To review this product, we tested and photographed a Square Terminal on different occasions and in different contexts. Let’s first look at what it is before our detailed opinion about it.
| Square Terminal | |
|---|---|
| What is it? | Wireless EFTPOS terminal with receipt printer |
| Price | $329 incl. GST |
| Transaction fee | 1.6% |
| Connections | WiFi only (LAN available) |
| Battery life | Full working day from full charge |
| Cards accepted |           |
What is Square Terminal?
Square Terminal is a unique, wireless EFTPOS terminal. With no monthly fee, just a fixed transaction rate of 1.6%, small businesses and tradies can accept contactless and chip card payments anywhere with secured WiFi (not 4G, as it has no SIM card).
The terminal has a large touchscreen with a receipt printer and point of sale (POS) features installed.
What is Square?
Square is an American payment company that launched the world’s first mobile app-dependent card reader in 2010. It arrived in Australia in 2016, making way for a new breed of mobile EFTPOS terminals without monthly fees or contracts.
The Square EFTPOS machine does more than just card payments. You can, for example, accept gift cards and edit a product library.
From start to finish of each transaction, the touchscreen is used to navigate POS functions, like you would in the Square Point of Sale app for Square Reader. Where required, customers enter a PIN code or sign to verify their card on the touchscreen.
All transactions and activities on the terminal are connected to your backend Square account, where you find more features, ecommerce and integrations.
Our opinion and evaluation
We think Square Terminal is a great all-round POS terminal for a good price. The plastic casing and screen feel like good quality, and the software is constantly updated with improvements. In my tests, the product has never failed or disappointed.
Just beware of its lack of SIM card, meaning it only works with WiFi (optionally LAN), with an offline mode for emergencies. If you just need a small, portable payment terminal to carry around premises or keep on a small counter without a separate receipt printer, this is a stylish contender.
Big advantages are the lack of contracts, with round-the-clock support and useful extras like offline mode included. The availability of instant deposits, if you can’t wait until the next day, is also a massive bonus.
The default software is basically the Square Point of Sale app, but specialised POS systems by Square for restaurants, retail and appointments are easily linked up.
The device excels at usability – it’s a very straightforward EFTPOS machine that’s not cluttered with irrelevant checkout features. The size is compact, style sleek, yet it allows for plenty of extra business tools without breaking the bank.
Summary and reasons behind ratings:
| Criteria | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Product Payments: Excellent Hardware: Good Software: Excellent |
Good / Excellent |
| Cost and fees | Good |
| Value-added services | Good / Excellent |
| Contract | Excellent |
| Sign-up and transparency | Excellent |
| Customer service | Good |
| FINAL RATING | [4.5/5] |
Bottom line: Square Terminal offers superb value for small shops that need the most user-friendly, portable checkout without a lock-in contract.
Pricing: straightforward, no hidden fees
A major upside to Square is their straightforward pricing structure. You just pay for the terminal, then a fixed transaction rate for any debit and credit cards processed.
There’s no minimum sales volume requirements, payout fees or lock-in contracts. Unless you have opted to pay for the terminal over a number of months, there are no fixed monthly costs.
Best offer at the moment
Get Square Terminal for $329 or pay over 3, 6 or 12 months. No ongoing fees or contract. Free delivery in 2-7 business days.
Mobile Transaction is an independent payment industry resource trusted by over a million small businesses per year.
We allow providers to offer product discounts for the benefit of our readers, which do not influence our reviews. Ratings are based on full retail price. (Policy)
The card machine costs $329 upfront including GST and a 1-year limited warranty.
You can also choose to pay in instalments of 3, 6 or 12 interest-free monthly payments (subject to credit check and approval). If you choose to pay over 12 months, the monthly instalment is $28 incl. GST. Repayments are handled internally by Square, not a third-party provider, and the first instalment is taken when the order is placed.
You can also rent Terminal along with any other POS hardware for short-term events like pop-up shops, fundraisers and festivals. This needs a custom quote, as all merchants will have different requirements.
Square Terminal costs:
| Charges* | |
|---|---|
| Square Terminal purchase | Upfront price: $329 Instalments: $28 x 12 months 3- and 6-month plans available |
| Shipping | Free |
| Monthly fee | None |
| Chip, tap fee | 1.6% |
| Keyed card fee | 2.2% |
| Transfers to bank account | Next day: Free Instant: 1.5% |
| Refunds | Transaction fee is retained |
| PCI-DSS compliance | Free |
| Chargebacks | Free |
* Costs include GST.
Transactions cost a fixed 1.6% rate for all chip and tap payments through the terminal regardless of card brand, country of issue or type of card.
You can even add a surcharge automatically all the time or during weekends (to help with increased staff costs during this time). This is a flexible setting that can be changed any time.
Afterpay (buy now, pay later option) has a higher transaction fee of 6% + $0.30 + GST, but helps close high-value sales where the customer doesn’t have enough money upfront.
All keyed payments through the terminal or online via email invoices, the online store or virtual terminal cost 2.2% per transaction.
For refund processing, Square retains the original transaction fee paid, but chargebacks incur no admin fees. You get free payment dispute support from the Square team, should a chargeback occur.
Photo: Square
Square Terminal Hub has three USB ports for optional POS accessories.
If you’re connecting the EFTPOS terminal to other hardware, you’ll need the Hub for Square Terminal for $79. The Hub is also necessary if you use an Ethernet connection instead of WiFi.
Fast transfers: popular with merchants
All card transactions through Square are typically transferred, free of charge, to your bank account the next day. This includes weekends, as long as your bank account is compatible with real-time transfers. It could take a day longer for certain cards, such as those issued abroad, to reach your account.
Merchants can receive deposits in any Australian bank account registered in their business name.
If it’s important to get funds faster, qualifying merchants can activate Instant Transfers. This allows you to receive transactions within minutes of accepting an EFTPOS payment for an additional fee of 1.5%.
Terminal features: decent build, versatile software
Looking at Square Terminal, you might ask yourself if its unique design comes at the expense of performance. In my experience, it really doesn’t, but there are certain caveats worth highlighting.
Hardware
The first thing worth saying about the Square Terminal’s hardware: the battery genuinely lasts a full working day, even with that large, power-hungry touchscreen running. That’s a real achievement and one fewer thing to stress about during a busy shift.
That said, there’s a catch we discovered in testing: leaving the terminal on standby drains it completely overnight. Our advice is to switch it off fully when you close up, or you’ll be waiting for it to charge before your first customer the next day.
Photo: Emmanuel Charpentier (EC), Mobile Transaction
Receipt rolls are changed easily at the back.
The built-in receipt printer is a genuine highlight. Changing the paper roll is intuitive enough that you won’t need to consult a manual, and tearing off receipts mid-transaction feels smooth and natural. It’s a small thing, but it matters in a busy shop.
One limitation worth flagging: Square Terminal has no SIM card slot, so doesn’t connect with mobile 4G networks. It runs on WiFi only (or Ethernet via the optional Hub). We’d love to see Square add a SIM slot in a future version – it’s the most obvious gap in an otherwise capable device.
But if the WiFi stops working, fret not. The terminal accepts cards offline, as long as you reconnect with the internet within 24 hours to finalise the processing online.
Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction
Underneath the terminal.
Underneath are two rubber strips and a hole for screwing the terminal on to a surface. We find these really make a difference on a counter, where Terminal sits really stable compared with most other card machines on the market.
Physically, it’s a bit heavier than a push-button card machine (417 g versus circa 300 g). This is due to the large screen, whereas an old credit card machine with a physical keypad has a small display.
Square Terminal tech specs:
| Hardware specifications of Square Terminal | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 142.2 mm (L) x 86.4 mm (W) x 63.5 mm (H) |
| Display size | 139.7 mm |
| Weight | 417 g |
| Data | WiFi (secured network only), Ethernet via Hub |
| Card technology | EMV (chip), NFC (contactless), magnetic stripe |
| Battery life | All day from full charge |
| Built-in receipt printer | Uses 57 mm (width) x 35 mm (diameter) thermal receipt paper |
| Accessories included | Square Terminal, power adaptor, receipt paper roll, ‘accepted cards’ decals |
Software
Square Terminal’s software is very similar to the Square Point of Sale app downloadable from the App Store or Google Play on a phone.
For instance, the checkout screen is divided into manual price entry, product-searching or tapping to add items from a library.
Photo: EC, Mobile Transaction
Users can select the software language.
Photo: Square
The product menu at checkout.
The checkout flow and products can be edited on the terminal – no need to log on to a computer. There are product variants like size and colour and eat-in or takeaway options for coffee shops.
It has many alternative payment methods, such as cash, ‘card on file’ for recurring payments and gift cards (issued from the terminal too). It’s also possible to split the tender, add tips and print, email or text receipts.
Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction
Square Terminal vs Square Reader.
You can create and send invoices directly on the terminal, with a customer library to save their details for it. Over-the-phone payments are also possible – just choose manual card entry as the payment method.
Transactions, sales history and reports are also viewable on the terminal, along with options to refund (itemised or custom amounts) or resend receipt via email or SMS. We like the receipt customisations, and food-and-drink merchants can use the Terminal to print order tickets.
Photo: Emily Sorensen (ES), Mobile Transaction
Using the touchscreen of an industry-approved terminal like Square’s is secure.
The software automatically updates daily when the Terminal is connected to the internet. Just be prepared to wait for the update to process when you switch on the terminal every day (it took several minutes on most days we tested it).
For increased security, the terminal can request a password login (which can be reset) every time it’s used.
Square Terminal compared with Handheld and Reader
If you’re looking for a more affordable solution, we can also recommend Square Reader. This is a contactless and chip card reader that’s connects with your iPhone, iPad or Android device, using the mobile device’s 4G or WiFi to process cards.
Square Handheld is Terminal’s closest alternative with its large touchscreen and direct connection with WiFi (not 4G, sadly). It’s flatter for easier carrying and has a barcode scanner instead of a receipt printer. This makes it better for retailers, whereas restaurants might prefer Terminal for its table-side receipt printing.
Key differences between Reader and Terminal:
| Square Reader |
Square Terminal |
Square Handheld |
|
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
| Price | $65 incl. GST | $329 incl. GST | $349 incl. GST |
| Standalone? | |||
| Prints receipts? | |||
| Scans barcodes? | |||
| Connectivity | Bluetooth to mobile device with 4G or WiFi | WiFi, Ethernet only with additional Hub | WiFi |
| Battery life | Over 24 hours’ active use | 8-10 hours’ active use | Full business day’s use |
| Dimensions | 66 x 66 x 10 mm | 142.2 x 86.4 x 63.5 mm | 179 x 79.3 x 21.9 mm |
| Weight | 56 g | 417 g | 315 g |
In any case, Terminal sits better on a countertop with its rubber strips, whereas Handheld is literally for holding. Square Reader can be purchased with a charging dock for a counter and fits into any small pocket due to its tiny footprint.
Accessories and POS hardware
If you’re asking “how does this work with the rest of the POS system?”, we should emphasise the EFTPOS machine IS the POS system.
That said, you can attach hardware through the optional Hub for Square Terminal (purchased separately for $79). The Hub connects to the terminal via a cable, has three USB ports for POS hardware and one Ethernet socket for a wired internet connection.
Compatible POS equipment is plugged into the Hub’s USB ports (Bluetooth not accepted) and includes:
- Receipt printers
- Kitchen ticket printers
- Kitchen display
- Cash drawers
- Barcode scanners
What about POS software? Does it integrate with more advanced, industry-specific POS systems?
Yes, Square Terminal connects with all of Square’s own point of sale systems geared towards restaurants, retailers and booking services. Just a few years ago, it didn’t integrate with other apps than Square Point of Sale for general checkout features.
How does Square Terminal support online ordering?
I could comfortably manage online orders on Square Terminal, which is quite an advantage for a small business that’s too busy to leave customers to fulfil an order on a computer.
Whether online orders are executed via Square or a third-party integration, you can do the following directly from Square Terminal:
- Receive and print online orders
- View order status
- Update order fulfilment status
- View order type
- Add tracking information to an order
- Cancel an order
While the terminal is mainly for face-to-face transactions, Square has many options for accepting orders and payments remotely. These include:
So Terminal is really convenient for businesses selling through multiple sales channels.
Excellent reporting
On the Terminal, you can view sales history, generate custom reports and track sales by team members. That being said, you can’t view the cash drawer session history like you can on a tablet or computer.
All users have backend access to sales reports sorted by date, location, time period and more. These can be viewed in any internet browser logged into Square. Reports can be exported to Excel or integrated with popular accounting platforms like MYOB, QuickBooks, Xero and Zoho Books.
Square also has lots of free analytics on gift cards, popular sales categories, sales trends, transactions, discounts, employee sales, etc. We were especially impressed by the the custom reports that all Square users can create free of charge. That’s usually a premium feature that costs extra in other payment software!
Who is Square most suited for?
If you’re a small shop, café, hairdresser or any other type of merchant who doesn’t require a complicated checkout, Square Terminal will save you counter space and money because you don’t need to buy a receipt printer, tablet or touchscreen monitor.
An existing cash register without an EFTPOS machine could do well with a Square Terminal as a way to venture into card payments.
If you sell primarily online, but have a brick-and-mortar store, the simple Square Terminal checkout could be what you need to connect those sales without superfluous equipment to fill your face-to-face shop.
It works best in locations with a fixed WiFi connection or countertop, where an Ethernet cable can be hooked up. For this reason, we would not recommend it for use on the go where WiFi networks can’t be relied upon.
Photo: ES, Mobile Transaction
Square Terminal is handy for carrying around in your work area.
Customer service and user reviews
Customer support is available by phone, around-the-clock, exclusively for Square Terminal users. During normal business hours, the support team on hand is even based in Australia.
If it were Square’s other products, you would only have day-time support on weekdays. The online Support Centre answers most questions, though.
Square Terminal has a year’s warranty. If required, a next-business-day hardware replacement is available in metro areas. But wait – there’s more. You’re also free to change your mind and get a full refund within the 30-day cooling-off period.
In truth, customer reviews are mixed. Many users complain about poor service, account verification issues and funds being held. Such complaints are typical of payment companies. Many more users are positive about the ease of use, affordability and fast transfers.
Getting started
It’s very easy to get started with a Square EFTPOS machine. Just fill in an online sign-up form and submit the requested business, personal and bank account details to be verified by Square. The following business entities are usually accepted:
- Companies
- Partnerships
- Sole traders
- Trusts
It’s also necessary to have a government-issued ID (driver’s licence, Medicare card or passport) handy. You need an Australian-based bank account so you can receive transfers from Square.
The information will be assessed and verified by Square within days. Some trading areas are restricted, like multi-level marketing, escort services or harmful products, but such restrictions are typical of payment companies.
Accepting remote or keyed-in payments is possible before Square’s verification, in which case transactions are held by Square until your bank account is ready to receive money.
You can order the terminal right after signing up. Delivery takes 2-7 business days.
Square Terminal is so intuitive you can use it within minutes of opening the box – just make sure your WiFi is accessible so it can update the software.
