square: payments anywhere
DESCRIPTION
Square: Payments Anywhere. Max Kramer [email protected]. Commerce. Transactions between consumers and businesses Cash Check Credit Transactions between individuals Cash Check Credit Why not credit too?. Card Reading Systems. Expensive to buy Difficult for new businesses - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Square: Payments Anywhere
Commerce Transactions between consumers and
businesses• Cash• Check• Credit
Transactions between individuals• Cash• Check• Credit
Why not credit too?
Card Reading Systems Expensive to buy
• Difficult for new businesses Hard to program Costs
• Per use• Monthly• Hardware
Most require wires• Not portable
Square Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey Phones = computers
• Use power of everyday device to handle credit transactions
Major obstacles• Fraud
Keep cost to user low by keeping fraud low• Input
Type in credit card number Read magnetic strip from card
• Mobile platforms
Magnetic strip reading Challenge
• How to get information from credit card to the phone?
Solution1. Create hardware to read strip2. Transfer data to the device How to transfer?
The Square Device Need to make independent of phone
• Android phones use USB• iPhones use the proprietary iPod connector
The Square Device Solution
• Use the audio jack• Standard on virtually every phone
Steps
Read magnetic
strip
Encode as audio
streamSend to phone
Listen to stream
Decode audio
information
Features Store
• Common products• Images of goods
Track sales Tips & tax Location Receipts Identity
• Square users
Pricing Square (hardware)
is free• Activate account and
company ships hardware for free
Cost per use• Swipe: 2.75% + $0.15• Type: 3.5% + $0.15
Possible uses Any small business Artist Craigslist seller Tennis lesson pro Tutor Babysitter Fundraising Haircut Doctor who makes house calls
Future uses for the hardware
User Identification• Security• Companies
Loyalty cards Drivers license Extend
• Android API
Last words Named to top 50
inventions of 2010 by Time magazine
VeriFone released competitor• Sleeve for iPhone• Not audio
References CNET
• Twitter co-founder's 'Square' comes into focus Pogue’s Posts
• State of the Art - A Simple Swipe on the iPhone, and You’re Paid
Tech Crunch• Square Now Processing Millions Of Dollars In
Mobile Transactions Every Week Square on github
• Repositories• Android API