Californian-based payments technology company, Square has officially launched its mobile credit and debit card reader in Australia.
The Square Reader plugs directly into the headphone jack of a smartphone or tablet and allows operators to accept Visa, MasterCard or American Express credit or debit card payments quickly and securely. Sellers pay a flat fee of 1.9 percent per transaction no matter which card is used.
“With the launch of Square Reader in Australia, we’re empowering local sellers with the tools they need to start, run, and grow their businesses,” says Jack Dorsey, CEO and co-founder of Square. “Our launch in Australia is an important step for our company and an exciting moment for a market so committed to innovation and an entrepreneurial small business community.”
Ben Pfisterer, Square’s Australian country manager says that the reception that the company received during the testing phase of the product in Australia has been “overwhelming”.
“Having been operating locally for the past year has allowed us to develop active partnerships with a wide range of businesses that have in turn helped us test and refine a range of exciting payment solutions designed specifically for the Australian market,” he says.
According to Pfisterer, the current card payment rates paid by Australian businesses can vary greatly depending on a number of differnt variables including the size of the business and card type used.
“Sellers using Square Reader pay only 1.9 percent per card transaction, and this is the first time Australia is seeing one low, single rate for a powerful ecosystem of tools—from integrated card payments to a powerful point of sale, analytics and reporting tools, inventory management, online invoices and digital receipts,” says Pfisterer.
“We’re excited to remove all the complexity that comes with accepting card payments and offer Australian businesses the tools to be innovative and provide an enhanced customer experience. The launch of Square Reader complements our powerful ecosystem of tools and marks our first payment product in what is going to be a very exciting roadmap.”
