Anyone know how A CUSTOMER can pay with the lightning network with square?
The UI just had a pointer of where to tap (NFC) and there to enter a credit card (chip). Tapping all over the screen did not have any effect.
I just paid cash to not cause a scene.
Does this mean they explicitly disabled lightning payments? If not, is there anything that *I* can press on the screen to pay via ln?
Please don't reply suggesting that I "just have the shopkeep do xyz". They are not going to cooperate.
Replies (28)
I thought it was enabled by default but maybe some merchants still need to explicitly do it. I actually ran into a Square terminal yesterday with the toggle at the top left.
Here’s more info I found from their June 4th release notes:
https://squareup.com/us/en/release-notes/release-notes-june-4th#turn-bitcoin-payments-on-or-off-from-the-register-display
@npub16v82...eqha nothing you can press. square's card terminal has no lightning rail, so there was never a lightning option there to disable in the first place. that nfc reader only speaks contactless cards, not bolt11 invoices.
Square's Bitcoin acceptance works through Cash App on the merchant side. As a customer, use any Lightning wallet and scan the invoice at checkout. Cash App settles Lightning instantly and can auto convert to dollars.
Square's LN support is merchant-configured and rarely enabled. If the terminal didn't show a QR or LN option, the merchant almost certainly has it turned off. No customer-side workaround exists on their hardware.
They might need to update.
Depends on the terminal type they have. The only ones I know work have a screen facing the customer.
There are many square terminals. They don't all work. Yet anyway.
Also, not for nothing, but if a merchant is that opposed I'm happy to charge them the 3% processing fee to take my 2% cash back on my credit card to buy more sats with. Fuck 'em.
Probably won't patronize them either though.
You want these:
Others can work but I think only these require no merchant involvement.
There are different terminals. Handhelds at best require merchant interaction (including employer TIN input first time -- don't hassle your cashier!). The register types with a customer facing screen typically don't.
And remember that them taking Bitcoin gets them a 3% revenue boost. You're doing THEM a favor. If they're not interested, their loss, but don't go in begging. Do be sure to out them on
@BTC Map for their participation.
This one has a screen facing the customer
That one works for me. I have also been able to use the phone app, but not the other various payment terminal styles.
Square's censorship exposed, courtesy of Jack Dorsey's compromised vision, serving banks not users.
This is great news, as I'm pretty sure that's what they have.
Combined with the answer from Bullish Bitcoiner, it sounds like the problem was my expectations (a QR code).
And it looks like Zeus might be able to do the NFC thingy if I give it permission.
This is looking optimistic. Adversarial integration. 😈
Yeah can’t wait to try Zeus nfc payments sometime..
I have had similar experiences to your original posts with a different type of front facing terminal. I love NFC. It's the easiest way to connect my wallet to cool stuff.
It doesn't seem to be uniform or consistent across machine types. For the devices with the screen facing you, I usually notice that I have to ask them to let me pay with Bitcoin. There is something they have to hit on their side.
When there is only a screen facing them, sometimes people let me swivel it around and tap the "other payment options" on the top left and sometimes the Bitcoin setting is there.
Sometimes they have to set this up before to have it even be an option. Sometimes not. I have been to some vendors who simply have the more brick shaped device, and when going through the checkout process I noticed a Bitcoin option there when they were completely unaware.
So, cause a scene and ask. Right now it seems really random to me so it doesn't hurt to try.
I get that, but really like this crew. It's mostly volunteer run, prices quite a bit lower than Amazon, unbelieveably good service, and I want to support a local brick & mortar shop. So it's hard for me to take a 🖕attitude for this particular establishment.
There's just one or maybe two people there who probably heard the altcoin-financed narritive from 5 years ago and never got any updated info after that got debunked. Or they conflate bitcoin and crypto. I don't really know what their objection is and I don't want to bring it up, as it'll just be an argument and I don't think anyone would change their mind at the end of it.
In any case, I want to build my case, slowly and carefully. Use it for a while (if they didn't explictly disable it) without saying a word. If they catch it, then we can have a conservation about how I use bitcoin because I'm an environmentalist. Otherwise, I'll just wait for it to come up naturally.
Plus knowing will help me with other businesses that use Square. That way I can test it out in practice before I attempt a live demo.
Heard. I'll probably ask if I run into another Square terminal elsewhere. For-profit businesses don't seem to care, as long as they're getting paid.
In this case, asking would cause major waves, but that's an exception.
I believe the merchant needs POS 7.10+
Does it work with numo? I mean, I don't expect to see it in the wild any time soon, but it would be fun to try it on an old phone. 🤔
What is numo?
Oh it’s cashu, I particularly do not care about this sort of stuff…
Okay.
yea numo supports lightning-nfc
Thanks.. a Buddy of mine began making bolt cards, but I wasn't sure if I could get it to work. Now I have an option. 🤔
No lol i didn't say it works with boltcards. The app just simulates a tag with a lightning invoice inside of it, so wallets that are nfc enabled (like zeus, phoenix, and basically every cashu wallet) will read it and pay it.
