Square POS setup with Lone Star Payments is done with you, not handed to you. We help you choose a Square plan and hardware, then build your item library or menu with modifiers, taxes and tipping, set team permissions, pair and configure devices, set up your online site or ordering, and import data from your old system where Square supports it. Then we handle Square POS training for your staff through go-live. We install and train on-site across Dallas / Ft. Worth and set up remotely with a live specialist anywhere in Texas. After launch, call (214) 838-1818.
What does Square POS setup with Lone Star Payments include?
Square POS setup covers everything between “account opened” and “first sale rung up correctly.” We work in a set order, because each piece depends on the last: permissions follow roles, and modifiers follow the item library. Curious why we added Square to our lineup? Our announcement explains.
Across Dallas / Ft. Worth, we install and train on-site: at your counter, on your devices, with your staff. Everywhere else in Texas, from Houston and San Antonio to Austin, a live specialist sets up Square with you remotely and stays your contact. See every city on our service areas page.
As of October 2026, none of the on-site cities on Square’s implementation-services page are in Texas; Square says it can work outside them, but travel fees may apply. Multi-station builds with kitchen displays, printers and kiosks have the most moving parts, which is where on-site help across Dallas / Ft. Worth pays off most (see our Dallas and Fort Worth pages).
Here’s what we build, and the Square plan details that change it. Figures are Square’s published pricing, checked October 2026; pricing can change, so confirm current rates with Square.
| Setup area | What we build with you | Square detail that affects it |
|---|---|---|
| Plan and mode | A plan for each location and the right restaurant, retail or bookings mode | $0, $49 or $149 per month per location; every plan includes all point-of-sale modes |
| Item library or menu | Items, categories, variations, prices and SKUs | Each variation can carry its own cost, price and SKU |
| Modifiers | Toppings, sides, add-ons and required choices | Advanced modifiers with step-by-step flows and quantity controls need Plus or Premium |
| Taxes and tipping | Tax settings, tip prompts, auto-gratuity and service charges | Auto-gratuity is a simple percentage on Free; party-size thresholds and tip pooling need Plus or Premium |
| Team permissions | Roles, passcodes, and who can refund or discount | Unlimited custom permission sets, timecards and passcode clock-in come with Plus or Premium |
| Online | Website, online ordering profile or booking site | Online ordering profiles work on any plan with no added monthly fee; connecting a custom domain takes Plus or Premium |
Bring an export of your current item list, with prices, sizes and add-ons marked. Nothing speeds up a Square build more.
Which Square plan should you start with?
Start with the plan; it decides which features you can set up at all. On Square’s published pricing (checked October 2026), Square Plus costs $49 a month per location and cuts the tap, dip, or swipe rate from 2.6% + 15¢ to 2.5% + 15¢. On rate alone, that covers the $49 at $49,000 a month in card-present sales ($49,000 × 0.1% = $49).
Plus also cuts online and invoice card payments from 3.3% + 30¢ to 2.9% + 30¢, so $12,250 a month in online card sales covers the fee by itself ($12,250 × 0.4% = $49). Premium adds $100 a month over Plus for another 0.1 point in person, which breaks even at $100,000 a month in card-present sales. Square publishes Tap to Pay at 2.6% + 15¢ without naming a plan.
So rate math rarely settles it; the feature gates in the plan table below usually do. Square’s published rates are broken down in our Square fees guide.
| Plan detail | Square Free | Square Plus | Square Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee, per location | $0 | $49 | $149 |
| Tap, dip, or swipe | 2.6% + 15¢ | 2.5% + 15¢ | 2.4% + 15¢ |
| Online or invoice card payments | 3.3% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ |
| Square KDS app, per device | Not available | $30/mo. | $20/mo. |
| Staff scheduling, timecards, unlimited custom permission sets | Not included | Included | Included |
| Loyalty and email/text marketing | Not included | Included | Included |
| Square phone support | 6am–6pm PT, M–F, first 90 days | 6am–6pm PT, M–F | 24/7 |
Which Square hardware should you buy?
Match devices to how you sell. These are Square’s published hardware prices, checked October 2026; prices can change, so confirm them on Square Shop before you buy:
- Square Reader, $59: a Bluetooth tap and chip reader for your phone or tablet.
- Square Terminal, $299: a compact card machine with a built-in receipt printer.
- Square Stand, $149: a swiveling stand for your own compatible iPad.
- Square Handheld, $399: a pocketable POS with a barcode scanner, built for tableside ordering.
- Square Register, $899: a two-screen system for busy counters; it must stay plugged in.
- Square Kiosk, $149: a self-service enclosure for your own compatible iPad; it sends orders to a primary Square POS device, and the Kiosk app, which isn’t available on Square Free, costs $50 a month per device on Plus or $30 on Premium.
Check compatibility before you buy. Square Stand (USB-C) fits 10.9-inch and most 11-inch iPads, and Tap to Pay on iPhone needs an iPhone XS or newer and isn’t available on iPads. Square Shop purchases have a 30-day return window, so test early. More in our Square hardware guide.
How do you switch to Square from another POS without losing a day of sales?
Switching to Square is a sequencing job: build and test the new system while the old one keeps taking payments, then cut over on a slow day. Our full playbook is in how to switch payment processors.
- 1. List what’s moving: items and prices, modifiers, your customer list, recurring billing and upcoming appointments.
- 2. Import what Square supports: restaurant menus from a PDF, a website or a delivery platform such as Uber Eats, DoorDash or Grubhub; catalogs in bulk; customer lists by CSV. Square says sellers leaving Lightspeed Retail or Shopify POS can bulk-import inventory.
- 3. Know what needs Square’s own team: for appointment history and future bookings, Square points sellers to its sales team for onboarding and data-import services.
- 4. Build and test the rest: modifiers, taxes, tipping and permissions, checked on your real devices.
- 5. Run a test day: ring real items, print real tickets, run a refund and close out while the old system is still live.
- 6. Close the old account carefully: read its cancellation terms, and keep it open long enough to handle refunds and chargebacks on pre-switch sales. Our red-flags guide shows which exit terms in your old contract to check.
Building on a Square Plus or Premium free trial? Pick your plan before the 30 days end. Square moves accounts that don’t choose a plan to Free, which lacks the KDS app, advanced modifiers and staff scheduling.
What does the Square setup process look like, step by step?
Timing depends on your item count, devices and data, so here’s our sequence and the Square-side clocks that set the pace.
| Step | What happens | Square-side timing to plan around |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cost review | Free side-by-side review of Square’s published costs against our other options | None |
| 2. Plan and hardware | We match plan and devices to how you sell | None; you buy from Square Shop or a listed retailer |
| 3. Account and trial | You open your Square account in your own name | Plus and Premium trials run 30 days |
| 4. Build | Item library or menu, modifiers, taxes, tipping, permissions and data import | Text marketing needs a verified toll-free number: two to three business days on average, up to 14 business days |
| 5. Hardware and online | Devices paired and configured; website, ordering or booking site set up | Pair and test every device on your own network before launch day |
| 6. Training | Role-by-role sessions on your own devices | Phone support on Square Free ends after the first 90 days |
| 7. Go-live | We help on launch day and fix what real customers expose | Standard transfers arrive as soon as the next business day at no fee; new sellers start with one instant transfer a day of up to $2,000 (1.95% fee) |
| 8. Ongoing help | Menu changes, new devices, new staff and questions | None |
What does Square POS training cover for your staff?
Square POS training works best by role, on your own devices, with your own menu. We train each group on what they’ll actually touch, then run practice sales until the questions stop.
- Counter and cashiers: items and variations, modifiers, discounts and refunds, tip prompts, and what to do when the internet drops.
- Servers and bartenders: open checks on any plan; tableside ordering, preauthorized bar tabs and split checks on Plus or Premium; coursing on Premium.
- Kitchen (Plus or Premium; KDS app billed per device): working tickets on Square KDS, station routing and Expeditor Mode.
- Managers (Plus or Premium): timecards, shift schedules, time-off requests, reopening checks to comp or void items, and close-of-day reports.
- Owners: the Square Dashboard, including tasks Square only allows there, like setting low-stock alerts, creating a loyalty program (Plus or Premium) and building transfer orders between locations (Premium on Square’s retail pricing table).
Train the offline rule before launch day. Offline payments have to be turned on, and Square takes them for up to 24 hours, but they’re declined if the device doesn’t reconnect within 24 hours of the first one, and the seller is responsible for any that fail. Tap to Pay and first-generation Square Readers for contactless and chip (v1 and v2) don’t support offline payments.
Who do you call for Square POS support after go-live?
Call us at (214) 838-1818 for how-to questions, menu changes, new devices, new-hire training or a second opinion on a plan change. Call Square about the account itself, as the table shows.
Square’s phone support runs weekdays 8am–8pm Central on Plus, the same hours for only the first 90 days on Free, and 24/7 on Premium. Chat and email come with every plan, and Square lists customer support at 1 (855) 700-6000. Square charges no fee for dispute management; our chargebacks guide covers the rest.
| Issue | Lone Star Payments | Square |
|---|---|---|
| How-to questions and menu changes | Yes, at (214) 838-1818 | Yes, by chat and email on every plan; phone hours depend on your plan |
| New devices or a new location | We configure and pair them with you | Sells the hardware |
| Payouts, holds and account decisions | No | Yes |
| Rates and plan billing | Cost reviews only; we don’t set rates | Yes |
| Disputes and chargebacks | We explain the process | Yes |
| Hardware returns and warranty | No | Returns: 30 days on Square Shop purchases; retailer purchases go back to the retailer. Warranty: Square covers its own devices, with terms that vary by device; third-party accessories such as printers and cash drawers are covered by their manufacturer. |
When don’t you need Lone Star Payments to set up Square?
We’d rather tell you now than sell you help you won’t use.
- You sell solo from a phone: with Tap to Pay or a $59 Square Reader and a short item list, you can likely set up Square yourself.
- You process well over $250,000 a year: Square says businesses above that line can ask about custom pricing, onboarding and implementation support, and account management. Ask Square, and ask us for a cost review too.
- Your cost review points elsewhere: if a dual pricing program or Clover costs you less for your volume, we’ll say so. We sell those too; see Square vs Clover. New to dual pricing? Our guide explains dual pricing vs. surcharging.
- You need a custom-coded website: Square lists Square Specialists you can hire for custom web development and SEO.
- You’d rather buy setup from Square itself: Square sells its own setup plans and task services, such as menu builds, item builds and customer migration, priced through Square’s sales team.
- We set up Square with you, from plan and hardware to menu, modifiers, permissions, devices, online ordering and data import where Square supports it.
- On-site installation and training across Dallas / Ft. Worth, remote setup with a live specialist statewide, and (214) 838-1818 after launch.
- A Square account is a Square account: Square handles account decisions, payouts, rates, hardware sales, Square Shop returns and warranties on Square-made devices.
- On Square’s published pricing (checked October 2026, subject to change), Plus covers its $49 fee on in-person rate savings alone at $49,000 a month in card-present sales.
- Plan around Square’s clocks: pick a plan before the 30-day trial ends, test hardware inside the 30-day Square Shop return window, and start text-marketing number verification early (up to 14 business days).
Frequently asked questions
How long does Square POS setup take?
It depends on your item count, devices and data, so we don’t quote one number. We plan around Square’s own clocks instead: Plus and Premium trials last 30 days, and if you add text marketing, number verification can take up to 14 business days. Call (214) 838-1818 and we’ll map your timeline.
Can I get Square POS near me set up in person?
If you’re in Dallas / Ft. Worth, yes: we install and train on-site at your business. Everywhere else in Texas, a live specialist sets up Square with you remotely and stays your contact afterward. Square’s own on-site services list no Texas city as of October 2026, and work outside its listed cities may carry travel fees.
Do you sell, ship or finance Square hardware?
No. You buy it from Square Shop or from retailers Square lists, such as Amazon and Best Buy, and Square’s own hardware financing is issued by Block, Inc. at a published 15% APR, subject to credit approval. We help you choose the devices, then pair and configure them with you.
How do I switch to Square from my current POS?
Build Square while your old system keeps running, then cut over on a slow day. Square can start a restaurant menu from a PDF, website or delivery-app listing, bulk-import catalogs, and import customer lists by CSV. Keep the old account open long enough to handle refunds.
How is your Square POS support different from Square’s?
We handle the how-to side: menu changes, new devices, new staff and everyday questions, with a real person in Dallas / Ft. Worth at (214) 838-1818. Square handles the account itself, including payouts, holds, rates, disputes and warranties on Square-made devices, and its phone hours depend on your plan.
I’m already on Square. Can you still help?
Yes. We can clean up an item library, add devices or locations, set permissions, train new staff and answer questions. One caution before changing plans: Square says an account that moves from a legacy subscription to Square Free, Plus or Premium can’t switch back, so it’s worth a call first.
Set Up Square Once, and Set It Up Right.
Call (214) 838-1818 to talk with a real person in Dallas / Ft. Worth, or send us a note. We’ll start with a free side-by-side cost review, comparing Square’s published costs with our other options for your actual card volume, and if Square fits, we’ll build it with you.
Square and related marks are trademarks of Block, Inc., used here to identify the products Lone Star Payments offers. Square pricing and features described on this page are Square’s published information as of October 2026 and can change — confirm current terms when you sign up.