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Square

Products To Help You Take Payments During COVID-19

Accepting payments at the counter

The below products can help you maintain your business operations while minimizing contact between employees and customers. 

 

Consider using a product like the Countertop Sneeze Guard to act as a visible barrier during face-to-face transactions. The single-panel countertop shield has a window opening, allowing Square card readers to pass through and sit on both sides of the shield. You can even scan bar codes at checkout through the clear plexiglass.  If you are looking for a larger shield that will cover more countertop space, try this Tri-Fold Sneeze Guard.

 

According to a Mastercard global consumer study, ~50% of Americans are now using contactless payments, 50% worry about the cleanliness of signature touchpads, and 72% prefer to skip signatures altogether. Encourage your customers to pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or a contactless card. Square Reader for contactless and chip, Square Stand for contactless and chip, Square Terminal and Square Register all accept contactless payments. As customers look to avoid touching surfaces, you can also adjust your signature and receipt settings. Click here to learn more. 

 

There are more ways you can prevent employees and customers from directly touching Square hardware, tablets, or phone screens when completing transactions. Consider products such as disposable gloves, which can be changed frequently, or disposable wax paper which your customers can wrap around their fingers before using a touch screen. Stylus pens can also prevent employees from touching the screen directly.  If you have a business with multiple employees or want to offer the stylus to customers, consider the stylus multipack to avoid cross-sharing and clean periodically with a disinfectant.    

 

The CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering like Disney’s or Citizens of Humanity reusable cloth face masks, and many states now require residents to wear face masks when visiting any business.  Face cloth coverings should fit snugly around and comfortably cover your nose and mouth, as well as include multiple layers of breathable fabric. Make sure to wash after use. In a hurry and need face masks now? Reference the CDC’s cloth coverings FAQ and instructions for a DIY mask.

 

Accepting payments from a distance

 

While social distancing, it is recommended to stay six feet away from others whenever possible.  We’ve rounded up the below products to help you and your employees complete transactions while distanced from your customers. 

 

With Square hardware you can ring up the transaction in a separate area from where your buyer taps or dips their card. If you have Square Reader for contactless and chip or Square Stand for contactless and chip, connect your Square Reader from a distance using bluetooth connectivity. You can also use a USB extension cable, like this 20 ft. one, to keep your Square Reader plugged in and connected away from your Square Stand, phone, or tablet. You can also consider using an extendable stick to allow your buyers to complete the payment from a distance or for curbside payments.  We’ve seen some of you doing this already, using sticks like this, which can be used to hold Square Reader, or standard camera mounts like this mount and tripods like this one, to secure your Square Terminal. Square Terminal has a standard ¼”-20 UNC screw on the bottom. Each of these options extend at least 6 feet. 

 

You can extend your Wi-Fi range to set up a temporary checkout away from your normal counter. The Google Nest Wi-Fi Router or eero Wi-Fi router will help keep your Square hardware connected with fast, reliable Wi-Fi, even at longer ranges. 

 

You can also create a Wi-Fi signal anywhere using cellular data with either a mobile hotspot device like this one or by turning your cellular phone or tablet into a mobile hotspot.  

 

Disinfecting & Cleaning

 

You can use the below products to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, like your Square Hardware. Follow the instructions on the product for effective use.  

 

Use a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, or these cleaning wipes which are intended for electronic screens. Be sure to gently wipe the surface and avoid getting moisture in any openings or in the card slot as repeated use may impact Square Hardware over time.  If you are using alcohol sprays, do not spray liquid directly on the Square Register.  For a non-liquid solution, you can also consider using UV-C LED technology to kill bacteria and germs, such as the HoMedics UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer or, for larger products, the Cahot UV Sterilizer Bag.

 

Note: These products are not intended for medical use or for the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease.  For additional information on how to prepare your business during COVID-19, please see the CDC Guidelines for business and workplaces.

 


 

Thanks for reading, we would love to hear from you. If you plan to reopen, what are you doing to prepare your business?

 

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Super Seller Alumni

Best Answer

So many great tips here! Thanks so much! 

I just signed up for the waiting list for the longer Register Cable - super exciting!

Pesso - he/him
Pesso's Ices & Ice Cream
Square Super Seller - I'm here to help!

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Super Seller Alumni

Best Answer

So many great tips here! Thanks so much! 

I just signed up for the waiting list for the longer Register Cable - super exciting!

Pesso - he/him
Pesso's Ices & Ice Cream
Square Super Seller - I'm here to help!
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Square

@pessosices glad this was helpful for you, and that's great to hear a longer cable will be useful to your business. Do you had to move the location of your Register at Pesso's Ices and Ice Cream Shop to accommodate for customers?

Best

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Super Seller Alumni

Hey @ColinH 


So we have 4 of the Register - 2 that are dedicated for our in-store lines, one that's dedicated for the Window service, and another one that we use for both.

 

So we don't really have to move anything, luckily.


At the start of the pandemic we were only doing window service, and using the 2 window Registers. We then closed down for a few weeks, and since we reopened on April 20th, we're just doing Online Orders Only.


We're looking into ways to safely & efficiently take orders & pay through the window again - the longer cord would definitely help with that!

 

Our two big concerns with that are the rain and theft. Doesn't look like it's waterproof or even resistant, and it's super easy to unplug the CFD and run away.

Pesso - he/him
Pesso's Ices & Ice Cream
Square Super Seller - I'm here to help!
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Hi, I just switched to Square form Intuit card reader and purchased the contactless reader. I also have the extra long USB cable, however I have yet to be able to take a payment with it using my laptop which is super frustrating. I also have the toggle swiper for my IPAD and phone and have had to rely on that for now, but I would love to know why my contactless chip reader is not working Thanks! 

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Admin

Hey @RainCityAcu-

 

A little confused as to which device you're using the Contactless Chip Reader with?

 

Let us know, as we want to make sure this is resolved. 

️ Isabelle | she/her
Seller Community & Super Seller Program Manager | Square, Inc.
Learn about the Super Seller program!
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As customers look to avoid touching surfaces, you can also adjust your signature and receipt settings. Click here to learn more. 

 

This link is taking me to a PPP loan posting?!?

 

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Super Seller Alumni

@Bitsy @If you scroll down on that page, you’ll see the info to go to the page about signatures

 

Alternatively, the link is - https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5149-disable-signatures-for-square-app-payments

Pesso - he/him
Pesso's Ices & Ice Cream
Square Super Seller - I'm here to help!
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Square Community Moderator

Thanks for the alley-oop, @pessosices ❤️

Joe
Community Moderator, Square
Sign in and click Mark as Best Answer if my reply answers your question.
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As an Outcall Massage Therapist in my community-at-large under the California reopening Stages approaching #3 this coming weekend, the only way I am preparing to reopen is by patiently waiting for a COVID-19 Vaccine to be developed, FDA-approved and distributed so that I can be inocculated against it.  I will NOT resume working until that happens Period.

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Does Square have a QR code that our customers can scan and then fill in the price to pay on their own phone/device? I'm thinking this would come in handy at my art fairs ... whenever they're allowed to happen again! 

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Admin

Hey @Sierra!

 

Thanks for reaching out. We do offer this ability with our Square Checkout Links.

 

To create a checkout link in the Square app:

 

  1. Enter the amount you want to charge in the keypad
  2. Tap Charge > Online Checkout.
  3. Write in the details of what is being paid for.
  4. Tap Get link.
  5. Have your customer scan the QR code with their phone, or share the link anyway you want — text, email, social, etc.

I hope that's what you're looking for! Let me know. 

️ Isabelle | she/her
Seller Community & Super Seller Program Manager | Square, Inc.
Learn about the Super Seller program!
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