Release notes

Auto-gratuity: pre-discount calculation, multiple rates, and discretionary labeling

What changed: Auto-gratuity calculation, rate configuration, and receipt labeling receive three updates. First, a setting in Square Dashboard lets sellers choose whether auto-gratuity is calculated on the pre-discount subtotal or the discounted total. When set to pre-discount, the service charge reflects the full value of what was served, regardless of any discounts applied to the bill. Second, the platform's limit of one auto-gratuity rate per location is removed — sellers create multiple rates with conditional rules based on party size or location. Square Point of Sale displays all applicable rates, auto-selects based on precedence logic (party size rule, then "apply to all checks," then location-specific over all-locations), and allows manual override or custom percentage entry. Third, UK receipts and buyer-facing displays append a "discretionary" suffix to the auto-gratuity label, meeting UK regulatory requirements for printed receipts, digital receipts, and transaction details on Square Point of Sale.

Why it matters: A restaurant running a 20%-off promotion still calculates its 12.5% service charge on the full bill value, not the reduced total. A hybrid venue — part restaurant, part bar — applies 12.5% for dining and 5% for bar service without workarounds. UK sellers meet the regulatory requirement that auto-gratuity appear as discretionary and optional on every customer-facing surface.

See how to set up auto-gratuity calculation and rates: Video / Article

Delivery courier selection per location for ordering profiles

What changed: Food and beverage sellers using ordering profiles can select their preferred on-demand delivery courier — DoorDash or Best Available (powered by Nash) — on a per-location basis. Previously, only Best Available was accessible. The updated delivery dispatch also sends item-level details (quantities, weights, descriptions, and pricing) to the courier, which helps match the right vehicle to the order size.

Why it matters: A seller with a strong DoorDash relationship in one neighborhood and inconsistent coverage in another can assign DoorDash to the first location and Best Available to the second. Each location gets the courier option that fits its delivery reality.

See how to choose your delivery courier for each location: Video

Edit prices and margins from the inventory receive screen

What changed: Sellers can edit an item's price and view the resulting margin directly from the inventory Receive Stock screen and from an item's Stock overview details on Square Point of Sale. When a shipment arrives at a new cost, the margin updates in real time as the price changes — no need to leave the receiving workflow to update the catalog separately.

Why it matters: A supplier raises the cost on a case of product, and the old retail price no longer makes sense. Previously, repricing meant backing out of the receive flow, navigating to the item catalog, editing the price, and returning to finish receiving. Inline editing lets sellers react to cost changes the moment stock arrives, with live margin feedback so every pricing decision is intentional.

Access: Available on Square Point of Sale for iOS 7.14 and later and Android. The price and margin fields appear on the Receive Stock confirmation screen and in an item's Stock overview detail.

See how to update prices and view your margin when stock arrives: Video

Item grouping and sorting setting on Kitchen Display System (KDS)

What changed: A new setting in the Kitchen Display System device profile lets sellers control how ticket items are grouped and sorted. Sellers choose from three sorting options: the order items were rung in, alphabetical, or by reporting category. When category sorting is selected, items on the ticket are grouped by their reporting category.

Why it matters: Cooks look for the same dish in the same spot on every ticket. When items appear in a consistent, predictable order — grouped by category — the kitchen spends less time scanning each ticket.

Access: On Kitchen Display System, go to All Settings > Tickets > Sorting Items. On Square Dashboard, go to Settings > Device Management > Devices, select the Kitchen Display System device, then Local Settings: Manage > KDS Settings > Tickets > Sorting Items.

See how to sort kitchen tickets by category: Video / Article

Merge tables directly from the floor plan on Point of Sale

What changed: Staff combine multiple tables into one group directly from the Square Point of Sale floor plan on Android and iOS. Selecting two or more tables combines them — and their open checks — into a single table, so large parties can be seated and managed without leaving Square Point of Sale.

Why it matters: When a large party arrives or guests ask to sit together mid-service, servers previously had to juggle separate checks or step away to rearrange the floor plan — slow and error-prone on a busy night. Merging tables in a few taps keeps orders together and keeps staff on the floor with guests.

Access: Available globally for restaurant sellers on Android and iOS. To merge tables, go to Floor plan, tap Actions, select the tables, and tap Merge.

See how to merge tables for larger parties: Video / Article

Nested modifier sets with up to three levels of conditional options

What changed: Modifier sets can be nested under a specific modifier choice, up to three levels deep. When a customer or staff member selects a modifier option, only the relevant follow-up modifier set appears. For example, selecting "Hummus" reveals a secondary "Choose Hummus Flavor" set, and selecting a flavor could reveal a third-level portion size set.

Why it matters: Sellers with complex menus — particularly QSR and fast-casual — previously had to duplicate items or build workaround setups with Combos to achieve conditional modifier behavior. Nested modifiers eliminate those workarounds by handling conditional logic directly within the modifier system.

Access: Nested modifiers are available to sellers with the Live Check experience enabled.

See how to build nested modifiers for multi-step choices: Video / Article

Pay vendors with a Square Credit Card through Bill Pay

What changed: Square Credit Card is available as a payment method in Bill Pay. Sellers select their Square Credit Card to pay vendors who don't accept cards directly. Bill Pay converts the payment into an ACH transfer or check for the vendor. A Bill Pay credit card fee applies and displays at the time of the transaction.

Why it matters: Sellers use their Square Credit Card float to cover vendor payments that would otherwise require immediate cash or a bank transfer. This keeps funds available longer while vendors still receive payment through standard methods. Sellers without a Square Credit Card see an application entry point within Bill Pay.

See how to pay vendors with your Square Credit Card: Video

Real-time check view for food and beverage sellers

What changed: Real-time check view uses a split-pane layout during checkout in Food & Beverage modes. Item details appear on the left while the cart remains visible on the right, updating as sellers add variations, modifiers, quantities, and options. Tapping a cart item once opens its configuration; pressing and holding selects multiple items for bulk actions like comp, void, move, or remove. Custom amounts are entered from the Actions tab — the calculator keypad has been retired.

Why it matters: The split-pane layout keeps the full order visible during item configuration without switching screens. Sellers see price, modifier, and quantity changes reflected in the cart as each item is configured. Edits save automatically when switching between cart items mid-configuration. Once the opt-out window closes, the feature remains active and cannot be disabled.

See how to use the new split-pane checkout view: Video / Article

Ticket footer and padding controls in printer profiles

What changed: Printer profile settings include controls for top and bottom padding on printed order tickets. A separate setting determines whether the ticket footer — which includes device and profile information — prints at all.

Why it matters: Preferences for ticket layout vary from kitchen to kitchen. Some sellers prefer a clean ticket without footer details, while others rely on that information to identify which device or profile sent the order. Previously, there was no way to adjust footer visibility or padding. These settings let each location dial in the layout that works best for its workflow.

Access: On mobile, go to Settings > Hardware > Printers, select a printer profile, choose in-person or online orders, turn the ticket footer off or on, and choose a padding option from the dropdown. In Square Dashboard, go to Settings > Device Management > Profile > Printer Profiles, edit the selected profile, choose in-person or online orders, turn the ticket footer off or on, and choose a padding option.

See how to adjust the footer and padding on printed tickets: Video / Article