As humans have become more advanced. There has been less of necessity to have tangible money and more emphasis has been being placed on the use of the credit and debit cards. Every business should have a way to accept credit cards in this day and age. There are not many excuses to justify why a business wouldn’t have that option. There’s plenty of options to choose from when you decide to accept credit cards. But, in this post, we’ll narrow it down and discuss two major companies, Clover and Square.
How do they operate?
Square
Square was one of the first POS disruptors to come out. They launched in 2009 and have flourished ever since. They created a great mobile processing solution that will double as a Countertop POS system. Square has 3 different types of systems:
- Square Appointment
- Square for Retail
- Square for Restaurant
It’s best to decide which industry you are going to use at the beginning. There is a bit more of a discount when you buy a bundle instead of the individual items separately. The individual items will be costlier if bought outside of the kit options. Free downloadable software accompanies the system, along with a square magstripe reader.
Clover
Clover has been around since 2012 when they merged with Fist Data, the largest payment processor in the world. Clover only has one type of POS system with the options to switch it up afterwards. Different industries for Clover can be used with the right type of apps. Clover has an Appstore with over 400 apps where you can determine whichever one you need but they cover all the same types of businesses. For example, most of the tools needed to operate a restaurant are located inside of the Clover Dining app.
Square:
Square is usually best for smaller companies and companies that are considered low risk. They aren’t the most stable when it comes to their contracts with merchants. Some Industries that are considered high risk are casinos, churches and crypto currency. Merchant’s probability of getting their account terminated or put on hold is higher with Square if your business is considered high risk. But everything else is pretty straightforward. The set-up is relatively easy and quick and the whole process is predictable. Square is most compatible with smaller businesses with low volume, that would benefit a lot from the iPad and their specific POS.
Clover:
Clover is more of all-around type of POS system. It works for any business and it can be any size. Clover’s equipment is more expensive than Square’s, but it has more features available to use for a bigger business. It wouldn’t be the best for start-ups, but established business can definitely grow with Clover. Their hardware is purpose built and can use different integrations along with it.
Square:
Square makes a good effort towards investing in their customer. They offer local meet ups and seminars that teach you different skills. They own a website developer so making a website with Square is an option and everything starts with a 30-day free trial with no commitments.
Clover:
Clover has a partnership with ISOs (Independent Sales Organizations), and banks, that allow other companies to sell Clover systems. Most of the experience that comes along with buying a Clover will depend on the company that you buy the Clover from. There’s always the option to buy directly from Clover but ISOs can do more to accommodate if needed. They are also much less expensive. The ISO can provide customer service and instruction, but you need to make sure you choose the right one. Not all of the ISOs will provide good service.
Conclusion –
Well there you are! Now you know some of the fundamental differences between Clover and Square and hopefully got some useful information that will contribute to making the decision as to which POS system you want to buy. This is only the first article in the Clover vs Square series so tune in next time to see some more in-depth information about Clover and Square.
