Square launches a new card reader that accepts Apple Pay

“Until now, technology like our new reader has been out of reach for local businesses”, Jesse Dorogusker, head of hardware at Square, told USA Today.

This could be a huge deal for Apple Pay, the iPhone based payment system that relies on stores upgrading their expensive credit card readers from the previous generation to NFC chip card capable readers.

100 local business owners across the United States are now accepting chip cards and Apple Pay by using Square’s new reader, it enables them to provide their customers with a fast and simple payment experience.

The device costs merchants just $49, and it’s available to reserve online, at Square’s website.

Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and more recently Square, is clearly hoping to own the entire, rather competitive, payments space, given you can also pay your friends direct, run your business, and even arrange food deliveries, from his increasingly comprehensive platform.

Square’s NFC card reader. Square is also touting the quick, easy and painless set up for this new contactless reader.

Magstripe reader in the box We’ll send you a free Square magstripe reader-so you can swipe cards the old-fashioned way, too. The new reader is a stand-alone device that, like other wireless payment terminals, a customer just needs to tap their phone to in order to make a payment.

Square has been making it easier for you to pay and for businesses to make money since it was first founded in 2009, and now, it’s making it easier still.