Will fees for manual entry be waived during COVID-19?

[jill6487]

Here's a friendly suggestion from a long time Square user with multiple business locations: to help small businesses cope with the craziness of COVID-19 - waive the extra charges for manually entered credit cards, since we are (in many states) being forced to take payment over the phone versus swiping a card, therefore being forced to have higher fees!!!

Thank you for listening!

[val411]

I, too, am a therapist practicing from home now.  Since Square wouldn’t consider lowering rates for keyed in transaction, I heard the the NASW forum about Ivy Pay, which is for therapists.  They are charging a lower percentage rate than square and it’s very easy to use. I would suggest everyone check it out!

[MaliThai]

YES YES - Please  lower these fees during this crisis, it will mean the difference between staying open and laying off the entire staff!

[higgles]

It Square was really serious about not spreading the virus, it would remove the extra fee for manually inputting credit card numbers. We are following guidelines for our ice cream shop and not allowing any customers in our store and taking phone orders. That said, and with Square's manual entry fees, I am contemplating asking customers to use CASH only and dropping it into a bucket. The manual entry fees for each small transaction will be the last reason as to why we should shut down entirely. Come on, Square show us you are REALLY trying to do something to help stop the spread while helping to keep your clients in business.

[purplecow]

Hi,

 We took phone orders for quarts and manually swiped credit cards, and our $1000 in free processing fees was completing used up in only two days!   We don’t know how we are going to proceed but obviously we won’t be able to continue like this.  We are closed again until we can figure out what to do.   As a fellow ice cream shop owner, please share if you have come up with anything that works.  Thanks so much!

[droidbaker]

How were you able to get any free processing!? They would not give me one dime 😔 

[purplecow]

It was from the referral program. 

[mrpotpie]

I am thinking square should consider adjusting rates for manual card entry (Card not present). We have gone totally to credit card only and do curbside service so many of our transactions are card not present and we are getting hit with the much higher rates. We process a lot of credit cards through square (close to $1,000,000 a year) and would think in this crisis where merchants are trying to make shopping experience for customers as safe as can be, square would consider this.

[Kassi_]

Welcome, @mrpotpie -

I moved your post over to a board about this topic. 

Keep an eye out here for updates!

[Paella]

Is it possible to put a temporary hold on all Square fees as we are trying desperately to keep our business afloat and although we will have hopefully plenty of business in the future right now we are on a shoestring that even a measly 20 bucks makes a difference. Please consider a temporary hold on fees till we recover. We are donating a lot of meals to people in need and any break we get right now would be excellent

[Kassi_]

Hey there, @Paella - 

Welcome to the Community. 

I have moved your post to a board with a similar topic. Check out our Best Answer by our wonderful @ashc. 

Thank you!

[TamiV]

Not waving the manual entry fees is a very poor choice on behalf of Square which is a multi million if not billion dollar dollar company. I personally am a stockholder and I am very disappointed to hear this. You all are a very large company and as small businesses owners struggling to stay afloat and already having to take out business loans, it is an insult to suggest we use invoices for our businesses. I cannot express how disappointed and I, many of us, are that you would actually charge an extra percent for some thing we have no choice.

I Use Square because it was my first choice, however, now that there are many other companies utilizing the same method, Square is making it very easy to consider switching. 

I ask that you please reconsider and retroactively waive the manual entry fees fees, or all fees during the stay at home order, as many other companies are doing, back to March 19 when all of this started.

I thank you in advance and really believe by faith that you all are going to do the right thing by small businesses. After all many small businesses are the ones that support Square, big businesses don’t necessarily need it. 

[Jediwzrd]

Hey TamiV - have you done any research on other companies- do give me some pointers-- looks like square could not give a darn hoot- so time to move. If you have done any research into this- please do let me know and share.

thank you.

[drjay]

Hello,

I received an email from Square mentioning refunding certain fees, but I didn't see about lowering the 3.5% + 15 cents fee for "card not present" transactions. During this pandemic, many traditionally face to face businesses have moved to card not present transactions. I am one such business.

Are you lowering that fee to the usual swipe/dip/tap fee of ~2.6% during COVID19, too? Because that's where most service businesses will be losing a lot of money at this point during the quarantine.

I am assuming I just didn't see that fee would be lowered, but I'm not sure.

[Valentina]

Please take a peek at the Best Answer here for the answer to your question about card-not-present fees, @drjay. We also provided some related resources here in this thread - let us know if you have any other questions.

[imcmmb]

Yes, I would also request the same waiver of the extra fees for manually- entered cards. Many if not most of us are doing business virtually these days and those extra fees really do add up. Thank you for considering.

[val411]

I would suggest looking on the website of IVY Pay...They only charge 2.75% without any additional charges. It is very easy to use you just send your client a text and they enter in their own credit card information to pay for co-pays

[Jediwzrd]

Excellent Val, will look into it. Thx

[mkbeautybarber]

Hello Square,

Will you have any SARS-COV-2 financial relief policies relating to fees you charge merchants to accept credit | debit cards?

we are a hair salon in NYS who is mandated to close Saturday 3/21/2020

thanks,

MK Beauty & Barber

[Valentina]

Hi @mkbeautybarber - I've moved your post here where other sellers have asked this question. Please know that we are constantly evaluating all options to help our sellers - for now, I'd recommend taking a look at the resources we've made available by taking a look at the Best Answer here.

We'll continue to provide updates here, and directly to you by email, as this situation evolves.

[BTP]

I have a small mom and pop pizzeria. we are down to delivery and curbside. CONTACTLESS .

we are TRYING to stay open, but we NEED YOUR HELP! Please lower the manual credit card fees. INVOICING will not work. I do not want to change to another Credit Card processing company..THEY ARE Marketing like crazy and taking advantage of those that need a lower fee for manual entry. I have been with square for 7 years. We have been loyal to Square. IT'S SQUARE turn now. PLEASE HELP

[BTP]

I have a small mom and pop pizzeria. we are down to delivery and curbside. CONTACTLESS .

we are TRYING to stay open, but we NEED YOUR HELP! Please lower the manual credit card fees. INVOICING will not work. I do not want to change to another Credit Card processing company..THEY ARE Marketing like crazy and taking advantage of those that need a lower fee for manual entry. I have been with square for 7 years. We have been loyal to Square. IT'S SQUARE turn now. PLEASE HELP