Dive Brief:

• Square has debuted Build with Square, a group of APIs that allow clients to integrate Square payments into their own e-commerce and point-of-sale (POS) applications. 
• The new software bundle includes Square Register for custom point-of-sale systems, and Square E-Commerce for custom sites and apps, and can accept EMV cards and Apple Pay. 
• Square has expanded its offerings rapidly since its IPO in November, adding advertising, inventory control, and management functions, as well as a marketplace of retail apps. 

Dive Insight:

Square is intensifying its push to be a one-stop shop for omnichannel retailers by releasing a group of APIs that will help integrate its payments solutions into retailers’ custom sites and point-of-sale (POS) systems. By opening the APIs to outside developers, Build with Square will be able to reduce friction in a wide variety of sites, apps and stores by processing payment information securely via fully customized checkout forms.

Included is a new Register API, which helps clients build point-of-sale applications on Apple’s iOS and use Square equipment and software to process payments using a credit card, EMV card and Apple Pay. Similarly, the E-Commerce API will help retailers equip their own sites and apps with Square payment processing.

Build With Square also promises to deliver new data analytics. “By seamlessly integrating their websites with Square, omnichannel sellers can now have a powerful solution to grow both their online and offline businesses together, tracking all sales—no matter where or how they’re made—in one dashboard,” a blog post says.

The company has built its offerings quickly since going public in November 2015. Square Developer accounts offer APIs for inventory control, sales reporting and analytics, and employee management; the company also offers an App Marketplace of complementary software applications from Intuit, Bigcommerce, and other providers.