Can I use third-party customer-facing hardware with the Square POS app?

[DanaB]

The title of this thread has been changed from: Third Party terminal

I am wondering if any third party card readers would be compatible with the square pos system. Since I am in Canada, the customer display app is not available but I would love for my customers to see how much they are paying and be able to add a tip without having to turn my screen around. So this is why I’d be interested in a third party terminal. 
let me know, thanks 

[#2]

@Hybrys @lemondogs I've merged your thread into another thread on the same topic - thanks for raising this issue. 

I know it's frustrating that Square Register (which has a customer-facing display feature) isn’t available in Canada, I'm sorry. We know that Canadian sellers would like a point-of-sale system with a built-in customer-facing display for their business. There's a lot that goes into building hardware and software to meet Canadian sellers’ unique needs. The good news is we are currently working to bring Square Register to Canada, and we'll let you know by email when it’s available (and we'll update this thread too!) 

In the meantime, I hope this post will help you to prepare your business to reopen and/or continue to accept payments with Square hardware that's already available in Canada. If you've found any products particularly helpful please reply here to let everyone know! 

[Valentina]

Hi there - I'd like to clarify here to make sure I understand what you're asking before responding. It sounds like you have the Square Stand and really like the customer-facing display offered with the Square Register. As the Square Register is currently unavailable in Canada, you are looking for a way to replicate that set-up.

Are you are asking if you would be able to use the Square Point of Sale app to process payments using non-Square hardware? Or are you asking if there is non-Square hardware that can function as a customer-facing display by pairing with a Square Stand? Please let me know if I've misunderstood your question, @DanaB!

[DanaB]

Hey thanks for the reply, 

the answer to both of your questions is yes. I’d either be looking for a non square hardware that can replicate the customer display while still using the pos system or use a non square terminal to use with the square pos system. 
I hope this makes sense 

thank you 

[Valentina]

At this time, Square software is only compatible with Square hardware. It's great to hear that you're loving the look of the Square Register 😌 We are constantly working to bring more payment acceptance options to all of our Sellers - hopefully we'll see the Square Register become available for Canadian Sellers in the future!

[SEANSEAN]

Hi Valentina 

when will square register have appointments app on it? and be integrated with square appointments?

[AshleyK]

Hey @SEANSEAN thanks for asking. At this time, as you know, it is not available, but it is on the radar of our Development Team. We still don't have an official launch date, but will definitely post in the Seller Community when it becomes available. 

[baristacoffee]

This reply was created from merging an existing thread: Is it possible to get the Square Customer Display in Canada?

On the USA site there's a customer display piece of hardware that Square offers however I don't see it on the Canadian site.

Is it possible to get the customer display in Canada?

If I buy the USA side customer display, will it work in Canada?

Are there any alternatives, 3rd party or otherwise that I could look into?

[Valentina]

I've moved your post over to this thread where I answered your question about alternatives/third-party hardware compatibility with Square's software, @baristacoffee.

The Square Register is currently only available in the United States - it hasn't made it's way over to Canada just yet! You will not be able to use the Square Register in Canada until it is available for purchase to Canadians. We don't have a timeline to share yet in relation to the Register's availability, but we are constantly working to offer the same features in Canada as are available in the US.

[baristacoffee]

We are in Canada and  we use the Square Stand with ipad in our coffeeshop. One thing we really don't like is how we have to turn the screen around to ask the customers for tips. We think that the customer transaction would flow a lot better if there was a second screen where customers could interact with (including inputting a tip if they desired). 

The new Square Register has a built in Customer Facing Display. However last I heard it was not available in Canada. Is there anything we can use in Canada? We are not opposed to buying another accessory from Square, or buying a third party piece of hardware that would be able to act as a second screen/customer facing display.

Thanks.

[JustinC]

Hey @baristacoffee!! ☕️

Apologies for the confusion - the Customer Display for iOS is only available in the US for now. We're working on this and will be sure to keep in in the loop when there are any updates! 

[lemondogs]

This reply was created from merging an existing thread: Add tip, pin, and email entry to customer display

Hey there,

• Many people do not have tap capable cards, or Have explicitly disabled tap on their cards for security. 
• square already provides a customer display app that runs on a device that is separate from the one the POS app runs on.
• With COVID-19, sharing of surfaces could well be a problem for virus spread. And in food service, regardless of COVID, the less physical interaction with customers, the better for minimizing potential hazards (namely bacteria). 

When you put all of this together, the natural and perhaps most important next step for square should be to add the ability for customers to enter data using the customer display device and app, such as tip selection, pin entry, and receipt selection (along with email Address entry). Everything that customers currently do by touching the POS screen should no longer be done on a shared screen. 

In this way, not a single thing needs to be Exchanged between customer and employee while taking orders in person and Physical barriers/dividers can remain in place for everyone’s safety. 

note: online ordering is still better than any of this, and we are incentivizing our customers to use it instead. However not all customers are going to be keen on doing this, and sadly online ordering does not work for interac debit transactions in Canada, so that really does exclude a lot of potential customers.  

[Kassi_]

Hey there, @lemondogs - Welcome back to the Community! 

I appreciate you at taking the time to reach out with your feedback on our Feature Request board. This is best place for our Product Team to see it. 

Please let me know if you have any other questions or other information. 

[Hybrys]

Hi Kassi,

Since this user mentioned 'Canada', does that mean that Square will be supporting Customer Displays, per the article you linked, in Canada?

[lemondogs]

Huh, good point. A couple years ago Square sent me a dev version of the app to install on a device for testing and it seemed to work well. I just assumed that *years* later they would have full support for it in Canada... so I guess it goes like this now:

1. Allow customer display in Canada (because it worked 2 years ago...), and

2. Add customer input to customer display app so staff and customers do not need to pass devices back and forth.

[Hybrys]

Yeah, to me, both of these are absolutely vital to us continuing to use Square in our facility.

The funny part is, there's a third-party product that facilitates exactly what we're asking for in Canada, using Square.  A customer display that allows for tipping and signing.

[Helen]

@Hybrys @lemondogs I've merged your thread into another thread on the same topic - thanks for raising this issue. 

I know it's frustrating that Square Register (which has a customer-facing display feature) isn’t available in Canada, I'm sorry. We know that Canadian sellers would like a point-of-sale system with a built-in customer-facing display for their business. There's a lot that goes into building hardware and software to meet Canadian sellers’ unique needs. The good news is we are currently working to bring Square Register to Canada, and we'll let you know by email when it’s available (and we'll update this thread too!) 

In the meantime, I hope this post will help you to prepare your business to reopen and/or continue to accept payments with Square hardware that's already available in Canada. If you've found any products particularly helpful please reply here to let everyone know! 

[MuskokaPrairie]

@Hybrys 

please what third party hardware are you speaking of. I would jump on that!

[Hybrys]

@MuskokaPrairie 

Interestingly, the third-party solution no longer supports Canadian Square users.  There was a change to the receipt settings, compared to the US version, which invalidated the method they were using.

We've decided to simply duplicate the screen.  There are lots of solutions for this, but we're simply using another iPad with an app to send our behind-counter Square Stand's screen to the 'customer facing' iPad.

This does mean that they see all your possible selections, and could even select items themselves, if you make the 'customer facing' display interactive.  But it also allows for customer-directed tipping/confirmation.

[MuskokaPrairie]

@Hybrys 

That was what Was thinking to. Which app are you using? All the ones i tried seem to lag behind the stand a fair bit and its choppy and pixilated

[Hybrys]

@MuskokaPrairie 

I actually haven't done any testing yet, so I might not be able to help you there.  I was hoping to use native AirPlay screen mirroring, Reflector, or a hardware solution (HDMI+USB touchscreen monitor).

The hardware solution (HDMI+USB touchscreen monitor) would likely be the 'smoothest' method, but requires investment.

[CaffeineToronto]

Hi,

Is there any update on this?

We have the customer facing display - and its basically useless.

We are trying to make sure staff and customers use separate Ipads, and having the tip/ choice of payment options/email on the customer facing Ipad is probably the best and safest solution. 

Thanks