Use a Square card reader so clients can pay in person.
If you take payments for appointments in person, use our integration with Square to accept card payments seamlessly. Using the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app with a supported Square Reader, your clients can pay and add tips on your mobile device without having to enter card details manually.
Square is the only payment processor that can pair a card reader with Acuity.
This guide explains how to connect a Square reader to the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app, how tipping works with a reader, and more. If you’re using Stripe as your payment processor, learn how to accept payments in person with Stripe.
Square card readers can only be used with Acuity in the United States. If your device is using iOS 18, your Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app needs to be on version 25.1.0 or higher.
Using Square vs. using a Square reader
When you connect Square to Acuity, clients can enter payment information when booking online, and you can enter payment information when booking for them through Acuity.
Without a Square reader, you can collect payment in person by manually entering card details. You can do this when you're logged into Acuity on a computer or with the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
When you combine the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app with a Square reader, you can take payments in person without having to enter information manually. Instead, clients swipe their cards in magstripe readers, or insert or tap their cards with contactless/chip readers.
Set up a connection
To connect a Square reader, you need a Square account that you’ve integrated with Acuity and one of the two supported readers: a magstripe reader or a contactless/chip reader. You can buy them from Square or pair a second-hand reader with your Square account.
Note: The magstripe reader and contactless/chip reader are the only Square products that are compatible with Acuity. You cannot use the Square Terminal, Square Register, or Square Stand to collect payments for appointments.
Magstripe reader
The first time you use a magstripe reader, connect it with these steps:
- Open and log into the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
- Plug the magstripe reader into your mobile device’s headphone jack. The mobile app will recognize the reader.
- If prompted, give the app access to your device’s headphone jack or microphone so you can connect the app to the Square reader. The specific prompt and actions may vary depending on your device.
Contactless/chip reader
The contactless/chip reader connects to your mobile device through Bluetooth. The first time you use the device, connect it with these steps:
- Open and log into the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
- Tap an appointment for which you’d like to take a payment.
- In the appointment details, tap Checkout, then tap Credit card.
- Tap Reader settings, then tap Connect a reader.
- Follow the prompts to finish pairing your device and reader.
- Tap the back arrow and X at the top of the screen to return to the payment screen.
Take payment
When you're ready to take payment from a client:
- Ensure that your reader is plugged in or connected via bluetooth.
- Tap the appointment for which you want to collect payment.
- In the appointment details, tap Checkout, then tap Credit card.
- Tap Pay with Square Reader.
- Have the client swipe, insert, or tap their card.
- If tipping is enabled, the client can choose to leave a tip. If you’ve enabled tipping in Payment settings, clients can choose to tip 10%, 15%, 20%, a custom tip, or no tip.
- The client can choose to get a receipt by email, a receipt by text, or no receipt.
- When the payment is complete, the app displays Thanks! to the client.
Collect payment after booking
To collect payment for an appointment:
- From the app home screen, tap the appointment you want to collect payment for.
- Tap Checkout.
- You can include add-ons or a gift certificate, package, or discount code:
- Tap Add-ons, tap the add-ons you want to add, then tap Apply.
- Tap Code. Enter the code, then tap Apply.
- To remove a code or add-on, on the Checkout screen, swipe left then tap the trash can icon.
- Tap Next, then tap Credit Card.
- Select an existing payment method on file, or tap New card to enter a new payment method.
- If receipts for client payments through the scheduler are enabled, the Send email receipt box is checked by default. Uncheck the box if you don’t want to send a receipt.
- Tap Continue.
- If tipping is enabled, the client can choose to tip 10%, 15%, 20%, a custom tip, or no tip. If they add a custom tip, they can tip up to 50% of the appointment cost.
- Tap Pay with Square.
You can also record a cash payment from the mobile app and send an appointment receipt if receipts for client payments is enabled.
Do I need the Square payment app?
You don’t need the Square app to connect a card reader to the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app, and you cannot take Acuity payments in person with the Square payment app. Instead, connect your Square reader to the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app to take payments in person.
Readers can only connect to one device at a time. To use your reader with another app, like the Square app or the Squarespace app, you may need to disconnect the reader from the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app.
Disconnect the contactless/chip reader
To disconnect the contactless/chip reader:
- Tap an appointment.
- In the appointment details, tap Checkout, then tap Credit card.
- Tap Reader Settings.
- Tap the reader you want to disconnect.
- Tap Forget This Reader.
Troubleshooting
If you tap Pay with Square Reader and nothing happens:
- Check your device’s settings to ensure that Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app is allowed to access the microphone.
- If microphone access is enabled, force close the mobile app and log in again.
For payment failures, contact Square. The Squarespace Customer Support team can help you with using the Acuity Scheduling Admin mobile app, setting Square as your payment processor, and connecting a Square reader to the mobile admin app.