App of the week: Square

11 May 2012

I’m still in the honeymoon phase of my relationship with my iPhone 4S. (I hope it never ends!) A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about why I love my iPhone.

Because I marvel about it every day, I thought I’d try writing about an app I love every Friday until I run out of them. (Will I ever run out?)

I’m going to start with Square. You probably know about Square, but in case you don’t, Square is an app and a small plastic device that allow anyone to accept credit cards via their smartphones or other mobile devices.

Back when I started my business, the options for accepting credit cards were limited to PayPal or a merchant service which typically assessed a hefty monthly fee and a per-transaction fee.

PayPal is problematic for me, since it requires logging on to a computer if I want payment at the time of services. (I know that PayPal is now developing a device for mobile use.)

Square charges no monthly fee, its transaction fees are low, and it’s easy to carry around with me. The device itself (pictured below) plugs into the earphone jack of the phone. It’s mailed to users free of charge.

I sometimes have to swipe a few times before it accepts the credit card, but otherwise I’ve had no problems with it. A day or two after I swipe the card, the money (less the transaction fee) is deposited into my business bank account. For certain clients (in particular, one who has me help him in his office and who pays with a company credit card), it’s a real convenience. Square helps me let accepting credit cards be easy.

I’m proud to say that the inventors of Square, Jack Dorsey (who also created Twitter) and Jim McKelvey are St. Louisans. Here’s an interesting Vanity Fair article on Jack, who, incidentally, grew up just around the corner from me.

Thumbs up to Square! It’s a great innovation that empowers small business owners.

Tagged with: app of the week, iphone, square