Hardware Compatibility By Device

Square Point of Sale and Terminal are compatible with a wide variety of third-party hardware accessories. Depending on the device that you are using for your Point of Sale, you’ll have different hardware options. Below, you’ll find lists of supported accessories based on your hardware preference, the device you have, connection type, and information on getting set up.

Overview of the connection types:

USB

USB devices plug directly into the compatible device and generally offer very reliable connections. If you are using the Square Stand or Square Terminal with Accessory Hub, you can plug your USB accessory directly into the USB hub on the power cord. For Android devices, you’ll need to connect through a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adaptor. Be sure to check that your Android device supports USB OTG or USB Host mode. For Square Terminal, you must purchase a Hub for Square Terminal to connect hardware accessories.

Ethernet

Ethernet devices plug directly into your router using an Ethernet cable. Once connected to your router via the Ethernet cable, your hardware accessories will connect to your device through the Wi-Fi connection. For Square Terminal, you must purchase a Hub for Square Terminal to connect via Ethernet.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi devices connect wirelessly to your router. Once connected to your Wi-Fi, your hardware accessories connect to your device through the shared Wi-Fi connection. Ensure that both your device and your hardware accessories are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, if they are on different networks the connection will not be successful.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth devices connect to your device wirelessly using the Bluetooth connection. Bluetooth works best in close proximity. You’ll want to make sure that your device and your hardware accessories are all within 3 metres of each other. Note that Bluetooth is not available on Terminal at this time.

Printer-driven

Cash drawers connect directly to a compatible receipt printer in order to open automatically. These cash drawers can still be manually opened with the cash drawer key if they are not plugged in.

Receipt Printers

You can connect a thermal receipt printer to your Point of Sale app or Terminal to quickly provide your customers with a paper copy of their receipt to keep for their own records.

^ Combined Printer and Cash Drawer.
^^ Manual configuration may be required for compatibility.
^^^ Portable printer, can’t power a cash drawer.

Note: You’ll need to connect your USB receipt printer to your Android device through a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adaptor. Be sure to check that your Android device supports USB OTG or USB Host mode.

Kitchen Ticket Printers

Using an impact kitchen printer allows you send tickets right to your bar or kitchen without worrying about heat destroying your receipts.

Note: You’ll need to connect your USB receipt printer to your Android device through a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adaptor. Be sure to check that your Android device supports USB OTG or USB Host mode.

Cash Drawers

You can connect a cash drawer to your Point of Sale through your receipt printer. When you connect a cash drawer, it will automatically open when you accept a cash payment and you can take full advantage of Square’s cash drawer management features.

Note: A printer driven cash drawer is a cash drawer that needs to be connected to your Square Point of Sale through a receipt printer to function correctly.

^ Combined Printer and Cash Drawer.

Barcode Scanners

If your inventory utilises barcode technology for tracking purposes, you can connect a barcode scanner directly to your Point of Sale. A barcode scanner allows your cashiers to quickly ring out items without having to scroll through your item library.

Note: You’ll need to connect your USB receipt printer to your Android device through a USB OTG (On-The-Go) adaptor. Be sure to check that your Android device supports USB OTG or USB Host mode.

Other Accessories

In addition to printer, cash drawers, and barcode scanners, the Square Point of Sale supports other accessory types to fit a variety of businesses.

Note: While the supported hardware listed in this article is compatible with Square Point of Sale, we cannot guarantee compatibility with Square’s third party integrations.