Creating a frictionless payment experience for all

Since the pandemic, consumers are accustomed to paying for goods and services however they want, be it text, card, device or more.

This has greatly evolved Point of Sale (POS) services as consumers opt for more frictionless experiences.

Recently released stats from the European Central Bank show that in the second half of 2022, card payments accounted for 54 per cent of the total number of non-cash payments in the euro area.

With an average value of€ 41 per card transaction, around 29.4 billion transactions were processed by retail payment systems in the euro area, worth€ 23.5 trillion.

In 2009, Square got itself ahead of the pack by inventing the first mobile card reader of its kind, helping businesses worldwide find an easier way to take card payments.

From there, it evolved its services to help cater to all types of businesses, from sole traders to the most significant international chains.

With more than 36 products, it processed four billion individual sales transactions in 2022, totalling $186.5 billion (€173.1 billion) in payments.

A core strength of Square’ s offering is its flexibility, Best of all, there are no hidden fees or charges, you only pay when you make a sale.

If you’ re a business looking to improve your POS experience, here’ s a quick guide to figure out what service best suits your needs.

My business needs a robust full-service offering to deal with growing demand. What options are there?

Square has a complete POS system designed to help people run different businesses. The first is Square for Restaurants. Built to streamline and speed up your operation, it allows you to take orders and payments from anywhere and put it all in one place.

Likewise, it’ s compatible with all of Square’ s hardware, like Square Register and Square Stand, and comes with three tiers of plans, from free to premium, which allows you to create a bespoke strategy that fits your business.

Next is Square for Retail. Designed for businesses of all sizes and styles. it lets you sell anywhere, take fast payments, and accept returns and exchanges.

Moreover, you can manage your inventory directly, ensuring you always have enough stock. You can also offer in-store pickup and shipping and be compatible with all Square hardware.

I’m a sole trader and need a way to accept card payments. What’ s the best way to serve this?

Look only as far as the Square Reader (R12), a straightforward way to accept chip cards and contactless payments.

It can connect to your Apple or Android device via Bluetooth LE. Fire up the Square point-of-sale app, and you can quickly process payments and have the money delivered to your bank account.

It’ s the fastest available for processing chip cards, making it a handy tool for any retailer.

I process customer payments regularly and would like a system to streamline the process. What are my options?

The Square Terminal is a good fit, an all-in-one business credit card machine. It allows you to take payments and print receipts, is fast and secure with every sale securely encrypted, and delivers your funds as early as the next business day.

If you need a more robust service streamlining your business’ day-to-day operations, look no further than Square POS. It includes advanced analytics and automatically breaks down your customers’ experiences.

My business has a high customer volume, so I need a system that keeps the queue moving quickly. What solutions can help keep things efficient?

Then the Square Register is what you’ re looking for. The first fully integrated POS system that lets you start selling right out of the box, it’ s one seamless system letting you focus on running your business.

Alongside streamlined security and the ability to accept payments through tap, swipe, scan, or other methods, you have a screen for yourself and your customer, allowing for a more versatile experience.

I want to minimise my hardware upkeep, and I'm happy to use my devices for work. What options are there?

For one, Square Virtual Terminal turns your computer into a credit card terminal, perfect for remote billing or taking credit cards over the phone.

You can key in and charge card payments from any browser, record all types of payments, request payments via text, and split any transaction across different payment methods.

Square for Appointments is what you need for clinics and services requiring advance bookings. By providing the end user with simple scheduling and business tools, this flexible POS system enables a smooth buyer-seller experience.

It is also a platform-first service leveraging Square’ s ecosystem, is compatible with Square hardware, and is future-proofed.

If you have an iPad, the Square Stand will meet your needs. It is a robust POS system with a built-in card reader. You just download the Square Point of Sale app and start selling.

Not only that, but you can add items and swivel them to the customer for them to complete their payments.

My business is B2B-focused, and I handle payments via invoices. Is there a service that helps with that?

Square Invoices is an all-in-one invoicing software that helps businesses request, track, and manage their invoices, estimates and payments from one place.

It’ s also compatible with all of Square’ s hardware and offers two tiers of plans: free and paid. You can start for free and upgrade as your business grows.

My services only deal with online transactions. What services can help me with that?

The first is Square Online, which accepts and manages online and in-store orders from social and mobile showrooms to stockrooms.

It lets you personalise and drive more sales and offer an app-like shopping experience while allowing you to plan and hype sales events in advance.

Then there’s Square Online Checkout (SOC), which allows sellers to accept online payments easily and offers a professional checkout experience.

Alongside a fast, easy, and customisable checkout system, you also have access to advanced features, none of which require an account or app to complete.