Payment processor Square is making a play for the handheld point-of-sale market with the launch of Square Handheld in Australia, a $349 device that consolidates ordering, payment processing, and inventory management into a single palm-sized terminal.
The move puts Square in direct competition with established handheld POS providers in the restaurant space, as the company seeks to expand beyond its traditional countertop payment processing roots into mobile service applications.
Market expansion strategy
The 6.2-inch touchscreen device represents Square’s latest hardware push into the restaurant sector, which the company says accounts for roughly half its global payment volume alongside retail operations.
Unlike traditional handheld terminals focused primarily on payment acceptance, Square’s entry includes built-in barcode scanning, a 16-megapixel camera, and integration with the company’s broader business management software suite. The approach reflects Square’s strategy of bundling multiple functions to increase customer stickiness within its ecosystem.
Head of Business Development, Colin Birney, said the device was designed to address core operational needs: “Running a restaurant or retail shop today requires speed, efficiency, and flexibility. Square Handheld was designed to help sellers deliver great service anywhere their customers are – whether that’s taking orders at the table, completing a sale on the shop floor, or checking stock on the go.”
“The large display allows staff to view their full section at a glance, streamlining management across indoor and outdoor tables,” according to the company. The device carries an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance.
Early adoption signals are positive
Canberra restaurant Lunetta has been testing the device, with manager Matt Keeley praising its design integration.
“Square has been integral to how we run our business from the very beginning, and Square Handheld has elevated that even further,” Keeley said. “It blends beautifully into our space, both visually and operationally. The design is so clean and discreet, it doesn’t interrupt the atmosphere we’ve worked hard to create. Instead, it enables our team to take payments and orders right at the table with ease and elegance. That kind of fluid, unobtrusive service helps us maintain the warm, personal experience our guests remember and return for.”
Software consolidation plays
The hardware launch accompanies a broader software restructuring by Square, which is merging its previously separate restaurant, retail, and appointment booking platforms into a unified point-of-sale application.
New restaurant-specific features include direct online ordering to bypass third-party delivery fees—a significant pain point for operators dealing with commission rates often exceeding 20%. Square’s Colin Birney said the company is “…eliminating the pain of high commission fees while giving restaurants complete control over their delivery operations.”
At $349, Square Handheld prices above basic handheld terminals but below enterprise-level solutions–with the company betting restaurants will pay a premium for integrated functionality rather than managing multiple vendor relationships for different operational needs.
Square plans additional software updates through 2025 as part of its biannual release cycle, and this device is available immediately through Square’s online marketplace, with optional Belkin protective cases priced at $59.
