Use Card on File with Square
- Sellers with the checkout permission to add customers to a sale can store payment cards during a sale.
- Sellers with the checkout permission to take payments can charge a card on file. Set permissions in Square Dashboard.
About Card on File
With Card on File, you can securely add and store payment cards in your Customer Directory, making transactions quick and seamless for your regulars. Safely charge a customer's stored payment card or Square Gift Card with either your Square POS apps or Square Virtual Terminal, and Square will handle the PCI compliance and authorization on your behalf. If your business has multiple locations, you can use a card on file to process a transaction at any of them.
Before you begin
Once a card on file expires, you or your customer will need to unlink the card information from their profile in your Customer Directory.
You’re unable to save payment card information for sales completed with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) cards aren’t currently supported with Card on File, but can still be used with the normal checkout flow.
It’s a violation of PCI standards to record a customer’s CVV, so there won’t be a space to enter it.
Set up Card on File
To use Card on File on your point of sale, you must first enable the feature. To start:
Sign in to your Square app and tap ☰ More > Settings > Checkout > Customer management.
Under Save a Card on File, toggle on In the Customer Profile.
Optionally toggle on After checkout to save cards after checkout.
Card on File doesn’t have to be enabled for use on Square Dashboard.
Store a card on file
A card on file can be stored from the Customer Directory in either your Square Point of Sale or Square Dashboard.
- Sign in to your Square app and tap ☰ More > Customers.
- Tap an existing customer. For new customers, create their profile before proceeding.
- Under Payment on File, tap Add Card and choose Credit or debit card or Gift card.
- Enter the required payment details, customer name, and/or customer email address.
- Tap Save. Your customer will receive an email confirming that you’ve saved a card on file for them.
You can also add a card on file just before or after completing a sale.
- Before a sale: To add a card on file before a sale, ring up your customer as you normally would. From the “Current sale” screen, tap Add customer. Once the customer is added, tap the customer name on the “Current sale” screen and tap View full profile to add a payment on file.
- After a sale: To add a card on file after a sale, ring up your customer as you normally would. Once you’ve completed the payment, store the payment card information by tapping View customer from the receipt screen to add a payment on file.
- Sign in to your Square Dashboard and go to Marketing & loyalty > Customer directory.
- Select an existing customer. For new customers, create their profile before proceeding.
- Under Payment on File, click (•••) and choose Add Credit or Debit Card or Add Gift Card.
- Enter the required payment details, customer name, and/or customer email address.
- Click Save. Your customer will receive an email confirming that you’ve saved a card on file for them.
Charge a card on file
You can charge a card on file from either your Square app or Square Virtual Terminal.
Square app: While completing a transaction, add your customer to the sale, tap Charge, and choose the Card on File option.
Square Virtual Terminal: While completing a transaction, add your customer with a card on file to the sale, then click Charge.
When you charge a customer’s card on file, a receipt is automatically sent to the email address associated with their customer profile.
Delete a card on file
A card on file can be deleted from the Customer Directory in either your Square app or Square Dashboard.
Your customers can also remove their own cards by following the link provided to them on all Card on File email notifications. The link in these notifications will take them to their Card on File Dashboard, where they can view and remove the cards on file associated with your business.
- Sign in to your Square app and tap ☰ More > Customers.
- Select a customer with a card on file.
- Under Payment on File, tap (X) next to the card you want to remove.
- Confirm deletion by tapping Remove.
- Sign in to your Square Dashboard and go to Marketing & loyalty > Customer directory.
- Select a customer with a saved card on file.
- Under Payment on File, click (X) next to the card you want to remove.
- Select a reason for deleting the card and click Confirm Delete Card.