Square’s Mobile Wallet Gets a Makeover

Square Inc. has redesigned its mobile payment app, dispaying its merchants as thumbnail images instead of as a list and placing a greater emphasis on discounts and loyalty.

The new Square Wallet app, which appeared on the iTunes app store this morning, resembles Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 interface in that it presents the Square merchants as clickable tiles. The previous app highlighted merchants one at a time at the top of the screen, with smaller icons next to their names in a list displayed beneath that top image.

If a merchant offers a discount or rewards through Square, the discount offer is the top item presented on the merchant’s page within the app and the loyalty “punch card” is right beneath. Previously, these items were listed beneath the merchant’s info and a prompt to buy a digital gift card.

A merchant’s info page now displays all business hours with the current day’s hours highlighted. It also shows the business owner’s website and social media accounts.

When clicking on Starbucks, which is an investor in Square and has its own separate mobile wallet, the Square wallet automatically displays a QR code to scan at checkout. For other merchants, Square lets users “check in” by sensing their proximity and presenting their photo to the cashier.