Do you use a Square checkout device in your store? Not only do they make payments faster, but the new 2nd Gen Square Stand also brings useful improvements over its predecessor.

If you’re familiar with Square, you know that it’s made it easier for small businesses and professionals to handle customer payments. Square’s checkout gadgets and services are quite effective and the Square Stand is an especially useful device.

Now, Square Stand is getting an update with its 2nd Gen design. If you’re a seller looking to make things simpler for your customers pay, you won’t want to miss it. Let’s take a gander at what’s in this latest iteration, shall we?

A built-in NFC reader makes payments easy

What is the Square Stand?

The Square Stand is a gadget that acts as a payment terminal. Those managing small shops and businesses—or individual professionals offering a service—can use them to create a point-of-sale.

It’s a great method for anyone who prefers to work with digital-based payments rather than cash. Alternatively, you can use them to make credit and debit card payments. This is because it accepts Visa, Mastercard, and most major card types as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Official Promo for Square Stand

The Stand also allows you to connect your iPad to it, and it then acts as a touchscreen checkout system. Once a customer is ready to pay, an attached device will take any card or NFC payments. This makes transactions quick and easy—without the need for a giant cash register.

How is the 2nd Gen different?

The latest version of the Square Stand now offers a black color option in addition to the original white one. It also supports contactless pay and has a built-in chip reader. It offers improved compatibility with most of the latest iPad devices.

Unlike the previous version, which had an external card reader, this one has it built directly into the main unit. The 2nd Gen version also includes an enhanced app experience and a friendlier user interface to make things faster and more efficient.

Square Stand has a small footprint on shop countertops

Is it worth the upgrade?

If you’re already using a 1st Gen Square Stand, it might not be worth making a jump to the latest version right away. The 2nd Gen does indeed offer some welcome improvements, but it’s nothing we’d call game-changing.

That said, if you’re looking to both simplify and speed up the checkout process, the new enhancements may be exactly what you want. Additionally, the ability to read card chips and consolidate the hardware is certainly useful as well.

If, of course, you have yet to buy a Square Stand, then the 2nd Gen is simply a no-brainer. You can get the Square Stand (2nd Gen) here for $149.