When Square launched its original card readers, I saw how it changed the game for small businesses. Suddenly, the produce and cheese stands at my local farmers market could accept credit cards. That little white reader made digital payments accessible, and it helped launch a wave of micro-businesses.
Square hopes its new Square Handheld device will have a similar impact. This time, not just by accepting payments, but by packing access to an entire business infrastructure into a slim, portable terminal.
The Square Handheld is compact – just 11 ounces and less than an inch thick – something you can stick in a back pocket. It can scan barcodes, take tap or chip payments, update inventory with photos using its 16MP camera, and run the full Square Point of Sale app. You can switch modes depending on your business: Retail Mode for inventory-heavy environments, Quick Service Mode for a café, and so on. The idea is to let you manage everything – orders, staffing, payments, and customer engagement – without needing to bounce between different tools or walk back to a stationary register.
I saw the Square Handheld in action during a press event, and it looks and feels like a slightly bigger and bulkier smartphone. Battery life is designed to last through a full day, and the IP54 rating means it’s built to handle the kind of spills and dust you get in a restaurant or retail environment. Square even partnered with Belkin to make colorful protective cases that match a store’s brand aesthetic.
At Polly’s Café in Brooklyn, the handheld lets staff take orders while people stand in line and send them to be fulfilled before customers get to the counter. That means faster service and more face time with customers.
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Cisco Brewers, a fast-growing group of beer gardens and retail stores in Massachusetts, has been using the device to check IDs at the door, take cover charges, ring up merchandise, and process orders at the bar. When things get busy, having a single device that works across all of those touchpoints helps streamline operations and reduce wait time for customers.
The Square Handheld is available starting today for $399 through Square’s website. The Belkin SheerForce cases start at $39.
[Image credit: Techlicious]
