Hardware solution
Square Register (2nd generation)
Square Register (2nd generation) puts seller checkout and customer payment on two responsive screens, so a bakery can move a morning line, a specialty grocer can keep a large catalog moving, and a restaurant can send orders through a counter workflow without passing a device back and forth. The built-in Square Point of Sale software supports payments, item and menu setup, inventory, and industry-specific workflows.
Built for your day-to-day
Tap, chip, and Cash App Pay are built in; swipe requires a separately purchased Square Reader for magstripe. It is a wired countertop system with Wi-Fi or Ethernet, not a battery POS. Offline payments can bridge a short outage, but transactions must be uploaded within 24 hours and remain the seller's responsibility if they expire, decline, or are disputed.
Key capabilities
The seller-facing touchscreen handles the order while the customer display presents the payment step. That split is useful at a busy counter because customers can tap or dip without taking over the cashier's screen.
NFC contactless payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, EMV chip cards, and Cash App Pay through Square Point of Sale are supported without an extra payment reader. Magstripe is the notable exception: it needs the separate Square Reader for magstripe.
Square lists up to 2.7 GHz processing, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB flash storage, an upgraded wireless design, and an IP54-rated enclosure. The second-generation model is intended to load and navigate faster while tolerating everyday dust and splashes; IP54 is not a license to expose it to spills or submersion.
The accessory hub supports up to five wired USB accessories such as a receipt printer, cash drawer, or barcode scanner. Compatible Wi-Fi and Bluetooth accessories can also be configured on screen, making the unit a practical anchor for retail, food-and-beverage, and service counters.
Offline payments can accept tap, dip, or swipe transactions while connectivity is temporarily unavailable. Reconnect within 24 hours of the first offline payment to upload them; otherwise they are declined, and the seller carries the risk of expired or disputed offline transactions.
Explore the details
Create or use a Square account, provide a power outlet, and plan for Wi-Fi or Ethernet through the accessory hub. The Register must remain plugged in; it has no battery. It can join a private or unsecured network, but not a captive-portal network such as the sign-in Wi-Fi commonly found at airports or coffee shops. The first software update is mandatory and takes about 15 minutes under typical conditions.
Square Point of Sale is built in and can present modes for food and beverage, retail, bookings, services, or standard checkout. Food businesses can use quick order entry, tables and courses, and preauthorized bar tabs; retailers can use low-stock alerts and vendor reporting; appointment businesses can use booking and waitlist workflows. Square Free supplies the essential POS with no monthly subscription, while Plus and Premium add advanced features and lower published processing rates. The Register itself does not require Plus or Premium, but a particular advanced feature may.
Budget $899 before tax and fees for the device. The published financing example is $44 per month for 24 months, but credit-sale plans are issued by Block, carry a 15% APR, require credit approval, and are unavailable to merchants in Alabama, Delaware, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Tennessee; purchase and term limits apply. The device occupies a 14-inch mounting circle, needs continuous power, and requires an additional magstripe reader for swipe cards and chip gift cards.
Plan details
Square Register (2nd generation) is $899 before tax and fees, or a published example of $44 per month for 24 months through credit-sale financing. Square Free has no monthly subscription; Square Plus and Premium are optional paid plans for advanced features and lower published processing rates. Square Pro and custom processing may be available for sellers processing more than $250,000 annually.
Per tap, dip, or swipe for a card-present payment on the Square Free plan; swipe requires the separate Square Reader for magstripe.
Per Cash App Afterpay transaction as shown on the Register specifications page; verify the applicable payment method before publishing checkout claims.
Credit-sale plans are issued by Block, subject to credit approval and other factors; the $44/24-month figure is not a cash price or universal approval.
Verified against official Square U.S. English pages on 2026-10-27; prices and fees can change.
The Register page's 2.6% + 15¢ rate is specifically labeled for tap, dip, or swipe on Square Free. Other plans show different published rates, and custom rates may apply above $250,000 annual processing volume.
Offline payments are not risk-free: transactions can expire, decline, or be disputed, and Square may not provide customer contact information for payments declined while offline.
IP54 indicates protection from dust and water splashes, not waterproof operation.
Square hardware is country-certified; this record covers the U.S. model and U.S. offerings only.
The related-industry suggestions reflect Square's documented POS modes and Register use cases; they are not a promise that every feature is available on every plan or in every business configuration.
Questions
Yes. Square Free has no monthly subscription and provides the core Square Point of Sale experience. Plus or Premium is optional for advanced industry features and lower published processing rates; a specific add-on may have its own fee.
Not by itself. Tap and chip are built in, but swipe cards and chip gift cards require a separately purchased Square Reader for magstripe connected to the Register.
Eligible tap, dip, or swipe payments can be taken in offline mode, but the Register must reconnect within 24 hours of the first offline payment. The seller is responsible for expired, declined, or disputed offline transactions.
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