Mobile payment pioneer Square has removed its Cloud -based Square Wallet application from both the Apple AppStore and Google PlayStore and has replaced it with a new app called Square Order.
Square Order which is available on iTunes and currently in Beta for Android allows former Square Wallet users located in New York and San Francisco to place orders from Square Merchants prior to visiting the point-of-sale.
An update late last month to Square Register provided the merchant end of Square Order. The new app is geared mainly towards restaurants using the Square payment service. Square's larger clients are primarily food establishments, most notably coffee giant Starbucks.
Square’s interest in the food & drink arena does not stop there. It was reported that Square is in a bidding war with internet juggernaut Google for the Acquisition of restaurant website platform Appetas.
Square's original application has seen a few iterations since its launch in 2011. Initially coined Card Case, lack of interest from users and an app tittle not linked directly to the brand saw it change to Pay with Square, and eventually evolved into Square Wallet.
Square Wallet, like other mobile wallets allowed customers to store payment card data and pay for goods and services by simply checking-in to a merchant location, similar to PayPal’s mobile application. Given one of Square’s prominent products, the Square card reader, the mobile method of payment became somewhat redundant. The ability to “pre-order” with the application serves as an incentive for users to pay via the mobile application.
Square Order has done away with the less popular features from the wallet application, most notably its digital gift card service which was launched about 6 months ago.
The Square app is now availbe in the Apple AppStore, and as a beta tester in the Google PlayStore.
