Do I need more than a Square terminal for my business?

[Sca-fashion]

Hi. I'm planning a bricks and mortar store. I really like the Square offering 

I was thinking of square register but do I need it? I want to subscribe to Square for retail and access the functionality of the service. It's apparel so bar coded. Can I access all the retail POS system and run the shop with just a terminal or two? 

does it need the register hardware to work or can it work with just the terminal? Can you run reports from the app on your phone or Mac?

[homeprogreen · Accepted solution]

Can you run a brick & mortar store on a square terminal? Yes you can although it is going to require some additional hardware to really make it work. I use Square for Retail on both the Square Register and IPads in Square Stands. In order to gain the functionality of Square for Retail you really need to run it on either of those. I can say that customers are constantly impressed with the Square Register and it definitely helps speed up checkout. Yes the Register is a little expensive but it was money well spent when I made the upgrade 

[maxpete]

@Sca-fashion Welcome to the Community, glad to have you here! 

Congrats on opening a store, that is super exciting! I know it can be quite daunting know the exact hardware that you need on top of all of the other things on your list. 

I'm tagging a few members to weigh in here based on their own experience running a brick and mortar. 

@TheRealChipA, @Candlestore, and @DinaLRosenberg 

[Candlestore]

@Sca-fashion ;

Congradulations on open a store front.

With the Terminal you would also want a Computer, either at home or at the store.  You do not need this to make a sale but it would make it easier to see the Reports and some of the other features through the Square Dashboard.  I use Chromebooks to access my Square Dashboard when I am at the store, and my Laptop when I am at home.  The Square app can see reports and print some but the best way I found out is through the Dashboard and then export them as a CSV or Excel file. 

The Terminal can run a store as long as you have a strong WiFi signal for it.  The Terminal from my reading can use a Scanner but requires more hardware to work.  Square Hub for Terminal : terminal-hub   Along with the Terminal you would still need a Cash drawer if customers choose to pay in cash.  The cash drawer can be anything from a cheap key operated one to one that is operated by a network printer or USB cable.  

Hardware from Square can run different apps such as Square for Retail or Square POS.  All the POS systems from Square can read Barcodes, with a barcode reader and possibly added hardware. The big Difference between POS and Retail is the ability within Square to Make barcodes.

You can use the Terminal through WiFi to connect to your Square catalog and sell what ever items you added or created in your Square Catalog.  The nice thing about the Terminal is it is easier to walk around your store with if a Customer asks do you have more of these or is this all you have?  With the Terminal you could look the item up and see how many you have in stock there.  The other POS systems like a Square Stand or Register you would need to go to your front checkout counter to look this up.  You could also install the App on your phone that you carry around and look up the item Quantity on hand.  

My actual setup is 2 Square Stands, 2 DS6878 2D scanners, A receipt Printer, A Cash Drawer, and 2 Bluetooth /USB card readers.

With the Terminal you can Print Receipts, and can connect a Scanner and a USB cash Drawer with an attached Terminal HUB. But when you walk around you may need to disconnect the HUB and loose the Scanner and Cash Drawer ability while mobile and the Hub is not connected.  

I used Square POS, Then upgraded to Square for Retail (Free) then finally upgraded to the Paid Square for Retail.

The Paid version has some more advanced reporting like COGS, and the ability to Print Barcodes.  

So the answer to your Question Can you run an etire store on the Terminal is Yes, but would you want to is the question to ask yourself.  Would I add a Terminal to my current system, Yes as we hire employees.  This could help move my Check out to other locations in the store or make it easy at local fairs. 

For me to keep costs Low I just went with a Square Stand, Refurbished Ipad with Wifi, and Square compatible Barcode readers.  

[Sca-fashion]

Thanks for your reply. I wasn't aware there was a free version of Sqaure for retail. Would that be a good option to start with? Do you think? Thank you

[Candlestore]

@Sca-fashion ;

Basically when you Sign Up for Square you are given the Option to Try Square for Retail for 30 Days for Free, if you decide not to subsribe to the Paid plan you will default back to the Free version.  Thats how it worked for me.

Here is a Link to show what is different between the versions of Square for Retail : https://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/retail/pricing 

The Free version is better than the POS but of course does not have all the bells and whistles of the Paid version.  Follow the link and then you can make an informed choice which is better.

[SCA_Fashion]

My free trial just started recently I have no idea why I'd rather they waited until I began trading 

I don't seem to be able to pause it though 

[Candlestore]

@SCA_Fashion ;

I am not sure why you have to wait either.  Only thing I can think of is because Square lets you Try the Paid version of Square for Retail for a month.  So they let you try all the Paid options, to see if there is something you may require that is not in the Free Square for Retail version.  Then if you decide not to use the Paid version it defaults back to the Free version.  When I started there were things that I needed that were not in the POS version so I tried the Square For Retail free.  I thought I did not need all the Paid features and went to the Free version of Retail.  After a few a year or so in business I went to the Paid version.   Again this is all based on what you are doing and how your business needs grow and change over time.  

[homeprogreen · Accepted solution]

Can you run a brick & mortar store on a square terminal? Yes you can although it is going to require some additional hardware to really make it work. I use Square for Retail on both the Square Register and IPads in Square Stands. In order to gain the functionality of Square for Retail you really need to run it on either of those. I can say that customers are constantly impressed with the Square Register and it definitely helps speed up checkout. Yes the Register is a little expensive but it was money well spent when I made the upgrade 

[Sca-fashion]

Thank you for your reply. I agree it looks good. 

with regard to your point on getting the most functionality out of square for retail. If I had a terminal or two plus laptop, would that suffice? What does the register do that the terminal + laptop can't? 

I initially was thinking about register but just wondering do I need that customer facing screen (I don't think square stand works for me as I don't want to be turning a screen around all day).

the customer facing screen I think it's good for food businesses but not necessarily an apparel store? And if I can run all reports from square for retail dashboard on a laptop... what does the register screen do that a laptop can't? 

I appreciate your invaluable experienced reply. 

[homeprogreen · Accepted solution]

Yes the terminal and a laptop will suffice. The front facing screen actually works very well for regular retail. It allows the customer to see the product and prices as they’re being rung up so it cuts out the “ how much was the pink top” and if you are planning on using a loyalty program then it allows the customers to sign in themselves from the front facing screen instead of you having to ask them for a phone number and typing it in yourself. Plus it definitely adds to the “upscale vibe”. Customers are just impressed with it. Sorry it took me a little while to answer, I was getting my shop open and taking care of the morning rush

[Sca-fashion]

Thanks v much 

[DinaLRosenberg]

When we started our shop 5 1/2 years ago we started on terminal and we now run three (we run two regularly and have the 3rd for busy holidays). We also have lap tops that we use to enter inventory, update the website, run reports (honestly we don't use that many reports as we have an accountant on retainer at this point- but in the beginning we didn't).

I would say get a much information about your products into square as property as you can. Costs, weights, variations, individual photos, etc. It's so important to set up properly at the onset- it's something I wish we did.

[phillipsrw]

Hi @Sca-fashion we have a retail business here in the UK. We started off using Square POS on our iPad, we then started to use Retail on the Register. The Register has been a game changer for us, for us a fantastic addition to the business. We also use a Square terminal for when the shop gets a little busy. The Register is intuitive to use and enables a quicker through put service, the we plough through the customer queues. 

The software is really intuitive, The UI is clear and generally just great all round.

If you have any specific questions re: the UK market, feel free to ask.

[SCA_Fashion]

Thank you that's v good of you to respond. 

regarding the use of a terminal. I understand retail running on an iPhone can also take payments? So wondering if I need a terminal as well as a register. 

what other parts of retail do you like? Do you use square to run a website too?

[phillipsrw]

@SCA_Fashion to be honest the Square Register is so niffty we only have to call on the Terminal at Christmas. So we have Android phones on hand as a back up such as WiFi dropping we take contactless payments on the phone. Via the mobile network. Terminal, we tend to prefer using this in store as it's a little bit more customers facing professional looking than whipping out the phone but it's an additional expensive the Terminal especially if you think you phone is OK 

We do use Square Online, feel free to check out our website. Again it's a really good platforms, as with a templated platform there are always some quirky bits that don't meet your expectations but you work around. It's certainly easy to use and setup and integrates with the Register perfectly especially if you are fulfilling online from your store, the inventory sync and reporting tools are absolutely brilliant. The only hangup I personally have is a personal gripe with marketing and loyalty. In the main they work well but things like text marketing haven't landed in the UK so things like loyalty sign-up via mobile numbers are great and you can offer a loyalty scheme but direct marketing using the collected texted sign-up isn't available in the UK just yet, I'm sure it will be here one day soon. 

Where are you based?

[SCA_Fashion]

Thanks!

based suffolk