Square vs Upserve

July 02, 2023 | Author: Sandeep Sharma
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Square
Accept credit cards on your iPhone, Android or iPad. Send invoices free with Square Invoices. Signing up for Square is fast and free, and there are no commitments or long-term contracts like with alternative services.
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Upserve
Upserve provides a complete suite of Restaurant Management Software solutions for restaurant owners and managers who don’t want to spend their day digging through spreadsheets. Full-service restaurant POS – Breadcrumb by Upserve is easy to implement, easy for staff, with helpful reporting.
Square and Upserve are both popular point-of-sale (POS) solutions designed for businesses in the hospitality industry, but they have some key differences in terms of features and target market.

Square is a versatile POS system that offers a wide range of features beyond traditional payment processing. It provides businesses with tools for inventory management, employee management, reporting and analytics, customer relationship management, and online ordering. Square is known for its user-friendly interface, easy setup, and affordability, making it popular among small to medium-sized businesses across various industries.

On the other hand, Upserve is specifically tailored for restaurants, bars, and other foodservice establishments. It offers robust features for tableside ordering, menu management, staff scheduling, guest management, and detailed analytics. Upserve provides deep insights into sales, customer behavior, and operational performance to help restaurants optimize their operations and enhance the dining experience.

See also: Top 10 Restaurant software
Square vs Upserve in our news:

2021. Square acquires buy-now, pay-later company Afterpay for $29 billion



Square has reached an agreement to acquire Afterpay, an Australian buy-now, pay-later service, in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $29 billion. This acquisition stands as one of the largest in Australian history. Square has announced its intention to incorporate Afterpay into both Cash App and Seller. Cash App facilitates payments and money transfers for customers, while Seller caters to retailers. Following the integration, Cash App users will have the ability to manage their Afterpay payments directly within the app, and Seller merchants will be able to offer Afterpay as a payment option to their customers.


2020. Lightspeed acquires restaurant software company Upserve for $430M



Lightspeed has recently made an announcement regarding its acquisition of Upserve, a move that expands Lightspeed's footprint in the restaurant industry. With its existing cloud-based point-of-sale software catering to various businesses, this acquisition further strengthens Lightspeed's position in the market. Upserve, founded in 2009, initially focused on encouraging users to share their purchase information with friends as part of a group of startups. Over time, it transitioned its offerings towards providing business tools encompassing payments, marketing, and loyalty, eventually rebranding as Upserve to emphasize its dedication to serving the restaurant market. The integration of Upserve aligns with Lightspeed's strategic vision of delivering an advanced commerce platform to high-performing businesses worldwide.


2020. Square acquires inventory management company Stitch Labs



The financial services, merchant services aggregator, and mobile payment company Square has acquired Stitch Labs, a company that specializes in inventory management software. Square, which is widely used by over 33.5 million small businesses for various purposes like accepting credit card payments, tracking sales and inventory, and obtaining financing, aims to enhance its Seller ecosystem by incorporating Stitch Labs' expertise. Currently, Square's functionality falls short of providing a complete inventory and order management system or fully meeting the needs of advanced Stitch Labs users. However, there is potential for Square to expand its software capabilities in the future with the assistance of the Stitch Labs team. In the meantime, we have compiled a list of the best alternatives to Stitch Labs that are currently available on the market.


2018. Square acquired website builder Weebly



Square, renowned for its payment software, has announced its acquisition of Weebly for a sum of $365 million. Weebly specializes in providing user-friendly website-building tools primarily tailored for small businesses and e-commerce companies. The company has successfully secured $35.7 million in funding. Square's objective in acquiring Weebly is to establish a unified solution that caters to entrepreneurs seeking to establish a robust online and offline business presence. This strategic move will also facilitate Square's global expansion, given that 40 percent of Weebly's 625,000 paid subscribers are based outside of the United States.


2017. Mobile POS system Square launched Retail app



Square is introducing an all-new Square Retail app that complements an extensive backend package of tools. This package includes comprehensive inventory management, customer relationship management, and employee tools. The aim of this new offering is to deliver a top-notch retail solution for merchants and shop owners who require more than just the Square Reader and basic Square mobile app. The scalability of this solution allows it to cater to clients ranging from single-location shops to merchants with multiple storefronts and extensive inventory tracking needs. Initially, Square is primarily targeting retailers in the "finished goods" industry, which includes those selling packaged products, apparel with barcodes, as well as items like wine or games.


2016. Square now allows to charge loyal customers without card swiping



Mobile payment processing service Square has introduced a new feature called Card on File, which enables businesses to charge recurring customers without physically swiping their cards or requesting them. This feature benefits customers as well, as they can visit your shop or restaurant without carrying their cards or cash. They can simply choose what they want and leave, while you effortlessly charge the appropriate amount directly from their cards. To avail this service, customers must initially opt in and provide their card information to your company's Square account. Additionally, Card on File allows businesses to charge remote customers even without an internet payment connection. However, it is important to note that this feature comes at a slightly higher cost for businesses, with a fee of 3.5% plus 15 cents, as compared to the standard 2.75% commission for card swiping.


2015. Square launched a dashboard app for iOS



Mobile payment processing service Square has introduced its second non-consumer application, an iOS dashboard app designed for business owners. This app enables business owners to monitor real-time sales data and gain valuable insights into the performance of their business through analytics. While this app is not intended for the barista on duty, it serves as a valuable tool for owners who need to oversee operations remotely. With this app, business owners can conveniently track stock levels across multiple locations, enabling them to make informed decisions on the go, without the need for a desktop computer.


2015. Square launched payroll service for small businesses


Mobile payment startup Square has introduced Square Payroll, a software solution designed to assist businesses in managing payroll, tracking taxes, and handling other expenses related to both hourly and salaried employees. The pricing for this product is set at $20 per month, with an additional charge of $5 per employee. Square aims to position itself as a relatively straightforward and uncomplicated option within the payroll software market, at least for the time being. The software includes features such as timecard management, tax management, and the capability to handle payments for both hourly and salaried workers, all bundled together at a single price. Square Payroll enters a competitive landscape, facing established players like Intuit's QuickBooks, ADP, Paychex, and others. While some competitors like Wave Accounting offer similar features, they may not provide the complete range of services offered by Square Payroll. For instance, Wave Accounting does not handle tax payments or tax filings, only estimated tax liabilities. Additionally, Wave Accounting offers lower pricing, with two base tiers starting at $10 and $15 plus an additional $4 per employee.


2015. Square's new wireless card reader will accept Apple Pay and work with Android



The newly introduced Square Reader is a compact device in a square shape, specifically designed to enable merchants utilizing a tablet or smartphone to effortlessly accept wireless payments, including Apple Pay and contactless mobile payments. Additionally, it supports payments made through EMV chip cards, which include Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. Priced at $49, this upgraded device surpasses Square's previous $29 merchant reader, offering enhanced functionality and wireless capabilities. It is compatible with recent iPad models, iPhone devices (including the iPhone 4S and newer), and a wide range of Android devices manufactured by Samsung, HTC, Asus, Motorola, LG, Dell, and Toshiba.


2014. Square adds sales tax reporting through TaxJar



Mobile payment provider Square has partnered with TaxJar to offer integrated tax calculation and reporting services for local and state sales taxes. Users can easily connect their accounts on both platforms. However, it's important to note that this integration does not come free of charge. Businesses conducting less than 1,000 transactions per month will be billed $9.95 monthly, with pricing scaling up based on transaction volume. Square emphasizes that this service is retroactive, meaning that it can calculate sales tax for past transactions as well as future ones. The inclusion of TaxJar provides two significant benefits for Square. Firstly, it offers businesses an additional feature that simplifies the often complex task of managing sales taxes, potentially attracting more users to choose Square for their payment processing needs. Secondly, for existing businesses, this integration may serve as an incentive to remain loyal to Square, utilizing its services for transactions and other business-related needs.

Author: Sandeep Sharma
Sandeep is a marketing expert with a wealth of knowledge in various domains: customer relationship management, social media management, advertising, search engine optimization, website building, Sandeep has established himself as a multifaceted professional. He honed his skills while working at Salesforce and Hubspot, where he gained invaluable insights into the industry. Now, as the proud owner of a small advertising consulting agency, Sandeep continues to provide innovative and effective strategies to businesses, helping them thrive in the competitive landscape of digital marketing. You can contact Sandeep via email sandeep@liventerprise.com