Anybody out there use self serve kiosk with square? Question about the setup build.

[saigonsandwich]

I think I'm going to use an ipad with kioskbuddy to start setting up some kiosks in my restaurant.

I was debating using a square stand mount with a mounting pole. Or maybe I might buy some ipad enclosures off amazon with some square readers. The only problem with the latter is I'm afraid someone might steal the square credit card readers if I'm not watching. Anybody have some thoughts on the physical setup? I kind of want something similar to what shake shack has here: 

 shake shack setup 

Any thoughts on how to secure a square reader better? I was thinking grabbing one of these off of Amazon ipad mount and maybe some velcro/3M double sided tape for the reader 🤔 I don't really want to weld anything here is possible.... Maybe if anyone knows something off of amazon that would "secure" the reader.

What do you guys think look/would work best? My brain is fried from trying to find the best solution here. Also, is anyone using the new square kiosk app?  square kiosk 

Thoughts, experiences theories and opinions are all very much appreciated here 😄

[maxpete]

Thanks for your question! Tagging some folks here that might have some suggestions here!

@ryanwanner, @rtfulk, and @EcoAutoClean 

[ryanwanner]

Hello @saigonsandwich  and thanks for the ping @maxpete !

I used to have KioskBuddy set up in my store to assist with the checkout process. It was especially useful through the pandemic.

My setup was an old Square Stand v1 plus a reader in the old dock next to it. Our kiosk was easily seen by my team so I wasn't too worried about a theft issue. Plus, the old dock was surprisingly heavy and was hard wired. The Stand I had attached via double sided tape and had the power cord run through a hole in the counter underneath. It wasn't going anywhere. Unless you can get your hands on some of the older tech this solution won't work for you however.

I like your idea of the Stand Mount on the floor mounted post. Square has a mounting post available as well. Bonus here: KioskBuddy and the new Square Kiosk will both run on that hardware with no issue. If I was setting up a kiosk solution again this is the way I'd go.

Let me also add to keep an eye on your demographic. I ran a mix of older and younger clientele: the older ones wouldn't touch the kiosk for any reason whatsoever but the younger ones took to it without a pause. If your clientele skews older a kiosk may not work that well for you.

[saigonsandwich]

Hey @ryanwanner ! Thanks for the reply!

I suppose this kiosk will also be monitored by my team quite a bit, so maybe I shouldn't be worried about theft too too much here. I'll be sure to place them in somewhere very visible if my space allows. I've had some time to think about this throughout the day and it's probably best to stick with a square stand or square stand mount for a kiosk solution and price is similar to an amazon tablet holder + chip reader. No need to worry about managing/taping down an external card/chip reader. 

And definitely, The mounting post is probably a very good way to go now that you mention it/second it. I remember ordering from this one restaurant at an airport(get Reef Virtual Food Hall) and it was operated by only three kiosks with mounting poles... It was good overall streamlined experience and I remember liking the general vibe of all the customers there. How much of that I attribute to the kiosks being on a pole though is quite hard to pin down 😅

Anyways I also appreciate the heads up on the differing demographics. I would say there are many many younger clientele in my restaurant so hopefully we will get good usage of the kiosks. Hopefully this isn't one of those things that I'm putting in only to have no one use.. ex: square loyalty and square gift cards only to have most of my clientele barely even use them as well....🤔

Anyways the real question is whether or not an ipad 9th gen will last a long time as square stand/stand mounts only supports the 9th gen ipad at this time. Worried it's going to be a little bit dated coming up, but we will see. Anyways thanks again for the response @ryanwanner and @maxpete for tagging people in!

[bobaOC]

I also have been a KioskBuddy supporter since the pandemic.

With that said, I have the same hardware set up with the original white Square Stand + Reader and an older iPad 5th gen. KioskBuddy works perfectly fine with the set up but Square Kiosk doesn't detect the hardware at all. I had wanted to try out Square Kiosk but it seems like it isn't compatible with the older hardware anymore. I did message a Square representative who pretty much confirmed it.

If the Square Kiosk app worked previously and now it doesn't (I downloaded version 6.52 of the Kiosk app to try), I am assuming they are doing this for monetary reasons by forcing you to purchase their newer hardware (not to mention a newer iPad).

The reasons I wanted to try out Square Kiosk is because KioskBuddy doesn't seem to have an in-between plan. They jump from $500 to $1000 on an annual plan and I wish there was a $750 one or something like that. Also, having direct integration with Square POS/Restaurants might be easier when 86ing an item or modifier.

Is your set up with the Square Stand + Reader version 1 still working with Square Kiosk?

Are there any pros and cons to the Square Kiosk app versus KioskBuddy that you've noticed from your time with both? I've been reading that Square Kiosk is a web based app and is slower and possibly not as user friendly.

I wanted to give the new Kiosk app a try but I don't want to purchase a new iPad and a new Square Stand just to do so and possibly end up not liking it. 😅

[bobaOC]

Sorry I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do this but I'll tag @ryanwanner and @saigonsandwich if y'all are still in the community. Thanks!

[ryanwanner]

Hey @bobaOC ! You definitely can tag people in the posts! Easier to notice new comments when we're pinged! 🙂

I personally haven't used the Sq Kiosk yet. I did try to set up a new kiosk on an old v1 stand with a connected reader and it didn't see the stand. I'm assuming that this means you have to use the new hardware only. As for your monetary reasons comment, I don't believe that's the driving factor. The old v1 stands and the iPads needed can't be upgraded much anymore, I know that my iPad can't go above iOS 17.1. As the tech continues to evolve, keeping older hardware can potentially pose a security risk, especially in an unmanned kiosk setting. Better to be safe than sorry!

I do know KB was pretty darn solid when I used it, including instant 86es whenever I updated inventory on the point of sale. I think my only quibble with KB was that we had to refresh item data every time we added anything: it wasn't pulling new data automatically. I don't know if that's been fixed yet or not, but to me it was a small price to pay for the convenience.

Hope this helps!

[bobaOC]

@ryanwannerThank you so much for the reply and clarification!

From the post earlier in July, I thought your set up with the Square Stand + Reader version 1 worked with Square Kiosk in addition to the KioskBuddy app. I must have misunderstood. Sorry about that!

And yes, KB still requires you to manually refresh new items and/or changes. But it is quick and easy so I definitely have no problems with that too!

Appreciate the quick response!