Square’s new kiosk lets you talk to AI for help with your order — SkimNews
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- Square launched the Square Kiosk, a large pill-shaped touchscreen ordering device featuring an "agentic, conversational voice layer" that understands a seller's full menu and responds in real time.
- The kiosk's 21.5-inch touchscreen includes presence detection that welcomes approaching customers and supports voice-driven modifications, substitutions, and questions during ordering.
- Payment at the kiosk is handled via a built-in contactless payment reader or card slot, replacing or supplementing staffed checkout.
- Square priced the hardware at $1,999 per unit and added a $99-per-device monthly software fee, gated behind a Square Plus or Premium subscription.
- Availability begins the same day as the announcement, positioning the device as an immediate-order upgrade for existing Square sellers rather than a future product.
Why it matters: Sellers on Square's higher-tier plans now have a voice-AI ordering option at a $1,999 entry price plus $99/month per device, meaning a small chain of even three locations would pay roughly $5,400 in software fees in the first year alone to deploy conversational ordering — a meaningful recurring cost that directly competes with staffed counter service.
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