I received the best gift from my amazing brother last Christmas. As a craft show vendor, sometimes sales are lost by not having a debit or credit card machine. The little white device called Square is probably one of the best solutions to this problem! I used Square at the Urban Craft Show and accepted more than $70 through credit cards. This is truly the best way to accept credit cards without the high cost of merchant debit and credit card machines. The surprising thing was that the customers who gave me their card didn’t even ask about what it was. Seems as though Square has already been widely accepted and recognized by customers.

Compact and cute, this little square plugs into the earphone jack of your smartphone or iPad and allows you to accept Visa or Mastercard with just a swipe! Just type in the amount and swipe the credit card through the slot. Pass your device to the customer and have them sign their name with their finger on the screen and voila! Customers are given the option to receive a receipt via e-mail or text, completely paperless and instant.

To register for Square and receive a free card reader, go here. Once registered and linked to your bank account, transactions only cost 2.75% of the purchase and are deposited directly into your account within 1-2 business days. There are no setup fees or long-term contracts. You can even list your business on the Square online directory, list your items, create a loyalty program and highlight daily specials. There are so many other features that make this little device such a powerful too! I recommend all vendors to register and use Square!