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Square Ecommerce Review: Pros, Cons, Features, and Pricing

Square Ecommerce is a point-of-sale software that helps retailers and ecommerce businesses manage sales, payments, and inventory in one place. If you’re looking for a point of sale software that’s easy to set up, flexible enough for both in-store and online selling, and doesn’t hide fees or lock you into long contracts, Square is worth a close look. 

In this review, I’ll break down Square Ecommerce's features, pricing, pros and cons, and where it fits best—so you can decide if it matches your business needs and growth plans.

Square Evaluation Summary

Square processes payments, tracks sales, and manages POS operations.
Rating
4.7 /5
Pricing
  • From $35/month
  • Free plan available

Why Trust Our Software Reviews

Square Overview

If you’re judging Square Ecommerce against other point-of-sale software, its clean interface, transparent pricing, and quick onboarding make it a top pick for small retailers, pop-ups, and food trucks. You’ll find the app easy to navigate, with built-in payment processing and inventory tools that work right out of the box. 

While it doesn’t offer the deep customization or advanced reporting some larger businesses might want, I’d choose Square Ecommerce for teams that value simplicity, fast setup, and reliable support over complex features or deep integrations.

Our Review Methodology

How We Test & Score Tools

We’ve spent years building, refining, and improving our software testing and scoring system. The rubric is designed to capture the nuances of software selection and what makes a tool effective, focusing on critical aspects of the decision-making process.

Below, you can see exactly how our testing and scoring works across seven criteria. It allows us to provide an unbiased evaluation of the software based on core functionality, standout features, ease of use, onboarding, customer support, integrations, customer reviews, and value for money.

Core Functionality (25% of final scoring)

The starting point of our evaluation is always the core functionality of the tool. Does it have the basic features and functions that a user would expect to see? Are any of those core features locked to higher-tiered pricing plans? At its core, we expect a tool to stand up against the baseline capabilities of its competitors.

Standout Features (25% of final scoring)

Next, we evaluate uncommon standout features that go above and beyond the core functionality typically found in tools of its kind. A high score reflects specialized or unique features that make the product faster, more efficient, or offer additional value to the user.

We also evaluate how easy it is to integrate with other tools typically found in the tech stack to expand the functionality and utility of the software. Tools offering plentiful native integrations, 3rd party connections, and API access to build custom integrations score best.

Ease of Use (10% of final scoring)

We consider how quick and easy it is to execute the tasks defined in the core functionality using the tool. High scoring software is well designed, intuitive to use, offers mobile apps, provides templates, and makes relatively complex tasks seem simple.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring)

We know how important rapid team adoption is for a new platform, so we evaluate how easy it is to learn and use a tool with minimal training. We evaluate how quickly a team member can get set up and start using the tool with no experience. High scoring solutions indicate little or no support is required.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring)

We review how quick and easy it is to get unstuck and find help by phone, live chat, or knowledge base. Tools and companies that provide real-time support score best, while chatbots score worst.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring)

Beyond our own testing and evaluation, we consider the net promoter score from current and past customers. We review their likelihood, given the option, to choose the tool again for the core functionality. A high scoring software reflects a high net promoter score from current or past customers.

Value for Money (10% of final scoring)

Lastly, in consideration of all the other criteria, we review the average price of entry level plans against the core features and consider the value of the other evaluation criteria. Software that delivers more, for less, will score higher.

Core Features

Integrated Payments

Accepts credit cards, contactless payments, and mobile wallets directly through the POS app.

Inventory Management

Tracks stock levels in real time across in-store and online channels, helping prevent overselling.

Customer Directory

Stores customer profiles, purchase history, and loyalty points in one place for easy access.

Order Management

Lets you manage in-person, online, and pickup orders from a single dashboard.

Digital Receipts

Sends receipts via email or text, allowing customers to track purchases and returns easily.

Employee Management

Tracks staff hours, permissions, and sales performance within the POS system.

Ease of Use

Square Ecommerce is one of the most user-friendly point-of-sale systems I’ve tried, with a clean interface and intuitive workflows that make onboarding new staff fast. Users often mention how quickly they can set up hardware, process sales, and manage inventory without training. 

The mobile app and dashboard are straightforward, so even non-technical teams can handle daily operations and reporting with minimal hassle.

Integrations

Square integrates with Wix, WooCommerce, QuickBooks, Xero, Shippo, Jotform, Homebase, BigCommerce, Acuity Scheduling, and Mailchimp, among others.

Square also offers an API and connects with third-party integration tools for expanded functionality.

New Product Updates from Square

July 21 2026

Square Improves Restaurant Service With Gratuity, Table, and Cart Updates

Square expanded its restaurant tools across payments and Point of Sale to simplify table service and order management. Staff can now calculate auto-gratuity on the pre-discount subtotal, merge tables during service, and view cart updates in real time while configuring items. Highlights include:

  • Pre-Discount Auto-Gratuity: Calculate auto-gratuity using the original subtotal before discounts are applied, with support for multiple gratuity rates.
  • Table Merging: Combine multiple tables into a single group that shares one check and moves together on the floor plan.
  • Real-Time Cart Preview: View price, modifier, and quantity changes as items are configured, without leaving the item details screen.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

July 21 2026

Square Adds KDS Sorting, Courier Selection, and Inventory Price Editing

Square expanded its operational tools across Kitchen Display System, online ordering, and inventory management. Sellers can now group ticket items by category, choose an on-demand delivery courier for each location, and edit prices or margins as stock is received. Highlights include:

  • KDS Category Grouping: Organize ticket items by reporting category so kitchen teams can scan orders faster.
  • Courier Selection by Location: Choose DoorDash or Best Available, powered by Nash, for each location’s ordering profile.
  • Inline Price and Margin Editing: Update item prices or margins directly from the inventory receive screen and stock overview details.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

July 21 2026

Square Adds Nested Modifiers for Multi-Step Item Customization

Square now lets sellers attach a modifier set to a specific modifier choice, creating a more guided item customization process. Staff and customers only see the options relevant to their previous selection, making complex orders easier to configure and maintain. Highlights include:

  • Nested Modifier Flows: Build conditional item customization paths up to three levels deep.
  • Contextual Follow-Up Options: Show additional choices only when a related modifier is selected.
  • Cleaner Menu Setup: Reduce duplicated modifier sets and avoid placing every possible option in one flat list.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

July 5 2026

Square POS Lets Servers Start Tables with Guest Count Only

Square Point of Sale now makes it faster to manage seating by allowing staff to open and save a table with just a guest count. This helps your floor plan reflect real-time occupancy immediately after guests are seated, improving visibility and coordination during service. Highlights include:

  • Guest Count-Only Table Creation: Start and save a table using only the number of guests.
  • Real-Time Table Status: Mark tables as occupied immediately after seating guests.
  • Improved Floor Plan Accuracy: Give hosts and staff better visibility into table availability throughout service.

Visit Square's official site for more details.

July 5 2026

Square Adds Custom Inventory Adjustment Reasons and Scheduled Item Countsy: Custom Reasons and Scheduled Counts

Square now lets sellers create custom reasons for inventory adjustments and schedule future inventory counts with optional recurring updates. Together, these features improve inventory tracking and reduce manual stock management. Highlights include:

  • Custom Inventory Adjustment Reasons: Create custom reasons such as shrinkage, damage, or theft to better categorize inventory changes.
  • Scheduled Inventory Counts: Schedule future available item counts with optional daily or weekly repeats for limited-quantity products.
  • Improved Inventory Accuracy: Automate stock updates and gain better visibility into inventory trends and losses.

Visit Square's official site for more details.

June 21 2026

Square Adds Negative-Priced Modifiers and Automated Tax Withholding

Square has added negative-priced modifiers and automated sales tax withholding to simplify checkout and financial management tasks. These updates help sellers reduce manual adjustments and automate how sales tax funds are organized. Highlights include:

  • Negative-Priced Modifiers: Apply automatic item deductions at checkout when customers remove or downgrade selected options.
  • Automated Sales Tax Withholding: Automatically set aside sales tax funds from card sales into a dedicated Square Savings folder.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

June 21 2026

Square Adds Multi-Location Price Overrides and Item Grid Syncing

Square now lets you bulk-apply price overrides and sync item grids to simplify multi-location item management and reduce repetitive setup work. These updates help sellers update prices and maintain consistent checkout experiences across different locations. Highlights include:

  • Bulk Price Overrides: Set different item prices across multiple locations in one action without editing each location individually.
  • Item Grid Syncing: Sync Square Point of Sale item grid layouts across locations without manually rebuilding them.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

June 21 2026

Square Adds Uber Eats Integration and Persistent Order Alerts

Square has added Uber Eats integration and persistent online order alerts to improve order management workflows. These updates help sellers centralize incoming orders and reduce the chances of missing new online or marketplace orders. Highlights include:

  • Uber Eats Integration: Connect Uber Eats with Square Dashboard to sync orders, menu updates, and sales reports automatically.
  • Persistent Online Order Alerts: Display full-screen alerts with looping chimes until new online or marketplace orders are acknowledged.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

June 7 2026

Square Updates Business Banking and Expense Tools

Square adds new banking and expense management updates with receipt attachments, automated repayments, and updated Savings tools. These updates help sellers organize transaction records, manage card balances, and track business finances. Highlights include:

  • Receipt and Note Tracking: Add receipt photos and notes to Square Debit Card transactions for easier expense reconciliation.
  • Automatic Credit Card Repayments: Apply a chosen percentage of daily sales toward credit card balances automatically.
  • Tiered Savings Rates: Adjust Square Savings interest rates automatically based on account balances.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

June 7 2026

Square Improves Restaurant Order Management Tools

Square adds restaurant order and kitchen management updates with allergen notes, modifier visibility controls, printer rules, and drag-and-drop check management. These updates help staff reduce order errors, organize kitchen tickets, and manage table changes faster. Highlights include:

  • Seat-Level Dietary Notes: Add allergens, dietary preferences, and custom notes per seat with details sent to kitchen tickets.
  • Sold-Out Modifier Controls: Hide unavailable modifier options from POS and Kiosk screens to show only available choices.
  • Category-Based Printer Profiles: Set printer rules by item category to automatically include or exclude tickets.
  • Drag-and-Drop Check Management: Move or merge restaurant checks by dragging tables directly from the floor plan.

Visit Square’s official site for more details.

Square Specs

  • 2-Factor Authentication
  • API
  • Barcode Scanning
  • BitCoin
  • Budgeting
  • Contact Management
  • Custom Reports
  • Customer Management
  • Customer Rewards
  • Dashboard
  • Data Export
  • Data Import
  • Data Visualization
  • External Integrations
  • Forecasting
  • Fraud Detection
  • Inventory Tracking
  • Multi-Currency
  • Multi-User
  • Notifications
  • Offline Access
  • Order Management
  • Payment Processor
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • Supplier Management
  • Tax Management
  • Third-Party Plugins/Add-Ons
  • Workflow Management

Square FAQs

Sean Flannigan
By Sean Flannigan

Sean is the Senior Editor for The Retail Exec. He's spent years getting acquainted with the retail space, from warehouse management and international shipping to web development and ecommerce marketing. A writer at heart (and in actuality), he brings a deep passion for great writing and storytelling to retail topics big and small.