Square Terminal – Review and Test
Today, we’re introducing the Square Terminal, one of the most elegant terminals on the market. And yet, the Square Reader had already set the bar pretty high.
In our opinion, it is the best option to enjoy the Square ecosystem. If you use the Square POS software daily, you will love this terminal.
- What are the rates and features?
- How does the Square Terminal compare to SumUp Solo ?
Description
The Square Terminal allows you to accept card payments. You can also accept mobile payments using Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
As always with Square solutions, the design is impeccable. These new models of “smart” terminals have many advantages for merchants.
For your customers, when they need to enter their PIN code. But also for you, if you use the Square POS or Square Restaurant software, as you can manage your cash register from your terminal. This is particularly convenient for taking payments at temporary sales points, like a food truck or a market stall.
Another use case is for restaurant servers who can take orders at the table with the terminal.
The terminal also comes with a receipt printer.
However, the Square Terminal has several drawbacks..
Most mobile payment terminals often have a 4G SIM.
The reader does not have this feature. And it’s a shame because 4G SIMs provide additional security for your Internet connection.
To make up for it, the company added an offline mode. This lets you still accept customer payments if the network goes down.
However, you MUST reconnect to the Internet within 24 hours to upload the transactions made offline.
Place this terminal on a counter rather than carry it in hand all day.
Features of the Terminal
The box contains:
- The Terminal
- A power cable
- A roll of receipt paper
What is the price of the Terminal?
- Square reader £19 + VAT
- Square terminal £149 + VAT
- Square Stand £99 + VAT
To learn more, discover our complete review of Square’s offering.
Square’s Commissions
Square offers two free POS software: Square POS and Square Restaurant. This is one of the company’s strengths, especially since Square does not charge a subscription or hidden fees.
The company mainly earns money through a unique commission system on the payments you process:
The commission model is as follows:
- In-store payment 1.75%
- Online payment (UK cards) 1.4% + 25p
- Online payment (non-UK cards) 2.5% + 25p
- Virtual terminal 2.5%
How does the Square Terminal work?
One of the strengths of the Terminal is its integration into the Square ecosystem. The reader does not just process your card or phone payments. It works with Square POS and Square Restaurant software, so you can control your cash register from your terminal.
As a result? You can accept gift cards or update your product catalog by navigating on your terminal.
Your Square account saves every action you take on your terminal. You can view these records on another device for more options.
The Square ecosystem is indeed one of the most comprehensive on the market.
Square Terminal vs. SumUp Solo
SumUp is the champion of payment solutions in Europe. And its Solo terminals is among the best on the market to date. So, does the Terminal have what it takes to compete?
Both companies have the same model: cheap devices, many apps, and a fee on your transactions.
The Square Terminal (£165 + VAT) is more expensive than the SumUp Solo (£99 + VAT). And SumUp offers lower fees than Square when you process a payment.
We suggest using SumUp for British market as it has better features compared to the other solution we tested. We also prefer SumUp’s approach to the standalone SumUp Solo terminal and its base. The Terminal is superb, but as we’ve seen, it’s not truly mobile because of the absence of a SIM card.
Conclusion
The Terminal is a sublime device. And if you love the Square ecosystem, it’s the ideal payment terminal for you. For merchants with larger volumes, it might be more interesting to turn to Yavin’s offers.
