Square Lets 4M Merchants Accept Bitcoin Payments
Square now lets millions of sellers accept Bitcoin at checkout with zero fees until 2027.
Payment processor Square has activated Bitcoin payments for merchants across its point-of-sale (POS) ecosystem, unlocking the option for more than 4 million sellers in eight countries to accept the cryptocurrency in-store. The launch marks one of the most significant mainstream retail steps toward Bitcoin adoption to date and reflects growing appetite for crypto payment tools among consumers and businesses.
Bitcoin Arrives at Square Terminals
The feature, announced by Block co-founder Jack Dorsey on X, allows sellers to opt in and receive Bitcoin payments at checkout, giving flexibility across settlement flows:
- Bitcoin → Bitcoin
- Bitcoin → fiat
- Fiat → Bitcoin
- Fiat → fiat
Dorsey emphasized that the option is fully integrated into Square point-of-sale tools, making Bitcoin acceptance a seamless toggle rather than a custom integration.
Square account executive Jacob Szymik added that the rollout is live only for in-person and POS purchases at this stage. Acceptance for online stores and invoicing is planned, with additional announcements expected soon.
Szymik also confirmed sellers will pay no fees until 2027, after which Block expects to charge 1%. By comparison, traditional credit card networks generally charge 1.5%–4%, giving Bitcoin a notable cost advantage for merchants.
Square initially teased its Bitcoin initiative in October with a feature enabling sellers to convert a portion of daily card sales into BTC. At the time, the company expected its full Bitcoin offering would launch by 2026 — making today’s availability an accelerated debut.
Millions of Merchants Gain Instant Access
Square’s reach spans the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, and several other regions. With one switch, millions of brick-and-mortar businesses can now accept Bitcoin at checkout — an accessibility leap that historically required third-party merchant services or asset custody setup.
Early users on X say the feature is already being tested in the wild. Parker Lewis, head of business development at Zaprite, reported seeing the system live at Medici, a Texas-based coffee roaster.
“Great day for Medici, Square, all the Square merchants going live with Bitcoin and Bitcoin in general. Bitcoiners, support your local Square merchants,” he said.
CitizenX chief marketing officer Katie Ananina shared similar excitement after using Bitcoin at the same location.
“Many of us tried to onboard merchants to accept BTC. For so many years, it was painful,” she posted. “Today’s Square move is absolutely legendary and makes the entry point so much lower. Huge!”
According to a July survey by YouGov, 37% of respondents in the U.S. and U.K. view payments as a leading use case for crypto and AI — suggesting readiness for real-world integrations like Square’s.
A Live Map for Bitcoin-Friendly Shops
To support discovery, Dorsey highlighted a new map — built by Cash App’s product design lead — displaying all global merchants accepting Bitcoin. The directory aims to drive grassroots awareness and help users find Bitcoin-enabled sellers.
Dorsey encouraged customers to spread the word:
“Convince your local Square seller to turn on Bitcoin acceptance for zero fees on sales. Convince them to keep it as Bitcoin to help them better survive dollar debasement,” he wrote.
The map integration positions Bitcoin not only as a payment rail but as a tool for merchants interested in treasury diversification — a narrative often emphasized by Dorsey and other Bitcoin proponents.
Industry Momentum Builds
Square’s rollout arrives amid broader crypto payments activity in the U.S. retail and fintech sectors.
Growing Corporate Adoption
- Steak ’n Shake has added Bitcoin to its payments and corporate strategy.
- Western Union plans to issue USDPT, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin on Solana, enabling customers and partners to send, receive, and hold digital dollars. The asset will also help streamline treasury operations under Western Union’s compliance and risk-management framework.
- Stripe recently expanded support for stablecoin payments, including recurring USDC billing for SaaS platforms, creator businesses, and AI services.
- Visa continues to explore blockchain settlement via stablecoins and recently launched a pilot to improve cross-border liquidity and settlement speed.
Taken together, these initiatives signal accelerating competition among global payment platforms to integrate crypto rails — both Bitcoin-based and stablecoin-based — as digital assets embed deeper into financial infrastructure.
What Comes Next
Square’s zero-fee structure will likely increase merchant experimentation over the next two years, especially for small businesses seeking ways to reduce processing expenses. The ability to settle in either Bitcoin or fiat also lowers volatility concerns, removing a traditional adoption barrier.
Future upgrades — including support for online stores and invoicing — could further boost usage by expanding coverage beyond physical shops. Integration across Square’s product stack, including Cash App and other Block initiatives, may ultimately create one of the largest unified Bitcoin payment networks globally.
As crypto payments gain legitimacy across consumer industries, Square’s massive merchant base positions it as a potential catalyst for mainstream Bitcoin commerce. If adoption spreads, everyday use could shift from a niche payment method to a standard checkout option — a milestone many Bitcoin supporters have spent years working toward.
In a sector where progress has often been fragmented, Square’s move sharply lowers onboarding friction and creates a clear path for merchants of any size to experiment with Bitcoin acceptance. Whether this becomes a breakout moment depends on how sellers respond — but the infrastructure is now in place, and the momentum appears to be building.
