Square mobile payment readers now shipping again to tiny transaction tycoons
By Tim Stevens 
posted August 13th 2010 10:44AM
posted August 13th 2010 10:44AM
A few others it seems have also received the same note. How about you? Is your little, different credit card reader on the way?We started rolling out Square card readers and one is now coming your way from our fulfillment center in Saint Louis. It will arrive on your doorstep in the next few days.
[Thanks, Sam]
What about customers skeptical and not willing to have their cards scanned by an iPhone attachment? Sounds dodgy whatever way you spin it.
@Almo I would be more worried about signing for payment. It's not the 80's anymore - surely America is chip-and-pin now?
@Almo
Why do you believe it's less secure than any other vendor payment points? You're drawing arbitrary lines in the sand with no good reason.
@Almo Not really. It's not like there's an ATM attachment for the iPhone. Now that would be sketchy. (Apple wouldn't allow it anyway).
@glypo Nope, certainly not in the main. Whenever I visit (i'm visiting now) I expect them to whip out a chip and pin machine. But it is still the less secure signing method, which no one ever looks at anyway.
@Tes
Because when the average person sees someone swiping their credit card on a small knob attached to their personal phone, it's not gonna end well.
@d0mth0ma5 Verifone and others are already working on a chip and pin version. This is old news.
@Almo
What does that even mean? Do you actually have a point? Are you in any way aware of how traditional points of sale work? Is there some fundamental reason that has been missed here as to why there's some difference?
Please answer any or all of the questions above because I'm beginning to suspect you have no idea.
@Almo
This is how all the Apple stores get credit cards. They have a special iPhone case with a built in card reader where they swipe your cards, they have had it since the 2g I believe. I think if there was a problem that Apple would have already found it and that is probably why this product was delayed. Apple said you have this problem no licensing till you fix it. Anyways, yawn old news...
@KeithClark2010
You do realize Apple has nothing to do with square right? Square was started by the guy who started twitter. While I'm sure Apple has been using similar tech for their sales, it was never open to the general public. This works on more than just iPhones anyways, more importantly it works on the largest mobile OS which is Android!
@Almo
How is this any less comforting than giving your credit card to a someone at a restaurant and then they take it into the back room to do whatever they want with it.
With this, the transaction is done in front of your own eyes...
@glypo http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/02/12/240291/Chip-and-Pin-39broken39-say-Cambridge-University.htm
Chip and pin is broken.
@Tes
I prefer the paypal bump method to swiping a CC infront of someone. Since android phones can load off-market apps, there's not a lot preventing me from writing a secondary app that records all the info off a CC I swipe on my phone.
Yes a clerk can write this stuff down too, but I'd imagine it'll be a lot easier to explain to your bank that some dude at Walgreen's forged your info than "some dude on the street with a phone attachment and an app".
Once Square (or any mobile POP attachment) gains more traction and credibility, it'll start to be more commonplace.
@rockanon
But the point is, this device and it's app are for vendors. It's up to you, the customer, to be smart about who you hand your card over to. I assume you'd be handing your card over because you were buying something. So our crafty thief not only has to be quite the software developer, a hacker too, as he'd have to crack whatever encryption Square are using so he can interface with their device, but then he'd ALSO have to be offering a product you'd want to buy. Shit, before he gets round to scamming you, this guy is already skilled enough to get a pretty good developers job anywhere he wants and has a hot selling product on his stall to boot. It's an unlikely scenario.
@Almo
Safer than writing a check - with a check you get the bank, account #, routing #, name, address, signature, maybe even SS# and Drivers licence number. Visa/MC use is protected from fraud with zero or little deductable.
@glypo No chip and PIN here yet. We are slow to change.
This thing is a hassle. Is it really worth paying for and fussing with this thing instead of simply typing the number in? Or hell, just take a picture of the damned card and use OCR.
Gimmick.
@Information Central Agreed... if I'm going to use an iPhone add-on for POS, I want one that adds functionality (like bar code scanning), holds a stylus, is robust enough to be handled a lot (or even dropped), and does a good job of making the customer feel good about me swiping their card through it. I like Square's model, but their dongle just falls short.
I saw the person's name and realized it's Friday the 13th, thanks to engadget!
@Warrior in Woolworths Jason seems to be paying himself as well...
LOL JASON AGAIN?? You guys are funny!
$2.75 - $3.75 plus 15%???
Asswholes.
@BuzzMega I think you misread that.
2.75%-3.5% and 15 cents.
@Chris Dunning
Plus fifteen cents, not percent.
Nope, no card reader sent my way.... Still says the same crap about not being ready and I signed up fairly early in the process.
I'm going to be the only drug dealer on my block that can say "will that be cash or credit"
@patp
And you'll be the only dealer leaving an easily auditable paper trail too.
@Tes And paying Tax.
@Tes I see someone left their sense of humor at home. P.s don't act like you know anything about selling, I guarentee the last place the cops looks are in your credit card transactions (that don't have a description of anything bad anyways)..... unless your a large scale (american gangster) drug dealer.
@d0mth0ma5 I thought about that an eigth is 45-50$ (decent deal) selling dimes at 9 and dubs at 18 would still give you a profit.... just sayin
@patp
Ooh, check out internet dealer guy! My comment was meant in jest itself man, smoke some of your product and chill.
"..... unless your a large scale (american gangster) drug dealer."
YOU + ARE = YOU'RE
Am I the only one who's stuck at this part of the process? I signed up very early.
"Accept payment cards: request pending.
We’ve received your application and stored it securely—read more about our security practices.
In the meantime, we need a little more time to finish building out our underwriting infrastructure. We’ll email you at [REMOVED] as soon as we’re done so you can start accepting payment cards. "
@deckerbm did you register your bank account? That could be where your stuck
@patp
Yep, it's registered and verified.
@deckerbm
They're working through all their requests as fast as they can. When they get to you, they'll send you a reader and you'll be set. Just sit tight another week. You'll have it soon.
yes yes yes a thousand times YES! favorite Friday 13th post so far!
Is there any UK equivalents to this?
@JWJW As far as I know there isn't a Chip and Pin attachment as of yet.
My reader is on it's way.
I signed up the first day of the original 'go-live' back in early May.
When I inquired how I was receiving a reader I was advised that they were opening the pilot up a bit more and I was included.
The rest of the readers apparently will be shipped after the final stages of underwriting. From the WSJ journal that appears to be confirmed around the end of the summer. September I would assume for more.
I was able to start accepting manual card entries and people loved it.
Think about how many times you just hand your card off to someone with a reader behind a counter, or a waiter in a restaurant. I know I'll find some people who won't be interested, but I truly believe this will be accepted by most.
I have put Squareup.com on my invoices, asking people to visit and sign up.
Hmm. Mine doesn't show shipped yet. Been registered and waiting for only about 3 months though. I live in St Louis.. maybe I could stop by and pick one up. :-)
Seriously... Jason is the signature? Whats with this homage to Jason?
@je2f
Wow I haven't had enough coffee yet today... Friday the 13th... clever.
I am clueless as to how this all works but I still think this product is fake. How do they get the information to transfer via the headphone jack? Wouldn't it would be 100x easier using the input/output jack on the bottom of the device?
@refink when you scan you mag stip over the reader it makes a sound wave which is then recorded then decoded into your info then paases it to the bank for prossesing its a simalar tech that is used in card skimming by fraudsters
@jlatham88 makes sense, ty
@refink Also, acording to my friend who works for Square, the reason why they use the headphone jack and not the connector port is because their App is designed for Android, iOS, and soon blackberry. By making it use a headphone jack, the adapter is device independent, and allows them to design one unit for all phone types. Saves them $$ that way :)
@Sargonas okay, but how does the information from the tiny black square transfer to the device e.g. bluetooth?
i could see a rise in credit card cloning when this tech is fully released
esepecialy if it gets released in the uk
I was going to try this out until I realized Square asks for your Tax ID AND SS#. The reason Square gives for asking for your sensitive information is not true. I have a merchant account with my bank as well as Paynet Systems (another mobile CC payment provider), I was not required to give my SS#, nor my Tax ID.