CES Android App of the Week: Square
Expanding our abilities with smartphone and tablet hardware was a common theme at many booths this year at CES.
As this show is about the tech INDUSTRY however, this week I’m not going to be covering a game or entertainment app. I had the pleasure of speaking with representatives of Square, an app that transforms any Android or iOS device into a mobile Point of Sale system for credit card transactions. This is maybe one of the most compelling business uses I’ve seen yet for mobile “entertainment” devices. I’ve encountered several businesses trying to employ the iPad as a POS for sales floor reps, but it’s often a hamstrung setup, usually involving the sales rep simply navigating to that company’s website on the iPad to complete the order. This is a task better served by traditional POS solutions.
Square serves as a front end for the transaction, and with compatible hardware, has an add-on which plugs into a headphone jack, allowing individuals to swipe credit cards instead of manually entering in card info. After you’ve set up an account with Square, you’ll be sent one of these add-ons in the mail. It’s a pretty nifty little setup.
Customers sign just as they would at any traditional retail location, and the app allows you to track sales information on clients that do repeat business with you.
Square takes 2.75% for their commission, which stings a little, but is an easier pill to swallow than the fees you’d get on Paypal; and even if you don’t have the ability to swipe a card, you can still enter in card info manually.
I’m extremely impressed with the service so far, and am strongly considering moving more of my consulting and payment services over to Square. It’s a free download in the App Market, and is far and away my standout business app from CES!
Square in the Android App Market
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