Getting set up to accept credit cards on Square only takes a few minutes but don’t miss out on our entire suite of products that can help you run and grow your business.
This 5-step guide can help you take payments faster, significantly reduce employee training time, generate robust sales and inventory reports, and cut your administrative time in half. Watch the video below for an overview of how to get started with Square:
VIDEO
If you’re looking to learn more about getting up and running, check out our comprehensive guide to starting a business .
What if I get stuck? email or on Twitter , and if you’ve successfully created an account, you can call Square Support Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PST.
Use this guide for reference or share it with your team by saving or printing this page. Right-click anywhere on this page to save or print.
Step 1: Get Set Up to Take Payments
Use this section to order your hardware and set up your secure Square account so you can get paid quickly once you start accepting payments.
Create your Account
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Create Account with a Corporate Email Use your corporate email when creating your account to keep your business and personal info organized. Important alerts and updates are sent to this email address.
Yes
Enter Business and Personal Info Help Square verify your account and recommend useful features for your business type.
Yes
Link Your Bank Account Get deposits within 1-2 business days. You can also add additional bank accounts during location setup later.
Yes
Order Hardware Make sure you’re set for opening day by ordering your hardware at least 10 days early since shipping takes some time.
Yes
Download the Square App Get the Square app – the point-of-sale system designed to grow with you– to accept payments in-store or on the go.
Step 2: Set Up your Account on Square Dashboard
Your online Square Dashboard is your business headquarters, where you can take care of everything from adding locations, employees, and items, to customizing your account, viewing your sales reports, and more.
Account Security
Location Setup
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Add Locations and Addresses Set up locations to slice and dice sales data, update inventory, and manage employees across all your stores.
Yes
Add other Bank Accounts If you skipped this step, or have separate bank accounts for each location, add this info now.
Yes
Add Deposit Tags Match deposits to specific locations with deposit tags.
Yes
Add Business Hours Business hours tell your customers when you’re open and let Square know when to email your daily sales summary.
Yes
Add Web and Social Media Sites
Your website and social links appear on digital receipts. This is also a great way to get more online traffic.
Yes
Customize your Close-of-Day Setting a close-of-day time lets Square group and send deposits based on a full day’s business activity.
Receipt Setup
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Customize Receipts Your logo appears on customers’ digital receipts and helps them recognize your business and their purchases.
Yes
Add Business Details and Policy Customize your receipts and help set the right expectations around your store policies.
Dashboard Library Setup
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Create Categories Categories classify items into different groups like Hot or Cold Drinks and control what items print on kitchen tickets.
Yes
Create Items Items created in your Dashboard display at your Poit of Sale, which increases checkout speed and provides detailed reporting, so you know what you’re selling.
Yes
Create Modifiers Let customers tailor their orders with modifiers and get better item-level data.
Yes
Create Discounts Discounts for neighbors? Employee meals comped? Create dollar and percentage discounts for items or an entire sale.
Yes
Modify Your Tax Settings Set up tax rates and the items they apply to and let Square calculate the total. The tax report shows total tax collected.
Yes
Set up Inventory Know exactly how much inventory you have and when you need to restock by setting up Inventory Management.
Yes
Set up Dining Options Note how and where an order will be used (e.g. ‘For Delivery’, or ‘Layaway’) to help your staff prepare orders correctly. This information also appears in your reports.
Yes
Purchase Gift Cards Order your gift cards early so you’re ready to sell them on day one.
Yes
Create Gift Card Items Load and sell gift cards, by creating a gift card item in your Item Library. Leave the price blank to add a value at your Point of Sale.
Employee Setup
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Subscribe to Employee Management Access robust employee and location management, including time tracking, employee clock-in/out, passcodes and advanced reports.
Yes
Create Permission Groups Create groups with specific access permissions. You’ll assign employees to these groups when you invite them.
Yes
Create Employees Invite employees to accept payments for your business. Track their sales, discounts, and tips with custom reports.
Yes
Assign Permission Groups, Passcode, and Location After an employee is created, assign them to the appropriate permission group to restrict their access to parts of your Square Dashboard or the Square app.
Yes
Set up a Loyalty Program Offer loyal customers a reward for their purchases. Punches are tied to a customer’s email, phone number, or credit card.
View Analytics
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Transaction History, Summaries, and Reports See how your business is performing by the hour, week, year, and more to make informed business decisions.
Yes
Tie Deposits to Transactions Click a deposit in your online Dashboard to see all transactions included in a deposit.
Yes
Learn about other Reports Create reports from your Dashboard that include items, discounts, taxes, payment method, employees, and more.
Step 3: Set Up Hardware and the Square App
Once your hardware arrives, you can connect your compatible Apple or Android device to start taking payments. This section will show you how.
Device Setup
Square Point of Sale Settings
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Manage Signature Settings Skip signatures for small transactions or choose to have your customers sign on paper receipts.
Yes
Set up Tipping Accept tips and customize how they’re added to a sale, or disable tipping if it’s not necessary.
Yes
Set up Cash Drawer Management Track how much cash should be in your drawer at any given time.
Yes
Turn on Offline Mode Continue to accept credit cards even if your Wi-Fi goes out.
Yes
Turn on Employee Management Put passcodes to work, enable timecard tracking, get detailed employee reporting, and more.
Yes
Turn on Open Tickets Create tickets you can modify before charging customers. Close out the ticket when the customer’s ready to pay.
Hardware Setup
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Connect iPad to Square Stand Square Stand secures and charges your iPad, connects to receipt and kitchen ticket printers, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and processes payments.
Yes
Connect Cash Drawers Square Stand connects to a cash drawer so you can keep track of your cash with every sale.
Yes
Connect USB Printers Print customer receipts, accept signatures and tips on receipts, and print order tickets with a receipt printer.
Yes
Connect Ethernet Interface Printer Ethernet printers are a great option if you need to connect more than one printer to your Square Stand.
Yes
Configure Printers Connected printers appear in the Square app so you can customize what gets printed and be ready for any sale.
Step 4: Train Employees and Go Live
Now that your account, Dashboard, and hardware are set up, you’re ready to train your employees. We recommend running through a few simple scenarios to make sure you, your managers, and your staff are ready to jump in.
Employee Training
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Accept Cards with Square Reader Let your employees swipe a few cards to practice using Square. Swipe card in a steady, fluid motion through the reader.
Yes
Accept Cards with Square Stand Swipe magnetic stripe cards with Square Stand. Swipe either way – it doesn’t matter which way the card faces!
Yes
Manually Enter Card Info Learn how to enter the card number if the card or customer isn’t present, or if you don’t have your reader.
Yes
Accept Cash, Checks, and Other Tender Types Practice recording cash, checks, third-party gift cards, and other tender types.
Yes
Clock In and Out Give each employee their passcode and show them how easy it is to clock in and clock out.
Yes
Redeem Rewards Simulate the customer experience of collecting a loyalty punch on a few payments and try redeeming a rewards.
Manager Training
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
View and Modify Timecards Show managers with Dashboard access how to modify timecards, view reports, or clock out forgetful employees.
Yes
View and Manage Cash Drawers Start and end a cash drawer session, perform paid in/paid out, and print a cash drawer report.
Yes
View and Print In-App Reports View, print, or email your daily sales summary directly from the Square app.
Yes
View and Reply to Feedback If you take a test payment, you can leave a test feedback response and view it in your Dashboard. Practice replying to and refunding yourself.
Step 5: Grow your Business with Square
Once you start accepting payments with Square, expand your business with partner integrations, marketing, and more.
Engage your Customers
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Import Your Customer Directory Manage your customer information from your online Square Dashboard or the Square app.
Yes
Reach out to your Customers Send marketing campaigns, offers, and announcements to customers directly from your online Dashboard in minutes.
Yes
Accept Appointments If you provide services that require a schedule, use Square Appointments to keep your calendar organized.
Sell Online
To Do
Steps
Why?
Yes
Set Up your Online Store The Online Store is great for businesses who are getting started selling online and looking to be up and running quickly.
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