Marketing 7 min read
Is Square Marketing Worth It for a Café? Cost & Alternatives
Square Marketing is convenient because it sits on your Square customer data. Here's the honest cost breakdown and where cheaper, higher-reach channels beat it.
The Tany blog
Mobile ordering, loyalty & growth
Practical guides for independent cafés and restaurants running on Square — from the team building branded ordering apps that go live in 24 hours.
Square How-Tos 25 Guides 19 Loyalty & Retention 14 Apps & Technology 8 Delivery & Direct Ordering 8 Marketing 7 Operations 7 Local SEO 6 Mobile Apps 3 Square How-To 3 Payments & Fees 3 Payments 3 Marketing & Growth 2 Customer Retention 2 Gift Cards 1 Payments & Tipping 1 Comparisons 1 Marketing & Retention 1 POS Comparisons 1 Growth & Marketing 1 Mobile Ordering 1
Loyalty & Retention 7 min read
Should Your Café's Loyalty Points Expire? The Honest Math
Point expiration feels responsible, but for most independent cafés it works against the repeat visits your program exists to create. Here's the honest trade-off.
Payments & Fees 7 min read
Interac Debit on Square: What Canadian Cafés Actually Pay
Interac debit is the cheapest way to get paid at a Canadian café counter. Here's exactly what Square charges, and how to lower your blended rate with it.
Payments 8 min read
Should Your Café Accept Cash App Pay on Square?
A plain-English look at Cash App Pay on Square — the fees, the surfaces it works on, the US-only catch, and whether it's worth turning on for a café.
Payments 9 min read
Why Square Holds Your Café's Funds (and What to Do)
An honest operator's guide to Square reserves and fund holds — what triggers them, how long the money is tied up, and how to reduce the odds.
Loyalty & Retention 8 min read
How to Build a Tiered VIP Loyalty Program for a Café
A practical guide to designing a two- or three-tier VIP loyalty program for a café — thresholds, perks, margin math, and what Square can and can't do.
Payments 7 min read
Afterpay for Cafés: Is Buy Now, Pay Later Worth It?
Afterpay costs a café about 6% + 30¢ per order. For a $5 latte that's absurd — but for catering, merch, and gift-card orders it can pencil out. The honest breakdown.
Guides 8 min read
Does My Coffee Shop Need a Mobile App? An Honest Answer
Not every café needs an app. Here's the honest test — regulars, rush, and repeat volume — plus realistic adoption numbers before you spend a dollar.
Guides 8 min read
How to Launch a Seasonal or Limited-Time Drink on Square
The full playbook for a limited-time drink on Square: schedule it, price it, and use scarcity, push, and loyalty to drive the traffic spike.
Marketing 7 min read
A2P 10DLC: How US Cafés Register to Text Customers
If your café texts customers from a 10-digit number in the US, carriers require A2P 10DLC registration. A plain-English guide to brands, campaigns, and fees.