Square Register Review

Also known as “Square Point of Sale,” Square Register is a point-of-sale (POS) hardware device offered by Square. The term “Square Register” originally referred to the company’s iPad-based point of sale software application, but in October 2017, Square unveiled a proprietary device called Square Register designed to accept swiped and EMV payments made in-store via debit and credit cards. Intended as a cloud-based replacement for traditional cash registers, Square Register should be thought of as an all-in-one credit card terminal for retail businesses. Square Register can be attached to peripheral equipment to accommodate a number of industry-specific checkout configurations.

Comparison with Square for Retail

Square continues to offer its traditional Square Stand and additional hardware for iPad, iPhone, and Android under the “Square for Retail” brand. However, it appears that Square is now promoting Square Register as the preferred option for brick-and-mortar retailers. Merchants using the original iPad-based products should be aware that support and development for these products might decrease in the future.

Secure Credit Card Processing

Square Register offers secure credit card processing. The system employs end-to-end encryption to protect sensitive data from the point of sale to Square’s servers. It adheres to all PCI DSS standards, ensuring businesses can confidently secure customer information.

Inventory Management Capabilities

Square Register includes features for inventory management, providing real-time tracking to help businesses maintain adequate stock levels and avoid product shortages.

Integration with Square Services

Square Register is compatible with other Square services, creating a comprehensive business solution. These services include Square Capital for funding, Square Payroll for employee management, and Square Marketing for customer engagement.

Pricing Structure

Square Register has a straightforward pricing structure, beneficial for small and medium-sized businesses. Its flat-rate pricing eliminates hidden fees, making expense management predictable and transparent.

Mobile Payment Functionality

The system supports mobile payment acceptance, enabling businesses to process transactions on the go. With the Square Reader, merchants can accept contactless payments and chip cards.

Customer Analytics and Insights

Square Register provides customer analytics and insights, allowing businesses to better understand customer behavior, purchase history, and feedback.

Positive Square Feedback

Multiple Square reviews highlight the praise for Square’s products due to their sleek design, ease of use, and affordability. For smaller businesses seeking a robust point-of-sale product at a reasonable cost, Square offers a wide array of integrations and features. The data tracking and reporting available through the app proves to be beneficial for merchants aiming to grow their businesses, while the accounting integration saves businesses from manual entry of payment information into QuickBooks or Xero. Hardware compatibility, including receipt printers, facilitates a smooth transition for merchants moving from traditional registers to a cloud-based service like Square. If you have your own Square review to share, please feel free to do so in the comments below.

Square Register Customer Support Methods

Despite the positive aspects, a prevalent complaint against Square is the limited availability of live customer support for clients, leading to unresolved issues. Active Square users can reach out by phone from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PST, requiring a customer code for assistance (details: How to Contact Square). Deactivated users face challenges in obtaining support, causing delays in resolving fund-holds and other account issues. This issue stands out in public complaints from Square clients.

PaymentPop Rating for Square Register

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Square Register on the PaymentPop website.

Square Register BBB Rating

Square Register’s BBB information is taken from the profile set up for its parent company. Therefore not every complaint is related to Square Register. As of this update, the Better Business Bureau is reporting an “A+” rating for Square despite 4,833 complaints filed in the last 36 months.

Square has also received 546 informal reviews to its BBB profile, only 7 of which were positive on tone, with 539 being negative. The most recent review describes an issue with transactions:

All Square Cash users are advised to watch out for Square Cash app customer support scams.

A “C” Performance

In light of the company’s rapidly increasing volume of complaints and resolution ratio and, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “C” for the purposes of this review.

Square Register Pricing

Square offers two options for purchasing the Square Register: a one-time payment of $799 or a monthly installment of $39. Regardless of the payment plan chosen, clients should understand that they are committing to purchasing the machine and will need to pay the full amount eventually. Transactions processed through Square Register are subject to the company’s current rate of 2.6% plus $0.10 per transaction. Additionally, Square provides optional hardware add-ons such as a cash drawer ($129), a barcode scanner ($119), and a receipt printer ($299). While the reduced processing fee may offset the cost of the proprietary hardware, business owners should evaluate their specific requirements before making a decision.

Effortless Application Process

While Square’s straightforward pricing structure may appeal to many business owners, there is a significant contractual drawback that has led to numerous online complaints. Square’s streamlined signup process involves skipping a comprehensive underwriting procedure. Consequently, Square relies primarily on sudden fund-holds on large or suspicious transactions, often without prior notification to merchants, as its main fraud prevention measure. This policy, which has sparked hundreds of public complaints, is unfortunately integrated into the processing service bundled with the Square Register.

In 2018, Square settled a class-action lawsuit involving its food delivery service “Caviar,” resolving allegations of withholding money from delivery workers left as gratuities between 2012 and 2015, agreeing to a $2.2 million settlement.

In a 2019 lawsuit, Square faced accusations of mishandling information related to payments for medical procedures, a case later dismissed with prejudice the same year.

Another ongoing class-action suit accuses Square of holding significant funds from merchants categorized as high risk, reflecting numerous complaints over the years.

A 2021 class-action suit has been initiated against Square and other major credit card processing companies for allegedly engaging in price-fixing over interchange fees.

In 2021, a Twitter shareholder filed a suit against Square CEO Jack Dorsey, alleging concerns about user data privacy and its impact on both Twitter and Square. The lawsuit seeks major reforms if successful.

Transparent Pricing Disclosure

As a product offered by Square, Square Register is advertised in the same way that Square credit card processing is advertised. When it comes to transaction fees, contract terms, equipment costs, and add-on services, Square is exceptionally transparent. The company maintains a very simple pricing structure and does not bury hidden costs in a complicated contract. Its quoted pricing for Square Register hardware and software additions is clear.

Issues Under the Hood

However, Square does have two major shortcomings: its restricted live customer support and its fund-holding policies. These two aspects of Square’s service are not fully addressed in its promotional materials, and thousands of Square reviews from customers report that they were blindsided by problems related to these specific issues. This can be described as either a marketing issue or a service issue. Since customer support and fund-holds are generally unrelated to the Square Register product itself, they will not count against the company in this review.

Square Register has a cutting-edge point-of-sale (POS) system designed to cater specifically to the needs of small to medium-sized businesses. Square Register combines secure credit card processing with features like real-time inventory management and extensive integration with other Square services. The system stands out for its transparent pricing structure and mobile payment capabilities, providing a comprehensive solution that enhances transaction efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Square Register, also known as Square Point of Sale, is not just a software application but a full-fledged hardware device launched in 2017 to accept various forms of payment in-store. This all-in-one credit card terminal, which can be supplemented with peripheral equipment, aims to replace traditional cash registers by offering a cloud-based alternative that supports a wide range of industry-specific configurations. We’ll discuss its key functionalities, including secure processing compliant with PCI DSS standards, robust inventory tracking, and its seamless integration with other Square offerings like Square Capital and Square Marketing. The aim is to provide a rounded perspective that enables readers to determine if Square Register is the right fit for their business operations.