We support switches to Square every month: cafés, shops, salons, taxi fleets. The transitions that go badly almost always share one cause: a contract re-read too late. Here is the list we follow with our clients, in order.
Before deciding
- Find the contract and its schedules. Not just the terminal lease: the processing agreement (often with a different entity), the general terms and any amendment signed during a "discount".
- Write down three dates. The end date, the required notice period (30, 60 or 90 days) and the deadline to send that notice. Put the last one in your calendar today.
- Cost the early exit. Fixed amount, remaining rent, or both. Compare it with the expected monthly savings: if you save $150 a month and the penalty is $600, it pays for itself in four months.
- Calculate your effective rate. Total fees on the statement divided by volume processed. Compare with Square: 2.5% on credit, 0.75% + $0.07 on Interac, no fixed fees. Our calculator does the math.
Before the switch
- Export your data. Item catalogue (names, prices, taxes, SKUs, barcodes), customer list, outstanding gift card balances. Most systems export CSV; otherwise a PDF report is enough for us to rebuild the catalogue.
- Open the Square account now. It is free with no commitment: doing it three weeks before the switch leaves time to receive the hardware, import the catalogue and test.
- Check the special cases. Recurring payments or cards on file (to be re-entered with the customer's consent), gift cards from the old system (to honour or transfer), accounting integrations (QuickBooks, for example).
- Test with real transactions. One credit sale, one Interac, one refund, one tip, one invoice: you will see the deposit arrive the next business day and know how to read your reports before the first real customer.
Switch day and after
- Switch on a quiet day and keep the old terminal plugged in for two days. If in doubt, the team has a way out; in practice they do not use it.
- Cancel in writing, on the right date, and return rented hardware with proof of delivery. Keep the confirmation. Watch your bank account for three months: residual debits (statement fees, PCI) must stop.
What the reseller does for you
Read the contract with you, cost the exit, prepare the import files, configure taxes and tips, plan the switch and provide the cancellation letter template. The account itself stays yours, directly with Square, at public rates.