For service-based businesses, freelancers, and contractors, getting paid usually involves sending invoices to clients or customers. This process traditionally takes place by mail or email, and for many business owners, it can eat up a lot of time each week.
The time you spend invoicing, contacting clients, and chasing down payments is time that you can’t spend on paid work, so everything you can do to improve the efficiency of your invoicing system is well worth it. This is where invoicing software comes in.
Invoicing software and services let you draft and send custom invoices, track payments from clients, and process those payments directly. One popular option for small businesses is Square Invoices. Square, the same company that processes retail payments for millions of businesses worldwide, also offers a simple way to get paid via invoice.
In this Square Invoices review, we will go over the key features of this service. We’ll explain pricing, features, pros & cons, and more.
Square Invoices is a division of Square, the popular payments processing service. Square Invoices can be accessed online, or via the Square app (Android and iOS).
Square Invoices is a free service that lets business owners, contractors and freelancers create and send invoices. It also allows you to create and send estimates for projects and services. There are no monthly costs and no costs to create or send invoices.
If a customer pays for the invoice via credit card, you will be charged a percentage fee (usually 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). This covers the cost to process the card payment. If the customer opts to pay by cash or check, then there is no charge from Square Invoices.
Square Invoices integrates seamlessly with the Square system, so it’s a great choice for companies who already use Square for payment processing or a POS system. That said, you don’t need to use Square’s other products to use Square Invoices.
Check out our roundup of the Best Online Invoicing Software
How Square Invoices is different
There are many invoicing solutions on the market. What sets Square Invoices apart?
Free to use
Square only charges for actual payment processing. There are no costs for creating or sending invoices.
Detailed estimates
Square makes it easy to send detailed estimates before a project begins. You can even send multi-tier package estimates. For example, a web design service could send an estimate with three different tiers of service.
Automated features
Square uses slick automated features to make your invoicing experience more efficient. Set up recurring invoices and recurring payments, track the status of invoices, and send automatic reminders to clients, plus more.
Digital contracts
Square also makes it easy to create and customize professional contracts for projects. You can edit, save and reuse contract templates, secure digital signatures from clients, and more.
Powerful integrations
Square Invoice’s various features integrate with themselves: Send estimates, sign contracts, send invoices, and get paid, all from the same platform. Plus, third-party integrations with accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, and more) make tax-time a breeze.
Simple setup
A Square account can be set up in minutes and is free. You can then download the Square Invoices app, or access the online Square dashboard. You can even send yourself a test invoice to see how the process works.
Who Square Invoices is best for
Square Invoices can be a good fit for just about any business, but there are certain groups that will benefit most:
Contractors and freelancers
Freelancers and other contractors can greatly benefit from Square Invoice’s simplicity and cost structure. Square provides all the tools you need to manage cash flow and get paid, including not only invoices but also estimates, contracts, and payment processing.
Businesses of all sizes
Square Invoices is a good option for service-based businesses of just about any size. From solo operations to large-scale companies, Square can help improve the efficiency of your accounts receivable process and allow you to focus on what matters most in your business.
Square users
Businesses that already use Square’s other products (payment processing, Square point of sale systems, payroll, etc.) can save time by also using Square Invoices. All these systems integrate with each other, creating efficiency.
Square Invoices features
Square Invoices provides all the features and tools you need to get paid efficiently. Here are some key features of the service:
Invoicing basics
Square covers all the basics when it comes to sending invoices. Use a template or create your own, and send detailed invoices with customizable fields like invoice title, customer name, phone number, payment schedule, and more.
Automated features
Beyond the basics, Square offers powerful automation tools. Automatically send payment reminders for outstanding invoices, schedule recurring billing for repeat clients, and track the status of invoices in real-time.
Invoice customization
You can customize invoices to fit your company’s needs and style. Upload your logo, add personalized messages, store attachments, and more.
Project estimates
Create and send detailed project estimates to clients before work even begins. Use multi-tier estimates to offer a variety of packages to your customers.
Integrated contracts
Square also makes it easy to create and send professional contracts to your clients. This system integrates with invoicing and payments, creating an efficient and streamlined workflow.
Store key information
Square makes it easy to store key information to create efficiencies with repeat clients and similar invoices. You can standardize items, discounts, and sales tax, and import customer lists to store customer data.
Get paid fast
When a customer pays your invoice, you will have access to the funds immediately via your Square account and the Square Card. You can transfer funds to your bank account in as little as one business day (or instantly, for a fee).
Square Invoices pricing
Square Invoices is free to use. You can send custom invoices and project estimates to clients, without paying anything. There are no monthly fees to use the service and no commitment.
If a customer makes a payment through the invoice, using a debit card or credit card (or a service like Google Pay or Apple Pay), then you will be charged a percentage of the transaction. If the customer pays by cash or check or separately arranges a bank transfer, then there is no cost.
Square Payments processing fees – 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction
In most cases, when a client pays for your invoice online via a card transaction, you will be charged 30 cents plus 2.9% of the transaction. This covers the standard credit card processing fees. This fee is in line with competitors like PayPal, FreshBooks, and Wave.
In some cases, the fee you pay may differ slightly:
- In-person transactions cost 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. If you send an electronic invoice but the customer pays in person (for example, at a mechanic’s shop), this is the rate you will pay.
- Card-on-file transactions cost 3.5% + $0.15 per transaction. If you store the customer’s card information on file with Square and use that to pay the invoice, this is the rate you will pay.
Square Invoices customer service
Square does offer customer support for all Square customers, including users of Square Invoices. Support is available via phone and email.
Square does make it a bit difficult to contact them, which is a common complaint from customers. In most cases, Square will try to get you to resolve your own issue, via an extensive knowledge base/resource center.
Issues with customer support are the main complaint that customers have with Square. The company has poor ratings at the Better Business Bureau (BBB), mostly because of support issues. However, it’s worth noting that many issues related to the use of Cash App, which is separate from Square and Square Invoices (but owned by the same company). To be fair, Square has excellent ratings on TrustPilot and Capterra, so it depends on where you look.
Pros and cons of Square Invoices
Businesses will likely want to choose one invoicing solution to use for many years to come. As such, it’s wise to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of Square Invoices.
Pros
- Free to use
- No monthly fees or hidden costs
- Pay a flat fee for payments processed (credit card payments)
- An easy way to get paid by clients and customers
- Get paid faster (over 75% of Square invoices get paid within 1 day)
- Create contracts and collect digital signatures
- Create detailed estimates for projects
Cons
- Payment processing costs can add up
- More difficult to be paid via fee-free options, like bank transfer
- Mediocre customer service