Square Reader for contactless and chip (2nd generation)

I do events and my square gen 1 stopped connecting and flashing weird light combos. Forgot about it when I got home but needed another within 2 days. Not an Amazon prime member and would have been very expensive to ship. Walmart had it same price and I had it next day!

The Bottom Line The Square Reader remains the "gold standard" for small business owners and mobile vendors who need a reliable, sleek, and incredibly easy-to-use payment solution. However, for a device that essentially only "reads" the card and requires a separate smartphone or tablet to function, the upfront cost can feel steep—especially when compared to Square's free magstripe reader. The Pros • Seamless Setup: You can go from unboxing to taking your first payment in under five minutes. The Bluetooth pairing is consistent and stable. • Modern Payment Support: It handles EMV chips and NFC (Apple Pay, Google Pay) effortlessly, which is essential as fewer customers carry physical cards or want to swipe. • Battery Life: The 2nd Gen model has impressive longevity, often lasting a full day of heavy sales on a single charge. • Portability: It's pocket-sized and professional-looking, making it perfect for pop-ups, markets, or service providers on the go. The Cons • High Upfront Cost: At $59, it's a significant jump from the free (or $10) magstripe reader. For a device that doesn't have a screen or a built-in printer, the price feels high for what is essentially a peripheral. • Processing Fees: While there are no monthly fees, the standard rate of 2.6% $0.15 per transaction can eat into margins for businesses with many small-ticket items. • Limited Utility: It does one thing well (read cards), but you are still tethered to your phone. If your phone dies or the app glitches, the reader becomes a paperweight. • No Magstripe Slot: If a customer has a damaged chip or an old card, you have to use a separate (often free) magstripe reader or key it in manually at a much higher fee. Final Verdict If you need to accept Apple Pay and chip cards to keep your business modern, this is a good product that won't let you down. However, Square is definitely charging a premium for the convenience and the brand. If you only process a few transactions a month, it might take a while for the hardware to pay for itself.

I run a small business with a partner. We only had 1 reader, so he always had to be the one traveling to make collections. Now, either of us can do collections.

Super easy to set up charges really fast makes a sound that lets users know that the transaction went through and the cord is around 25 watts and the design is small and can fit and tighten space is easy

I upgraded to this tap square reader and it was an absolute game changer. It allowed us to check customers out very quickly. I highly recommend this reader.

my mobile business needed a new reader immediately. Thanks to Walmart stocking this item i lost zero sales.

I have purchased the Square Reader before. However it was through a different website. I was happy that I didn't have a limit on the number of Squares that I could purchase.

My square contactless reader came out defective. When I contacted say user to help in case I was setting it up wrong, they said that the item was defective. They sent me another one through my warranty of the product. I didn't two hours after work on the phone with them to be able to get it with the warranty. Then when I got the second one it still wasn't working. I spent another two hours on the phone with them to get it to work. They said that the ones you buy from a third party like Walmart or Target or Amazon have a greater chance to come out defective. Even if it is the Square company selling them out of these platforms. I spent almost two weeks dealing with this issue and almost four hours with customer service. Let's see how well and how long the one I have now works for. I've been with square for twelve years. I've never had an issue with their devices before. But then again… I always bought out got my devices straight from square. I just needed it faster because I use it for my business and wanted a seamless point of sale platform for my clients to feel safe using their cards in my business. I would recommend save your time and buy straight from the company to increase your chances.

It only worked a week, I am returning it today, purchased another one from Walmart and it also only worked a couple weeks that is why I bought this last one. I am returning both today.

Spider wrap left on it. I ordered this so I would not have to go into the store. Now I have to go into the store to have it removed