Square has introduced Square Handheld, a new portable point-of-sale device, in the UK market, accompanied by a comprehensive suite of industry-specific features and software upgrades designed to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience for food and beverage businesses.
The Square Handheld device, weighing 0.31 kilograms and 1.5 centimeters thick, is engineered to allow businesses to serve customers both at the counter and within the service area. Tom Haydon, Founder of Tom’s Pasta, an early adopter of the device in the UK, described it as “Light. Slimline. Fits in your pocket. Still has all the features we’re used to from Square and quite a lot more.”
Recent research by Square and Tech on Toast indicates that for UK restaurant leaders deploying new technology, key success metrics include staff feedback (74%), reduction in errors (68%), and increased efficiency (52%). The Square Handheld was developed with these insights in mind, aiming to improve daily operations by synchronizing front-of-house with the kitchen, simplifying payment processes, and automating repetitive tasks.
Ming-Tai Huh, Head of Food and Beverage at Square, stated that the company’s focus on the restaurant sector has led to an acceleration in product innovation. He added, “Running a business has never been more demanding, but at Square we’re here to partner and power UK businesses with the right digital tools. Square Handheld does exactly that. It’s a gamechanger for restaurant owners, providing all the tools they need to run their business, right in their pocket.”
Designed for the demands of busy shifts, the Square Handheld features a durable build resistant to water splashes and dust, a battery engineered for all-day use, and capabilities for both Wi-Fi and offline payments. The device also includes a camera for product photography and an integrated barcode scanner for retail items or gift cards. Its mobility is intended to reduce unnecessary trips between tables and the counter, allowing staff to provide more attentive service and manage tables more efficiently during peak hours.
To complement the device, Square has partnered with Belkin to offer premium protective cases. The Belkin SheerForce cases, available on the Square Shop, are designed to enhance the device’s durability and are offered in two colors to align with various brand identities.
Powering the Square Handheld is the new unified Square Point of Sale app. This updated application consolidates the functionalities previously found in Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, and Square Appointments into a single platform. The upgraded app features personalized layouts, streamlined workflows, and intuitive functions aimed at simplifying complex menu management, in-store inventory tracking, and service booking processes.
In addition to the new hardware and unified app, Square is introducing several new software features for UK restaurants:
Item Splitting: A new feature that facilitates faster and easier bill splitting for groups, reducing calculation time for staff.
Scan to Pay QR codes: Customers can scan QR codes on printed receipts to settle their bills, which is designed to accelerate table turnover and free up server time.
Multichannel menu management: Sellers can now edit and update menus across all locations and channels, both online and offline, from a centralized Dashboard.
ResDiary integration: This new integration allows for easy management and acceptance of table reservations. It also enables the direct import of deposits from OpenTable and ResDiary into Square Point of Sale, ensuring automatic deduction from customer bills.
The Square Handheld became available in the UK on June 25th.
