Square offers a new way to pay

There is a new way to pay in the Denver area that is revolutionizing how small business is conducted.

Say you walk into the local Read, Write, and Brew coffeehouse, but you forgot your wallet or purse. With no cash and no credit card, you may think you are going to have to walk all the way back to your car or home before you can buy anything. Now, thanks to Square, that is not necessary if you have an iPhone, Android, or iPad on you (which are all much too important for a college student to ever leave behind, right?). You can just click open the “Pay with Square” app on your phone that is linked to your card and then open a tab at the coffeehouse. Jefferson, the friendly owner of the Read, Write, and Brew, will then see your chosen profile picture on his iPad cash register, verify that it is you, give you your favorite drink, and all you have to do is say, “put it on my tab!”

Originally introducing their Square Card Reader for iPhones and Androids, Square had the intention of enabling street merchants and university clubs who normally could only accept cash transactions. Now, with the Square Card Reader, merchants, clubs and individuals alike are able to accept credit card transactions with a simple swipe and signature on a smartphone. This feature is perfect for mobile businesses, as well as for when school groups split costs for gas or meals.

Square did not stop there, however. They then introduced the Square Register, an app for iPad that transforms an iPad into a full-fledged cash register with multiple functions. Best of all, the Square Card Reader fits right into the headphone jack. In accordance with the register, Square has introduced “Pay with Square,” the smartphone app that allows buyers to easily shop at their favorite stores that use Square Register, without having to carry cash or card. The Square Register even remembers what you usually order so that the merchant can have your favorite item ready for you as soon as you walk in with your open tab.

Many local businesses in the Golden/Denver area are taking advantage of Square technology to provide customers with amazing and personable service. The Read, Write, and Brew coffeehouse and used bookstore mentioned above has been using Square Register for over a month. Jefferson says that the Register features, including easy-to-use discounts for loyal customers and online analytics for sales history, has helped make his business both successful and unique in Golden.

Another place once can go to pay easily with Square is The Crawl Space, the only indoor Remote Control rock crawling course and hobby shop in Colorado. Local RC enthusiasts frequent The Crawl Space, located on the west side of Arvada just off 64th Avenue and Miller St. The Crawl Space uses both the Square Register and Square Card Reader to make business easy for themselves and their customers.

Ron Greenwood, a frequent customer of The Crawl Space, says, “I shop at the Crawl Space quite a bit and I really like the fact that they are using Square. It makes the transaction easy on my end and I can choose to get a receipt either via email or by text page. It is a great idea and saves me having to track down paper receipts if I need to return something.”

These revolutionary Square products are being praised by business owners, customers, and the media alike. Emily Rodriguez, the owner of a full-service florist shop in the heart of Denver’s charming Old South Pearl shopping district, uses the Square Card Reader and Register for all of her credit transactions. Her favorite thing about Square is that her transactions are easy to keep track of, and she receives all of her deposits the very next business day. Word of her successful small business with easy and innovative methods of payment was so widespread that Channel 4 News came in to her shop to do a special segment about the Square products she was using.

Multiple other businesses in the Denver area use the Square Register and Card Reader, and they encourage customers to download the free “Pay with Square” app for the utmost ease in both payment and in locating their businesses on the Square directory. Staying loyal to their original pricing from Square’s release in October 2010, the only charge for Square services is a 2.75 percent fee per swipe. Available at no cost is the original square-shaped card reader that plugs into an iPhone, Android, or iPad headphone jack, along with the app required to use it. The Square Register app for iPad, including its online sales analytic services, and the Pay with Square app for smartphones are also free. These products can be obtained by simply registering for them on the company’s website.

To learn more about Square, please visit www.squareup.com.