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From Cash App to Square - Getting Started

Who is this article for?
This article is for Cash App business owners transitioning to Square for payment processing. This article will provide you with resources from both Cash App and Square to make your transition as smooth as possible.

Overview

As of April 2024, Cash App will no longer support the following business types: international businesses, partnerships, multi-member LLCs, and large corporations. Unsupported business accounts must find alternative solutions for payment processing, such as Square. Square offers a customizable Point of Sale system that fits many types of businesses–large or small.
Learn more about Cash App’s supported business types.

Before you begin

If you are currently using Cash App for your business account, there may be a few steps required to properly convert your Cash app account to a personal account. Actions taken on your Cash App account will not affect the setup process for your Square account. Account information such as transaction records, business information, and any remaining monetary balance can not be transferred from Cash App to Square. If you require assistance with your Cash App account, please reach out to Cash App support at: 1 (800) 969-1940.

Why Square?

Square offers an entire suite of products and services that can help you get your business up and running. With Square, you can select the services that are best for you and your business–so you’re not paying for anything you don’t need.

  • Simple and transparent pricing. Our best-in-class point-of-sale software is completely free and you'll always pay one low rate per card payment, so you can keep more of what you make.

  • Orders and inventory tracking. Keep track of current and past orders every time you make a sale. View a list of your transactions with Square Reporting.

  • Take payments on your phone or Square hardware. Process secure transactions right from your phone, tablet, or on our point-of-sale hardware. Accept debit and credit cards, EMV chip cards, Cash App Pay, and contactless payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

  • Free online store. Manage online orders and in-store sales from a single unified system with Square Online. Support shipping, pickup in-store, or local delivery.

  • Square Checking. Square Checking is a free business checking account that gives you instant access to your Square sales. The sales you process with Square are immediately available to spend on your Square Debit Card or with your account & routing numbers, printable checks, or Bill Pay.

  • Many ways to get paid. Accept Square Pay, Apple Pay, Cash App Pay, and Google Pay for faster checkout.


Sign up

You can set up your Square account through the Square Point of Sale app or through your Square Dashboard on a computer.
The steps in this guide are the basic setup instructions for Square Point of Sale. For a more thorough setup, you can also complete the list of steps in the Square Get Started Guide or follow along with the automated guide on your Square Dashboard.

Learn how to sign up for Square Point of Sale online or in app, and review the information required to activate a Square account.

Information required to sign up

Federal law requires that all financial institutions verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.

The following information is required to activate a Square account:

  • Full legal name
  • Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
  • Date of birth: Current credit card regulations require our customers to be 18 years of age or older to create a Square account.
  • US home mailing address

If you’re unable to provide the information above, you won’t be able to accept card payments, but you can still use Square to track cash payments and provide your customers with email and text receipts.

Square’s card processing system meets Level 1 PCI Data Security Standards, so Square’s got you covered.

Choose a Business Type

During the signup process you’ll need to classify how you’ll use Square by selecting your business type or Merchant Category Code. Square will use this information to provide you with the best features to help you grow your business.

If you’ve already set your business type and would like to change it, contact us.

Sign up online

  1. Go to squareup.com > click Get Started.
  2. Enter and confirm your email address, create a password > click Create Account.
  3. Select your business type from the drop-down. Enter your business and personal information. Click Continue.
  4. You’ll be asked to input your personal and business information and to answer a few questions to verify your identity. When complete, click Continue.
  5. Enter your phone number or email address. We’ll send a link to your mobile device to download the Square Point of Sale app. Keep in mind that you can sign in to multiple devices using the same email address and password.
  6. Tap the email or text message link to download the app to your mobile device.

Sign up in app

  1. Download Square Point of Sale to your mobile device.
  2. Tap Create Account to start the activation process.
  3. You’ll be asked to input your personal and business information and to answer a few questions to verify your identity.

Note: If you have trouble downloading the app, make sure you’re using a supported device.

You can also access the Square Point of Sale Setup Guide in the Square app. The setup guide will walk you through setting up a bank account for transfers, creating items, ordering hardware, and more.

To access the Square Point of Sale Setup Guide in the app:

  1. Open the Square app and select ≡ More.
  2. Select Support > Setup Guide.

For a more comprehensive look at primary and advanced setup tasks for your Square Point of Sale, view the full Square Point of Sale Guide in our Support Center.

Set up your Square Debit Card with free Square Checking

The bank account linked to your Square account enables you to transfer your money instantly, on the same day, or within one to two business days. To get your money even faster, we offer Square Checking–-a free business checking account that gives you instant access to your Square sales with your Square Debit Card. Square Debit Card is free to order and has no monthly fees, minimum balance fees, overdraft fees, or any other recurring fees.
No complex forms needed. Click here to sign up in 2 minutes from your Square app or Square Dashboard.
Learn more about Square Debit Card in our Support Center.

Select your point of sale hardware

Once you complete setup, you can immediately start accepting payments via manual entry, Tap to Pay on iPhone, or Cash App Pay. Order a Square Reader for magstripe or pick one up at a participating retail store and use the redemption code included.

To accept credit cards with a chip, contactless cards, or mobile payments such as Apple Pay or Google pay, order a Square Reader for contactless and chip. You can purchase individual hardware and accessories or select a complete Point of Sale kit from Square Shop.

Next steps

Once you complete the initial setup for your Square account, you can explore other Square features to help run and optimize your business with one of these Support Center articles:

Need more out of your Square? See what else Square has to offer with these specialty subscriptions that cater to specific business needs.