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Is there a way to add a percentage based fee that functions like a "negative discount"?

I was wondering if there is a way to create a percentage based fee that could be used in the manner of say a 'negative discount'?  I have various fees that are percentage based (travel, last minute rescheduling, etc.) that I would like to find a way to create items for so I don't have to calculate their values every time they are used. I was thinking about creating a tax for this, but it wouldn't need to be used every time I make a sale. 

 

If anyone knows of a way to do this, I would greatly appreciate any advice you have to offer. 

 

Thanks!

 

The title of this post has been edited from the original: Is there a way to add a percentage based fee?

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Re: Is there a way to add a percentage based fee?

@EliC - Welcome to the Seller Community. We're happy to have you! 👐🏻  As for your question, we don't currently offer this functionality. As you eluded, the only feature we have that comes close right now is our tax functionality. You can have taxes apply to only certain items, so you could hypothetically create items specific for when you'd like to charge this fee. Also, you can remove a tax from a current sale if you decide to just keep it on all the time. Does this help? 

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Hi @Feedback2016 and @knbartley87. Happy to offer some clarification to a couple points discussed here:

 

1) it does show up on your report - the new name, however, it still reads as TAX to your clients when they are checking out.

 

The tax that you create will reflect what you call it. If you don't call it a tax, it won't be listed as a tax. It will just appear on the receipt under the subtotal. Here is a screenshot:

 

 

2) So does it show up as tax on the annual report? 

 

We don't have an annual report, per se. Our tax settings are for organizational purposes only. We don't report any of those details to anyone other than you. You are able to see a breakdown of the different taxes that you charged, so it's only important that you're able to understand it (you know it wasn't a tax). 

 

One quick follow-up for you, @Feedback2016. You mentioned that we took a feature away, what were you referring to? I've been at Square for over three years, and I can't think of any tax settings that have been removed. I'd love to better understand your feedback.

 

Hope this helps y'all! 🙂

 


Sean
he/him/his
Product Manager | Square, Inc.

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@EliC - Welcome to the Seller Community. We're happy to have you! 👐🏻  As for your question, we don't currently offer this functionality. As you eluded, the only feature we have that comes close right now is our tax functionality. You can have taxes apply to only certain items, so you could hypothetically create items specific for when you'd like to charge this fee. Also, you can remove a tax from a current sale if you decide to just keep it on all the time. Does this help? 


Sean
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Product Manager | Square, Inc.
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@EliC what Sean cannot say but I can.  They will never add this feature.  Use the tip he pointed out with the tax feature.  They finally released their grip and you can change the name of the percentage to a Fee or a Surcharge rather than using the word TAX.  It will not change until the ticket prints or the invoice is sent to the client.  Unfortunately, you will need to manualy add the specific reduced items as a seperate Item.  I have used a makeshift system of "Discounted item" - "Full Price item" I have also increase all the items in a specific catigory and reduce them all to the discounted amount you wish to sell them for.  Visually, this will look like you are discounting all your item when you are simply trying to put one on sale.  Very frustrating - but its the only way I have been able to get around it.  This will allow you to pick and choose wich Items you want to discount on the fly but makes is difficult to track you sales.  Good luck, and let me know if you find a better way to get around the stone-wall.

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When you change the name of the tax, does it still how up on your reports as a tax?? I don't want to charge tax for tax audit purposes but i need to charge a handling fee that is a percentage based on their order total.

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Hey @knbartley87, thanks for checking in. Yes, any name you assign to a tax will show up in the appropriate sections of your reporting. The option to create a separate line item for a surcharge is not available. 

 

This article may help make things more clear: Can I Apply a Surcharge to Square Sales?

 

Please let us know if you have any other questions or concerns!

️ Tom | he/him
Seller Community Manager | Square, Inc.
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Where does taxes fall into place in all that?? 

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@Annahix If you create a tax for the purpose of a surcharge, it will still appear in your Square reports as a tax. Sellers usually help delineate actual tax and surcharge by naming their taxes appropriately (e.g. "sales tax" vs. "card fee").

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Thank you, I named it "convenience fee"... will the customer see this? Also, do I need to change the name name of my tax to "sales tax" or should renaming only one of them be sufficient? 

 

Thanks!! 

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@Annahix You can choose to have the "convenience fee" to be included in the item price, which would result in your customer not seeing the tax. 

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As @Sean said it does show up on your report - the new name, however, it still reads as TAX to your clients when they are checking out. Makes the client uneasy if they think you are charging TAX when you are not.  @knbartley87 It's sad that Square programming disables basic settings to benefit Squares bottom line by taking from the clients. We need to demand they stop disabling basic functions and give us REAL features that are creative and new. Stop charging tolls for use of basic function. Forcing the consumer to spend more money for basic use of a program is unethical and immoral. New and better features? Entrepreneurship, bring it on, I'll pay more for something new and innovative.  As for adding percentages and negative modifiers? We have had that basic cash-register service since the 1950's - shame on Square for disabling basic functions of a cash-register for your financial gain.

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So does it show up as tax on the annual report?  I don't need to charge tax at all, but I want to have a percentage based fee. 

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As for my documents it does not show on the K1 as tax, only gross sales which also included the "taxes collected" at least it matches my report totals.  I would consult a Tax Pro if you are seriously concerned but for me I see nothing out of the unusual. Just the clutter of trying to track what square has screwed up on my monthly and daily reports.

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Square

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Hi @Feedback2016 and @knbartley87. Happy to offer some clarification to a couple points discussed here:

 

1) it does show up on your report - the new name, however, it still reads as TAX to your clients when they are checking out.

 

The tax that you create will reflect what you call it. If you don't call it a tax, it won't be listed as a tax. It will just appear on the receipt under the subtotal. Here is a screenshot:

 

 

2) So does it show up as tax on the annual report? 

 

We don't have an annual report, per se. Our tax settings are for organizational purposes only. We don't report any of those details to anyone other than you. You are able to see a breakdown of the different taxes that you charged, so it's only important that you're able to understand it (you know it wasn't a tax). 

 

One quick follow-up for you, @Feedback2016. You mentioned that we took a feature away, what were you referring to? I've been at Square for over three years, and I can't think of any tax settings that have been removed. I'd love to better understand your feedback.

 

Hope this helps y'all! 🙂

 


Sean
he/him/his
Product Manager | Square, Inc.
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@Sean wrote: "...I can't think of any tax settings that have been removed."  

 

(I am not sure about the exact order but everything mentioned happened) They added the ability to change the name to "tax" it was a welcomed feature, it also reflected this on the receipt and while checking out. Then when Square messed with the online features and separated everything - so they could charge more money for online sales.  Square made us create two different items libraries. This is when the basic programing features including the NAME of the tax was changed to the convoluted mess it is now.  They brought back the basics but left out the followthrough with the name change.  

 

It's sad that Square disables basic functions like being able to change the name from "TAX" to what it really is and ON EVERY DOCUMENT and ALL POINTS of the transaction.  My guess is there is a third part vender that will allow for this basic feature.  Sad that I would have to pay more money just to call it what it is - NOT TAX!  

 

Square needs to offer us REAL ADD-ONS that are not disabled basics to a cash-register.  Just realized today that my chip reader is now disabled and will only work via bluetooth.  WOW! It never ends.  I know it's Apple pulling the strings but it does not make it any better.  For me, I feel like I am being ripped off.  Now I have to pay $300-$400 for a new iPad this week because Apple deemed it obsolete and just found out I need $99 for a new chip reader it wont be much longer until Apple disables the cash draw and the printer forcing more money that I dont have to spend.  Unethical business practice at best.

 

As you can see its a combination of many things that has led to my bitterness about Square and Apple. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to leave so I am stuck with my investment.

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I am developing a grocery service and I am charging a percentage so in the tax area I changed everything to say Shopping Fee. I would even mention that it is not a tax.

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I do the same thing with the square fees I simply add a "Square Tax" that reads as a Tax/Fee to imply it could be either. Unfortunately is screws with your actual sales, but atleaste there is a way to add the % like you want and bypass lack of programming square provides.

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We are a food cooperative and wonder if we can ring up a fee for membership & add markups to a receipt?   We sell our items at wholesale and add a 10% markup at the register for members and a 30% markup for non-members

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Hey @countrysidecoop! You can read here about the option to set different tax rates for your situation. You can manually apply them as long as you know who your members are, which it sounds like you do. 🙂

Bea_
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Its pretty sad that this thread started in 2016 and still doesn't have a solution to it yet... there are businesses that do  percentage fee for per mileage or for specific line items... 

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