Get started with Square for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants is our built-from-scratch platform designed specifically for restaurants. Whether you have a full service or a grab and go, Square for Restaurants is built for your front of house, back of house, and office.

Check out the full comparison of features between Square for Restaurants Free, Plus and Premium plans.

Sign Up and Set Up Your Account

• Sign Up: If you’re ready to get started, the first step is to sign up for your free 30-day trial. If you’re just getting started with Square, you’ll need to create a new account. If you already have an existing account, click Sign in with your Square account.

• Download the Restaurants App: The Restaurants app is an all-in-one restaurant solution. You can manage tables, bills, and team members. Square for Restaurants Free is available on both iPad and Square Register, but Square for Restaurants Plus features are only available on iPads at this time.

• Learn About Pricing: Your Square for Restaurants subscription price is based on the number of active locations and devices.

If you’ve already created a Square account, upgrading to Square for Restaurants is simple. When you subscribe, all of your existing account information will be available with Square for Restaurants — including your items, customers, team members, and bank account information.

Review the full comparison of features between Square for Restaurants Free, Plus and Premium plans.

Square for Restaurants and Square Register

To get started for the first time with Square for Restaurants Free on Square Register, simply sign in using your email and password or create a Restaurant device code from your online Square Dashboard. Then, sign in by tapping Device Code in the top corner of the Register screen. Then you can start taking payments.

Note: Square for Restaurants Plus features are not compatible with Square Register.

If this is your first time using the Square Register and you’ve already completed setup, make sure to check for an update by tapping Utilities > Settings > General > About Register > Software Update. You must be on version 4.17 or higher to log into Square for Restaurants.

Note: Square Register checks for an update every 15 minutes. If you don’t see one right away and your current version is lower than 4.17, make sure your device is connected to the internet and wait several more minutes for an update to appear.

If you have already been accepting payments on Square Register using Square Point of Sale, simply sign out of each device. Next, sign in using your email and password and select Square for Restaurants. You can also create a Restaurants device code from your online Square Dashboard to sign in and start taking payments.

• Create Device Codes: Customise your point of sale settings and sign into the Restaurants app. Enable Shared Settings if you have multiple points of sale at your restaurant. Note: The process for signing into the Restaurants app is a little different from the Square Point of Sale app; rather than using your email address and password to sign in, you’ll need to create a device code.

Create Menus

Next, you can create menus for each location and service — add drinks, starters, mains, item categories, and inventory counts.

• Create Items: Create a detailed menu with starters, drinks and dishes for each service.

• Manage and Track Items: Learn how to track your inventory, call out items, and view inventory history.

• Create Modifiers and Categories: Create item categories and modifiers to keep your order tickets, customer receipts, and sales reports detailed and organised.

• Set Up Menus: Create multiple menus, tailored for each service and location. Start setting up your menus.

Set Up Team Members

Create profiles for each team member at your restaurant.

• Set Up Team Members: Limit team permissions, assign passcodes, track hours. Start setting up team members.

Connect Hardware

Once you download the Square for Restaurants app and receive your hardware, you can start setting up your restaurant’s kitchen and server stations.

• Hardware Compatibility by Device: Make sure you’re connecting compatible hardware. Square for Restaurants is available and compatible with both iPad and Square Register.

• Set Up Your Hardware with Square for Restaurants: Configure your hardware from the app.

• Connect Recommended Hardware to Square Stand: If you’re using the Square Stand, learn how to connect hardware with the plug-and-play USB port.

• Use Square Terminal with Square for Restaurants: Use Square Terminal for table-side ordering.

Table and Floor Management

After you’ve set up your Square for Restaurants account, you’re ready to start seating tables and accepting payments.

• Build Your Floor Plan: Map out your restaurant and customise the Restaurants app by creating a floor plan.

• Accept Payments with Square for Restaurants: Process payments using Tap to Pay on Android with compatible phones or any other payment types, split bills, accept tips, and finalise bills.

• Bill Management: View bill actions — including how to move, assign, or void bills from the Restaurants app.

• Coursing with Square for Restaurants: Set up multiple courses and choose to hold, fire, or create item categories.

• Seat Tracking: Set and edit cover counts from Square Terminal as well as add items to a specific seat during order entry. These settings can be adjusted from your Dashboard Device Settings. You can assign a cover count to a table and a seat position to specific items at that table from any Square for Restaurants device. If there are any changes to the number of guests at a table, you can easily edit the number of seats on the open check.

Online Orders

Square Online, powered by Square, enables you to design your own website where customers can place online orders for pickup and shipping.

Once you get started, you’ll be able to manage incoming orders from the Restaurants app or your online Square Dashboard. To get started, just head to the Orders tab of your online Square Dashboard.

Learn how to set up your Square Online site, powered by Square.

End of Day and Reporting

With Square for Restaurants, you’ll have access to a suite of reporting tools.

• Customise Your Closing Procedures: Customising your closing procedures is the best way to ensure your team members complete all of the necessary steps before ending their shifts or closing the restaurant.

• Square for Restaurants Reports: Access in-app and online reports for a detailed breakdown of item and team member sales.

• End of Day Reports: Run team member shift, close of day, and cash drawer reports to close your restaurant.

• Tip Out Team Members: (If applicable to your business) Tip out team members payment card tips from an open cash drawer, or calculate tip pooling.