Square – Ecommerce Solutions for Small Business Review

Whether you are just starting out with a new small business, or bringing an established business online, Square can help you run your business better. Square is more than just a POS system; they are a one-stop ecommerce platform. Square allows you create a website, take and fulfill orders, take payments, ship, and much more.

Square provides all of the tools you need to run your business. The free online store will sync your inventory and connect with your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Their site builder is easy to use, so you don’t need to know how to code. Increase your reach and increase your sales, no matter what type of small business you have. 

Quick Links

1. Features
2. Services
3. Pricing
4. Frequently Asked Questions About Square

Features

• Accept all types of payments – Square’s POS system allows you to accept all of the major credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, as well as debit card payments. Their contactless chip readers can also accept Apple Pay and Google Pay.

• No extra equipment needed – Running your business completely online? Square allows you to email or text receipts, send invoices and reminders, accept payments online, and track your business performance all from one place.

• Get started for free – Everything you need to get started online is free. You only pay when you sell. There are many upgraded packages available when you are ready to grow your business.

• Access from anywhere – You can access Square and all of the tools you need to run your business through any web browser, the Square invoices app, or the Square POS mobile app.

• Range of hardware choices– If you have an existing business or are expanding into a brick-and-mortar location, Square offers many different hardware options, available on payment programs. All hardware comes with a thirty-day free return policy and a one-year warranty.

• Customer Support – The Square website has an extensive support section, designed to help you troubleshoot any issues that might come up. You can also reach customer service by either phone or email.

Services

Square is a third-party payment processor. They help small businesses to easily take credit card payments without the need for an established merchant history. Their advanced point of sale software is available for free, and there are several paid upgrades to choose from. Square offers electronic invoicing and built-in reporting tools.

Inventory Management has never been easier for small businesses. Square keeps track of your inventory for you, sending notifications when it is low and removing the product when it is sold.
Employee Management is simple with Square. Make managing your business easier; track hours, individual sales, and edit timecards with ease, all from the point-of-sale system. The Square Team App provides the ability for team members to clock in and out and to view their schedules.

Square offers a customer loyalty program that you can build right from your point-of-sale system. Customer loyalty programs can help you increase repeat visits to your business. By viewing each returning customer’s history, you can provide a more personalized experience and engage the customer with text messages, keeping your business in their minds.

Pricing

Square offers four pricing plans for their software designed to suit the needs of any business. Plans are charged on a yearly basis.

$0 per month; 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Sell unlimited products, automatic inventory and order sync, social media integration, and online shopping cart.

$15 per month; 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. All free features, plus: free custom domain, no ads.

$30 per month; 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. All professional features, plus: post customer reviews, lost cart emails and discounted shipping.

$85 per month; 2.6% + $0.30 per transaction. All Performance features, plus: lower transaction fees and a real-time shipping calculator.

Square has a wide range of available hardware, and as such, prices will vary. You can start small with the contactless chip reader which can be free for some eligible merchants, or go as big as you want with their terminals, stands, readers and complete hardware kits.

Frequently Asked Questions About Square

What can Square do for my business?

Square can become the new headquarters for your business, no matter how big or small. The platform allows you to keep your business at your fingertips with the easy to navigate dashboard, real-time reports, the most intelligent business tools and secure data storage.

Is Square easy to use?

Square has been designed with you, the business owner in mind. The entire platform is very easy to use. The Dashboard keeps all of the information you need in one place, and it is extremely user-friendly. Square allows you to build your own custom website without needing to know how to code and is known for having some of the best online reporting capabilities, so that you can keep your eye on the bottom line with analytics that are easy to understand.

Is Square safe?

Square is serious about protecting your income. Their systems have been designed to monitor all of your payments and report suspicious transactions and they have a team of fraud experts ready to help if anything unusual occurs. If a dispute comes up, Square will manage it for you, so you don’t have to do the time-consuming work of dealing with a customer’s bank.

What types of businesses can use Square?

Square was originally designed with small businesses in mind, and that continues to be their main focus. Originally giving small businesses the ability to take credit cards easily, with their expansion into an entire ecommerce platform, Square now helps small businesses not only operate, but to expand and run more like large ones.