Busy Bar: Stand or Register

ChadCap864 — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 13:46:16 GMT

Hey fellow Squares!

Running a very busy bar, 400k per month with $10 check avg, we have a ton of tabs and transactions. I'm signed up with square just waiting to choose my hardware. Should I do Stand or Register? Patrons will sign and tip on paper or close out using terminals.

Sub-Questions:

Can register use the customer facing display to start tabs on the bartender side, but then at last-call we convert that to a customer display so patrons can tip and sign on the display?

Are there limitations in how tabs work between Stand and Register?

Can either device let me search for an open tab by swiping?

Are there functions that Stand can do that Register cant?

I'm going to get 10 terminals, one for each bartender. Is there any difference in how they interact with Stand and Register?

Thanks fellow Squares! Looking forward to joining the community and improving operations

-chad

Re: Busy Bar: Stand or Register

Candlestore — Thu, 08 May 2025 15:07:09 GMT

@ChadCap864 ;

Let me preface this with I only use Square Stands but have been researching the Registers because of the customer facing display. So I will give you my take but you may also want to read others opinions that have a register.

Should I do Stand or Register?

This I should say is more on what you are looking. They both work the same as they both use the App(s) you load based on your subscription prefences if you have any. I have been using the same square stands and Ipads since 2019, with just IOS updates and Square App updates. This works for us. Only thing that I do not like is turning the screen around for signatures, which is very seldom anymore. Your situation might be different and the customer facing screen for signatures would work better.

Can register use the customer facing display to start tabs on the bartender side, but then at last-call we convert that to a customer display so patrons can tip and sign on the display? I do not believe the Customer screen can be turned into an ordering Screen at all. I could be wrong here but have not seen anyone use it like that.

Are there limitations in how tabs work between Stand and Register? The Tabs ( Carts in Retail, Tickets in Resturants) would work the same but may look a little different because of the Display.

Can either device let me search for an open tab by swiping? I am not exactually sure what you mean by Swipping? Scanning an open Ticket? I just printed out one of my Open carts and there is no Barcode for Scanning. On the Checkout Screen you can use the search box to type in the Name you assign to an Open Ticket while saving it. You can also tap your Open Tickets Tab and search these and Tap the one your looking for to open it and add more items then save it again. I just did that on an Ipad for Saved Carts, which should be able to be done on a Register also, but may need a Register user to confirm.

Are there functions that Stand can do that Register cant? Since Stand uses an IPAD as the Screen, any app in the Apple library could be added. This is both good and Bad. I use the Note Pad and Calculator. Some other users tried using Itunes to play music. This has had mixed issues. When trying to accept a payment the sound stops. Time wasting apps for employess like Games or Messenging apps might be able to be installed also depending if you set your code for IOS downloads. I am not sure if anything other than the apps you setup through Square are available on the Register. The Ipad can be setup as a Kiosk but the Register cannot, that I know of.

I'm going to get 10 terminals, one for each bartender. Is there any difference in how they interact with Stand and Register? The big difference in the way a terminal interacts between a Stand and Register is the Stand can connect to a Terminal as a Front facing Screen. Other than that the Terminal connects to Square through your WiFi, and not directly to another device. You can actually use a Terminal without a Stand or Register.

I may have missed a few things but this is what I have found though years with Square and researching these devices.

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Busy Bar: Stand or Register

Re: Busy Bar: Stand or Register