Square Terminal FAQs
The Square Terminal is available from the Square Shop and select retailers.
Hardware
Your Square Terminal power adaptor has a USB-C port. While some sellers have been able to charge their Square Terminals with third party chargers, we recommend using the power adapter provided with your Square Terminal.
To control the brightness of Square Terminal:
- Navigate to ≡ More > Settings.
- Tap Hardware > Display.
- Use the slider to control the brightness of your Square Terminal. From here, you can also adjust your Square Terminal’s sleep timer.
You can adjust the language of your Square Dashboard to see you reports, transfers, and more in another language.
To adjust the language settings on Square Terminal:
Square Point of Sale, Square for Retail, and Square Appointments
- Tap ≡ More from the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap Settings > Hardware > General > Language.
- Select a supported language.
Square for Restaurants Mobile POS
- Tap the Home icon from the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap Settings > Hardware > General > Language.
- Select a supported language.
To control the volume of Square Terminal:
- Navigate to ≡ More > Settings.
- Tap Hardware > Sounds.
- Use the slider to control the volume level of your Square Terminal.
Note: You cannot control the payment success beep tone at this time.
To update the time and date on your Square Terminal:
- Tap ≡ More from the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen.
- Tap Settings > Hardware.
- Tap General and then toggle Set Automatically.
- Choose the correct time, date, and time zone.
From this screen you can also adjust your Square Terminal’s nightly reboot, check out the software section of this article for more information on your nightly reboot.
You can buy additional receipt paper right from our Square Shop — this paper paper will only fit Square Terminal.
You can also purchase receipt paper from your local office supplier, or retailer that sells receipt paper. Square Terminal supports thermal receipt paper with 57 mm x 15mm dimensions.
Square Terminal has a specifically designed hub that easily connects USB accessories to your Square Terminal. Check out supported devices to see a full list.
To purchase a hub to connect supported hardware, visit our Square Shop.
Keep in mind, Bluetooth connected accessories are not currently supported with Square Terminal.
Square Terminal is built with Gorilla glass and durable construction to ensure that no matter where you are processing payments, your Square Terminal can keep up.
You can order a replacement Hub, Power Adaptor with cable, or Receipt Printer Door directly from the Square Shop.
If you have any trouble with your Square Terminal, reach out to Square Support and we can help.
Software
One of the benefits of Square Terminal is that we keep the software up to date automatically, so you’ll always get the latest features and improvements without any cost. We will update the software every 2-4 weeks. To enable automatic updates, you’ll just need to leave Square Terminal powered on and plugged in overnight. Automatic updates require a battery level of at least 35% to initiate.
Note: Software updates for Square Terminal generally require 2 GB per month. This does not include attempts to retry failed downloads, so it’s recommended to connect to Wi-Fi overnight to help facilitate software updates.
Square Terminal software includes a system update, Square apps update and a firmware update.
If a Square apps update is recommended before the automatic nightly update, a notification will appear on the screen. To defer this update, tap Update Tonight. The update will then begin overnight at 3 a.m. (or at your custom-set time) as long as your Square Terminal is powered on and plugged in. To start the update immediately, tap Install Now.
If you manually update your Square Terminal software from your settings, you will not see an option to defer the Square apps update. The update may take up to 45 minutes to complete.
If you’ve powered down your Square Terminal overnight and there are software updates available, the updates will be applied when you next power on your device. Updates are released approximately every 2-4 weeks, involve a reboot of Square Terminal and typically take around 20 minutes to complete, but may take up to an hour.
To ensure your Square Terminal can update overnight – just make sure it’s plugged in and powered on, but the display can be turned off. To turn off the display, simply tap the power button quickly and Square Terminal will go to sleep.
You can check your software at any time. Head to ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > General. Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap About Terminal. From this page, you’ll see your software version and available updates.
Most software updates should happen automatically every 2-4 weeks and will happen overnight, as long as your Square Terminal is plugged in and powered on, and the battery level is at least 35%.
However, sometimes, we have a critical update that should be installed more urgently. When that happens, you’ll see Update Available in your status bar to install immediately. Installing the updates includes a full reboot of your device.
If your business doesn’t allow you to update Square Terminal right away, it will go through the normal update process overnight – just make sure it’s plugged in and powered on, but the display can be turned off. To turn off the display, simply tap the power button quickly and Square Terminal will go to sleep.
Software updates are, by default, set at 3 a.m. to avoid any disruption to your normal business hours. If you need to adjust your nightly reboot time, head to ≡ More > Settings > Hardware > General from navigation bar at the bottom of your screen. Tap Nightly Reboot and select the time that works best for your business.
Note: This adjustment will not take effect on the next nightly reboot, but instead the one after that.
Points of sale
1.75% for each contactless payment, chip and PIN payment, or swiped magstripe card through Square Terminal and the Square Point of Sale or Square for Retail app.
Learn more about Square’s fees.
You can connect your Square Terminal as a customer-facing display to a compatible smartphone, Square Stand, iPad, or tablet. Check your device compatibility.
Square Terminal will connect to the Square Retail app on compatible iOS devices only. Check your device compatibility.
You can connect Square Terminal to the Square Point of Sale app and the Square for Retail app. Square for Restaurants, Square Invoices and Square Appointments are not yet supported.
Yes, you can plug Square Reader into your Square Stand via the dock and connect the Square Terminal to your iPad wirelessly.
Yes. Learn how to connect Square Terminal to Virtual Terminal on your computer.
Once you connect your Square Terminal to a device, it will stay on a “Powered by Square” screen. From there, you’ll be able to change your settings and access support resources. Simply swipe from the left to the middle of the screen to access the menu.
Payments accepted on Square Terminal automatically appear on your online Square Dashboard and sync across all Square devices logged in to your business location.