Canonical URL: https://giftcard.news/payments-technology/square-kiosk-built-in-gift-card-scanning-franchise-management/

---
description: The October 14 launch combines a built-in scanner with a 21.5-inch ordering screen. Square also describes new franchise tools for managing gift cards across multiple accounts.
title: Square builds gift-card scanning into new restaurant kiosk
image: https://giftcard.news/images/social/v1/square-builds-gift-card-scanning-into-new-restaurant-kiosk-21306e9670c269f9461c54441eb5f463.jpg
---

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# Square builds gift-card scanning into new restaurant kiosk

The October 14 launch combines a built-in scanner with a 21.5-inch ordering screen. Square also describes new franchise tools for managing gift cards across multiple accounts.

By [Daniel Brooks](https://giftcard.news/author/daniel-brooks/) October 14, 2026 3 min read [ Google News ](https://google.com/preferences/source?q=giftcard.news&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) 

Share [ ](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fpayments-technology%2Fsquare-kiosk-built-in-gift-card-scanning-franchise-management%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dx%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&text=Square+builds+gift-card+scanning+into+new+restaurant+kiosk&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "X") [ ](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fpayments-technology%2Fsquare-kiosk-built-in-gift-card-scanning-franchise-management%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dlinkedin%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "LinkedIn") [ ](https://wa.me/?text=Square+builds+gift-card+scanning+into+new+restaurant+kiosk+https%3A%2F%2Fgiftcard.news%2Fpayments-technology%2Fsquare-kiosk-built-in-gift-card-scanning-franchise-management%2F%3Futm%5Fsource%3Dwhatsapp%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dsocial&utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news "WhatsApp") 

![Official launch artwork showing the new black Square Kiosk with its ordering display against a blue background](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/square-builds-gift-card-scanning-into-new-restaurant-kiosk-official-launch-artwork-w1200.webp) 

 Official artwork supplied with the October 14 kiosk announcement. It depicts the product, rather than an observed live gift-card transaction. Photo: Square 

[Square](https://giftcard.news/company/square/) has built gift-card scanning into its new restaurant self-service kiosk, removing the need for a separate scanning peripheral in the configuration announced October 14\. The company is also rolling out multi-account tools that include gift-card management for quick-service restaurant franchises. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1)

The new 21.5-inch unit combines ordering, payments and a barcode scanner. Square, part of [Block](https://giftcard.news/company/block/), says the integrated scanner supports gift cards alongside the device’s built-in payment hardware.

## Acceptance and franchise administration change at different points

At checkout, the gift-card capability concerns scanning a card. The announcement does not say customers can buy or load a new gift card at the kiosk, and it should not be read as Square’s first support for gift-card redemption. [\[S01\]](#article-source-1)

Separately, the multi-account solution gives franchise operators tools for menus, reporting and gift cards while retaining franchisees’ operational autonomy, Square says. The release does not explain liability allocation, balance migration or settlement between distinct franchise businesses.

Square had already described franchise-account management and gift-card use at Ideal Nutrition in its September 18 announcement. Its October 8 release notes also explicitly describe shared gift cards with reporting to reconcile activity by account and location. The October 14 kiosk release should therefore not be read as the first availability of franchise gift cards across Square. [\[S03\]](#article-source-3) [\[S05\]](#article-source-5)

Gift-card administration also has a separate pricing layer. Square's US plan table, checked October 18, lists a 2.5% load fee for Plus and 0% for Premium. Standard processing of the original card purchase remains separate, and Square states that redemption carries no additional fee. These are published programme rates, not evidence that the new kiosk can sell or reload cards, nor a custom franchise settlement quote. [\[S04\]](#article-source-4) [\[S06\]](#article-source-6)

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## In this article

### Companies

* [Block](https://giftcard.news/company/block/)
* [Square](https://giftcard.news/company/square/)

### Sources and documents

* [\[S01\] October 14 original launch, gift-card scanner, franchise tools and pricing](https://squareup.com/us/en/press/square-kiosk-self-service-reimagined?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Square
* [\[S02\] Current kiosk specifications, software requirements and product distinctions](https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware/kiosk?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Square
* [\[S03\] September 18 prior official franchise and gift-card operating context](https://squareup.com/us/en/press/ideal-nutrition?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Square
* [\[S04\] Current US plan pricing and gift-card load fees](https://squareup.com/us/en/pricing?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Square
* [\[S05\] October 8 shared gift-card account release](https://squareup.com/us/en/release-notes/release-notes-october-8th?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Square
* [\[S06\] Gift-card loading and redemption fee distinction](https://squareup.com/us/en/gift-cards?utm%5Fsource=giftcard.news&utm%5Fcampaign=giftcard.news) — Square

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![Portrait of Daniel Brooks](https://giftcard.news/images/variants/v1/daniel-brooks-editorial-portrait-w320.webp) 

About the author

## [Daniel Brooks](https://giftcard.news/author/daniel-brooks/)

Journalist — Payments, Security & PCI DSS

Daniel Brooks covers payment networks, financial technology, payment security, gift card fraud and PCI DSS for Gift Card News.

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