Text Box Modifiers

[TheRealChipA]

Greetings,

First, this is a request that applies to the whole Square ecosystem, to all POS.  But since there is not a feature request board for the item catalog, I chose to add it here since I use Square Restaurants App.

In Square Online, we can add what is called a “text box modifier” to items.  This allows us to collect free-format information from customers for things like gift message, engraving text, and so forth.  As useful as it is Online, this could be equally useful in the in-person environment in our stores.

So, my request is to add text box modifier capability to all Square POS as well, by adding it to the regular item catalog like it already exists in the Online item catalog.  Of course, this is also another very good reason for “one item catalog to rule them all,” but that is the subject of another feature request, I believe.  This is just a baby step toward that grand vision! Ha.

Thanks, all!

[_Violet]

Hi @TheRealChipA - Thanks for submitting this Feature Request.

I've updated the status to "Open". This step in the Feature Request process will be a time in which other Square Sellers can add their use cases to your idea to make it stronger and demonstrate further how much it is needed. Later on, we'll re-visit the most popular feature requests in the "Open for Votes" status and bring them to our Product Team.

To other Sellers who see this feature, please “like” the post and reply with a use case that your business would have. This will help to signal that this feature request is even more important to address.

[EnochS]

We really really need this. Will probably switch to Shopify if this does not get added for customized orders at big events. Square is really missing out on a huge customer base without this basic feature.

[SVAFC]

I think it would be great to make text modifiers available for POS. We are an art center that needs to collect quite a bit of customer data; however, we have many volunteers who only work every few months. If we could make our POS checkout for each item the same as the one on the online website, We would not have so much missing information for each customer/client. 

For example, online, we can require customers to enter their email and phone numbers. On the POS, we have to rely on our volunteers and staff to remember to enter this information into the notes portion of the item we are selling. If we could require these answers before check-out in-store at the POS, it would make everything much smoother.

The idea is that when a staff member adds an item with required text modifiers to the check-out, the required modifiers pop up, and the staff is prompted to fill in the information for the customer who is checking out in-store, and the customer would have the option to pay cash, check, or card. 

I do know that if someone pays with a CC, their information is auto-attached through their CC. However, many clients like to pay with checks or cash; some of our clients are older and cannot check out online, and our volunteer staff members cannot remember to input a customer into each transaction. So, if text modifiers were a pop-up and required when a particular item is added to the checkout, it would make things much easier for our staff and volunteers to collect the appropriate information during each transaction.

[RedBarnStudio]

I absolutely love the idea of adding text modifiers to the Square POS system! At our museum, we could use this feature in so many ways, including tracking artist information for craft fair applications. When artists pay their application fee in-store, having the POS prompt staff to collect all necessary details before accepting payment would ensure no questions are missed. While we could use separate software for this, having it integrated into the POS would be far more convenient for our team and volunteers.

For example, online, we can require fields like email, phone numbers, or other details as part of a checkout process. On the POS, however, we currently have to rely on staff or volunteers to remember to manually enter this information into the notes section of an item during the transaction, which often leads to missing or incomplete data. If required text modifiers were available at the POS, it could ensure a smoother and more consistent experience.

The feature could work as follows: when a staff member adds an item with required text modifiers (e.g., "Artist Name," "Medium," or "Contact Info") to the checkout, a prompt would appear requiring those details to be entered before completing the transaction. This would be especially helpful for customers who prefer to pay by cash or check, as their information isn't automatically captured like it is with credit card payments.

This functionality would also benefit organizations like ours, where volunteers work sporadically and may not be familiar with every process. By embedding prompts directly into the POS system, we could streamline transactions, improve data accuracy, and enhance the customer experience. It’s a feature with countless practical applications, and it would be a game-changer for organizations that collect detailed customer or client information during in-person transactions.

[Candlestore]

@_Violet ;

There is also this Ideate that you may want to merge or Open with others also asking for this.

https://www.sellercommunity.com/t5/Square-Point-of-Sale-app/Allow-text-modifiers-with-Square-POS/idi... 

I would also like this Text note option for Square POS (Retail) as we have Custom candles we make and have people pay for at the time of order as these are one off candles.  Think of Wedding Center piece candles needing a certain color to match Brides Dress or a note saying date required to pick up etc.  We also have an area for Make Your own candles and have about 20 scents to choose from, when people call back and say they want the Regular candle of the one they made, but for get the scent.  If we had a Text Note area we could put in Make Your Own Christmas Tree scent for example.  Currently we have an Item called Mak Your Own candle.... but no variations for all 165 scents as we only offer about 20 scents that change depending on season and demand or popularity these change.  We also get requests to add a Birthday or other custom message if the customer wants the Item shipped but is in store paying in Cash.  Cannot pay with cash from an Online store.

So add me to this request.