Does Square Register Need To Be Plugged In

Pros

Ease of utilise
Uncomplicated fix
Mobility
24/7 customer back up

Cons

Bulky design
Processing rates can add up

Square Concluding Overview

Equally mobile ordering continues to grow in popularity in both the restaurant and retail industries, it'southward non a big surprise to come across Foursquare out in forepart of the game with its handheld Square Terminal device. Square is a behemothic in payment processing and bespeak of sale and has seemingly been on the cutting border of the industry practically since its inception.

The minor profile (and minor screen) of the Square Terminal means that it is non a true replacement for the Square Stand. Instead, Square Terminal fills the middle footing between the Square Stand and Square Register filling the gap in Square's product line betwixt mobile card readers, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) plans, and countertop POS systems with all of the hardware included.

What Is Square Terminal?

Square Concluding is a convenient, all-in-one credit carte automobile. The POS organisation, carte du jour reader, and receipt printer are all contained in a small device designed to allow you to take credit carte payments wherever your customers are.

Overall Design

Rating: Good

The biggest surprise to me when unboxing Terminal was how pocket-size it is. The screen itself is most identical in size to most cell phones. Every bit with all things Square related, simplicity is the name of the game. The bit reader and strip reader are conveniently placed for customer and employee utilize, and the power button and charging port are subtle just easy to find if you lot're looking for them.

Information technology has a pair of prophylactic strips to prevent sliding on slick counters, and it comes with a small roll of receipt paper that takes seconds to install. (And if yous somehow struggle with finding the appropriate compartment and inserting the roll, don't worry, at that place's a tutorial in the set-up process). It does suffer in the way that another mobile ordering systems practise in that information technology's however somewhat bulky and doesn't fit in your hand every bit well as I'd like, making information technology slightly more suitable to serve on a countertop, but with the born receipt printer, the design options were probable limited. You can also buy belt clips to walk effectually with Square Concluding easily.

Device Specs

As mentioned, Square Terminal isn't a large machine. It'south got a 5.5-inch screen, and measures 5.6 inches long by 3.4 inches broad, with a top of 2.five inches. It's not overly heavy, and then information technology shouldn't exist much of a burden if you're planning on using it remotely around your store.

Foursquare Terminal supports both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. You can keep information technology plugged in for stationary use, only y'all can besides leave it unplugged because the battery is "designed to last all day." After keeping Last on all night, it only drained about a 3rd of the battery, so fifty-fifty with heavy use, I would imagine the battery would final through most standard workdays. Just given the pocket-size profile and overall design, it wouldn't exist unreasonable to have a dedicated spot on your counter to plug Concluding in for charging then merely unplug it and carry information technology off when you need to become mobile.

Square Terminal supports magstripe, flake cards, and contactless transactions. The magstripe reader is located on the side of the device, while the fleck card reader is located at the base. Square Terminal lets customers run into an itemized list of everything they are paying for rather than just a unmarried, final sum. Signatures tin exist collected digitally as well as on paper, depending on your preferences.

Getting Started

I have to admit I accept an affinity for Square because, in my mind, getting its products upward and running is as polish and uncomplicated equally everything should be. Square Terminal is no exception. It should come up at least somewhat charged, but if not, you can easily plug it in and turn it on, getting to your Foursquare login screen. If y'all have an business relationship, log in, and you're then walked through a 30-2nd tutorial that yous volition likely not fifty-fifty need and then given the opportunity to connect to the internet either via an Ethernet cablevision or through available Wi-Fi.

If you need to gear up your Square account, that process is also extremely easy, taking less than five minutes. You so have the option of taking an initial trial payment. Installing the receipt paper is elementary as well, with a compartment popping open up on the back of the last and the skid easily threading through the top. And that's information technology! If y'all are looking to prepare additional equipment, such as a cash drawer, through a USB string, y'all can buy a Hub for Square Terminal, which comes with 3 USB ports.

Software Design & Features

Rating: Excellent

Foursquare Final runs the standard, free Foursquare Point of Sale app (read our Square POS review for a detailed expect at the app itself). It's non compatible with Square for Retail, Square Appointments, or the Foursquare Payroll app. Nevertheless, it does offer express compatibility with Square for Restaurants (check out our in-depth review). Not all of the Restaurant POS features carry over to Terminal, simply merchants tin can utilize Terminal for tableside ordering. Terminal doesn't support coursing, seat-tracking, or conversational modifiers. (Standard modifiers all the same piece of work, though.)

As far equally standard Square Point of Sale features go, I'one thousand pleased to say many of Square'southward features (except for a few iPad or tablet exclusives) carry over to Last. Yous can't mark items for sale online, track sales by employee, or proceed a cash drawer history, simply Terminal does support item creation, custom tipping, and receipt direction. Square Terminal has its own built-in thermal receipt printer, just it'due south entirely possible to set up a tertiary-party receipt printer if y'all adopt.

Square has also confirmed that information technology'south possible to connect multiple Final devices (or other mobile devices) to a single greenbacks drawer so long as you accept an Ethernet printer continued to it. Also, Terminal devices practise not count as registers on Foursquare for Restaurants' plans, meaning they won't add to your software subscription costs.

There are a couple of additional limitations that I need to make clear. First, Foursquare Terminal doesn't work with Bluetooth peripherals, including barcode scanners. Instead, you lot tin connect USB-based devices. Certainly, this isn't ideal for everyone, especially if you don't like wires. Square Final does offer a cleverly designed power cable and USB hub to help contain the chaos and slim down the look.

Ease Of Use

Rating: Excellent

If I haven't driven the signal home well enough already, Square Terminal is absurdly like shooting fish in a barrel to use, and that is perhaps its biggest selling point. Whether you want to employ it equally a tidy, out-of-the-style countertop card reading machine or use one (or multiple devices) for employees to operate remotely, you lot can be upward and selling in a matter of moments, not to mention uploading inventory and menu items as fast.

While the device does offering a more professional person look than the standard mobile telephone and Square reader that you see and then often, I'1000 not overly impressed with the way information technology fits in your hand. Information technology's not an intuitive feel and a bit bulky if you have to switch from hand to hand, and I would worry about its durability if dropped (something I imagine would be fairly mutual if employees were using them remotely throughout the mean solar day.) I would also worry about them beingness striking against tables or counters when attached via the chugalug clip. That said, the software is remarkably convenient, and the processing rates are uncomplicated to understand.

Pricing

Rating: Good

Y'all tin buy Square Final directly from Foursquare's website for $299 or from third-political party retailers for the aforementioned price. Square as well offers financing if needed, for as low as $27 a calendar month for 12 months. If you lot need to attach additional hardware via a USB connexion, such equally a cash drawer or scanner, you'll demand to purchase the Hub for $39. You tin can as well purchase additional accessories, such as the belt clip.

There are no long-term contracts or subconscious fees, which is something Foursquare prides itself on. Square's processing rates for Concluding are 2.half dozen% plus $0.x, which is competitive but could add up if you're a loftier-volume seller. Funds are bachelor every bit quickly as the next business day in most cases or immediately if yous accept the Square Card.

Also, Foursquare advertises that y'all can effort Foursquare Final "take chances-free" for xxx days on the list in its webshop. What this actually means is that you can buy the bill of fare reader and test information technology out for 30 days. If you don't like it, you lot can return it within those 30 days and buy dissimilar hardware or stop using Foursquare altogether.

Customer Service & Support

Rating: Excellent

To me, this is one of the bigger advantages Square Terminal has over just its complimentary app. Access to customer service has been a signal of contention with me for a while, as Square always claims it has 24/7 customer support, only this simply isn't the case for many of its users. People using the costless app take access Mon through Friday from 6 AM to 6 PM Pacific Time with a customer code and some 24/seven access in the case of certain emergencies. Only customers with Square Terminal take admission to 24/seven phone back up. That's a large deal, if fifty-fifty just for peace of mind, particularly for foodservice establishments and retailers with weekend hours.

Square's products are generally so convenient that not much client support is needed. Plus, there's an all-encompassing FAQ section on its website and a wealth of information and instructional videos online if needed. If you practise need to talk to Square directly, its representatives have a solid reputation for being friendly and very knowledgeable.

User Reviews

Rating: Splendid

Positive Reviews & Testimonials

Here are a few things that came upwards multiple times in the limited number of customer reviews I could observe online.

Ease Of Employ:Every bit you lot might imagine, many of the positive reviews brought up how unproblematic Square is to operate and how quick and easy it is to prepare up. Multiple reviews appreciated the simplicity of the interface and how apace it walked customers through the payment process.
Syncs With Other Foursquare Software:While not everything transfers over to Square Final, a scattering of users appreciated that they were still able to use some of the basics from Square for Restaurants and Square's built-in customer direction.
Client Service:Despite some of its limitations, Square has e'er had a solid reputation for its client service. Users appreciated how knowledgeable the representatives are and the expanded access Square Terminal offers.

Negative Reviews & Complaints

Software Glitches:A couple of customers complained that the software would occasionally cease working for a brief flow or that they couldn't become a strong cyberspace connection.
Blueprint:More than one user thought that the blueprint as a mobile device made it difficult to concur for a long time and that information technology wasn't applied.

Terminal Verdict

While I'm not convinced that Foursquare Final is going to revolutionize the betoken of sale or mobile ordering game, Foursquare has added another impressive option for its customers to its already potent team. It makes sense for modest or even mid-sized businesses who like the option of portability with their credit carte motorcar or for those already using Foursquare who would like a bit of an upgrade but don't want to commit fully to Square Register.

In improver to restaurants of all kinds, Final is targeted at service businesses with physical locations and pocket-size shop owners who want a professional-looking credit carte du jour machine. So, for instance, pilus and smash salons can bring the Square last correct to the customer rather than bringing them to the forepart of the salon to pay. Kiosks at a mall tin salve space by switching to Final, which has a much smaller footprint than a traditional POS. It'due south less suitable for mobile businesses because Last doesn't work on cellular networks, but if you lot have a dedicated Wi-Fi connection or a mobile device with tethering, y'all can take Terminal on the go.

Considering that a decently reliable smartphone will run yous a couple of hundred dollars plus the cost of card readers, Terminal offers a pretty good value. It'south lightweight, portable, and guaranteed to piece of work with the Foursquare Point of Sale app, with no demand to worry about OS updates or a data plan. Let'southward non forget that Square Last comes with 24/vii telephone support, too. Existing Square merchants should certainly consider upgrading, specially if they've had trouble using Square on their mobile devices in the past. For new merchants, Terminal makes the transition from a traditional merchant services provider to Foursquare much easier.