Introducing the Square Stand

Re:Introducing the Square Stand by rch on Tuesday May 14, 2013 @01:27PM (#5706450)

There are already a couple coffee shops and at least one fairly nice restaurant using iPads and Square this way in Boulder. I can see a lot of reasons why this could be an effective strategy, with benefits on all sides.

One thing though: while e-mailing myself receipts for business dinners is a nice-to-have feature, I am curious to know more about the privacy implications (probably wouldn't take but a moment to find out).

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Re:Introducing the Square Stand by dmckeon on Tuesday May 14, 2013 @04:02PM (#5707638)

As a merchant who uses Square, I can say that the merchant does not have access to the e-mail address or SMS number that the receipt is sent to. That Square has access and will offer the customer the choice of using a previously used receipt destination, could be seen as a great convenience for repeat customers, or a privacy issue - you decide. For details, see:

https://squareup.com/legal/privacy

https://squareup.com/legal/seller-agreement

The Stand appears to be an entry in the niche of minimal POS (Point-of-Sale) setups, perhaps as an answer to an upgrade desire: "I like Square, but I need something more like a cash register."

It does seem to solve a security issue by tethering the iPad to the counter, which anyone whose phone has been stolen can readily appreciate.

I am surprised that the signature process is not done by tilting the device toward the customer and letting the screen display rotate. Perhaps Square is aiming more toward upscale retailers with great expanses of customer-facing counter space (who would also be more likely to pay the 2.75% transaction fee.) Perhaps the choice of white hardware is based on the same approach.

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