PayPal and Square are increasingly covering the same territory. PayPal foillowed Square to the point-of-sale, and Square launched a P2P service — it’s been this way for years now.
PayPal is now stepping up marketing efforts (the Super Bowl ad) and also promoting PayPal Here, its point-of-sale solution, which is having success getting customers in the U.K. as well. As an added bonus on the e-commerce/m-commerce side, PayPal subsidiary Braintree recently won the right to process payments for rising e-tailer Jet.com. The PayPal Here video below is quite Square-like, emphasizing white space and, of course, caffeine.
However, Android-users may want to check their device specifications, as the four-conductor jack required to use PayPal Here is not compatible with all Android phones, many of which have only three. Once successfully inserted, the volume must be raised to maximum setting to prompt the device’s detect message. Afterwards, the software works very much like Square, allowing the user to list items or create their own check-out system.
PayPal’s advance into POS payments comes as Square builds new services upon its familiar card scanner for mobile devices. Square recently introduced a series of videos about additional services for small businesses. Below is a demo of Square Appointments, a way for users to book appointments on a calendar, automating such niceties as pre-payment requirements.