Square Credit Card Readers Now Being Sold At Apple Stores

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Some interesting news on the iPhone front. Square is a startup company that makes a credit card reader for the iPhone. It allows people to collect money from credit cards via the reader and corresponding app. They also charge low transaction fees, as well. It’s one of the best applications I’ve seen for the iPhone yet that’s, you know, actually useful. The company has gotten a huge boost as now their credit card reader attachment is being sold in Apple Stores and online Apple’s website for $10.

Obviously, small businesses would be one potential user of the Square service, but the company also likes to promote the idea of using it amongst friends, too. Friend owe you $200? Rather than having him write you a check or wait for him go to the bank, just break out your iPhone and Square credit card reader. Or, out to dinner with a friend but the restaurant won’t split the bill? Just have one of you pay with credit and the other can pay his pal back with the Square reader.

Anyway, back to the Apple news. Apple will be selling the reader for $9.95 in their stores and website. That’s a low price, but some folks are offended because Square gives away the reader if you sign up for a Square account from their website. Possibly to rebuff this criticism, Square is giving away a $10 credit to anybody who buys it from the Apple Store, so no need to worry about getting ripped off by Apple, eh?

Some have suggested that this could be just the prelude of Apple Store employees actually using Square credit card readers as their POS system for processing checkouts at the Apple Store. That would be great – last time I was at the Apple Store (I don’t go often) they were using some weird Windows Mobile PDA with a credit card reader. If they were using iPhones, I think it would really go a long way to showing off what the products are capable of.