Have you guys seen this Square technology? Imagine being able to take credit card payments with your smartphone or other handheld device. Square technology gives you the freedom to do that with a small piece of hardware (it’s ironically square) and some simple and easy-to-download software. I actually had the chance to see this technology in action a few weeks ago when I was in Dayton, Ohio for Play! A Video Game Symphony. The producer of the show was actually running the merchandise booth, and he was using this technology to sell programs, CDs, and DVDs. I then saw the owner/operator of Derby City Espresso using it. This technology is definitely catching on.
The hardware is small, coming in at just a half-inch thick. It’s made out of plastic, and looks pretty slick plugged into your iPhone, iPad, Android, and other devices. If you didn’t know any better, and were familiar with Apple products, you would think that Apple was the company that produced this technology. In fact, Jack Dorsey developed it, the same guy that helped develop Twitter. So in theory, you don’t even have to have a phone to use this sweet progressive technology. All you need is an Internet connection.
Getting Started Using Square
The first step is plugging that piece of hardware into your device. Stick it in the headphone jack, and you’re almost ready to go. Then all you have to do is open up the application and start taking payments. Square technology will accept payments from Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover and is linked directly to your bank account.
Image what this does for yard sales, flea markets, and food vendors. Now, instead of forcing the end user to have cash on his or herself, now you can swipe a card and get instant transfer of funds.
One thing you have to be careful with is the fee YOU get hit with as the vendor. But with Square technology, they only take 2.75% of your total receipts, plus 15 cents per transaction. All things considered, that’s a pretty good deal. The hardware is free. The software is free. All you have to worry about are those fees on a per transaction basis.
Square technology also has an online dashboard that allows you to keep track of all of your transactions that you have run, as well as control all of the finances as it relates to your personal (or business) bank account.
If you have ANY use for Square technology, I highly suggest you check it out. I just can only imagine the possibilities with this small, handy device. I can’t remember the last time I had cash in my wallet… this is just another reason to keep the bills at the bank and save some trees along the way!
Have you had the chance to use Square technology yet? If so, what was your experience with it? Were you the purchaser or the vendor? I would love to hear your personal experience with the device and the software.
