Can Square do business in Bulgaria? Can an entity use Square as their POS?

[aerasofia1]

I am trying to find out if Square works in Bulgaria or if there are restrictions to using Square in Bulgaria?  I am also trying to understand, if my group can use Square in Bulgaria, are there issues with processing credit card transactions in Bulgaria from a banking or tax situation?

[TheRealChipA]

Hi @aerasofia1.  There are two answers to your question.

First, the Square POS apps currently only work int he countries shown in the Square Help Article.  This just means that businesses in other countries can not use Square to process in-person card transactions since Square is not authorized/able to do business in their countries, yet.

If you have a US-based website/online store, however, you can accept international cards for purchases from that store from just about anywhere.  Here’s a link to another help article that explains how international credit cards are handled and processed by Square.   Also, one more link to a help article about setting up something called Risk Manager, which is especially helpful for minimizing your fraud risk, especially with overseas transactions.

I hope that helps.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

[aerasofia1]

Hi, Chip.  Thank you for your reply.

We have a unique situation where we are a US entity operating on US property but in another country.  Our internet connections are locally based so all of our data packets are sent from the country where we reside.  Currently, Square has not listed the local country as part of their EU contingent of countries where they operate.  All purchases would come from a US address as we have a physical presence in the US in order to receive mail.  We also manage financial activities through a US banking institution.  

If I understand your comments correctly, even though I procure the equipment from Square in the US, I would be unable to utilize the equipment and app here in this country since Square is technically not licensed in this country to operate.  Which means, we will need to identify a new source of POS since Square cannot operate in the cloud for apps and payments.

If I am incorrect, please let me know.  I will be looking at different companies going forward.

Thanks,

Herb

[TheRealChipA]

You would be correct in your assumption. Any time I have traveled abroad, if I was in a country that was not on the approved Square list, my POS knew it and would not operate. Also, for the record, I could not access my Square online dashboard, either, just as I couldn’t access sites like my bank’s website. 

Most likely, Square has these safeguards in place on order to comply with local laws ands regulations. I noticed that even switching to a VPN didn’t fool it. Of course, I’m just guessing but that has been my experience. 

[TheRealChipA]

Having said all of that, it is possible (but still not highly likely) that Square could work on foreign US-owned soil — embassies and such. But even figuring that out would require contacting their sales department. That’s a pretty unique case and it would be complicated. Honestly, it’s probably not worth the effort but what do I know!