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Square
Mobile-payment company Square has replaced a failed app with one it hopes will complement its existing services.
Square on Monday launched Square Order, a service for those who want buy food or other goods from local shops, cafes, and restaurants. The free app, which is available only in New York City and San Francisco at the moment, lets people find establishments around town and find a product they want to buy. From within the app, they can pay for the order and tip, and then be alerted when the order is ready to be picked up.
Local businesses will need to have Square services running on their side to be included in the app and be capable of handling customer orders.
The launch of Square Order also means the end of Square Wallet. That app, which launched three years ago, has been scrubbed from Square’s site, as well as Apple’s App Store and the Google Play market. Square Wallet was designed to allow people to store payment information within the app and then simply check in to a particular location and show their name to pay for products.
The Wallet app proved unpopular, Square told Recode in an interview published on Monday. The company also said that while Wallet is gone for good, it will continue to support those who are using the program.
Although the differences between Wallet and Order aren’t major, the core function is slightly different. Wallet required users to be in the store or restaurant before they could place their order and pay. Order is designed to let people place their order and pay before they even get there.
Looking ahead, Square said it plans to make Order available in more cities. The company hasn’t said when that expansion might happen.
CNET has contacted Square for comment on the new app. We will update this story when we have more information.
