Round-up option for non-profit donation

[FHAHabitat]

I know there are other threads regarding rounding up for donations.

Let me clarify, in this thread, the importance of such a tool within the POS for non-profit organizations and other businesses. My team does the math for customers and adds the .23 cents (tax-exempt) to the $5.77 purchase. Our goal is to have Square provide an option for ALL square users to have a tax-exempt round-up key/button.

We have 16 local businesses that want to donate proceeds to our non-profit organization through the round-up program. They don't have the reliability in all their employees to do the "quick math" and get it right. They also do not want the added need to keep a calculator near the register, as it adds to the customer time in line. The conversation should be simple: "Your total is $23.57, would you like to roundup to the next dollar, for $24, to donate to Habitat's Homeless Veteran Community Build?" If they say yes, the cashier simply clicks the "round-up" key/button, and the report shows that "item" in their reports. The cashier does not need to pull out a claculator and do the math, and the customer sees on their receipt "Habitat Round-up" (or something like that). That company then sends a donation check to our business at the end of the month/quarter, however they want. For-profit businesses WANT this option, so they can reap the benefit of donating that money on the customers behalf, and publicize that. Customers want to give back, with as little added time as possible. Quick and painless is their preference.

This is what everyone is looking for. I have recently researched this, MANY other POS systems have this already, at the same, or less cost. Businesses using other POS systems are donating "round-up" to us already. We've been happy with Square POS; but, ya'll are behind, and missing opportunities to keep/gain POS users. When does Square plan to roll out this kind of option. I've been asking for it since March2016, and being told, "we're working on it, should be soon".

[Cheryl1416]

After years of waiting we are now using another POS system as our primary system because Square has not implemented the round up to donate feature.   We preferred square over every other POS except for that one issue. But it’s costing us too much money every year not to have that feature.  

Square if you had this feature will be back.  

[PamClemmons]

Adding my name to this list. I work for a non profit and yes, with coin shortage and everything that is happening now, we have some stores wanting to and NEEDING to have people round up and they are offering my non profit the benefits. If they use square it is too difficult. PLEASE get this done NOW. 

[Nicholas1836]

We have been waiting years for a round up to donate as we are a non profit.  In addition, business’ could also use the feature to donate to charity of their choice.  

When we had to switch to online time slot tickets for Covid19 and the other software we used had that feature and we raise a LOT of money for our on profit. 

If implemented Square benefits by a cut, all be it small cut, of the increased processing fee. 

This feature is a win win if implemented.  PLEASE FINALLY MAKE THIS A PRIORITY! 

[bushhead311]

We would love to see this feature as well! Come on guys! 

[bushhead311]

Let's push! 

[ashc]

Hiya @bushhead311,

Thanks for your added input on this feature request!

I don't have a timeline on when this will be available but I would encourage you to check out our Beta Community to join and potentially get access to new features first when we test them out. 

[taylorwillis]

Any update on this feature? I would like to use Square in our store, but round up is a must-have!

[Joe]

Hi there, @taylorwillis - no update to share on this Feature Request just yet. As soon as we do, we will bounce back here and update everyone accordingly.

Cheers!

[TMoney80]

So, Square! Y’all gonna add this option yet or not? This thread has been going since 2018. Let’s see some action to help us raise money for our charities! 

[avaarsaga]

I came here searching to see if this feature was available. It would drive Square's revenues up too bc of the added fees they'd get from the increased transaction total (unless they did a really cool thing and didn't charge a fee on round ups as a contribution to the various causes). How likely is it to become available at this point, Square Team? Thanks for all you do. 

[joyauxsweets]

So sad to see that it has been almost three years since this thread was created and there is still no round up feature.

[jjgard]

I agree.

[WhiskeyCharlie]

Please Square, add a **bleep** round up feature! 

[Misomiso]

I am adding my one cent to round up.. would think it would not take 3 years for this feature. Our company looking to do the same thing right now… 

[Headframe]

Here's my two cents for rounding up.  It'd be a lovely thing for Square to help small businesses setup charitable donations in our communities.  Think of the impact, Square!

[jaskegreen]

Adding my $.02 here. I'd love to give our customers an opportunity to roundup/donate to getting #morekidsonbikes. Square, allow your business owners to provide customers the opportunity to do something beyond themselves; to make a positive difference in the world.

[DM19]

We have a fireworks business. All of our locations help fund a local non profit organization. It would be nice to have a round up feature to help them even more. Please take this request seriously. 

[gribley]

Here to add to the demand for a "round up" feature. This is an important part of our brand and mission as a community-oriented small business.  It's really a shocking lack that Square hasn't addressed this yet.  This will be even more of a lack during the upcoming holiday season. 

Shopify can round up. 

Vend can round up. 

Clover can round up. 

eHopper can round up. 

CheckRedi can round up. 

I don't understand why Square can't even respond to this topic and let us know when this is coming, or why they won't do it.  When I chose Square, just a few months ago, I assumed this would work. It is enough of an issue to that I will consider moving to another platform. 

[BernadetteA]

Thanks for posting, @gribley We appreciate the added feedback. 

I don't have any updates to share at this time, but we will make sure to forward this information to the teams. 

[COH_Director]

It's been far too long to still not have any updates on this thread.  What is the progress on a round-up feature?!

[COH_Director]

I have worked with several non-profits.  There are a few workarounds, that all make donating "harder" on someone than it should be.  The way to incentivize someone to donate is to make it AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.  Many businesses in our small town are able to "round-up" your purchase to a donation, whether donating to them or to a specified charity.  I don't see why the programming would be any different if the non-profit did it for themselves, or if a for-profit did it for a non-profit organization.  Also, I don't see why the programming would be hard to implement - use almost the same programming as for "Tips," change the wording obviously, and make it auto-round to the nearest $1, the nearest $5, the nearest $10, to give it some customization.  Every other card processor has figured this out or partnered with someone who has.  Profits can increase when a customer knows your for-profit business supports local charities.  Donations are much easier to get at point-of-sale.

workarounds:

- For some reason the only one I ever see Square give is to have the cashier "ask" and then manually calculate the donation amount to add as a separate non-tax item.  If any discounts are applied, you have to manually remove the discount from this item.  Cashiers don't usually like to ask "can you round up for ____?," especially in some settings where you might be asking a lot of low-income people.  and how many cashiers can calculate change quickly in their head?  especially in a small business where you don't have a lot of people knocking down the door looking for work.

- Using the "Tips" function and posting signage that Tips=Donations.  I designed a sticker for the customer-facing display that reads "We Collect All "Tips" as Donations!..." "we are a 501(c)3 non-profit..."  This does not give you a round-up donation, instead it will give you a percent donation of the sale.  Advantages are you will be getting larger donations, and you can display to the customer you are (or are supporting) a non-profit with the messaging you provide at checkout.  Disadvantages are it's not the "usual" experience for the customer, some don't see the signage and just look at the checkout screen (my sticker over the display makes it seem a bit more like it belongs...), and the cashier always has to close out the ticket if the customer doesn't add a tip.

- Have a separate location and signage to collect donations: Jar/box (the old fashioned way...), a QR code or web link, or a separate donation terminal/kiosk.  This is not a bad option, and can be done consecutively with the other workarounds.  However, POS donations far surpass expectations in every setting I've used them in.  "Keep the change" is so common, but people need to KNOW that their change is being donated to some cause, or they won't offer it.  We've been using the tips funciton successfully, and its impressive how many people donate at the point of sale.

Since Square gets a percentage of amount of sales processed, I'd think increasing every purchase by $1-$5 would be a decent increase in profit.  Sooooooo many users would use this if available.  And having other round-up options besides to the nearest dollar, but to the nearest $5 and $10 amounts too, would make Square very competitive in folks that would use this feature.  I'm in a very small town... half or more of the businesses have a round-up feature.  The rest of us have workarounds to collect some sort of donation - whether its us collecting donations for ourselves, or the coffee shop collecting donations for the food pantry.]

Square NEEDS to add this feature... years and counting... so many of us requesting it... so many that would use it or switch to Square if they knew it was an option!

I say we all pitch together and pay a Square developer to make this... who's in?? How do we start making sure this happens?  How do we "freelance" API developers that know Square??  It can't be that hard to program... seriously!! If we are all nonprofits we could even get a tech grant that could help fund it??