What Square does

Square is the merchant-facing commerce platform division of Block, Inc. (NYSE: SQ), founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco. The platform combines point-of-sale hardware (Square Register Gen 2 at $899+, Square Handheld, Square Stand, Square Terminal) with software layers including Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, and Square Appointments, serving nearly 4 million merchants primarily in the U.S. with expanding international presence across Canada, the U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, and Australia. Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based payment processing — which accounts for an estimated 74-86% of platform revenue — supplemented by hardware sales, software subscriptions, embedded lending via Square Loans, and emerging services such as Bitcoin payment acceptance on POS terminals.

Underlying technology centers on a unified commerce stack integrating order capture, kitchen operations, customer handoff, inventory management, and AI-powered business insights. Differentiated technical components include the Managerbot AI agent (deployed to over 1 million sellers), the Square AI conversational assistant (open beta May 2025 after closed beta August 2024, ~200,000 questions during beta), the Square Order Guide procurement AI, Bitcoin payment processing via the Lightning Network, and a partner ecosystem in which 71% of enterprise sellers use at least one Square-integrated solution. Distribution leverage comes from 74 million Cash App users, the Uber Eats global marketplace partnership, and Afterpay integration.

The business model is anchored by transaction fees on $67.2 billion in Q3 2025 gross payment volume (up 12% YoY), with mid-market sellers now contributing 45% of GPV (up from 41% in Q3 2023) reflecting a deliberate shift up-market. Square is also extending into non-transaction revenue through embedded lending (Block has surpassed $200 billion in cumulative lending across its ecosystem) and adjacent software modules. Recent strategic emphasis is on AI-led operational efficiency — Block executed a 40% workforce reduction in early 2026 — alongside product expansion into quick-service drive-thru systems and international growth (international GPV up 35% YoY).

Name

Square

Legal name

Block, Inc.

Website

https://kwadraad.nl

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Square is Block, Inc.'s merchant commerce platform, providing point-of-sale hardware, payments processing, AI-powered business tools, and embedded lending to nearly 4 million sellers across restaurants, retail, and service businesses in the U.S. and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Point-of-Sale and Payment Processing

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Computer Terminals (3575)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

POS Terminals & All-in-One Retail Computers (HDACAKAA), Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure (FSAGABAE), Merchant-Integrated BNPL (Checkout POS Financing) (FSAGAIAA)

Keywords

• Point of sale systems
• Payment processing
• Merchant commerce platform
• Embedded small business lending
• Restaurant POS software

Headquarters

HQ city

Gouda

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing: Transaction-based revenue from processing payments across POS terminals. Square generates 74-86% of platform revenue from financial services according to embedded fintech analysis.
2. Embedded Lending: Square Loans providing small business credit, with over 50% more sellers now eligible after improved underwriting models. Block has surpassed $200 billion in total lending across its ecosystem.
3. Subscription and Software: Revenue from Square ecosystem software subscriptions including Square for Restaurants, retail POS, appointments, and loyalty programs.
4. Hardware Sales: Sale of POS hardware including Square Register ($899+), Square Stand, Square Terminal, and Square Handheld devices.
5. Cash App Integration: Integration of Cash App Pay as payment option across Square POS, driving additional transaction volume from 74 million Cash App users.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Square provides a unified commerce platform that combines point-of-sale hardware, payment processing, industry-specific software (restaurants, retail, appointments), AI-powered business intelligence, and embedded lending for small and mid-sized merchants. The platform integrates order capture, kitchen operations, inventory management, real-time analytics, and Cash App payment acceptance, with transaction-based processing fees supplemented by software subscriptions and hardware sales.

Product overview

Square (Block, Inc.) operates as a unified commerce platform combining point-of-sale, payments, and business management tools. The core Square POS platform is augmented by industry-specific solutions including Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, and Square Appointments. Hardware offerings include Square Register and Square Handheld devices. Square extends its platform with Square Loans (merchant lending), Square AI (conversational business intelligence), Managerbot (AI agent for operational automation), Square for Drive-Thru (QSR operations), Square Restaurant Inventory by MarketMan (AI-driven inventory management), and Cash App Pay (customer payment option). Bitcoin payment acceptance on POS was introduced in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Square POS Square's unified commerce platform providing point-of-sale, payments, and back-office management for merchants across various industries including restaurants, retail, and service businesses.
• Square for Restaurants Restaurant-specific POS solution integrated with Square's platform, enabling order management, kitchen operations, and customer service for food and beverage businesses.
• Square for Retail Retail-specific POS solution providing inventory management and sales tracking integrated with Square's unified commerce platform; named best inventory management software for retail with POS integration by ZDNET in 2026.
• Square Appointments Online scheduling software enabling service-based businesses to manage appointments, bookings, and customer relationships.
• Square Register (2nd Generation) Square's all-in-one point-of-sale hardware device combining a touchscreen terminal with payment processing capabilities; second generation features 40% faster processing, IP54 durability rating, and upgraded memory and Wi-Fi.
• Square Handheld Portable POS device enabling fully mobile payment processing and sales operations for off-site activations, line-busting, and mobile retail environments such as pop-up events.
• Square Loans Merchant lending product providing small business loans with improved underwriting models that better assess seasonal and new merchants, reducing approval times from months to days.
• Square for Drive-Thru Integrated solution for quick-service restaurants combining order capture, kitchen operations, and customer handoff through POS and KDS systems, with real-time order viewing, automated kitchen routing, order labeling, and reporting; co-developed with The Howard Company and Nanonation.
• Square Restaurant Inventory by MarketMan AI-driven inventory management integration providing real-time visibility into ingredient stock levels, automated purchasing tools, and cost-of-goods insights for restaurant operators; enables automated purchase orders, vendor management, waste monitoring, and ingredient substitution modeling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Square GPV reached $67.2B in Q3 2025, up 12% YoY
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Afterpay (Block)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Five-year naming rights partnership renaming Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena to Afterpay Arena through 2031. Afterpay becomes exclusive naming partner and payment technology provider, powering end-to-end payment flexibility across ticket purchases, food, beverage and merchandise using Square's point-of-sale system.
• The Howard CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Co-developed Square for Drive-Thru solution for quick-service restaurants. The Howard Company contributed to integrated system combining order capture, kitchen operations, and customer handoffs through POS and KDS systems.
• NanonationmajorTechnology or Integration · 12 May 2026Co-developed Square for Drive-Thru solution with real-time order viewing, automated kitchen routing, order labeling, and reporting tools. Solution available through Early Access Program with broader availability summer 2026.
• Uber EatscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 April 2026Expanded global partnership integrating Square's point-of-sale and payment solutions into Uber Eats' international markets. Enables direct order flow into POS systems, real-time inventory management, faster cash flow through instant payouts, and introduces Cash App Pay as new payment option. Collaboration aims to standardize restaurant tech globally.
• MarketMancoreTechnology or Integration · 2 April 2026AI-driven inventory management integration providing real-time visibility into ingredient stock levels, automated purchasing tools, and cost-of-goods insights. Builds on decade-long partnership with 71% of enterprise sellers using at least one Square partner solution. Available U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, Australia.
• ThrivecoreTechnology or Integration · 16 December 2025Expanded partnership enabling seamless synchronization of catalogs, inventory, and sales between Square POS and Shopify. Uses Square as source of truth with unified catalog management and real-time bi-directional inventory updates. Available U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Spain. Addresses challenges for multichannel retailers with 50% of Square retail sellers operating across multiple channels.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Toast: Restaurant-native POS and payments platform competing head-to-head with Square for Restaurants in the multi-location QSR and full-service segment. Closest direct competitor for Square's primary food & beverage vertical.
• Shopify (Shopify POS): Unified commerce platform with POS hardware and software for retail and restaurants, integrating e-commerce (which Square does via the Thrive/Shopify sync). Direct overlap on retail POS and omnichannel use cases.
• Clover (Fiserv): POS and merchant acquiring platform from Fiserv, distributing through banks and ISVs at scale. Competes directly with Square Register, Square Stand, and the SMB acquiring market.
• Lightspeed Commerce: Unified POS and commerce platform serving retail and restaurant SMBs and mid-market merchants. Direct overlap with Square for Retail and Square for Restaurants, including the omnichannel inventory and payments stack.
• SpotOn: Restaurant and retail POS and payments platform with strong mid-market focus. Direct competitor for Square for Restaurants and Square Register, particularly with SMBs and growing chains.

Emerging players

• TouchBistro: Restaurant-first POS with front-of-house and floor-management features. Overlaps with Square for Restaurants in full-service and QSR segments, especially at the smaller end of the multi-location market.

Broad incumbents

• PayPal (Zettle): Zettle is PayPal's SMB POS and card-reader offering, paired with PayPal's online payments and Venmo distribution. Direct overlap with Square's hardware and SMB acquiring, with the additional PayPal/Venmo distribution muscle.
• Stripe: Online-first payments and financial infrastructure platform; competes with Square's payment processing and developer APIs (developer.squareup.com), and increasingly with embedded commerce for platforms and SaaS.
• Adyen: Enterprise-focused unified payments platform serving large omnichannel merchants. Adjacent to Square's mid-market and enterprise ambitions and an incumbent for the same multi-location retail/restaurant customers.

Regional players

• SumUp: European-headquartered mobile POS and card-reader provider competing with Square in Europe. Particularly relevant overlap for Square's international growth in U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, and Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kwadraad

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Square