The first in what we hope to be a healthy lineup of payment processor integrations, we are very happy to support payment processing with Square. A leader in the payment processing space, this brings utility to all of our customers regardless of their company size.
This integration allows you to connect your card reader to the mobile app, receive a payment that is applied to the invoice and also follows the processes in Square of placing those funds in your account. It also supports processing tips for your drivers!

Below you will find a walk-through on how to connect it and how to utilize this integration! Please note that if you are not yet a Square customer, we have a unique link at the bottom of this article for you to use – this gives you a special initial rate on fees!

Web App Setup

The first step in the process is to connect your Square account in the web app for your company. This is located under Settings > Square Setup.

Begin by clicking on the “Connect with Square” icon which will open the Square login where you will enter your Square credentials (you must have a Square account created previous to doing this). If you do not already have a Square account created – please check out the bottom of this article for a Towbook exclusive link!

Once you enter your Square credentials and authorize the integration, the page will update to show that the Square connection is active.

The next step that is required is to “Select a “Location” to use for the payments. The Locations are set up within your Square account. Click on the drop down menu and select the desired Square location. Only one location can be selected for your company. Multi Company setups can pair different locations to a corresponding child company (Towbook) but again only one Location per Company. A single Square location can be reused for each child company (Towbook).

Under Settings > Square Setup you will also see options for “Payment Link Configuration”.  You can enable options for a Square payment link to be included on emailed invoices and/or statements by DEFAULT. There is also a option to do this per invoice/statement. The link will be provided in the body of the email. There is also a option when emailing!

Here is the page customers will be taken when they click on the Square Payment Link. They will see a view of the invoice and can key in their payment details.

Mobile App Setup and Use

In iOS, click on the Menu Icon in the top left. This opens up a view with the “Payments” option for square. After selecting this, you will see the Square Icon with a Authorization status. To start you will need to Authorize square on the device by clicking on the Square Icon, this will open a prompt to “authorize”.

Once Square is authorized on the device you can connect via Bluetooth a Contactless & Chip Reader. *The swipe readers require a headphone jack and sometime newer phones do not have these.  A contactless Chip reader might be the only option based on device. To pair a Chip Reader, click on the Square Icon again to open a menu with the options for Reader Settings or to Deauthorize. Select Reader Settings, then Connect Reader. Instructions for the user are shown walking them how to pair the reader (just like any Bluetooth device). Once connect you will see the Reader listed.

Here is a picture of the Contactless & Chip Reader paired via Bluetooth (Android then iOS).

Android:

iOS:

Below are pictures of the swipe readers based on device. To the left is a headphone jack reader and the righthand picture is for iOS with a lightning port.

*There is no pairing required and these are automatically detected by the phone at the time of transaction when they are plugged in. No setup is required like the Chip Reader.

Now that you have Authorized square on the device and paired the Chip Reader (if using), you are ready to process a payment. To initiate this, go into the call and apply a new payment. When the feature is enabled, the system generates a payment type “Square” which is to be used to process the payment. When applying a payment scroll down and select Square as the type. Enter the payment amount and hit “Done” to initiate the Square Checkout process.

Once you hit “Done” it will open the Square Checkout process. In the first phone you can see it recognizes a Contactless payment method is enabled. This is the Chip Reader that you paired. It is also at this point you have the option to use the swipe readers. Just plug the swipe reader into the port and it will automatically detect and connect the reader . At this point you insert/swipe the card to being the transaction. If successful, you till see “Thanks!” with the options to text or email a receipt to the customer. When you return to the Towbook app, you will see the payment recorded along with the Reference number generated by Square. If tipping is enabled, customers will be prompted with the option to tip drivers during the payment process. They can select from the recommended percentages, enter a custom amount or skip tipping altogether. Tips will automatically reflect in Towbook once processed.

The Square Settings and the Checkout Process flow is the same between the apps. The checkout process is initiated in the call by apply a payment with Square selected as the payment type. Below are where the Square Settings is located in Android and iOS.

Android – The square settings are listed as Payment Integrations on the Menu List.

iOS – Locate the Menu option in the bottom right, and then select “Settings” and select Square Reader Settings:

Canadian Customers: 

Currently, our Square integration for Canadian customers supports payments processed via the Square Terminal and payments processed via a payment link that can be texted or emailed to customers to pay their invoice. Payment processing through the mobile app via a Square reader or manual card entry are not included in the integration at this time.

FAQ

I don’t have a Square account, how can I get signed up?
Follow this link to use a Towbook exclusive offer: Square
*From Square: As part of the Free Processing Promotion with Square, you will receive free processing on up to $2,000 in credit card transactions for the first 180 days. To learn more about Square payments fees, check out their transparent pricing page: https://squareup.com/us/en/payments/our-fees

How do I use Square when releasing impounds?
Impounds will need to be released with payment from the mobile apps with the payment type “Square” selected, then the process mirrors recording payments in calls under the dispatching tab.