50 cent Delivery fee?

[Wavemaker]

Can someone explain to me the 50 cent delivery fee that square chargers per order when delivery is selected? Starting July 1st?

Why does this exist? Delivery costs ME money. What's it to square if someone picks up their order or I deliver it for free?

[#2]

I wanted to take a minute to continue the conversation around this topic, answer some of the questions that have come up, and address some of your concerns.

Why are you charging a fee for deliveries?

Instead of charging a high fixed monthly fee or a large commission, we chose a business model where we are only successful when you are. Having a sustainable business model also enables us to continue to deeply invest in building out a competitive delivery and online ordering platform with all of the functionality that you need to be successful. 

What about scheduled deliveries? (or other needed features)

This is a new platform, and we hear your feedback that there is some missing functionality that you need. We have been working very quickly on releasing updates to the product (you can see the release notes for April and May). We are currently building scheduled delivery functionality and plan to launch it soon, and are eager to hear your feedback on what other features would be critical to help you operate more effectively. 

How can I afford these fees on top of others?

Anyone who has had to make the shift online over the last few months can attest that online selling is a different experience with its own unique challenges. Online orders typically come with a different set of fees, including different processing rates (read more about why here), and it is important to adjust to ensure that your margins remain sustainable. In addition to custom delivery fee settings, we also offer an optional service fee setting, which you can learn how to configure in our local delivery support article.

We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to engage and discuss here. We are dedicated to building out a fully featured delivery and online ordering platform, and to be your partners in helping you build a direct channel to engage with your customers. We want to add value to your business by streamlining your operations, saving you and your employees’ time, and improving the delivery experience for your customers.

Please let us know what features you need, and what we could do to improve the platform -- we are very quickly releasing new functionality and are prioritizing what we build based on your feedback!

[Joe · Accepted solution]

Hi there, @Wavemaker - thanks for taking the time to reach out to us here on the Seller Community. We can help provide some clarity, here.

Due to Seller hardship resulting from COVID-19 related restrictions, we announced a fee waiver for 3 months (April, May, June). 

As of this week, we have begun contacting Sellers again to inform them that fees will resume. Sellers will be charged 50¢ per order for all local delivery orders occurring on and after July 1st. This fee will be subtracted along with current processing fees and will be visible in the seller Dashboard.

It's important to note that this fee is associated for Seller-powered deliveries only. Pickup orders have no charge and courier-powered delivery will have separate fees associated.

You can learn more about Square processing fees and pricing here. 

Let me know if you have any clarifying questions! We are here to help.

[luxcrafter]

Have you considered that the "high volume of posts on this question" are directly correlated with the fact nobody from Square has attempted to give even a semblance of a sane answer here, a fact no doubt in good part because there is no sane, defendable answer that can be given. Admit what it is -- a cash grab, pure and simple, of unearned funds totally unrelated to any service Square does or purports to provide. 

[Wavemaker]

Can you post a screenshot of this? I only see a 30 cent fee. And nothing about delivery?

So is it the % + 30¢  PLUS 50¢? for orders made online with delivery selected?

[Alexh]

Yes, it is the %+$0.30+$0.50 for delivery orders. That is what I am understanding. 

[orik]

Basically your answer is - "we're doing this because we can." 

Next week maybe take away the ability to sell online altogether unless we pay you $1.00 per order? 

It's enough that you've dramatically raised processing fees for smaller transactions, and that you charge $0.30+ for online orders even when they are for in-store pickup (so low risk). 

The second I have time to raise my head above the water of trying to survive, I'm taking my business away from you, as should any ethical person.

[Phillybaker]

This is really the worse timing for this.  I'm working on a workaround and shopping for another place to host the store.  This is insane.  I calculated that this will cost us over $150 a month in extra fees.  For that, I will not use the delivery feature and manage the deliveries myself until I find a better online store.  There is no justification for this fee.  

[Chardstem]

I can't believe Square is trying to make it seem like "that fees will resume." when, correct me if I am wrong, I didn't even think "Delivery" was an option before COVID on their website? The addition of a .$50 charge for every order that is marked as Delivery is ludicrous and a blatant act of price gouging due to a global pandemic that has forced so many businesses to Squares services. What kind of company does something like that? AND doesn't even respond with any kind of clarity as to why these new charges are being introduced. Is Square really struggling that badly that is needs ANOTHER charge added to seller's bills? I hope more people in the seller community see what absolute garbage this service has become and look to move their business elsewhere. 

Square isn't dealing with some big name businesses, the majority of us who are in the "Seller Community" are small businesses just trying to get by. 

Can someone from Square actually answer why this new charge is being introduced?

[Chardstem]

I am going to file a complaint to The Better Business Bureau. If anyone else wants to follow suit you can find information about that here:

https://www.bbb.org/consumer-complaints/file-a-complaint/get-started

[SilverSpoons]

We were never charged a fee to have our customers choose delivery prior to switching to Weebly. 

You already get your cut (based off of how successful we are) with your high merchant fee.

poor business practices for sure. We will be looking to move elsewhere. 

[Astoriateaco]

JOE. I need to point out. I am struggling small business owner. I did indeed have my business impacted by the pandemic. But for Square to waive a fee for the first few months of something that's lasting much longer is a lame attempt at a publicity stunt. Like many of the others here, I don't think you should be charging an extra fee. I already pay you plenty for the services of using your site builder. and the commission you take from my already low (competitive with amazon) prices. 

Seriously. If i could afford my own retail location, i'd be using pickup and then being charged nothing. 

But you don't seem to realize, if i can't afford a retail location, and the best i can do is offer free local delivery. Then you're not offering anything. You're scraping the lowest part of the barrel of your seller community. Get a grip. And stop being oppertunistic capitalistic money machine. And care about your sellers. 

[OsmanUnalan]

But I do my own deliveries. Square has nothing to do with delivering my products.  Is there a way to disable this feature as I have no intention of letting you steal more money from my pocket for providing none of the service.

[FlightKitchen]

Fully agree with everyone else here who is outraged about this $0.50 fee.

This is a blatant money grab for a feature that has no per-use cost to Square/Weebly. We're already paying a monthly fee for the store and development costs for the store's back-end should be fully funded through that, not other fees. It's especially ridiculous at a time when no businesses should be saddled with this kind of completely unnecessary burden either for themselves or their customers.

This fee should be outright eliminated or we will be taking our store and business elsewhere.

[Chardstem]

@FlightKitchen I completely agree. I hope more Seller's notice what Square is doing here and start looking elsewhere unless they are willing to remove this $.50 charge. 

[orik]

I thought I'd share this here:

Feedback requested

Hi Orik:

As a member of our Beta community, we monitor closely what our Sellers think and feel about changes in the experience and how to make Square the best possible solution for your business. I was just made aware of some posts about the delivery fee that is being changed from the eCom side of things, and I wanted to reach out for some feedback.

When you're a member of our Beta Community we do have the ability to take this feedback and bring it to our product teams in a way that is a little different from our everyday processes. 

What I would love to know and take to the eCom team are a few things. They may seem obvious, but getting this feedback can help us drive change and provide a different experience in the future.

1. What’s the biggest reason for your discontent over the fee on this feature?
2. It is usually suggested fee changes like this are passed onto the buyer. Can you tell me how this affects your buyers or how passing the fee onto your buyers affects you as the business owner?

What I'll do with the feedback:

I take this information to the teams and provide context for how it affects our sellers. Although I cannot promise change, this type of feedback is immensely helpful in have policies discussed and finding ways we can make services and features better. I understand this is important to you, and want to do all in my power to help.

Thanks so much- 

KellyJ

Beta Community Manager

Square Inc

orik

3 seconds ago

Hi Kelly,

1. You have added a minor software feature - basically one field in a flexible data structure. Adding such features, already present in other platforms, is part of ongoing maintenance that we expect in exchange for the fees we already pay.

2. You are subverting rules set by cities across the nation limiting delivery fees. I intend to call our own city council to inform them that while they've restricted parasitic behavior by Uber Eats, Grubhub etc., someone else is stepping up to the plate.

3. You misrepresent past communications, pretending that this is was a temporary fee forgiveness while in fact the delivery field didn't exist pre-covid and was never charged for.

4. You are taking no risk here - no interchange fees, no fraud handling, nada nada and nada. You're doing no ongoing work.

5. This is on the tail of increases in payroll fees and huge increases in transaction fees for casual dining places like ours - when I sell a $4 item today I pay square 10.4% of my intake because I have to use the online shop. Before that it was 5.1% when we could sell at the shop, and before September 2019 it was 2.75%

6. You suggest that we pass fee changes to the buyer, so let's talk about that $4 item - a loaf of bread in this case. Last year I priced it at $4. To pass all the new fees to a buyer I would now have to price it at $4.30 or $4.80 for delivery. So within 9 months, Square would be responsible for consumer inflation of 7.5% for takeout, or 20% for delivery. 

Can you see why this makes my blood boil?

Cheers,

Ori

[Chardstem]

@orik Thank you for sending that message to Square. I hope they actually do something about this. 

[Phillybaker]

What is Kelly's email address?  WE all likely want to comment to her.  

[orik]

I don't know. Kelly contacted me here. 

I forgot to mention how early this year Square announced that they'll be turning off the old square shop (by February?) and made us waste time move to weebly+square, only to then not turn the old shop off... days of my live that I'll never see back.

[Wavemaker]

People are obviously outraged. This is as predatory as it gets. How to we push this to be resolved? Do I really have to leave square in protest? The moderator chose a "Best Answer" and this case is supposedly "Solved".

[Phillybaker]

Seriously.  We are charging $1000 a day in sales with Square and this has seriously shaken my deepening reliance on this.   What is true: is this a charge that was suspended during Covid; or entirely new fee.  Orik, you comment, if true, really points to some very shady dealing here that really concerns me.  

[Wavemaker]

And honestly, how is 50¢ a one size fits all charge for every business' e-comm. It should be a % of what you're charging for delivery. WHICH IN MY CASE IS ZERO DOLLARS.

[luxcrafter]

It shouldn't be anything.  If you do charge for the service it gets rolled into the tab charged the customer of which square takes its cut.  So its already profiting off the fact a few shekels were added for local delivery.  To take money for absolutely no service being given is criminal.  Guess Jack needs a new pool liner or something.

[rich4747]

I agree.  I'm already paying fees for every transaction -- why are you adding another $.50 to that?  I switched from Weebly to Square because Square was supposed to offer a home delivery feature. After I made the switch, I found out that the home delivery feature wasn't really ready for prime time (eg., I can't specify delivery days, I can't automatically notify customers when items have been delivered), so it's a bit aggravating to learn now that you're going to slap on an additional fee for every transaction even after I'm paying you for your service through my subscription and for credit card processing.  How does it cost you more to offer home delivery than curbside pickup or some other way of selling products?