Source: Unite.AI
Square launched the new Square Kiosk on October 14, 2026, which the company describes as its new flagship intelligent self-service kiosk for quick-service restaurants, built around an agentic, conversational voice layer that it says fully understands a seller’s menu. The kiosk is available beginning the same day, priced at $1,999 plus a $99 monthly software fee per device.
In its announcement, datelined Oakland, California, Square described the device as a pairing of AI-powered software, voice capabilities, and a large touch display with premium hardware. The company said the kiosk is intended to help quick-service operators manage peak-rush pressure, labor constraints, and growing demand for faster, more personalized service. Alongside the hardware, Square is rolling out a multi-account solution designed for large quick-service franchises to manage operations across their networks of locations.
Voice Ordering and Hardware Design
According to Square, the voice layer listens and responds in real time, letting customers order the way they would naturally talk to staff: asking questions about the menu, seeking suggestions and popular options, requesting modifications, and working through substitutions. Guests can move between voice and touch at any point during an order.
The kiosk carries a 21.5-inch touchscreen that supports rich menus and item imagery, and a presence-detection feature welcomes guests as they walk up. Square’s Kiosk product page states that a time-of-flight sensor reads the distance and direction of a guest’s approach so the screen wakes before they reach the device. Three directional microphones with AI noise filtering are built in. Square recommends placing multiple kiosks at least 24 inches apart and says the voice capabilities may not handle more extreme environments, such as music venues, where touch ordering is recommended.
Payments are fully integrated, with tap, dip, and PIN transactions and gift-card scanning handled on the device itself, without a sidecar reader or peripheral accessories; Square said packaged-goods scanning is coming soon. A personalized check-in option lets guests connect a Neighborhoods profile or Square Loyalty account to earn and redeem rewards. The unit can be mounted on a floor stand, a counter, or a wall, or attached to a VESA mount, and it connects over Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet.
Pricing, Subscriptions, and Availability
Square Kiosk costs $1,999 with a counter stand included, and the total price varies with the stand type selected. Purchase requires an active Square Plus plan at $49 per location per month or Square Premium at $149, in addition to the $99 monthly per-device software fee. The product page lists a financing option of $97 per month over 24 months and processing fees of 2.5% plus 15 cents per tap or dip for Square Plus subscribers.
The kiosk is available in the United States only and currently supports English only. Square includes 30-day returns and a two-year limited warranty. For sellers seeking a lower-cost setup, the company positions Square Stand paired with the iPad-based Square Kiosk Lite app as its more flexible self-service alternative.
Upsell Tools and Franchise Management
Square said the kiosk suggests items and add-ons using real-time contextual information, such as what is popular at that location, the time of day, and common pairings with items already in the cart. The device can also address menu questions, including allergy information and vegetarian options, and surfaces upsells within the order flow. According to the product page, menu, price, and inventory changes made in Square reach every kiosk automatically, and orders land on the kitchen display system in real time.
The companion multi-account solution for quick-service franchises provides tools to manage menus, reporting, and gift cards across locations while franchisees retain autonomy and flexibility in running their own sites, according to Square.
Executive and Customer Statements
Thomas Templeton, Block’s Global Hardware Lead, said each Square device starts with the problems sellers face day to day and with how hardware and software designed together can address them. “Square Kiosk adds a third piece to the solution: intelligence,” he said, adding that conversational AI can answer menu questions and make informed recommendations for quick-service operators.
Baltej Sra, CEO of Boba Nation Grand, said the kiosk exceeded his company’s expectations in test locations and that the business plans to bring Square Kiosk to the rest of its locations in 2026. Lawrence Kam, a multi-unit franchise operator with L&L Hawaiian BBQ, said he was initially skeptical of kiosks but now wants to place Square Kiosks throughout the chain’s national footprint, adding that customers prefer to use the device more than he expected.
Prior Kiosk Generation and 2026 Additions
Square first unveiled Square Kiosk on May 7, 2024, describing it at the time as a fully integrated software, hardware, and payments solution for touch-based self-serve ordering at quick-service restaurants, with availability planned for that summer. Earlier in 2026, the company introduced new drive-thru capabilities for quick-service operators and new ordering integrations with Google Maps, ChatGPT, and Claude.