Reverse POS / Direct Payouts for Recycling and Buy-Back Businesses

[niickka]

Business Category: Eco-Services / Sustainability / Recycling

Feature Area: Square Point of Sale / Payments

The Problem:

Currently, our business (a Container Deposit/Recycling center) operates by paying customers for items they bring to us (bottles, cans, etc.). Because Square is primarily designed for one-way commerce (customer paying merchant), there is no streamlined way to pay a customer instantly via their debit card or phone.

Currently, we are forced to pay 98% of our transactions in cash. This creates significant overhead, security risks, and friction for the customer. The only workaround is a manual bank transfer system via third-party memberships, which is too slow for "walk-in" traffic.

The Proposed Solution:

We propose that Square allows for Negative Item Values or a "Payout Mode" within the POS.

How it would work:

1. Item Grid Setup: We create items with negative values (e.g., "Aluminium Can" = -$0.10).

2. Transaction: A customer brings in 300 containers. We ring up 100 cans, 100 plastic bottles, and 100 glass bottles.

3. Total: The POS shows a balance of -$30.00.

4. The Payout: Instead of "Charge," the button would say "Payout" or "Refund to Card." The customer taps their phone or debit card on the Square Reader, and the funds are pushed to their account (similar to how a refund is processed, but without a prior sale).

Why this is a game-changer:

• Safety & Security: It removes the need for businesses to keep large amounts of cash on-site, reducing the risk of theft.

• Speed: Tapping a card is significantly faster than counting out coins and notes for every customer.

• Industry Demand: The recycling and "Circular Economy" industry is growing globally. This functionality would also be invaluable for second-hand clothing stores, pawn shops, and gold-buying businesses.

• Reporting: All payouts would be tracked within the Square Dashboard, making end-of-day reconciliation and tax reporting seamless.

Square has already revolutionized how we take money; we are asking Square to revolutionize how we give it back to our customers. This feature would make Square the primary choice for thousands of recycling centers and buy-back retailers globally.

[LocalBlend]

Yes. We are a café looking for a way to offer a buy back for reusable to-go containers.

[Donnie-M]

@niickka 

The "negative POS" feature you're describing already exists. It's just not inside Square Register.

Square POS runs on card acceptance rails. Card network rules prohibit pushing funds to a card without an underlying sale.  

Cash App for Business runs on different rails entirely. It's licensed for money transmission in all 50 states. Pushing money to a customer is exactly what it's designed to do.

That being said, what you are doing is not really supported by square.  Square is a payments processor, and by the nature of what you run, you aren't taking payments.  Rebate type business also get scrutinized and may be an unsupported industry.