Square Enters Canada, Changes Name of Mobile-Pay App

Square Inc., which has been promising to expand internationally since it received a $25 million investment from Starbucks Corp., said today it is making its mobile-pay product available in Canada.

Square’s main product is a mobile card reader that plugs into the headphone jack of Apple and Android mobile devices. Square also makes a software-based mobile wallet that lets consumers make cardless payments with Square’s merchants.

Canada is the first country Square has entered outside the U.S.

"We're thrilled to introduce Canadian businesses and their customers to the most seamless and enjoyable way to do business," said Alyssa Cutright, Square’s vice president of international, in a press release Oct. 24.

Square also changed the name of its main mobile-pay app to Square Register, a name it has used for a point of sale system it says can replace the functions of a merchant’s terminal. The name distinguishes Square’s card-reader app from its consumer app, Square Wallet (which itself used to be named Pay with Square).

The app update also brings changes to Square’s register functions, such as displaying more inventory items on an iPad’s screen and allowing merchants to manage their profiles in Square’s online directory.