COVID Reopening Guide
For business owners across Australia, we want to offer support and help in the ways we can. This page will serve as a resource for common questions and issues you may face as you get ready to reopen your business.
Important COVID Resources for Sellers
First, make sure that you review our COVID-19 Resources for Sellers. This page will walk you through safe options for payment processing, suggestions for prioritising your team’s health and much more.
Account and Hardware Setup
We recommend you take the time to make sure that your Square account and products are correctly set up, active and updated. Review the following resources:
Is your Square account active? You can check the Notification Centre in your online Square Dashboard to make sure there are no pending actions required on your account.
Is your Square POS app up to date? Check that your Square Point of Sale app is up to date. If you’re running an older version of the Square app, this can cause potential problems when you try to connect your Square Reader or other hardware and take payments. You should also ensure that the Operating System of your device is up to date. Check how to update Apple devices and Android devices.
Is your hardware ready to go? Check out our Square Register Guide, Square Terminal Guide and Square Stand Guide to cover all of your setup and troubleshooting basics. You can also review these reader troubleshooting tips if you’re having trouble pairing your Square Reader to your device.
Can you take contactless payments? Encourage contactless payments where possible. Square Reader, Square Terminal, Square Stand and Square Register accept contactless tap-and-go payments, allowing customers to complete their purchase without needing to enter a PIN to finish a transaction.
Contactless card payment limits
In April 2020, card networks—including Visa, American Express, and JCB—announced their support for raising contactless card payment limits from $100 to $200 across Australia. This change reduces the need for physical contact with Square hardware, as a customer's PIN will only be required on contactless card payments over $200.
Note: Mastercard has resumed a CVM (cardholder verification method) limit of $100 per contactless card payment. From 2 Feb 2023, customers paying via Mastercard must enter a PIN for contactless card payments over $100.
Products and Feature Updates
Square has many products that you can utilise to make sure you reopen in a safe manner.
Self-Serve Ordering and QR Codes
Self-serve ordering offers a safe, contactless dine-in experience that’s quick and easy to use. Instead of browsing a paper menu and placing orders with a staff member, customers use their mobile phones to scan a QR code at their table or any designated area you want them to order from. Learn more via our Set up a self-serve QR code ordering system with Square Online.
Protective Products to Help You Take Payments During COVID-19
Square has turned to our manufacturing and supplier partners and researched various third-party products that can help you accept payments or prepare your business to reopen.
Support and Help Resources
As we work through this together, we encourage you to ask questions, voice your concerns, and provide feedback to Square on the resources you need. The Square Seller Community serves as your forum for these conversations, directly with Square and other Square sellers like yourself. We’ve also created a resource hub to help bring attention to additional tools that are at your disposal. Our Support Centre will continue to provide useful information, as well as instructions regarding different Square products.
For additional information on how to prepare your business during COVID-19, please visit the Australian Government business.gov.au website.