We've been running a Square Terminal as our ONLY payment device for over 2 years. No bank terminal alongside it.
The good:
- Setup was 10 minutes
- Accepts everything — tap, chip, Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Battery backup works during internet outages
- Automatic deposits, no reconciliation headaches
The not so good:
- Processing fees higher than traditional bank EFTPOS (1.6% vs ~1.0%)
- Screen is small for complex transactions
- Needs a restart once a month
- Receipt paper isn't standard size
Would I recommend it? For small businesses under $500K/year in card transactions — absolutely. For larger operations, do the maths on processing fees first.
What's your experience with Square hardware?
