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Square for Retail POS App: Actions and Defaults

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Get the most out of the Square for Retail POS app — learn the best ways to find items, apply discounts, create customers, and build your cart.

Note: Some features may be unavailable to Sellers using Square for Retail Free. Learn more about the differences between Square for Retail Free and Square for Retail Plus.

Sign In

To start using the Retail app, sign in with your email and password or create a device code to customize your point of sale and sign in.

Checkout

From the Navigation menu, the Checkout tab is where you can build your cart and accept your customer’s payment.

Search

Search through your item library, customers, and discounts.

Items

Although you can add items to your cart from the Checkout tab, you’ll need to head to the Main Menu to create items, categories, modifiers, or discounts from the Retail app.

Favorites List

The Favorites List gives you access to your most popular items in one tap, so there’s no need to manually search for every sale.

To edit your Favorites List:

  1. From the navigation bar, tap More.

  2. Tap Settings > Favorites > Edit Square for Retail Grid.

  3. Tap Add to page or the + to include additional items, or select the minus symbol > Delete to remove an item from the list. You can also press and hold the three grey horizontal lines to rearrange the item list.

  4. Once you’re all set, tap Done to return to the Checkout tab.

Actions Menu

The Actions menu is your back-of-house – it’s where you’ll find your application actions and settings. From the Actions menu, you have access to a number of Square for Retail features, such as:

  • Clear Cart: Clears all contents from the cart view.

  • Add Custom Amount: Add a custom dollar amount to the sale without adding an item.

  • Sell or Check Gift Card: Set up, load, and sell gift cards with just a few taps.

  • Redeem Reward: If you send a marketing campaign with a discount or free item incentive, you can enter your customer’s reward code here.

  • Open Cash Drawer (No Sale): Open a cash drawer without completing a cash sale.

Note: When using Square for Retail on Mobile, tap ••• to access the Actions menu when editing your Favorites List.

Services

Once you have created and set up services with Square Appointments, you can add a service tile to your item grid and sell services in the Square for Retail POS. Learn more about managing your Square Appointments.  

Add a service tile to the item grid

  1. Tap Checkout from the navigation menu, then tap Edit.
  2. Under the Add to page menu, tap Service.
  3. From the Add a service popup, tap the service you want.
  4. Tap Add to add the service to your item grid.

You can also add a service to your item grid by tapping on an empty tile. To do so:

  1. Tap Checkout from the navigation menu, then tap Edit.
  2. Tap on an empty tile with the + icon.
  3. From the Add to favorites popup, tap Service.
  4. From the Add a service popup, tap the service you want.
  5. Tap Add to add the service to your item grid.

Add a service to the cart

  1. From the Checkout screen, tap the service you want to add to the cart.
  2. Choose a date, time, and other options from the Configure popup.
  3. Once all options have been selected, tap Add to cart.
  4. Tap Charge to complete the transaction.

Service Charges

You can create a service charge from your online Square Dashboard and then instantly add a service charge to any purchase during checkout from the Square for Retail app on iOS devices. Learn more about applying a service charge with Square.

Inventory

The Inventory section of your Retail Plus app provides you with the ability to take certain actions on your stock, across all compatible devices (iPhone, iPad, Square Terminal, and Square Register). From checking stock levels to receiving stock, inventory management functions that were previously only available through your online Square Dashboard are now available directly through your point of sale.

  • Stock Overview: Receive or adjust item stock in-app by searching or scanning.

  • Stock Counts: Start, review, or commit stock counts using the Square POS app.

  • Purchase Orders: Receive, adjust, create, or review purchase orders.

Transactions

Manually search through your transaction history, search by receipt number, or enter your customer’s card number to locate a payment. You can also issue a new receipt, or process a return or exchange.

Note: Exchanges are only available with Square for Retail Plus, but can be done on iPad, iPhone, Square Terminal, and Square Register.

Notifications

Notification Center centralizes all your notifications. You can receive and read account alerts, new feature announcements, and Square news – all from one easy-to-access place.

Note: To remove notification badges, you must view all notifications in Notification Center.

Reports

Cash Drawer Management

With Square for Retail, you can use Cash Management to help you keep track of cash sales and consolidate your reporting. Note: Cash Management is not available with Square for Retail Mobile (on iPhone).

  • Current Drawer: Start your cash drawer for the day, pay in/out cash exchanges outside of a transaction, and end your drawer to generate a cash sales report.

  • Drawer History: View the date, time, the employee who ended the drawer, total cash sales, and refunds.

Orders

Once you set up your Square Online site, you can accept and manage orders directly from the Square for Retail app.

Invoices

View, draft, send, or manage Square Invoices.

Sales

Overview of your sales — filter by team member, date, or device to gain insights into inventory performance at-a-glance.

Transfers

Review your transfers from Square. The Balance tab will reflect active sales, pending transfers, and sent transfers.

Loyalty

See a breakdown of your Square Loyalty program. Dive deep into customer analytics, such as the number of customers enrolled in Loyalty, average visits, and the average amount spent per visit.

Settings

  • Manage Favorites List: You can add, rearrange, or remove items to your Favorites List.

  • Setup Hardware: Connect or manage your supported third-party hardware.

  • Sign Out: Log out of the Retail app.

    • Team members will see Logout with their initials on the Navigation menu. When team members tap their initials, the passcode and clock in/out page will appear.

Support

Once you’re familiar with the Square for Retail app, you can learn more about processing your customer’s payment.

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