Hey sellers. 👋
We gave you a heads-up here in Community that tip prompts would be moving to before payment in the coming weeks, and today, we're excited to share that this long-awaited improvement is beginning to roll out to US sellers. 🎉
This has been a popular request in the community. Sellers like @TheCommonsBend, @JonTenfold, @BlingBingMaui, @angelaworthy, @EricaQ, @TheRealChipA, and many more have been asking for it because customers were walking away before the tip prompt ever appeared. We heard you. Whether you've already enabled it in beta, are part of the early rollout group, or are eagerly awaiting this update, here's what this change means for your business.
What's changing
Here's what to expect when this update reaches your account.
The tip screen now appears before your customer pays, not after. The checkout flow is simpler too! On most devices, your buyer goes straight from the cart to the tip screen, selects a tip (or skips it), taps their card, and they're done.
If you've already enabled "Ask for Tips Before Payment" in your settings (it may still appear with a Beta label), the experience described below is the updated GA version: a simplified flow with fewer screens than the beta.
The extra "Confirm & Pay" or "Insert or Tap" screen that used to sit between the cart and tip? Gone. That screen caused confusion for both sellers and customers during beta testing, so the team removed it entirely based on your feedback. The result is a shorter, cleaner checkout.
This applies across your Square devices, including Square Stand, Square Terminal (T2/T3), and Square Register (X2).
Why this matters
When tipping happened after checkout, the moment had often passed. Your customer had already put their card away or stepped away from the counter. Moving the tip screen earlier means buyers see it while they're still in the transaction, which leads to more consistent tipping for your team.
Sellers who've already been using this in beta are seeing results. One seller shared that tips are up since enabling it. 👏
What you'll notice
A few things you can expect to look and feel different at checkout.
→ Faster checkout, fewer screens. Your customer goes from cart → tip → tap card → done. One less screen to get through.
→ Non-card payments are still one tap away. Cash, gift cards, invoices, manual card entry, and card on file are all still accessible. We've added "All payment types" links throughout the flow so nothing gets buried.
→ Your tip settings haven't changed. Your percentages, custom amounts, and smart tip defaults are all exactly where you left them.
→ This is rolling out in phases. We're enabling the new checkout flow for groups of eligible US sellers over the coming weeks. If your checkout flow hasn't changed yet, your account may not be in the current rollout group, but it's coming. We'll continue expanding access as we go. You'll know it's live on your account when your checkout matches the flow shown above.
What you can control
Your settings, your choice.
→ You can turn it off. If you want to go back to the old flow, go to Checkout > Tipping in your settings and toggle off "Ask for Tips Before Payment."
→ "Separate Tipping Screen" turns on automatically. When tips move before payment, the tip and signature screens need to be separate (since signatures happen after the card tap, not before). You'll see a quick notification explaining this when the setting activates. This is handled for you, no action needed.
→ Paper receipt tips are unaffected. If you collect tips on printed receipts, nothing about your flow is changing. This update only applies to on-screen tipping.
For more on customizing your tip preferences (setting tip percentages, enabling smart tips, and managing how you settle payments), visit Settle Payments and Manage Tips.
Tell us how it's going
Once you've experienced the new flow, we want to hear about it.
→ Tried it and have thoughts? Drop them in the comments below. ⬇️
→ Have an idea to make it better? Share it in the Feature Requests board. The more details you provide about your use case, the better we can prioritize.
→ Have questions? Post in Payments Troubleshooting where fellow sellers and Square Champions can chime in.
If something's not working right (like a setting not saving, your checkout flow not updating, or a device not reflecting the change) Contact Square Support directly so they can dig into the details with you.
To everyone who's taken the time to share feedback on the tipping experience, whether you tested the beta, posted a feature request, or voted on someone else's, this launch looks different because of you. We're listening, and we're excited to continue building with you.
