Is it possible to set up recurring / subscription / membership payments through my Square website?

[Alachua]

The title of this post has been edited from the original: With Square E-commerce for nonprofits, can you set up a page with recurring donations?

With Square E-commerce for nonprofits, can you set up a page with recurring donations?

[#2]

We introduced the ability to offer a recurring donation option last summer ✨

I can give you a quick rundown here - let's go! 

You'll start by heading to your Square Dashboard > Online Checkout

Click the Create checkout link in the top right-hand corner:

Select Accept a donation from the options in the pop-up:

On the next page, you'll want to give your donation item a name, and possibly a description.
Most importantly, be sure to click Advanced settings to toggle ON the Accept recurring donations setting.

This is also where you can select the frequency of the recurring donation and set a donation goal (optional).

At the bottom of this window, you can also add custom fields!

Be sure to hit Create link - now you've got your checkout link! If you want to customize the text shown on your button, locate your created checkout link from the Checkout Link page, and click it. Next, select Customize:

If you want to add this button to your website, copy the Website button code and head over to your website editor and insert it wherever you want customers to see your donation button ✨

Here's an example of my checkout link offering recurring donations:

If any questions come up as you create your checkout link, feel free to let us know here so we can dig with you, @RogerS!

[#3]

Hey there  @Gabberdunes -

At this time, the only way to do this is by creating a Recurring Invoice Series. However, customers wont be able to opt in when placing online orders since online won't recognize them as an invoices.

I'll pass tag your idea as a feature request so the Product Team gets word of what you're looking for. Keep an eye out for updates! 

[#4]

The answer is YES

If I set up the Club Membership as an item, will it be able to get a report of the item sold together with the name of customers who bought it?  Yes, you can assign a customer to any sale.  If you are selling a recurring membership you can do this through recurring invoices.  If the customer saves there payment information then it will auto charge the account each month.

Can I get a report of all payments going through the linked bank account for reconciliation purposes? There are many reports you can use to show payment and daily deposits.

Also, can multiple users share access to the software? Yes, You can use employee management to give controlled access to the app.

[isabelle · Accepted solution]

Hey @TABMin! 🌟

Just wanted to update this thread with our most current options.

As @RHatch said, you can create a recurring invoice to function as a subscription. This will autocharge your customer on a schedule of your choosing.

OR 

We also have subscription payments with Square Checkout links. With Square Online Checkout you can set up one checkout link with the subscription feature enabled. Instead of using Square Invoices for recurring payments, the subscription checkout link can be used to accept weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual payments from multiple customers with a single checkout link. You can also self-select which specific checkout links your customers will be able to pay through. For example, use donation links for accepting monthly payments from donors/supporters.

[VSM]

I dont understand why is there a option on the checkout to pay once or to pay monthly for the subscription when I set it for reoccurring payment for each month... 

[ashc]

Hi @VSM,

The two options you listed are our only two options for monthly recurring charges.

If you don't understand the checkout links, there's a helpful Support Center article link here on it!

[VSM]

My question was why does it give the option to pay once when I set it up for monthly subscription? Also, is there not a way to add a member without emailing the link? If someone comes to my business I can't add them to the subscription unless I email them the link and they do it on the phone? 

[VSM]

After researching it looks like square reoccurring invoices and square online subscription link are the only way to do this. Don't understand why there isn't a better implementation of this.

So to create the membership do I create my membership in items or services? 

Also, is there a way to share a membership or to add an account to another for instance one person buys the membership under their name but they are able to share the benefits of the membership with one other person. Is there anyway to track or to link accounts? This way I know who the membership holder is and who they are sharing with. 

Thanks. 

[VSM]

Also, what is the transaction fee for reoccurring invoices? It states 2.9% + 30c for every transaction made using invoices but then for using a card on file it states its 3.5% + 15c. So if Im using reoccurring invoices and automatically charging using a card on file why do  I not get the 2.9% + 30c rate? 

[JustinC]

• As of right now, we don't have checkout links for services, so you'll need to create the membership as an item. For Invoices, you can do either or. 

• The shared membership ask is a feature request/isn't supported.

@VSM

• Card on File payments has always been 3.5% + 15c, even thought you're charging the card through an invoice. 

[VSM]

Ok so i changed my membership where its charged annually. I have the membership set up as an item and during the checkout process I add that when ringing out the customer. My question is, is there anyway to track or input and expiration date for the membership so the customer can get a reminder say like 3months before the membership expires. Also would be nice if I could get a reminder too or something that shows the customers that memberships are about to expire.

Or do i have to just put an expiration date in the appointment notes and track it myself? That be a pita.

Anyway to do that?

[AshleyK]

@VSM If you are going to have a customer subscribe in the store and you don't want to email them the subscription checkout link, then you can also set up a recurring invoice through your register. I wouldn't say either option is better than the other, but at least you have multiple choices should the situation arise. 

And, yes, if you are setting up a subscription, it will ask you to pay whenever the subscription begins. If it's beginning that day, then it will ask for a payment.

It may be helpful to set up a test one for yourself and play around with the features to see how it all works!

[VSM]

Yes emailing the subscription link is useless if they are at the store and want the membership its just an inconvenience to them.

Is there anyway to track the expiration like I mentioned someone comes in I check them out with the item that states membership they pay for the year. Any way to track that or do i have to do it manually or would the invoice or online subscription work better for this? Does the online subscription give them a reminder when the membership expires?

[Aggie]

I'm an art instructor and mentor setting up a membership plan and I want it to be a recurring payment. Do I set it up as an invoice, item or under the membership category?

Can I also create a yearly payment option, if so  how would I do that?

[Goldneye]

HI, hopefully these Square Support pages will help.

https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/how-to-recurring-payments

https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5096-process-recurring-or-subscription-payments

https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/6749-process-recurring-payments-with-virtual-terminal

[Lisa919]

I want to use the membership portal but than what do I do when people become members?

[Valentina]

Hi there @Lisa919! 👋

Welcome to the Seller Community ✨

Hm, are you asking about Subscription Payments with Square Online checkout links?

Or possibly customer email collection?

Please let me know if I'm off-base here!

[isabelle · Accepted solution]

Hey @TABMin! 🌟

Just wanted to update this thread with our most current options.

As @RHatch said, you can create a recurring invoice to function as a subscription. This will autocharge your customer on a schedule of your choosing.

OR 

We also have subscription payments with Square Checkout links. With Square Online Checkout you can set up one checkout link with the subscription feature enabled. Instead of using Square Invoices for recurring payments, the subscription checkout link can be used to accept weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annual payments from multiple customers with a single checkout link. You can also self-select which specific checkout links your customers will be able to pay through. For example, use donation links for accepting monthly payments from donors/supporters.

[forwardfoods]

Does this work in the online store? It's a really confusing set up process.

[AdamB]

Great question, @forwardfoods. Subscription payments do not currently work with the online store, but the do work with online checkout links. If you've already created your online store, you could link to an online checkout link from your online store. It's a separate checkout experience from your online store (meaning customers would be purchasing the subscription separately from anything in the cart on your online store), but that would give you a way to do this in the meantime.

[WirlNet]

As far as I know - no it doesn't work as an auto pay subscription on a card on file.

It sends the customer an invoice each month that they choose to pay or not.

Please correct me if I am wrong on this.

Thanks

[JustinC]

Actually auto debiting a card on file for a recurring series is available with Invoices. Check this thread out. 

@WirlNet

[WirlNet]

OK I will test that approach.

If it can be canceled at any time by the customer it won't work for rental equipment though.

As it turns out, after doing some searching, I found some alternative offerings for rental equipment that are closer to my needs.  Might also work for subscriptions.

[fishiflor]

This was my concern too. How does someone cancel or change subscription or membership tiers thru invoices. 

[fishiflor]

Is there a place I can check current subscribers? I am trying to create a tiered subscription system for monthly shipments (similar to Patreon) and want to see who I nee to mail things to each month.