Set Up Hardware with Square for Restaurants
To get the most out of Square for Restaurants, you can customise your point of sale settings to fit your business model – helping you streamline your ordering and checkout flow.
Device Codes
With Square for Restaurants, rather than using your email address and password to sign in to the Restaurants on your iPad or Square Register, you’ll sign in with a device code. A device code can only be used on a single device – so if you have multiple devices at a location, create a unique code for each device accessing the Restaurants POS app. Once you create a device code, you’ll use it each time you sign in to a specific device to start taking orders.
Set Up Hardware for Restaurants
USB Connection
To set up hardware from the Restaurants app:
Open the app and tap Account > Set Up Hardware. If you are using Square Register, tap Utilities and Settings.
Note: If you’re using a Square Stand to connect your compatible USB cash drawers, just insert the USB plug directly into the hub of the Stand – your hardware will automatically connect. Just make sure you’re signed in to the Restaurants app with a device code.
Bluetooth Connection
With the exception of the Square contactless + chip card reader, which connects through the Restaurants app, all other Bluetooth devices will need to be connected through your iPad settings. Read more about setting up hardware with your iPad.
Note: Bluetooth only works with iPads and is not compatible with Square Register at this time.
Compatible Hardware
Square Stand
You can purchase the Square Stand from the Square Shop. Once you have your Square Stand, simply insert your iPad and start taking payments. The Square Stand includes a USB hardware hub with three USB ports to directly connect a Square Reader, 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
To sign in to Square for Restaurants on your Register, make sure that your Register is updated to the latest software. Log out of Square Point of Sale and log back in using a Square Restaurants Device Code.
Keep in mind that only Square for Restaurants Free features are available on your Register. When upgrading from Restaurants Free to Restaurants Plus or Premium plans, the paid point of sale features are currently not available on Register. But if you do upgrade, you can still access premium features like Menu Reports and included Team Management, via your online Square Dashboard.
Review our Support Centre for advice on setting up your Square Register.
Receipt Printers, Kitchen Printers and Cash Drawers
View a full list of compatible hardware to start using your Restaurants point of sale. Keep in mind, the Restaurants app is only available for iOS – make sure to purchase hardware compatible with iPad.
Printer Stations
Most restaurants need to print specific menu items to separate printers. For example, if an order has both drinks and starters, you can set up a bar printer to receive drinks, and a kitchen printer to receive starters.
Once you’ve connected your supported printer, you can create a printer station to start routing categories to separate printers:
Log in to your Square for Restaurants app and tap Account > Set Up Hardware. If using Square Register, tap Utilities and Settings at the bottom of your screen.
Select Create Printer Station.
Name your printer (for instance ‘Bar Printer’) and select the ticket and receipt types sent to this printer.
Under Print From This Device, you can choose Receipt, Bills and Reporting print options – as well as Order Tickets (tickets containing food & beverage orders), Order Ticket Stubs (numbered tickets for Quick Service Restaurants) and Voided Tickets.
Scroll down and enable categories you’d like to send to this printer station.
Tap Save.
Printer Station Troubleshooting
When you create a printer station, the printer name displayed is automatically determined by each iPad. If you have multiple iPads connected to a single printer, each iPad may generate a different name.
For example, let’s say you want to send Starters from two points of sale to a single kitchen printer. When you connect both iPads to the printer, the first iPad may identify the kitchen printer as Printer 1, and the second iPad may identify it as Printer 2, depending on how many active printers you have. To make sure both iPads send Starters to the same printer, you’ll need to perform a print test.
To get started:
Open the Square for Restaurants App > Account > Setup Hardware. If using Square Register, tap Utilities and Settings.
Next, tap Create a Printer Station.
Select a printer and tap Print Test.
Square Reader
To begin, make sure to charge your card reader.
To do so:
Have the card reader and accompanying USB cable handy. This cable can be the included USB cable that came with your card 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 card reader.
Connect one end of the USB cable to your card reader and the other end to a USB port (e.g. a mobile phone charger, laptop or desktop computer) or the USB hardware hub for Square Stand. You can also insert your card reader into the Bosstab Dock for Square Reader to keep your card reader secure on your tabletop. Simply thread the charging cable through the back of the dock.
It takes around two hours for a card reader with low battery to charge completely. To check your battery level, press the button on the side of your card reader. If fully charged, you’ll see four green lights.
If you’re using a Square Stand with the card 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 card reader wirelessly to your device.
Once you connect, you should see your card reader appear automatically with the status Ready.
Wirelessly Connect Your Card Reader to Your Device
Before connecting your reader, make sure Bluetooth is turned on in your device settings. Note: The card reader pairs to Square through the Square for Restaurants POS app – not through your device settings – so be sure to follow each step below:
Go to the Restaurants POS app and tap Account.
Tap Settings > Hardware.
Under Square Readers, tap Connect a Card Reader.
To pair your card reader:
Put the card reader into pairing mode by pressing the card reader’s power button for three to 10 seconds. You’ll see four blinking orange lights.
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.
-
In the app, a pairing confirmation will appear, make sure to tap ‘Pair’ to complete the pairing process.
On Android devices, quickly tap Pair and Pair & connect each time you’re 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 five 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 card reader is connected, it will be listed as Ready in the app and the card reader’s lights will turn green for two seconds. Keep in mind, the wireless connection can be lost if the card reader and device are more than approximately three metres (10ft) apart.
If you run into any issues, review troubleshooting steps to help resolve most problems with connecting the Square Reader.
Hardware Troubleshooting
If you have trouble printing receipts, use the following tips for Ethernet interface, USB interface and Bluetooth receipt printers.
Verifying the Network
Before you begin troubleshooting, ensure that your printer is connected to the correct Wi-Fi network. Visit Settings in your iPad (outside of the Square for Restaurants app), tap Wi-Fi and ensure that your device is connected to the correct network.
If you are connected to Wi-Fi and have confirmed that it is the correct network, try these troubleshooting steps:
Turn your device’s Wi-Fi off and then on again.
Turn your device completely off and then back on.
Turn your receipt printer off and unplug all cables. Plug all cables back in and turn the receipt printer on.
Make sure the receipt printer is fully plugged in and a roll of paper is in the printer.
Turn your Wi-Fi router off and then on again.
Ensure the Wi-Fi router is working and that your device is connected.