Use Square as a Not-for-Profit Organisation
Disclaimer: Please note that this guidance is general in nature and does not constitute legal, tax or any other type of professional advice. If you are unsure about your entity type or where to find the relevant information, we suggest that you consult with a professional.
Most not-for-profit organisations can use Square to process payments and collect donor information. We are now accepting applications from Incorporated Association and Unincorporated Association business entity types.
Get Started
Create your Square Account via a web browser on your phone or desktop computer/laptop.
Enter and confirm your email address, and create a password.
You can also create an account through the Square Point of Sale app.
Download Square Point of Sale to your compatible mobile device via the App Store or Google Play Store.
Open the app when it finishes downloading and Click Get Started.
Enter and confirm your email address and create a password.
We are required under applicable laws to verify the identity of all Square account holders for all business entity types. If you are the account holder, you will need to provide your full legal name, date of birth and current address for verification.
In addition to verifying your identity, you must also provide your ACNC Registration Number (if applicable) and your Association’s Australian Business Number (ABN) upon signup. You can’t create a Square account as an association without providing a valid ABN.
Read more about the required information for signing up with Square.
Bank Account Details
You can link or edit an Australian transactional account from your online Square Dashboard or Square Point of Sale app. You will need your account name, full Bank State Branch (BSB) and bank account number to link your bank account.
The bank account linking and verification process usually takes a few minutes, but for some banks verification can take up to 5 business days (excluding weekends and holidays). Square isn’t able to expedite the verification process.
There must be only one signatory for your bank account. Square requires the ability to set up a direct debit on the account, in the event that you process a refund for a transaction we have already transferred to you. When Square tries to set up the direct debit, our request will fail as not all signatories will have authorised us to do this.
Learn more about linking your bank account. If you run into any issues linking your bank account, read about bank account troubleshooting steps.
Fees
Discover a full breakdown of Square's fees and pricing.
Capturing Donor Information
You can collect customer information right from the transaction screen of the Square Point of Sale app. Any details collected this way will be available in your Customer Directory on your online Square Dashboard, so you can follow up with your customers at a later time.
To track your donations and view the payment details, visit Transactions in your Square Dashboard.
Accept Donations with Square Online
With Square Online, you can use the donation item type to accept donations of up to $5,000 on your website. Donation items are fully customisable and you can easily feature them on your homepage to raise awareness for your cause. Learn more about how to accept donations online.
Staff Collecting Payments
Team members can accept donations on your behalf by simply logging into the Square Point of Sale app from their device using the email address and password associated with your account.
If you need to track who is accepting what payments, our Team Management features can help sort that out. Learn more about using Team Management.