Skip to main content
Square takes card payments for your SimpleTix events online and in person. Payments go to your own Square account, and Square pays them out to your bank. This guide covers creating a Square account, connecting it to SimpleTix, choosing your Square settings, the Square hardware you can use, and common connection problems.

​
Where Square is available

Square is the recommended processor for SimpleTix sites in the United States and France, so its card is shown first in Settings > Store. Sites in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and Spain can also connect Square, from Click here to view other payment options on the same page. In other countries, the Square card under Click here to view other payment options shows Not Available In followed by your country. See Connect Your Payment Processor to compare processors. How SimpleTix fees are collected with Square depends on your country: SimpleTix fees on Square Gift Card and cash sales are charged to your credit card on file at the end of the month, because SimpleTix can’t deduct fees from them. See the Ticket Fees and Billing Guide.

​
Step 1: Create and verify your Square account

1

Create a Square account

If you don’t have one, sign up at squareup.com. On US sites with no payment processor connected, Settings > Store shows an offer of $5,000 of free Square processing. Open the Square signup offer to check the current terms and eligibility.
2

Verify your identity and add a bank account

In your Square Dashboard, finish Square’s identity verification and link the bank account you want Square to pay out to. Square won’t let you take payments on SimpleTix until both are done. SimpleTix can’t speed up or skip Square’s verification.
3

Check your Square location

Square ties every sale to a location. Make sure the location you plan to use for SimpleTix is active in Square. You’ll choose it in Step 3.

​
Step 2: Connect Square to SimpleTix

You need access to Settings in the Manager Portal (Owner or Administrator role) to connect Square. Only one payment processor can be connected at a time. If another processor is already connected, the Square card won’t show Connect until you disconnect the other processor on the same page: click Deactivate on its card, or for Authorize.net click Settings, then Disconnect Authorize.net.
1

Open Store settings

Log in to the Manager Portal, click Settings on the top rail, then select Store in the left-hand menu. You can also go straight to Store settings.
2

Click Connect on the Square card

Find the Square card under How To Get Paid - Recommended Payment Providers and click Connect. If you don’t see a Square card there, or it has no Connect button, click Click here to view other payment options and use the Square card there.If your site has connected a payment processor before, SimpleTix may ask for a one-time code first: “For your protection, we’ve sent a one-time code to your email.” Enter the 5-digit code and click Verify. If it doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder or click resend the code.
3

Authenticate with Square

The Square Settings page opens. Under Square authorization, click Authenticate. Square opens in a new window. Sign in to the Square account you want to use and approve the connection.
If no window opens, allow pop-ups for manager.simpletix.com and click Authenticate again. If Square signs you in to the wrong account, use a private or incognito browser window.
4

Confirm the connection

When it works, you’ll see Square connected successfully, and Square authorization shows Square is connected to SimpleTix. The rest of the Square settings then appear on the page.
5

Choose a location and save

Select your location under Choose Location (see Step 3), then click Save. Save stays unavailable until a location is selected.

​
Step 3: Choose your Square settings

These settings are on the Square Settings page. To get there later, go to Settings > Store and click Settings on the Square card. They appear only while Square is connected. Click Save after changing them. To add new customers to your Square customer list automatically, see Square Specific Settings.

​
Step 4: Test it

Before your event goes on sale, buy a low-priced test ticket and check that:
  • the payment appears in your Square Dashboard under the location you chose, and
  • the order appears in SimpleTix.
Then refund the test order.

​
Selling in person with Square

To take Square card payments in person, use the SimpleTix Organizer App on your phone or tablet. This list applies to Mobile Payments SDK mode (below). In POS API mode, connect your reader to the Square Point of Sale app instead. The app’s Settings > Square Version setting decides how the app talks to Square:
  • Mobile Payments SDK - USA Only: the app connects to the Square reader itself. This is the default for sites that sell in US dollars.
  • POS API - USA, CAN, AUS, UK: the app sends the order total to the Square Point of Sale app on the same device to take the payment. This is the default for other currencies. The Square Point of Sale app must be installed and signed in.
In Mobile Payments SDK mode, a Square reader connects to one app at a time, so switching between the Organizer App and Square’s own app can disconnect it. See Configuring App Settings, and Tap to Pay on iPhone or Tap to Pay on Android for phone payments.
SimpleTix doesn’t sell or rent Square hardware. Buy it from the Square hardware store.

​
Payouts

SimpleTix doesn’t hold your ticket money. Square pays your balance out to the bank account linked in your Square Dashboard, on Square’s own transfer schedule. You can view and change that schedule in Square. See Square’s Set up and edit transfer options (Square Support Center, US; Square’s page lets you switch region) and Understanding SimpleTix Payouts.

​
Troubleshooting

  • Another processor is connected. Only one can be connected at a time. Disconnect it on Settings > Store (click Deactivate on its card, or Settings then Disconnect Authorize.net), then click Connect on the Square card.
  • Square isn’t the recommended processor for your country. Click Click here to view other payment options and use the Square card there.
  • The card says Not Available In your country. Square isn’t offered for your site’s country. See Where Square is available.
  • You don’t see a Square card at all. Click Click here to view other payment options on the Store page.
Square opens in a new window. Allow pop-ups for manager.simpletix.com and try again. If you closed the Square window before finishing, click Authenticate again.
  • Finish identity verification and link a bank account in your Square Dashboard.
  • Try a private or incognito window to clear an old Square sign-in.
  • If you were asked for a one-time code, use the newest code from your email.
If it still fails, contact SimpleTix Support with your site address.
That location isn’t active in Square. Activate it in your Square Dashboard, or pick a different location under Choose Location, then click Save.
Check that the right location is selected under Choose Location, and that Square authorization still shows Square is connected to SimpleTix.
Connect Square in the Manager Portal under Settings > Store first (Step 2), then try the sale again in the app.
This happens when Create Square items for each event time ? is on and you have many event times. We recommend turning it off and clicking Save, so SimpleTix stops creating a new Square item for each event time.You can delete the items SimpleTix created in Square, but SimpleTix may create them again, and deleting them can affect your Square reports.

​
Switching to a different Square account

1

Disconnect the current account

On Square Settings, click Disconnect. If asked “Are you sure you want to disconnect Square?”, click Yes. You’ll see Square disconnected successfully and return to the Store page.
2

Connect the new account

On the Store page, click Connect on the Square card, enter the one-time code if asked, and click Authenticate. Use a private or incognito window so the old Square sign-in isn’t reused.
3

Choose a location and save

Select a location under Choose Location and click Save.
New payments go to whichever Square account is connected. Reconnect before your next sale.

Square Specific Settings

Locations, categories and adding customers to Square.

Square Catalog Upsells

Sell Square catalog items at checkout.

Square Gift Cards

Accept Square gift cards.