Square API's - Do you use them?

[WoodCandleCo]

I've been wadding in the shallow end of API's. I'm curious to learn how others may or may not be using them...

• Who uses Square's API's?
• Do you have a favorite?
• How has it changed your business for the better?
• Any tips?

[TheRealChipA]

Hey everyone in this thread.  I just ran across something that might interest you.  It seems that Zapier has added a new Square Action — API Request.  It’s in beta, but basically you can call a Square API after a trigger is executed (say a new row is added to a spreadsheet). I don’t know about anyone else, but this seems like a perfect way to get into APIs without all of the complicated coding.

[JTPets]

Zapier isnt free tho right? API's are free and I am poor 😂

[TheRealChipA]

@JTPets Actually, they have a free tier which I’ve found works for me.  And of course they have various paid tiers that add more complex functionality.  Here’s the link to their pricing page.  If I had to upgrade, it would be to the $20/month plan (billed annually).

[Donnie-M]

@JTPets I feel you on this one, I am always trying to do it on the cheap. Zapier is a whole nother level of not needing to know how to code.  As far as the api's, they are free and moreso what you are wanting are webhooks, the basic triggers when x happens do y.  You can go with AWS and I think they have some basic free hosting to run the api's for you.  You just need the code to access them and run automatically.  At least the project I am working on this is what I am doing.

[Donnie-M]

@TheRealChipA YES ZAPIER, I couldn't think of the name of it when I was chiming in earlier.  But this is so easy to do and on a small level is free or super cheap.

You could get a trigger for when an item is bought it pulls customer id and does a tally point.  I am sure you can limit the date range.  Eventually you could get it to when it hits #12 it shoots and e-mail to you and the customer with a custom coupon code.  You could make it ahead of time and just have it plugged in.  At least that is my brain storm/drizzle.

[Donnie-M]

Been experimenting.  There are some pre-built vendors out there that have integrations already set up, so you can build your flow and it will do all the heavy lifting.  I.E.  I had built a workflow that would take any online order, strip out some data, and transfer it to a new line on a spreadsheet.

Most of the stuff I am experimenting with AI now and using AWS and the API.  The biggest thing is to have a developer account set up.

[JTPets]

I am trying to find a free way to build a product based frequent buyer program - there are 3rd parties that do it but dont integrate to square. 

Ex: These 12 products apply for a frequent buyer buy 12 get 13th free over time. 

Many of my food brands support buy 12 get 13th free but they are done over the course of a year

Any Reccomendations?

[Candlestore]

@JTPets ;

I have this setup with a old fashion Punch card system, I know that would not work online.  I talke to Loyalty program before about this and found out that using Loyalty does not work for this kind of setup in Square.  

The issue I had was say a person had 10 Loyalty points towards their free Item.  So they pick up 3 items in store, 2 need to be paid for and the third one is free.  Square said this Free one would be on the Next purchase.  

There was another issue I had that points were getting doubled somehow through Square, but that was about 2 years ago and have not tried it in those 2 years.

[JTPets]

Yeah our system is so limited in that regard.