Square Technology Intelligence

What is Square?

Square is a financial services and payment platform for businesses of all sizes. Founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey, Square provides point-of-sale systems, online payments, and business tools including payroll and banking.

Known for democratizing card payments for small businesses, Square now serves enterprises with a complete commerce ecosystem.

Key Features

Payments

• POS: In-person terminals
• Online: E-commerce payments
• Invoices: Send and collect
• Tap to Pay: Phone as terminal

Commerce

• Online Store: Free website builder
• Inventory: Stock management
• Appointments: Booking system

Business

• Banking: Square Banking
• Payroll: Employee payments
• Loans: Business financing

Use Cases

Retail Stores

Physical retailers use Square terminals for card payments. Inventory syncs across POS and online store.

Restaurants

Food service businesses use Square for ordering and payments. Kitchen display and table management included.

Service Businesses

Salons and consultants book appointments and collect payments. Automatic reminders reduce no-shows.

Online Sellers

Small businesses create free online stores. Social selling with Instagram and Facebook integration.

Code Examples

Web Payments SDK

const payments = Square.payments('APP_ID', 'LOCATION_ID');
const card = await payments.card();
await card.attach('#card-container');

document.getElementById('pay').addEventListener('click', async () => {
    const result = await card.tokenize();
    if (result.status === 'OK') {
        processPayment(result.token);
    }
});

Create Payment

curl -X POST "https://connect.squareup.com/v2/payments" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "source_id": "CARD_NONCE",
    "amount_money": { "amount": 1000, "currency": "USD" },
    "idempotency_key": "UNIQUE_KEY"
  }'

Comparison

vs Stripe

• POS: Square superior
• Online: Stripe more flexible
• Ecosystem: Square broader

vs Clover

• Simplicity: Square easier
• Hardware: Both strong options
• Pricing: Square more transparent

Strengths

• Complete business ecosystem
• Easy hardware setup
• Free online store
• Transparent flat-rate pricing