Accept Payments with Square Stand
The Square Stand family includes the classic first-generation Stand and the reimagined second-generation Stand. Learn how to accept payments using both models below.
Square Stand (2nd Generation)
After you set up your Square Stand with your iPad, you’ll be able to accept contactless and chip and PIN payments. You can also accept contactless payments from Apple Pay or Google Pay-enabled devices.
To create a sale using Square Stand:
Sign in with the email address and password associated with your Square account.
If you’ve created items, tap the item(s) you’d like to sell from your Item Library or Favourites Page, or scan the barcode of an item with a SKU saved to your Item Library. Your item will be added to the current sale.
To enter a custom sale amount, tap Keypad. You can also select a variable price item saved to your Item Library.
Tap on the item in the right-hand panel to add a description, create modifications, change the quantity and apply tax. When you’re done, tap the ‘X’ icon or Save.
To accept payments on the Square Stand:
Tap Charge to check out, and swivel Stand 180 degrees to face the customer.
The customer-facing checkout screen will prompt the customer to pay on the right side of Stand by either inserting their card into Square Stand or tapping their contactless card or mobile device near the flashing contactless icon.
If prompted, your customer can enter their PIN for their purchase on the display of the iPad.
Input your customer’s preferred receipt delivery method. If your Square Stand is connected to a receipt or kitchen printer, you also can print a receipt and kitchen ticket.
For additional security, you may require a passcode to change payment types on the customer-facing checkout screen. To learn more, view the Enable Checkout Passcode section below.
Accept Offline Payments with Square Stand (2nd generation)
Square Stand (2nd generation) can accept offline payments if your internet connection becomes temporarily unavailable. There are duration limitations associated with how long you can accept offline payments once you go offline and how long you have to upload offline payments once you regain internet connectivity.
You’ll have up to 24 hours from when your Square Stand (2nd gen) goes offline to accept offline payments and up to 24 hoursfromwhen your device goes offline to reconnect to the internet and upload those offline payments. Any offline payment that is not processed within 24 hours will expire and the funds will not be received from your customer.
Note: when taking offline payments, you will not be able to accept physical contactless card payments, Square Gift Cards, eGift cards and Clearpay transactions. You will not be able to manually enter a card number with offline payments.
Offline payments must be enabled while connected to the internet, prior to going offline.
To enable offline payments:
from the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen, tap ≡ More.
Tap Settings > Checkout > Offline payments.
Toggle Allow Offline payments to on.
Review the information and then tap Allow.
To set a limit for card transactions taken offline, enter an amount next to Per Transaction Limit.
Disable offline payments by tapping ≡ More > Settings > Checkout > Offline payments > turn off.
Once offline payments are enabled, an offline session will automatically activate whenever your internet connectivity is unavailable. A notification banner at the top of your device will indicate it has automatically entered into an offline session accompanied by a countdown clock showing how much time you have left to accept offline payments. You will receive an in-app notification when your offline session has expired or if it was interrupted. After you have regained internet connectivity and uploaded your offline payments, another offline session will activate if you lose connectivity again.
Offline payments will appear as pending from your in-app payment history while your device is offline. When you reconnect your device to the internet, payments will show as completed and will be visible from your online Square Dashboard. Customers’ digital receipts and your payment notification emails will also be sent when the device is back online.
If you have pending offline payments:
Do not delete the Square app.
Do not sign out of the Square app or your Square account.
Do not factory reset the device that has taken offline payments.
Pending offline payments will be permanently lost and the funds won’t be captured if you log out of your Square account, delete the Square app or factory reset the device that has taken offline payments. Make sure you process these payments by reconnecting your device to the internet within the 24 hours time limit.
There is additional risk with any offline payments you accept. Square is not responsible for any loss due to declined cards or expired payments taken while offline. In addition, Square can not contact any customers on your behalf should an offline payment be declined or expire.
Learn more about offline payment specifics for offline session duration, Square hardware, connected hardware and acceptable payment types. Refer to the Offline Payments section of the Payment Terms for terms and conditions that apply to this feature.
Square Stand (1st Generation)
Once you’ve set up your Square Stand with your iPad, you can swipe cards through the track in the front of Stand, and accept contactless and chip and PIN payments on the Square Reader. You can also accept contactless payments from Apple Pay or Google Pay-enabled devices.
Note: Square Reader (1st generation) and Dock for Square Reader pictured below are no longer available in Square Shop. The newly improved Square Reader (2nd generation) is available with compatible Bosstab Dock and can be connected to Square Stand (1st generation) via USB-A to USB-C cable (sold separately).
To create a sale using Square Stand:
Sign in with the email address and password associated with your Square account.
If you’ve created items, tap the item(s) you’d like to sell from your Item Library or Favourites Page, or scan the barcode of an item with a SKU saved to your Item Library. Your item will be added to the current sale.
To enter a custom sale amount, tap Keypad. You can also select a variable price item saved to your Item Library.
Tap on the item in the right-hand panel to add a description, create modifications, change the quantity and apply tax. When you’re done, tap the ‘X’ icon or Save.
To accept payments on the Square Stand:
Tap Charge to check out.
Prompt your customer to tap or insert their card or contactless device using the Square Reader.
If prompted, your customer can enter their PIN for their purchase on the display of the iPad.
Input your customer’s preferred receipt delivery method. If your Square Stand is connected to a receipt or kitchen printer, you also can print a receipt and kitchen ticket.
Accept Card Payments on Square Stand Without Connecting to a Power Socket
Square Stand (2nd generation, v2) and Square Stand (1st generation) can be powered by the iPad’s battery when not plugged into a socket. In this iPad Powered Mode, you can continue to accept contactless and chip and PIN payments. USB accessories are not supported in iPad Powered Mode. When using iPad Powered Mode, connect your Stand to power or charge the iPad overnight to ensure your iPad doesn’t run out of battery. Stand will continue to draw power at a lower rate while idle.
Note: Square Stand (2nd generation, v1) must be plugged into a socket at all times to process payments.
You can easily identify the version of the 2nd generation of Square Stand by removing the iPad and checking the serial number printed on the nest of the Stand. If there is a ‘v2’ printed above the serial number, it is a version 2 (v2). If not, it is version 1 (v1). You can also identify the Stand by looking at the iPad connector. If your Stand has a lightning connector, it is version 1 (v1) and can not run off the iPad’s battery. If your Stand has a USB-C connector, it is a version 2 (v2), and able to run off the iPad’s battery.
Learn how to identify your Square Stand model.
Enable Checkout Passcode
If you are interested in using additional security features on your Square Stand (2nd generation), you can enable free Team Permissions. Team Permissions requires a passcode to take certain actions, such as cancelling a sale or changing the payment method displayed on the customer-facing screen.
This feature can be enabled directly on the Square Point of Sale app and Square Appointments app. Square for Retail will automatically apply the permissions that are set in your Square Point of Sale app. To apply this feature for Square for Retail, download the Square Point of Sale app and follow these steps:
Sign in to your Square Dashboard and enable Team Permissions.
On Square Point of Sale or Square Appointments app: Tap More > Settings > Security > Passcodes.
Toggle on Passcodes.
Under Require passcode, toggle on any that apply: After each sale, To back out of a sale, To back out of customer-facing payment screen.
To enable for Square for Restaurants:
Sign in to your Square Dashboard and enable Team Permissions.
Click Settings > Device Management > Points of sale > POS devices.
Select Square Stand.
Scroll to Team Management and enable Lock POS backing out of customer-facing payment screen under Passcode Options.
Click Save.
Once enabled, a passcode will be required to change the payment method after you’ve begun a credit card transaction and are ready to swivel your Square Stand.