Set Up Hardware with Square for Retail

You can use supported hardware with your Square for Retail point of sale to run your business – giving you an all-in-one countertop solution. Square for Retail Free and Square for Retail Plus are compatible with iPad, iPhone, and Square Register. With Square Stand, you can connect your iPad to a cash drawer, receipt printer and barcode scanner to equip your business with a full POS setup.

Note: at this time, you will not be able to use either Retail app with Android mobile devices.

Set Up Hardware

USB Connection

To set up hardware for the Square Retail POS app:

1. sign in to the Square Retail POS app.

   • Note: if you’re logged into Square Point of Sale, tap ≡Menu on your Square Point of Sale app or tap the down arrow on Square Register to sign out.

2. Tap Settings > Hardware.

Note: if you’re using Square Stand or Square Register to connect your compatible USB receipt printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners, insert the USB plug directly into the USB accessory hub – your hardware will automatically connect. Just make sure you’re signed into the Retail POS app with a device code.

Bluetooth Connection

With the exception of the Square Reader which connects through the Retail POS app settings, all other Bluetooth devices will need to be connected through your iPad settings. Read more about setting up Bluetooth hardware with your iPador setting up with your iPhone.

Note: if you’re using Square for Retail Plus with Register, Bluetooth-connected hardware accessories, including Bluetooth-connected barcode scanners, are not supported at this time.

Create Printer Profiles

You can create a printer profile from the Square Retail POS app to limit which printers connect to specific points of sale. To get started:

1. tap ≡ More on your Square app or tap the down arrow on Square Register.

2. Tap Settings > Hardware > Printers.

3. Tap Create Printer Profiles.

4. Name your printer (for example, ‘Front Register’), enable Receipts, Bills, Reports, Open Cash Drawers, Order Tickets or Order Ticket Stubs. Choose to Automatically Print Receipts to automatically print at checkout to bypass the receipt screen. Note: this will disable digital receipts but tap on the Transactions tab to resend a receipt.

5. Tap Save.

Square KDS

In addition to, or as an alternative to a kitchen printer with paper tickets, you may be interested in a digital ticket display system. Square KDS (Kitchen Display System) can help you organise and fulfil orders to maximise the number of items passing through your kitchen. Learn more about Square KDS.

Compatible Hardware

Square Stand

The Square Stand securely holds your iPad in place and swivels so your customer can review the payment total, sign, and enter their receipt information for email or SMS delivery.

You can Square Dashboard from the Square Shop. Once you have your Square Stand, just insert your iPad and start taking payments. The Square Stand includes a USB port to directly connect a supported receipt printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner.

Read more about setting up your Square Stand, as well as recommended hardware to create your point of sale station.

Square Register

Square Register allows you to accept contactless, chip and PIN and swipe payments all from one device to create a complete POS system. Square Register also features a customer facing display to let your customers view items, complete sales and update contact information on their own.

You can order Square Register from the Square Shop. Square Register has a Hub which allows up to five USB devices. Currently, receipt printers, keyboards, cash drawers and USB barcode scanners are supported. Note: Bluetooth-connected hardware accessories, including Bluetooth-connected barcode scanners, are not supported with Square Register at this time.

Read more about setting up your Square Register.

Printers, Cash Drawers and Barcode Scanners

View a full list of compatible hardware to start using your Retail point of sale. Keep in mind, the Retail app is only available for iPad, iPhone and Square Register.

• Receipt Printer

• Cash Drawer

• Barcode Scanner

Barcode Printer

An essential piece of hardware for many retail sellers is a barcode printer. With Square for Retail Plus, you can generate and print barcodes directly from the online Square Dashboard. Note: barcode printing is not available with Square for Retail Free. There is one printer we recommend for Square for Retail Plus:

Dymo Barcode Printer: LabelWriter 550

Zebra Barcode Printer: ZD411

Learn more about printing labels with Square for Retail Plus – including compatible label sizes and how to generate and print barcodes from your online Square Dashboard.

Square Reader

To process your customer’s card quickly and securely, you can use the Square Reader. To begin, make sure to charge your reader.

To do so:

1. have the reader and accompanying USB cable to hand. This cable can be the included USB cable that came with your reader or an extended USB-C to USB-A cable for Square Reader (2nd generation). You can also use the white Square Dock for Square Reader (1st generation only) to charge your reader. 

2. Connect one end of the USB cable to your reader and the other end to a USB port (eg a mobile phone charger, laptop or desktop computer) or the USB hardware hub for Square Stand. You can also insert your reader into the Bosstab Dock for Square Reader to keep your reader secure on your tabletop. Simply thread the charging cable through the back of the dock.

It takes around 2 hours for a reader with a low battery to charge completely. To check your battery level, press the button on the side of your reader. If fully charged, you will see four green lights.

If you’re using a Square Stand with the reader, connect your reader to the USB hardware hub of the Stand with the included USB cable or Square Dock for Square Reader (1st generation). If all USB ports on the hub are occupied by other hardware, you can connect your reader wirelessly to your device.

Once you connect, you should see your reader appear automatically with the status Ready.

If you don’t have available space on the USB hardware hub, not to worry! The Square Reader can connect to the Retail app through Bluetooth. You’ll need to connect the reader through the Retail app, not through your iPad settings.

To connect the reader via Bluetooth:

1. open the Retail app and tap the three horizontal lines.

2. Tap Settings > Hardware > Square readers.

3. Tap Connect a Reader.

To pair your reader:

1. put the reader into pairing mode by pressing the reader’s power button for 3–10 seconds. You’ll see 4 blinking orange lights.

2. Immediately release your finger when you see the orange lights. If you see red lights, you’ve held the button too long and you can try again.

3. In the app, a pairing confirmation will appear, make sure to tap ‘Pair’ to complete the pairing process.

   1. On Android devices, quickly tap Pair and Pair & connect each time you are prompted until the connection is successful. If the connection fails, start the pairing process over and make sure to accept all Pair and Pair & connect prompts within 5 seconds.

Note: due to extended security measures, some Android devices will require multiple confirmations during the pairing process.  We apologise for any inconvenience and are actively working with Android to help make this process easier.

When the reader is connected, it will be listed as Ready in the app and the reader’s lights will turn green for 2 seconds. Keep in mind, the wireless connection can be lost if the reader and device are more than approximately 3 metres (10 ft) apart.

If you run into any issues, review troubleshooting steps to help resolve most problems with connecting Square Reader.