ExpoGuest

SQUARE CHECKOUT · IPHONE AND ANDROID

One cart.
One checkout.

Connect your Square account, pair a compatible reader, and take in-person card payments without leaving ExpoGuest.

Set up SquareTake a payment →

Current availability: ExpoGuest on the App Store and Google Play. Square checkout requires an eligible seller account and compatible Square Reader.

WHAT YOU NEED

ExpoGuest works with Square. It does not replace Square.

01

A Square seller account

Use a Square account that is approved to take card payments in your business location.

02

A supported phone + compatible reader

Use an iPhone or Android phone supported by Square. Keep Bluetooth on, charge the reader, and have it nearby. Payment methods depend on your reader, account, and location.

03

The current ExpoGuest app

Install or update ExpoGuest from the App Store or Google Play before setup. Older builds may not include the Square reader connection.

Not included yet: Tap to Pay directly on the phone. Even if it works in the Square Point of Sale app, ExpoGuest currently requires a compatible Square Reader.

FIRST-TIME SETUP

Connect once, then pick your reader.

  1. Open Sales for the correct event. Add at least one test item later, but you can connect Square before building a cart.
  2. Open Reader Settings. In the card-payment panel, tap Reader Settings to open Square connection controls.
  3. Tap Connect Square. Sign in through Square’s secure page and approve the requested access. ExpoGuest uses this connection to take and verify payments and read your business locations.
  4. Choose the right business location. Tap Choose Business Location, then select the location that will process the event’s sales.
  5. Pair inside ExpoGuest. Tap Pair / Manage Reader and follow Square’s device screen. Allow Bluetooth or nearby-device access when your phone asks. The reader may already work in the Square Point of Sale app, but it still needs to be made available through this Square reader flow.
  6. Return to Sales. The payment panel should show your location and Account connected. You are ready to take a card payment.

Before a busy show: run one small, intentional test payment, confirm it appears once in Square and once in ExpoGuest’s ledger, then refund it through Square if appropriate.

AT THE TABLE

Take a new card payment.

  1. In Sales, tap products to add them to the cart. Adjust quantities and choose any service-fee amount before checkout.
  2. In Take a New Payment, confirm the amount, then tap Charge with Square.
  3. Square presents its secure payment screen. Ask the customer to tap, insert, or swipe when prompted. Keep ExpoGuest open until Square finishes.
  4. After Square confirms the payment, ExpoGuest creates the sale in the event ledger automatically. The card payment and any service fee appear in the event totals and reports.
Already collected payment elsewhere? Do not charge it again. Use Record Payment Collected Elsewhere, choose the payment method, and confirm the amount for your ExpoGuest ledger.
Card upcharges: ExpoGuest reports them separately so the end-of-show review can see exactly what was charged as a card/service fee. They remain part of the sale total and are included in agent-commission calculations where applicable.

DON’T CHARGE TWICE

If a payment is interrupted, review it first.

ExpoGuest saves the checkout details before it asks Square to charge a card. If the app cannot confirm the result, it deliberately holds that checkout instead of guessing.

  1. Open Sales and tap Reconcile Square.
  2. Review the saved amount, time, and checkout reference. Tap Check Square Status; this checks the existing payment and does not start another charge.
  3. If the result is still unknown, check the original Square account and location before retrying. Keep the checkout pending until it is clear whether Square charged the customer.

Refunds: issue a refund in Square. Removing or voiding an ExpoGuest ledger entry only corrects ExpoGuest’s local records; it does not refund the customer. Square refunds do not automatically change an existing ExpoGuest sale yet.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Quick fixes before the line gets long.

The Charge with Square button is gray.

Check that the cart contains at least one item, Square is connected, a business location is selected, and there is no unresolved checkout asking you to reconcile. Live charging also requires the current ExpoGuest app and an available paired reader.

The reader will not appear or pairing fails.

Charge the reader, keep it close to your phone, turn on Bluetooth, and retry from Reader Settings → Pair / Manage Reader. Allow Bluetooth or nearby-device access for ExpoGuest if prompted. Close the Square Point of Sale app while pairing if it is actively using the reader. Do not factory-reset or remove a reader unless Square’s own instructions direct you to.

Square is preparing a payment or the result is unknown.

Do not immediately press Charge again. Wait for Square to finish or cancel, then use Reconcile Square to check the saved checkout. This is how ExpoGuest helps prevent duplicate charges.

I canceled the Square prompt.

The cart should remain unchanged. You can adjust it or try again when you are ready. If ExpoGuest shows an unresolved checkout instead, reconcile it before another charge.

Which payment methods work?

ExpoGuest follows the options Square presents for your paired reader and account. Tap, chip, and swipe availability depend on the compatible reader, the card, and Square’s supported methods for your account and location.

NEED A HAND?

Ask Joe before the doors open.

For a Square problem, include your phone model, ExpoGuest build number, reader model, whether Square was connected, and the exact wording of any error.

Email Square support