Since I’m always on the hunt for good deals, I naturally follow those homemade ‘G-Sale’ signs like a hamster in a maze on Saturday mornings. My routine starts by stopping by the local cafe and purchasing my favorite mixed coffee drink, which I pay with my credit card. The universal currency for garage sales is cash, so my credit card goes unused for the rest of the day, that is until last weekend.
A beautiful bicycle caught my eye, and I found out the price was more than the cash I had in my pockets. After some desperate negotiating, I still couldn’t get it below my cash limit, so I thanked him and started walking away. That was when I heard, “I can swipe your credit card”. Stunned, I handed it to him and in a painless transaction taking less than a minute I was the new owner of a Bianchi.
Square is great for any business needing to sell anytime, anywhere. It is an app you install on your smart phone or Ipad with a credit card swiper you plug into the headphone jack. Getting started is simple, but it does require a credit check. Once the credit check has been completed, you are sent the ‘Square‘ card reader for free. There are no activation or hidden fees for using the service, so using it is cost-effective way to increase your sales.
While some may be wary of using your phone as a credit card, many other mobile payment systems are following suite. It’s an excellent option for any company looking for another way to make transactions easier. With Square, barriers for accepting payment are a thing of the past.