I'm assuming you mean getting the Square Terminal to use the phone hotspot so it has an internet connection, apologies if I've misunderstood. There are a number of options I can think of; bearing in mind I'm just a Square customer myself and Square might have better/wiser answers. The possible solutions that occur to me:
- Make sure your phone hotspots use the same network name (aka SSID) and password; that way they appear as the same device to the Terminal which will use the same login information for both. This probably isn't absolutely perfect in the modern security world, but it's not that insecure and would make things super easy (definitely the easiest immediate option). There's little risk as the hotspot password only allows hotspot use, not all the features of the phone.
- Simply buy another Square Terminal device, or the cheaper Square Card Reader, which is very cheap and plugs directly into your phone. Obviously it doesn't provide printed receipts directly but it will send a receipt via email or SMS/text message. The Square Card Reader is also a heck of a lot smaller and easier to carry around and your company could buy one for both of you.
- Buy a small network device just for the Terminal. These network devices have a hotspot and allow the Square Terminal to connect using a fixed network name and password. Typically these aren't that expensive, and it can be carried around with the Terminal to provide full network connectivity for anyone in the company, not just the two of you. If you travel interstate, make sure it works. Buy a small portable rechargeable USB powerbank which you carry around with the device and you don't need a power connection; one battery charge lasts me 4 days of light use. The bandwidth usage for just Square Terminal would be very minimal.
- When the Terminal is swapped between you, login to the Terminal and change the network name and/or password - you could even set it up with the same name and only change the password. You could write down the sequence so it's easier to remember. This would be made much easier if the Terminal remembers multiple networks, I'm not sure if it does.
- Your company might have other requirements or options; there are probably another 2 or 3 possible solutions including a small proxy device (probaly requires an IT person to setup), but I think these are the simplest to bear.
If you have the money, option 3 is best, it's what I do for remote access; but option 2 is also simple and might be easier, as each of you then has your own device.
One thing to consider - you do want them to swipe the card if possible, you shouldn't be typing in the number (manual entry/aka "MOTO") unless something goes wrong and you really have to. A swiped card is more secure as far as both Square and PCI standards are concerned, and I think manual entry might attract a higher card commission rate in some countries (not sure? please verify); the chargeback rules also differ (chargeback is a little easier for MOTO/manual transactions, which you don't want especially if goods changed hands). Obviously both the Terminal and Card Reader normally allow you to swipe. I'm only mentioning this because you can manually enter a card number on the website, I believe, and that might be something you could consider as a fallback/emergency option for small charges.
