Square for Restaurants Pricing, Features, Reviews & Comparison of Alternatives

Pros
Square POS was very easy to set up. The first card reader you receive (a simple plug in to an iPad or iPhone) was free. We created an account online, attached a bank account, and created a menu of items/services we provide. Then we simply chose photos for each service or product category so that it looks nicer in the app for our employees. The result was a very simple set up and a very clean looking POS. What's also nice is that Square POS is good at being able to refund patients if something was charged incorrectly. They also get receipts if they choose to via text message or email. Changing the prices and adding or deleting items on the service/products you sell is quite easy. You simply log in to the website and make changes. Also, you can turn in options such as giving customers a choice to tip or not. For being an office that used to take cash only, choosing Square POS was the way to go in entering the world of credit cards. We have no regrets and have no had problems. The correct amount of $$ we received (minus 2.75% of every transaction) gets deposited into our account every week. And we no longer have to hire a collections agency to go after those who don't have cash or mail in checks because they will simply pay through credit card now.

Cons
Square does take 2.75% of your transaction each time. You can find cheaper alternatives, but not with the ease of set up and use that comes with Square. The bigger con about Square POS is that if you have take a payment over the phone and manually type in their credit card information instead of typing it, they charge extra at 3.5% of the transaction. Also, the first card reader they send you is a simple swiper, but we found that it didn't always work well. Most cards these days have chips, and if you want a good and safer reading you'll want to purchase the Chip reader at $49. We don't regret the purchase though. Lastly, if you are a restaurant and choose to include the option to allow customers to tip, know that square takes 2.75% of your ENTIRE transaction (including the tip your customers add).

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 7/10

Pros
EASY to set up and use! In short time, we were able to set up our entire library online and make it simple to purchase and sell products. Once set up, everything is available to every member of team, so that one of our book sellers in California has access to the same products as a book seller in Michigan the moment the product is placed online. I also love that we can easily create multiple price points for products and can easily access them from the apps on various mobile devices, desktops etc... The percentages paid to Square are as small as any other you will find, and they deposit funds into your bank account within 24-hours, with same-day options available for an extra, nominal fee. The no hassle, ease-of-deposit, process is a MUST for our small business. Customer service has been off the charts good, and every small issue has been resolved quickly. I also love that so many web sites integrate with Square so that we can maintain one payment portal for 99% of what we do. The technology (swipe devices, Point of Sale stands, card tappers/reader...work flawlessly with each and every device we've thrown at them (iPhones, iPads, Android, laptop...) and they look good, too.

Cons
Honestly, there is little to NOT like about this system. I've tried several others and since switching to Square 5 years ago, I've never looked back.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
This is an easily programmable software that can be used to create a point of sale register. I work at a coffee/ice cream parlor and we use the software for our register, and it stores our sales information and has been very helpful in marketing and determining what products have been selling well or poorly

Cons
I don't know if there's anything I don't like about this program. It's user friendly and I haven't really found any limitations or holdbacks to our business because of this

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
Square is simple to use and that's what makes it so popular. The card readers are simple, organizing your inventory is simple. It works really well for me as an independent artist at art fairs and such. I've never run into any trouble using it in that context. The new flip screen platform is also super wonderful for retail stores and cafes as it takes the pressure off of the employee and the awkwardness of asking for tips etc... disappates. It also seems to run smoother by virtue of the platform not running other apps. Definitely love that Square is expanding their market to meet the needs of larger companies.

Cons
It gets overloaded and laggy pretty quickly when used in a more dense environment. When I've used Square at small businesses as a sales employee, I've experienced lag between pressing on an item and having it go to the item menu or add to the cart. Also, the free square readers that go into your audio jack are awfully temperamental with continued use and you either have to keep re-ordering them, or just buckle down and buy a reader. The only time the latter hasn't worked was when I had to be mobile while taking orders. An ISBN scanner would also be super cool integration and would allow Square to be used in more places.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10

Pros
I have used Square for 3 years. I found them while searching for web site builders. I was happy when I located them and read through their policy. Aside from setting up and designing my site, Square provided me with a reader. I plug it into my phone and swipe credit cards. The payments are in my account within two days minus a small fee for using Square's pos reader. I use it along with the app, you can also enter credit/debit cards manually and have the customer sign the screen. I email the customers their receipt. If a customer pays in cash, I can still take the payment and enter cash instead of paying by card. I still send them a receipt. I can set up gift cards and discounts to items online but I choose not to. I keep my items priced low enough to avoid these incentives.

Cons
They provided me a free reader, decals to stick on my register and window. I have no issues with this company. They are great.

Rating breakdown

Likelihood to recommend: 10/10