Square adds tool to remember frequent customers

Businesses have always kept records of their most loyal customers, but now Square wants to be the one to facilitate the relationship.

The payment processing service on Thursday is launching "Card on File," a tool that stores customers' payment information. Once customers give permission, businesses using Square will be able to charge them without requiring any further action from the customers.

The service is entirely optional for customers. It's up to businesses to ask their most loyal customers if they'd like to sign on. After that, you could conceivably go into your local coffee shop, get your usual iced latte half-caf with almond milk and walk out without opening your wallet.

Card on file is an option that could be convenient for recurring customers, even if it's a little nerve-wracking to give full control of your credit card information to a local business, no matter how much of a favorite it is. The service will work for the in-store option Square Register, Square Invoices and Square's e-commerce API. Businesses can use Card on File to charge remote customers from their stores.

The feature provides Square with a way to further engrain itself with business and customers as the payments company looks to attract more business and make more money from its existing user base. The company is yet to turn a profit, and its share price is down almost 10% in 2016.

Right now, Square services often remember customers' email addresses, but don't fully remember payment information to charge frequent customers.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Charging a card kept on file will have a higher processing fee per transaction for the business than swiping a credit card. The fee will be the same as Square's fee for keyed-in — or manually entered — payments. Keyed-in and card on file payments will cost businesses 3.5 percent plus 15 cents, compared to the 2.75 percent charge for swiping a card.

Square, which shares CEO Jack Dorsey with Twitter, says the card on file service helps businesses connect with customers, emphasizing the details of the payment system as a secondary benefit.

"Customers love going where everybody knows their name -- it establishes familiarity that instills trust in a business," the company wrote in a blog post. "Simple and effective tools for sellers can help build this rapport, deepening relationships with regular customers in a way that doesn’t take time away from running a successful business. Today, Square is introducing Card on File, which gives sellers the ability to provide an even higher level of personalized service, and make accepting payment significantly easier."