Square Cash: Reviewed
I find myself needing cash on a regular basis. I’ll have money in my bank account, but I will need to pay someone back for dinner or split the cost of a gift with a family member. I continue to run into this problem, and over the years, I’ve used several different solutions—going to a bank, visiting an ATM, using Paypal or Venmo and, most recently, using an app called Square Cash.
Purpose & Functionality
Square Cash is wonderful little cash-transfer app from the developers at Square.
Using Square Cash, you can send money to anyone with a simple text or email. Connect your debit card, type an amount, choose the recipient from your iOS or Android contacts and press “send”. Money will be transferred directly from your debit card account into their debit card account.
If the other person doesn’t have Square Cash, they will still receive a text or email telling them of the transfer, but before the transfer can be completed, they will need to connect their debit card to Square Cash. Once they do, the money will be promptly deposited.
There are alternative cash-transfer apps like Paypal or Venmo. But with these apps, any money you receive enters your Paypal/Venmo account, and at that point you have to take more steps to transfer the funds to your bank account. Square Cash removes a step. It transfers directly from their debit card account into yours. Plus, it is completely free.
Rating: simplicity, usefulness, beauty and necessity
- Simplicity. (9/10) Square Cash greatly simplifies the process of transferring money. You don’t have to be friends with the other person within the app or need their bank account information, all that Square Cash requires to send or request money is a debit card and a phone number or email address.
- Usefulness. (9/10) This app fulfills a real need in many of our lives. It saves us from having to visit the bank or an ATM, and it does so securely, quickly and for free.
- Beauty. (9/10) The user experience and overall feel of the app were well thought out and impressively implemented.
- Necessity. (8/10) We all need to pay friends and family for small purchases, and Square Cash makes that possible.
- Stickiness. (7/10) As solutions to this problem continue to be created, I’m sure there will be more options , but at this point, I believe Square Cash is the best money-transfer app available for Android and iOS.
Alternatives
- Venmo: Venmo works well overall, but I don’t like the social media integration.
- Paypal: Paypal is another viable option, but they charge a percentage to the person receiving the money.
You can download Square Cash for Android and iOS.
Header image from Ali Inay on Unsplash