Square's New iPad Stand Includes Built-In Tap to Pay and Chip Card Readers

Orders for the Stand are Now Being Taken.

Square announced on Monday that the latest version of its popular Square Stand payment terminal includes a built-in payments reader. The stand allows companies to utilize an iPad as a point-of-sale device, whereas the previous version required a separate reader to accept card or phone payments. The latest version of the stand features a card slot and contactless payments reader right next to the display, and it spins like the previous version (which was released in 2013) so you can access those payment options when it's time to pay. Square, a Block subsidiary, also claims that the stand includes new software. In a press release, Square stated, "New software for Square Stand enables a speedier, more transparent checkout experience that includes an order summary screen and illuminated payment indicators on the device's face to guide customer transactions and speed up purchases." "With these enhancements, vendors and buyers may enjoy the benefits of a customer display without having to use a second device." The Square Stand 2 combines an iPad with the Square POS app and built-in payment readers for contactless payments such as Apple Pay and chip-enabled credit and debit cards. Separate payment readers were required for the first Square Stand. The new Square Stand has the same swivel design as the original and can simply be turned towards a consumer at a checkout. There are a variety of payment options, including using Apple Pay on an iPhone or Apple Watch, touching a chip-enabled card, or inserting a chip-enabled card. Square supplies a magstripe reader that plugs into the Square Stand's audio jack for magnetic stripe payments that still need swiping. In the United States, the new Square Stand is available to order for $149 starting today, while in the United Kingdom, orders will begin in June. The stand works with iPad devices with a screen size of 10.2 inches or 10.5 inches, such as the ninth-generation iPad and the third-generation iPad Air. The Square POS app is free to use, but the iPad must be purchased separately. It does not, however, work with every iPad on the market. It only works with iPads with a 10.2-inch screen from 2021, 2020, and 2019, as well as the 2019 iPad Air (which does not feature the design debuted with the 2020 iPad Air) and the now-defunct 10.5-inch iPad Pro.