management: Add customer information directly at the point of sale
- Inventory management
- Employee management: Clock-in/out tracking and shift scheduling
- Multi-store management
- Gift card creation
- Square also offers a specialized “Square for Retail” designed for retail businesses.
Other Features
- Issue online invoices for customers to pay online (payment with cash is also manageable)
- Create payment links for transactions without needing a website
- Support for recurring billing
- Appointment management
- A dedicated app for product photography to enhance online stores
- Integration with third-party apps for operational efficiency
Payment Devices
Square offers a variety of devices for in-person payments.
Square Reader, the most simple and affordable device that connects to smartphones or tablets, is ideal for small businesses and mobile sales at events.
For the latest pricing and features, visit the official website.
Portable devices are particularly useful for pop-up shops or mobile vendors.
Pricing
Type of services
Square provides three main services, all of which are free to start:
- Cashless payment functionality (requires purchasing a payment terminal for in-person sales)
- POS system functionality
- Online store functionality
For businesses that want to start small, the only cost is the transaction fee (ranging from approximately 3% to 4%), the cost of purchasing a terminal excluded.
Cost of Payment Devices for In-Person Sales
Square offers several options, from simple card readers to complete POS kits, with prices ranging from around ¥8,000 to over ¥60,000.
For details, refer to the official website:
Square Online Pricing
The Square Online service allows you to build an e-commerce site for free, but paid plans are also available for additional features.
For the latest pricing, please visit the official website:
No Refund Fees!
One of Square’s standout features is the absence of refund fees. According to the official website:
Square does not charge any fees for refunding card payments. Customers receive the full refund amount, and your business won’t incur any refund processing fees.*translated from Japanese pricing page
Source : Square (スクエア)の決済手数料 ｜Square公式サイト (https://squareup.com/jp/ja/payments/our-fees)
This is a unique feature that isn’t commonly offered by other payment services.
No refund fee policy may be a service for Japan only. Please check the pricing page for your countries.
