Groupon Launches Square-Like Payment Service

By Tuan Mai
published

Groupon takes on Square with its own smartphone-based credit card reader.

Since early 2010, Square has provided an affordable and convenient way for small business owners to receive mobile credit card payments. Without too much competition, the app has made its way into the loving arms of many food trucks around the nation, but now it looks like there could be a new kid on the block.

Social deal website Groupon has positioned itself to take on Square with its new Groupon Payments program. After a successful pilot program in San Francisco, California earlier this year, the company is now ready for a nationwide release of its smart phone-based credit card reader. With a 1.8 percent cost for MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards, along with a $0.15 per transaction fee, Groupon's Payments could result in cheaper merchant prices when compared to Square's 2.75 percent flat rate. American Express, on the other hand, is set to cost 3 percent with Groupon's Payments, along with the usual $0.15 per transaction fee.

Another benefit of Groupon's new app is that it can accept Groupon daily deals, making any business that is already working with Groupon an ideal customer. For more information on Groupon Payments, head on over to the new website here.

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Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai
Tuan Mai is a Los Angeles based writer and marketing manager working within the PC Hardware industry. He has written for Tom's Guide since 2010, with a special interest in the weird and quirky.
5 Comments Comment from the forums
  • bombebomb
    From what I have read on reviews from square, they suck and hold your money/take. (read the app reviews).

    Hopefully this will be better!
    Reply
  • Shin-san
    I knew some really small business owners that used a smartphone to handle CC transaction, and it was very convenient
    Reply
  • Benihana
    So if your client-base is spending on average less than $15.79 per transaction, then Square yields you more profit. If they're averaging more than $15.79, then looks like Groupon's the way to go.

    EDIT: With Mastercard, Visa, and Discover cards, that is.
    Reply
  • daship
    Paypal has one to, and it is better then the above 2. Paypal for the win.
    Reply
  • aoneone
    Can you imagine how many more hackers would try to intercept the Groupon data ? This isn't more convenient, it causes more headaches in the long run. People who lose the device, programs that snoop to listen for number data, phones with the programs get lost, I predict a terrible day for this kind of technology... Trust me ^_^
    Reply