Support and Response Resources (Square COVID-19 page, 2020-04-20)

Summary

Square's COVID-19 support page as of April 20, 2020, addressed to the Square community. Its Paycheck Protection Program update says the first round of PPP stimulus money has been fully distributed, that Square is advocating for small businesses to receive more, and that sellers can still apply with another lender after applying with Square. It says software subscription fees are waived for the month of April, in addition to refunded March fees, and that a subscription can now be paused without billing. It says delivery fees are waived through June 30, 2020, and describes invoices, a virtual terminal, eGift Cards and a free Skillshare membership.

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To our Square community:

We’re all facing unique challenges right now, and for business owners, the stakes are particularly high. We want to offer support and help in the ways we can. Bookmark this page for the latest information and tools to support you and your business.

Our latest update about the Paycheck Protection Program

As of now, the first round of PPP stimulus money has been fully distributed — but we’re advocating for small businesses to receive more. Remember you can still apply with another lender even if you’ve already applied with us.

Thank you for your patience as we’ve been working to make these funds available to you. Please know we will continue to advocate on your behalf, and on behalf of all small business owners.

Subscription fees

We are waiving all software subscription fees for the month of April for existing sellers who currently use Square Appointments, Retail, Restaurants, Loyalty, Team Management, Payroll, Marketing, and Square Online Store. Square will manage the process for you—there’s no need to do anything. This is in addition to refunding March subscription fees.

To help make managing your subscriptions easier, we’ve introduced the ability to pause a subscription as well. When you pause a subscription you will not be billed. You can unpause at any time and your account will be ready for you.

If you currently have a loan through Square Capital, read our Square Capital FAQ .

Learn more about Square fees

Steps you can take:

Sell and accept orders online

In some parts of the country, cities have strongly encouraged social distancing or have restricted their citizens’ movements. One way to still provide goods to your customers is to sell online. You can ship items or take online orders for pickup or local delivery. Scroll down to learn how to take online orders and setup curbside pickup or local delivery.

Promote digital gift cards

Electronic gift cards can help increase cash flow while your business is closed or affected by social distancing. We’ve seen a lot of sellers ask their regular customers to purchase gift cards as a show of support. Scroll down to learn how to set up eGift Cards free.

Use touch-free and remote payments

As customers look to avoid touching surfaces, you might consider disabling the signature screen and skipping the receipt screen during checkout. You can also encourage your customers to use their mobile devices or contactless cards to complete payment so they touch fewer surfaces. If you aren’t seeing customers in person, consider remote payment options like invoices; scroll down to learn more.

Communicate with your customers

Use email and social media to keep your customers up to date. Let them know how they can support your business, what your new hours are, or if you’re closing for a period of time. If you use Square, we have free email marketing templates specifically for this purpose.

Support your team

This time is as unpredictable for your staff as it is for you. To ensure your staff stays healthy, make sure they stay home if they are sick, frequently wash their hands, and keep contact with one another and customers to a minimum. Make sure your paid time off and sick leave policies are compliant with local labor laws as laws may have changed in response to the virus. Stay up to date with regulatory updates in your state that could affect the way you pay your team. Additionally, you can update your payroll settings to accommodate your current operations.

More steps for your business

Food & Beverage

Learn more

Retail

Learn more

Services

Learn more

Get set up

Online Store

No matter what kind of business you run, you can create an online ordering page with Square Online Store that allows you to provide curbside pickup or local delivery. The online ordering page automatically integrates with all Square POS apps, Order Manager, and Customer Directory.

We are waiving delivery fees through June 30, 2020. There is no monthly fee for Square Online Store curbside pickup.

Learn how to: Set up an online ordering page [VIDEO] > Turn on curbside pickup [VIDEO] > Set up local delivery [VIDEO] >

Remote Payments

Even without an online store, you can take payments remotely . You can use invoices to request and collect online payments for goods and services — no matter where you are. Customers can pay invoices from their mobile phone or computer with their debit or credit cards.

Another option for collecting payments and making sales online is a virtual terminal, which turns your computer into a point-of-sale and allows you to key-in and charge credit and debit cards from your web browser. You can also use a virtual terminal to schedule recurring quick-charge or itemized sales for repeat customers.

Learn how to: Send invoices online [VIDEO] > Take payments with Virtual Terminal [VIDEO] >

eGift Cards

You can set up a free ordering page to sell digital gift cards. The page allows customers to purchase eGift Cards online and send them to a recipient of their choice (or themselves) via email. eGift Cards can be redeemed in-store and on Square Online Store.

We’ve launched a new online directory, Give and Get Local , which will allow customers to search for your business and purchase eGift Cards directly from your site. All eGift Cards sellers will be featured in the directory. To opt out of the Give and Get Local directory, contact us .

Learn how to: Set up your eGift Cards ordering site [VIDEO] > Promote your eGift Cards >

Solutions from our partners

Square works with partner apps that can help you adapt your business to the changing environment.

Resources

- Connect with other businesses Find other businesses to talk to about how you’re handling the current situation, trade tips, and share best practices for keeping your employees and customers safe. We now have local communities so you can connect with people in your area. Join the Seller Community >
- Find ways to manage your business right now We’ve compiled information about accepting contactless payments, communicating with and marketing to your customers, selling online, and other topics to help you navigate the current situation. We’ll be adding new content regularly on Town Square to support your efforts. Recent articles include: Square Business Support Guide > 6 Methods for Touch-Free and Remote Payments > Regulatory Updates > Visit Town Square >
- Learn from experts and your peers We’ve partnered with Skillshare , an online learning community, to provide you with a free three-month membership. Together, we’ve developed three learning tracks — Sales & Marketing, Leadership & Management, and Business Operations — each of which contains classes taught by industry icons and experts. Sign up for your membership > We’re also holding virtual panels so you can hear from other business owners and industry experts. We recognize that business owners may need a space to communicate and learn from one another. This series can help you rethink your business and access tools to better connect with your customer base. Register for our next Town Hall > View previous Town Halls >

Stay informed

WHO

Get Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19 >

CDC

Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers >

Information for Communities, Schools, and Businesses >

See more resources

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