Square Invoices Review: Features, Pricing, & Alternatives

Square Invoices is a powerful tool for businesses seeking efficient payment processing and a user-friendly interface. While it excels in simplicity and features, it lacks advanced customization options.

Read our full review to discover if Square Invoices is the right fit for your invoicing needs.

SMB Guide’s Verdict for Square Invoices

Square Invoices earns a solid 8.4 of 10 due to its affordable pricing, extensive feature set, and user-friendly interface.

Here’s the detailed breakdown of the scoring for each factor:

Factor	Rating (out of 10)
Pricing & Plans	9.5
Feature Set & Customization Options	8.5
Automated Invoicing	9.5
Expense Tracking	5
Multi-Currency Support	5
User Interface and User Experience	9.5
Integrations and Compatibility	9.5
Customer Support	8.5
SMB Guide Rating	8.4

In this review of Square Invoices, I’ve followed SMB Guide’s detailed criteria for evaluating invoicing software.

The platform stands out with its robust integrations, instant deposit capabilities, and seamless inventory management, making it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. The customizable invoice templates and comprehensive customer directory enhance its usability and appeal. 

However, the software does have some limitations. Its multi-currency support is restricted, which can be a drawback for businesses dealing with international clients. The free plan offers limited customization options, which may not meet the needs of more advanced users looking for greater flexibility.

Overall, Square Invoices’ strengths, affordability, functionality, and ease of use make it a highly recommended tool, despite a few areas where improvements could be made.

Pricing & Plans

Square Invoice offers two pricing plans: Free and Plus.

Free Plan

This plan does not have monthly fees. You only pay transaction fees to cover the cost of payment processing.

Price

• $0 per month
• $0 per year

Processing rates are as follows:

• Online card payments: 3.3% + 30¢ per transaction
• Online ACH payments: 1% with a minimum fee of $1
• 2.6% + 10 cents per every tapped, dipped, and swiped payment
• 3.5% + 15 cents per card-on-file payment
• 3.5% + 15 cents per manually keyed-in payment
• 2.9% + 30 cents per invoice with Cash App Pay
• 6% + 30 cents per card payment with Afterpay
• Free to record cash, check, or other payments

Features

• Send unlimited invoices
• Schedule unlimited recurring invoices
• Save and charge cards on file
• Collect deposits
• Schedule automatic payment reminders
• Track status in real-time
• Set a late payment fee
• Customize branding with logo and colors

Who it’s for: Small businesses on a budget

Plus

The paid plan uses discounted processing fees.

Price

• $20 per month
• $240 per year (no annual billing option)

Processing rates are as follows:

• Online card payments: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction
• Online ACH payments: 1% with a maximum fee of $10
• 2.6% + 10 cents per every tapped, dipped, and swiped payment
• 3.5% + 15 cents per card-on-file payment
• 3.5% + 15 cents per manually keyed-in payment
• 2.9% + 30 cents per invoice with Cash App Pay
• 6% + 30 cents per card payment with Afterpay
• Free to record cash, check, or other payments

Features

• Send unlimited invoices
• Schedule unlimited recurring invoices
• Save and charge cards on file
• Collect deposits
• Schedule automatic payment reminders
• Track status in real-time
• Set a late payment fee
• Create milestone-based payment schedules
• Send batch invoices
• Customize branding with logo and colors
• Select custom invoice layouts
• Save and reuse custom invoice templates
• Add custom fields to any invoice or contract
• Edit invoice and estimate field names

Who it’s for: Small to medium businesses

Feature Set & Customization Options

Before you can send an invoice, you must first add a customer. It allows you to add yourself as a customer to test the platform before sending an invoice, which is a nice touch.

You can add an invoice title, change the invoice ID (just a number by default), and add a message to your customer, which you can use AI to write if you want.

You can set the service date using presets or the calendar. You can set it as a one-time or recurring invoice. You can send it immediately, from preset periods, or a specific date with the calendar.

You can also set the due date. Then, you add your line items as products or services. You can add discounts, shipping fees, or service charges and choose payment options.

You can also turn on tipping or allow customers to save payment methods on file. You can edit your automatic payment reminders, which by default are set to send 7 days before the due date and on the due date.

If it’s not paid by then, your customer will also receive reminders one and three days after the due date. You’re allowed to include an optional message on each of these reminders.

You can add a contract from Square Contracts, attach up to 10 files totalling 25 MB. Plus customers can also make use of custom fields and batch invoicing.

In the Settings, you can customize your branding with your logo, brand color, and business information. You can also set it up to enable inventory management.

Automated Invoicing

With Square Invoices, you can automatically send invoices on a regular schedule for ongoing services or subscriptions. You can set automatic reminders for unpaid invoices. You can automatically convert accepted estimates to invoices.

And, you can schedule invoices to be sent on specific dates to plan ahead. Plus, you can automatically send payment receipts once invoices are paid so clients get immediate confirmation.

Expense Tracking

Square Invoices focuses on invoices and payment processing rather than comprehensive expense tracking. You can use the dashboard to get an overview of your business’s financial health, including sales, payments, and cash flow.

You can integrate it with third-party apps to get more robust expense tracking, though basic expense reporting is possible.

Multi-Currency Support

Square Invoices is designed to support businesses that operate in various regions, but its multi-currency support has some limitations. You can send invoices in your local currency, based on the country where your Square account is registered.

When a client pays from another country, their payments are automatically converted to your local currency at the current exchange rate. 

But, each Square account can only operate in a single currency. You cannot send invoices in multiple currencies from the same account. Square’s services aren’t available in every country, so you must make sure your country and your client’s country are supported.

If you need to invoice in multiple currencies, you can set up separate Square accounts for each currency you need to use. You’ll be able to send invoices in multiple currencies, but you’ll have to manage multiple accounts.

Alternatively, you can use third-party accounting or invoicing software that supports multi-currency invoicing and integrates with Square for payment processing for a more streamlined approach to managing multiple currencies.

User Interface and User Experience

Square uses a clean, minimalistic design with plenty of white space, simple icons, and clear typography. I found the interface very easy to understand and navigate.

The consistency in layout and design elements across different features and platforms makes it easy to learn the interface, too.

The response design ensures that no matter what device I accessed Square from, I had a pleasant experience. It adapted from my computer to my smartphone so I could still see and navigate the platform easily.

The user experience was great, too. The onboarding process takes less than five minutes, with guided screens. The option to learn the platform by sending a test invoice to yourself lets you go through customizing everything before you start using it with customers.

There are more customization options for paying customers, though, so I wasn’t able to test everything. And if you’re already using Square to process payments, the integrated ecosystem makes things even easier.

Integrations and Compatibility

Square Invoices offers robust integration capabilities to ensure seamless operations across various business tools. It is compatible with popular accounting software Platforms such as Quickbooks, Xero, and FreshBooks.

It also integrates with online payment platforms like Square Payments and third-party payment processors with APIs.

Square automatically syncs data across integrations to ensure that transactions, invoices, and payments are up to date in real time reducing manual data entry and errors. You can also set up scheduled syncs to update your data at regular intervals to further automate the process and ensure consistency.

Square provides a comprehensive set of APIs that allow you to create custom integrations with other business tools and services. These APIs cover areas such as payments, customers, orders, and inventory.

There’s extensive documentation available and developer support to help you create and maintain custom integrations. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android so that you can use the platform on the go.

Customer Support

Square offers multiple support channels, including live chat, email, and phone support, as well as a comprehensive knowledge base and community forums. Response times can vary, with complaints of slow customer support mentioned in many reviews.

Response times are generally quicker when it comes to live chat and phone for most issues. Email support is thorough but can be expected to take longer.

Square offers extensive documentation, tutorials, and user guides to help users solve issues on their own. The community forums are active and provide additional support for a collaborative environment where users can seek help and share knowledge.

Square Invoices — Unique Features

Square Invoices includes several niche features that make it stand out from competitors.

These features include:

• Instant Deposit: Allows businesses to access their funds within minutes of a payment being processed, improving cash flow management and removing the typical waiting period for bank transfers.
• Inventory Management Integration: Integrates seamlessly with Square’s inventory management system, automatically updating stock levels when invoices are paid. This ensures accurate inventory tracking and streamlines the workflow.
• Customizable Invoice Templates: Offers highly customizable templates enabling businesses to add logos, choose colors, select fonts, and include personalized messages, helping maintain a professional and branded appearance.
• Customer Directory: A built-in feature that stores detailed client information such as contact details, transaction history, and notes, aiding in customer relationship management and targeted marketing efforts.
• Multi-Location Management: Enables businesses with multiple locations to manage invoicing and payments from a single account, providing a consolidated view of financial performance and simplifying operations.
• Square Assistant: An AI-powered virtual assistant that helps manage appointments and bookings, particularly useful for service-oriented businesses. It also aids in handling invoices related to scheduled services.

What the Experts Say About Square Invoices

• GetApp rating: 4.6/5 (84 reviews)
• TrustPilot rating: 4.5/5 (143 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.6/5 (84 reviews)

I’ve been able to streamline a few business needs however it’s still does not give the full performance of a built-in web terminal linked directly with your business checking account. And the transaction fees are not always something to look forward to as a business owner trying to gain and grow their customer base.

Jared K., CMO – Verified Capterra review

Overall, its a good program/app for small business owners, and mini entrepreneurs. BUT there are too many hiccups from the start, and once you have your account setup and integrated into your business, you want everything to go smoothly, you dont want to lose hours, even days trying to submit all the required documents square asks for before taking any holds off your account, etc….

James C., Owner – Verified Capterra review

Square Invoices Alternatives

Not sure that Square Invoices is the best option for your needs? Look at these other solutions.

FreshBooks

FreshBooks is a web-based accounting software as a service platform that can be accessed via desktop or mobile device. This platform simplifies common accounting tasks like invoice production, payment acceptance, cost tracking, billable time monitoring, and financial reporting.

While Square Invoices offers a choice of invoice templates, FreshBooks can be a better fit for your company if you require a solution that gives you greater freedom to personalize for your brand or style.

Try FreshBooks for free today

Zoho Invoice

Zoho Invoice is free for up to 1,000 invoices per year. Paid plans offer additional features and higher limits. It offers a wide range of features, including time tracking, expense management, and project billing.

Zoho Invoice also has highly customizable templates and extensive personalization options for invoices. It features strong multi-currency capabilities, ideal for businesses dealing with international clients.

It’s best for freelancers, small-to-medium-sized businesses, and those who need detailed customization and robust features, especially if they are already using other Zoho suite products.

Get started with Zoho Invoice for free

Xero

Xero is a complete cloud-based accounting software with several functions, including invoicing, cost monitoring, and payroll administration. It is ideal for small and medium-sized enterprises that demand a comprehensive bookkeeping solution with advanced accounting skills.

Get started with Xero for free today!

Getting Started with Square Invoices

Square Invoices is a powerful tool for most businesses, offering an affordable, feature-rich, and user-friendly invoicing solution. With seamless integration within the Square ecosystem, instant deposit options, and customizable templates, it supports business operations efficiently.

If you’re ready to enhance your invoicing process, try Square Invoice today!

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