I love Square.

Square is a company out of San Francisco, CA that helps the average Jane or Joe to process credit card payments. In other words, everyone can now accept credit cards on their mobile device without having to sign up for a credit-card terminal, which often requires a contract for a certain amount of time and a monthly fee.

For the psychotherapist that can’t afford a credit card terminal or doesn’t want to sign a contract to have one, this is an optimal device. For the social worker who has worked hard to publish a book or develop a series of tools, this can also be beneficial to you to sell your work.

Video Introduction

Read more about this fantastic product after the break!

Free Hardware

The company provides a free square device which is a payment card reader that attaches to your (supported) phone.

When you sign up for square, the company will send you the device to your home or business.

 

Devices Supported

As of this writing, devices supported include the following:

Click here to see the most current list of devices supported

Apple iOS

• iPhone
• iPad
• iPod touch (2G+)

Android OS

• Motorola DROID and DROID X
• HTC Nexus One, Droid Incredible, Evo, Desire, and Hero (with Android 2.x update)
• Samsung Galaxy S series, Intercept
• LG Ally
• Dell Streak

Fees

Practical Uses

• As a psychotherapist, you now have another option to be paid for your services (besides check or cash).

• As a member of a 401(3)(c), you go to an event and have another way of soliciting donations for your organization (or sell your fundraising materials).

• As a published social worker who has written a book, you have another way to sell your writing at a conference or other social gathering to someone who may want to buy your work on a whim.

In Conclusion

I think that a lot do not carry cash with them unless they know they are going to need it or be away from an ATM. Most people carry credit or debit cards around because they are easy to cancel if they get stolen and in many cases, fraudulent charges are reversed.

For those of us that need to be paid for the services we render, having a Square reader and account is a good alternative to the traditional check or cash payments that we receive. In briefly using this service for my own personal transactions (non-social-work related), it was simple, fun, new, and I got my money deposited within a few days (I believe it was three). While Square did take their transaction fee, I received my money without any worries.

 

How could you use square?

[This review was written in January 2011. Please visit Square’s website for more up to date information]