Square POS is one of the easiest and most powerful point-of-sale systems for small businesses, but most owners use only a tiny portion of what it can do. This guide translates Square POS into clear, step-by-step actions so you can accept payments, manage orders, build an item library, protect your cash, and create a smoother customer experience without getting lost in technical jargon.

Table of Contents

• Step 1: Sign in and choose the right location
• Step 2: Learn the Square POS home screen — what each area does
• Step 3: Build your menu and items the right way
• Step 4: Take payments — readers, iPhone tap, and payment types
• Step 5: Order types and order manager — pickup, to-go, delivery, and more
• Step 6: Transactions, banking, and reporting — know your numbers
• Step 7: Add-ons that multiply value — staff, marketing, gift cards, loyalty
• Step 8: Hardware and security — printers, stands, and passcodes
• Step 9: Checkout settings that speed up service
• Step 10: Offline payments and protecting revenue
• Step 11: Order tickets and kitchen printing
• Step 12: Items, modifiers, and why structure matters
• Step 13: Refunds, receipts, and customer records
• Step 14: Everyday opening and closing checklist (quick)
• Step 15: Training staff and minimizing mistakes
• Step 16: Helpful integrations and next steps
• FAQ
• Final tips and quick reference

Step 1: Sign in and choose the right location

Open Square POS and sign in with your email and password. If you only have a single location, Square opens directly into that register. If you manage multiple locations, you will see a location picker — select the location you’re working at for this shift or device.

After selecting a location, you will be prompted to enter a passcode. That passcode is the core of day-to-day access on the POS. It links each staff member to their shifts and permissions. You created a passcode when you created an account with Square. You can review or update your passcode in the Square dashboard, under Settings, in your browser.

Practical tips:

• Keep the owner passcode separate. Use team passcodes for employees and an owner passcode only for managers.
• Reset easily. You can update or recover passcodes in team settings if someone forgets theirs.

Step 2: Learn the Square POS home screen — what each area does

Once you log in, you land on the main register screen. It’s divided into clear sections:

• Left column — library (items, gift cards, rewards, discounts, service charges, services).
• Center area — keypad and order building (favorites, categories, item lists).
• Right column — active sale indicator and order controls (order type, add customer, checkout buttons, transactions, notifications, more settings).

The library stores everything you sell, along with every setting related to those sales (items, modifiers, services). If you offer appointments, services appear here too.

You can organize the center area by adding favorite pages and dragging items to create a menu layout that fits your workflow. That drag-and-drop customization makes the register run smoothly during peak times.

Step 3: Build your menu and items the right way

How you enter items into Square POS determines how easy your team’s job will be. There are two basic approaches:

1. Quick single items with no modifiers — fast to set up but limited at the register.
   
   

   

   
   
2. Items with modifiers and categories — takes a bit more setup but gives better order accuracy and clearer kitchen tickets.
   
   

   

   
   

Example: a simple empanada entered as a single item shows only the name and price on the ticket. If you create an empanada item with modifiers for filling and side, the register will require selection, the ticket prints the chosen modifiers, and the kitchen staff gets the exact details.

Helpful resources for bulk work:

• How to use Square items
  
• How to import products via CSV
  

Best practices:

• Name things clearly. Use short names for register buttons and longer descriptions in the item details for reference.
• Use modifiers for required choices. If a customer must pick a size or a protein, use a modifier so staff don’t forget to ask.
• Group similar items into categories. Create favorites pages for coffee, food, merch, seasonal items, etc.

Step 4: Take payments — readers, iPhone tap, and payment types

Square POS supports multiple ways to accept payment:

• Square card readers (paired via Bluetooth).
• Pay on iPhone by placing the customer’s card on top of your device (tap-to-pay).
• Contactless wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay.
• Manual card entry, cash, gift cards, links, and invoices.

Customize which payment options appear at checkout from Settings so staff see only what matters. Removing unused options reduces confusion and speeds the checkout flow.

Payment tips:

• Pair and test readers before service. Confirm the reader connects and processes a small test transaction.
• Enable tap-to-pay on iPhone if you want a reader-free option at pop-ups or tiny booths.
• Use payment links for phone or remote sales: create a link and text or print a QR code for customers to complete payment. (This is useful if you don’t want to take a card on file.)

Step 5: Order types and order manager — pickup, to-go, delivery, and more

The order type control sits on the right side of the register and is swipeable. Use it to mark each sale as dine-in, pickup, to-go, delivery, or other fulfillment types you enable.

Orders in Square POS are grouped under the Orders menu into:

• All orders
• In-store
• Self-serve
• Pickup
• Delivery
• Shipments
• Other

Each channel (website, in-person, third-party) shows its own incoming orders and provides actions to mark orders as in progress, ready, or completed. You can also print or send notifications straight from the POS.

Busy periods: use Busy Mode to add extra prep time to incoming orders for a fixed window. Pause pickup or delivery channels from the POS if you need to temporarily stop new orders.

Step 6: Transactions, banking, and reporting — know your numbers

The Transactions tab shows all sales, refunds, and tips. It’s your first stop when reconciling a shift.

Banking:

• Every completed payment is added to your Square balance instantly.
• If you use a Square banking card, you can spend that balance immediately.
• Otherwise, transfer to your external bank, including instant transfer options for a fee.

Drawer and cash management:

• Set a default starting cash amount for each drawer to compare expected vs actual cash.
• Record ending cash and print or auto-email an end-of-day report.
• Drawer history and disputes are available for review in Reports.

Step 7: Add-ons that multiply value — staff, marketing, gift cards, loyalty

Square POS can serve as a single hub for multiple add-ons. Activate only the ones you will actually use; too many toggles create clutter in the register.

• Staff — let employees clock in and out from the iPad; manage shifts and permissions. See: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-add-team-members-to-square/
• Email and text marketing — send campaigns directly from Square to bring customers back. See: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-marketing/
• Gift cards — sell eGift cards and let customers add them to Apple Wallet. See: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-gift-cards/
• Loyalty — create rewards to increase frequency; Square often has a trial for loyalty.
• Invoicing and subscriptions — enable from the add-ons menu for service businesses. See: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-invoicing/

Tip: Payment links live as their own quick tool — create a payment link for an amount, allow tipping, and text it or print a QR code for the customer to complete payment on their phone.

Step 8: Hardware and security — printers, stands, and passcodes

Hardware options include Square stands, readers, terminals, handheld devices, receipt printers, barcode scanners, and cash drawers. Assign printer profiles for kitchen and receipt printing.

Security and permissions:

• Owner vs team permissions. Staff can have passcodes with limited access. Only owners see bank transfers, high-level settings, and certain financial details.
• Require a passcode after sale. You can force a passcode after every transaction or set a short timeout so registers lock quickly during service.

Step 9: Check out settings that speed up service

Abbreviate steps at checkout by tailoring the options:

• Quick amounts — add common manual prices as buttons for fast cash or custom sales.
• Payment types — remove rarely used payment options from the checkout list to avoid accidental selections.
• Tipping — enable smart tip amounts, percentage presets, custom tips, roundup tips, and (in beta) ask-for-tip-before-payment to increase tips for certain businesses.
• Signatures and receipts — configure whether to collect signatures, require printed signatures, or opt for digital receipts only.

Step 10: Offline payments and protecting revenue

If the internet goes down, enable Offline Payments so you can complete card transactions. Square will store those payments locally and attempt to process them automatically once connectivity is restored.

Important safeguards:

• Set a threshold. Set a maximum offline transaction amount (e.g., $25, $50, $75) to reduce exposure to failed transactions.
• Sync and review. After reconnecting, check Transactions for any failed offline attempts and follow up if necessary.

Step 11: Order tickets and kitchen printing

Control how tickets print and how orders are named:

• Auto-assign ticket numbers or require custom names only when a KDS or printer is attached.
• Use modifiers and item notes so the kitchen receives precise cooking instructions.
• Toggle the setting that forces ticket naming only for printers connected to avoid constant prompts when no printer is present.

Step 12: Items, modifiers, and why structure matters

A well-built item library is the secret to a fast, accurate register. The differences are clear:

• Simple items — fastest to add, but produce minimal data and risk missing customer choices.
• Structured items with modifiers — slightly more work upfront, but massively reduces mistakes and improves reporting and kitchen communication.

When you use modifiers, the register will force staff to choose required options, and those options are printed on tickets and included in reports. This also helps with inventory tracking if you use units and options.

Step 13: Refunds, receipts, and customer records

Issuing a refund on Square POS is straightforward. Open the transaction, choose refund, enter the amount, and complete the refund. The transaction log updates immediately.

Customer records:

• Each customer can have contact details, visit history, stored payment methods, notes, birthday, and loyalty status.
• You can attach files and notes to customer profiles to record preferences or special instructions.
• Use saved cards on file and send digital receipts and coupons from the POS to increase return visits.

Step 14: Everyday opening and closing checklist (quick)

Opening

• Sign in and confirm location and passcode.
• Verify the starting cash in the drawer and record it in Cash Management.
• Check the card reader connection and test one small transaction (void or refund after test).
• Ensure printers and kitchen displays are online.
• Review online orders and enable or pause fulfillment channels if needed.

Closing

• Print or auto-email end-of-day drawer report.
• Count the ending cash and reconcile against the expected cash on the report.
• Review unsettled offline transactions and confirm they have been processed.
• Check banking balance and schedule transfers if necessary.

Step 15: Training staff and minimizing mistakes

Create a one-page cheat sheet for your team showing exactly which buttons to press for common tasks: open drawer, start shift, void item, issue refund, pause pickup orders, and mark an online order ready. Fewer options mean fewer accidental taps.

Use team permissions to hide the settings you do not want staff to access and require manager passcodes for refunds above a certain amount.

Step 16: Helpful integrations and next steps

If you sell online and in person, connect Square Online so your in-person catalog matches your online store. For launching or improving online ordering, see:

• Launch your Online Ordering Hub: https://www.nontechiehq.com/launch-your-online-ordering-hub/
• Building an online Square store walkthrough: https://www.nontechiehq.com/building-an-online-store-with-square/

Looking for more diy help with Square?

FAQ

How do I change or recover the POS passcode?

Go to Team settings in the Square Dashboard, update the owner or team passcodes, and assign the correct permissions. If the owner’s passcode is forgotten, you can set a new owner passcode from the account owner login.

Can I take payments without internet?

Yes. Enable Offline Payments in Settings and set a safe threshold for offline charges. Transactions will be stored locally and submitted automatically when the internet returns, but you should keep offline amounts low to reduce risk.

How do I pause online pickup or delivery orders during busy times?

In the Orders menu on the POS, use the channel controls to temporarily pause pickup, delivery, or the website channel. You can also set Busy Mode to add extra prep time for a scheduled window.

What is the best way to set up kitchen items for use?

Use modifiers and required options to force staff to select cook instructions, side items, or temperatures. This ensures the printed ticket contains all necessary details and minimizes mistakes.

How do I handle refunds on the POS?

Open the original transaction in Transactions, click Refund, enter the amount, and complete the refund. You can print or send a receipt for the refund immediately.

What does Square Plus include, and is it worth it?

Square Plus bundles Square Appointments, Square Loyalty, and discounted processing in certain plan configurations. If you rely on appointments and loyalty rewards and want lower processing fees, it can be valuable. Review the exact plan details in your account since offerings and pricing change.

How do I limit which payment options staff see at checkout?

In Settings under Checkout, remove unused payment methods by dragging them out of the active list. You can restore them later by dragging them back into place.

Can I let customers add gift cards to their phone wallets?

Yes. Gift card settings allow customers to add eGift cards to Apple Wallet. Configure minimums and messaging in the Gift Cards settings.

Final tips and quick reference

Square POS can feel like a big leap at first, but breaking it into tasks makes it manageable. Start with these three priorities:

1. Clean your item library. Add required modifiers and categories so the register collects clean order data.
2. Set secure passcodes and sensible permissions. Protect your finances while keeping the register simple for staff.
3. Practice one or two real transactions. Test a sale, a tip, an offline sale, and a refund before your first full shift.

Useful reading on Non-Techie HQ that pairs well with this masterclass:

• Square made simple: https://www.nontechiehq.com/square-made-simple-quick-start-guide-for-small-businesses/
• How to use Square items: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-items/
• How to use Square customers: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-customers/
• How to add team members to Square: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-add-team-members-to-square/
• How to use Square gift cards: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-gift-cards/
• Launch your online ordering hub: https://www.nontechiehq.com/launch-your-online-ordering-hub/
• How to use Square appointments: https://www.nontechiehq.com/how-to-use-square-appointments/

You now have a single, actionable reference to confidently run Square POS for daily sales, orders, staff management, and reporting. Revisit one section each week and make small improvements — a little organization in your Square POS will save hours and improve your customer experience.