Popup Reminder for Tariff Charges on Select Items

[Barb1978--]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for a way to streamline how we handle tariff charges in Square.

In our case, not all items are subject to tariffs, but for those that are, we often need to manually add the tariff cost during checkout.

The issue is, our sales team frequently forgets to add it, which leads to inconsistencies and loss.

I know Square doesn't currently support conditional modifiers or automatic popups per item (though that would be an amazing feature to have!), but I’m wondering:

Is there a way to add a popup or on-screen reminder in the Square POS app that would alert the team they have to double check before closing the transaction?

Even a general custom popup or a checkout-stage reminder would help a lot. Has anyone implemented a workaround for something like this—either through Square’s built-in features or using third-party integrations or API?

Appreciate any tips or suggestions!

Thanks,
Barbara

[MayaP]

Hello @Barb1978--,

Thanks for reaching out. I see this is your first post — welcome! 😊

I can definitely see how a pop-up reminder would be helpful, but that’s not something our platform currently supports. One possible workaround is to create a tax for the tariff. Once it's set up, you can apply it to specific items so that it automatically appears at checkout. Would that work for your needs?

Tagging some super sellers who can share their insights too: @SakredJoiArt @GFC25th @GFC25th @TheRealChipA 

[Barb1978--]

Hi MayaP,

Thank you for the warm welcome!

I understand your suggestion, but unfortunately, adding a tax doesn’t quite solve the issue. The core problem is that our sales team often forgets to add the tariff line altogether, so without some kind of prompt or pop-up reminder, it’s easy for it to be missed. That’s why a built-in notification or required field would be much more effective in helping us ensure the tariff is consistently included.

Please let me know if there are any other creative workarounds or if this is something that might be considered for future development.

And also, thanks for tagging the supersellers. Nice to e-meet you all!

Best,
Bb

[MayaP]

That makes sense @Barb1978-- ! Thanks for sharing some more insight. 

At the moment, an automatic pop-up would be considered a feature request. You can submit it on our Ideate Board. While submitting doesn’t guarantee implementation, our team will definitely track the request and share updates if anything changes.

I'm glad you joined the community and hope you get to connect with more people. If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

[SakredJoiArt · Accepted solution]

Hi Barbara,

Welcome to the community!

Great question—this is a common challenge for businesses handling selective tariffs, and while Square POS doesn't yet support item-specific conditional popups, there are a few workarounds you can implement to reduce manual errors:

1. Use Checkout Notes or Smart Naming Conventions: You can rename tariff-eligible items with a clear prefix (e.g., “TARIFF Item Name”) to visually flag them during checkout. This helps your team recognize when an extra step is needed.

2. Create a Custom Checkout Reminder: While Square doesn’t currently allow item-specific popups, you can enable a custom “Note” prompt at checkout to remind the team to review tariff items before completing the sale. You’ll find this under Settings > Checkout > Tipping and Receipt Options > Show order summary screen—it creates a pause for review.

3. Use Square Team Permissions + Training: If you’re using Square Team Management, you can include a quick training checklist or use the Team App to push regular reminders about tariff protocols during shifts.

4. Third-Party Integrations: If you're open to light customization, using Square’s API or integrations like Zapier or Cloverhound can trigger a secondary screen or alert tied to specific items. It’s not native, but with a developer or Square Partner, it’s possible.

Finally, I recommend submitting this as a feature request via your Square Dashboard. The more feedback received, the more likely this type of conditional logic feature will be prioritized in future updates.

Hope this helps keep things running smoothly!

Warmly,
Efunsade (Square Champion Expert)
SākredJoi Art | Square Partner Community Member

Tagging some super sellers who can share their insights too: @SakredJoiArt @GFC25th @GFC25th @TheRealChipA 

[MayaP]

Hi @SakredJoiArt - Thanks so much for jumping in and helping out. Seriously, this was so thoughtful and helpful. I’m going to mark it as the best answer because your suggestions were spot on. Really appreciate you sharing your insight with the community! 😊

[DinaLRosenberg]

Not sure why the tax feature wouldn't work in this instance if it's tied to specific items. So for example all my Brazilian rocks were subjected to say 20% tariff, I would go into tax and create a "tax" called Brazil and then turn that on for all the Brazil rocks so the collection would be automatic... isn't that what you're talking about?