{"registry_version":"2026.1025.387","generated_at":"2026-10-25T06:27:00Z","content_sha256":"089d16f627d9365e3d0663cc8069203706d7cb23a76c332226e29686968811a5","signed":true,"signature":{"key_id":"ed25519:74ca19268e364242","algorithm":"ed25519","expires_at":"2026-11-24T06:27:09Z","expired":false,"manifest":"/registry/manifest.json"},"id":"square/developer","name":"Square Developer (API access)","vendor":"Square","status":"researched","last_verified":null,"last_researched":"2026-10-25","summary":"Free Square developer account and application with separate Sandbox and production access tokens. Taking real payments needs an activated, identity-verified Square seller account; apps for other sellers must use OAuth.","account_model":{"summary":"A Square account holds one or more applications in the Developer Console. Each application has a Sandbox and a production environment with separate credentials. A personal access token acts on your own Square account; OAuth tokens act on other sellers' accounts.","accounts":[{"name":"Square account (developer)","kind":"developer","owned_by":"the person","required":true,"note":"Free to create."},{"name":"Application","kind":"project","parent":"Square account (developer)","required":true,"note":"Created in the Developer Console; has a Sandbox and a production side."},{"name":"Sandbox test seller account","kind":"other","parent":"Application","required":false,"note":"Each test account has its own Sandbox Square Dashboard."},{"name":"Activated Square seller account","kind":"organisation","owned_by":"the business","required":false,"note":"Needed only to take real payments in production on your own account."}],"notes":["Credentials and resources from one environment cannot be used in the other.","Apps that serve many sellers should use OAuth access tokens in production."]},"prerequisites":[],"identity_requires":[],"have_ready":[{"kind":"domain_email","description":"Email address for the Square account","why":null,"needed_for":["developer-account"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://developer.squareup.com/docs/get-started/create-account-and-application"},{"kind":"government_id","description":"Identity details for the seller (Square may request identity-verifying information and a consumer report)","why":"Square reviews sign-up information to verify that you are you and shares the application with bank partners.","needed_for":["activate-seller"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://squareup.com/us/en/legal/general/payment"},{"kind":"bank_account","description":"An ACH-enabled bank account in the seller's name (US)","why":"You must link an ACH-enabled bank account or request a check to receive proceeds.","needed_for":["activate-seller"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://squareup.com/us/en/legal/general/payment"},{"kind":"tax_id","description":"Business tax details for activation [to verify exact fields]","why":null,"needed_for":["activate-seller"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://squareup.com/us/en/legal/general/payment"}],"steps":[{"id":"developer-account","title":"Create a Square developer account and first application","summary":"You sign up yourself, agree to Square's terms, and enter your business name and an application name. Square then opens the new application in the Developer Console.","route":"guided","gate":"human_terms","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You accept the terms","depends_on":[],"optional":false,"url":"https://developer.squareup.com/","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"sandbox-token","title":"Copy the Sandbox access token","summary":"Open the application, choose Sandbox at the top, open Credentials and copy the Sandbox access token. Use it with https://connect.squareupsandbox.com.","route":"guided","gate":"human_login","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You sign in","depends_on":["developer-account"],"optional":false,"url":"https://developer.squareup.com/","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"SQUARE_SANDBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN"},{"id":"application-id","title":"Note the application ID","summary":"Copy the application ID from the application's Credentials page; OAuth token requests need it. [to verify exact page]","route":"guided","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":["developer-account"],"optional":false,"url":"https://developer.squareup.com/","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"SQUARE_APPLICATION_ID"},{"id":"activate-seller","title":"Activate your Square account for real payments","summary":"Before taking payments in production, activate the Square account at squareup.com/activation. Square underwrites the account and verifies identity, and its bank partners may decline it.","route":"guided","gate":"human_identity","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You prove your identity","depends_on":["developer-account"],"optional":false,"url":"https://squareup.com/activation","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"production-token","title":"Copy the production personal access token","summary":"In Credentials, choose Production, then Show, and copy the token. It gives full access to your own Square account; use it only for your own integration.","route":"guided","gate":"human_login","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You sign in","depends_on":["developer-account"],"optional":false,"url":"https://developer.squareup.com/","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"SQUARE_ACCESS_TOKEN"},{"id":"oauth-setup","title":"Set up OAuth for other sellers (multi-seller apps)","summary":"Register an HTTPS redirect URL, build the authorisation URL, and exchange the returned code with ObtainToken. Codes expire after 5 minutes and access tokens after 30 days, so refresh them. Sellers must log in through OAuth; never ask for or store their Square passwords.","route":"guided","gate":"human_submit","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You press submit","depends_on":["application-id"],"optional":true,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"SQUARE_APPLICATION_SECRET"},{"id":"webhook","title":"Subscribe to webhooks (optional)","summary":"Create a webhook subscription in the Developer Console and copy its signature key to validate x-square-hmacsha256-signature.","route":"guided","gate":"human_submit","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You press submit","depends_on":["developer-account"],"optional":true,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"SQUARE_WEBHOOK_SIGNATURE_KEY"}],"gates":[{"step":"developer-account","gate":"human_terms","label":"You accept the terms"},{"step":"sandbox-token","gate":"human_login","label":"You sign in"},{"step":"activate-seller","gate":"human_identity","label":"You prove your identity"},{"step":"production-token","gate":"human_login","label":"You sign in"},{"step":"oauth-setup","gate":"human_submit","label":"You press submit"},{"step":"webhook","gate":"human_submit","label":"You press submit"}],"lead_times":[],"outputs":[{"name":"SQUARE_APPLICATION_ID","description":"Application ID of the Square application","secret":false,"example_format":null,"environments":null},{"name":"SQUARE_SANDBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN","description":"Sandbox access token (connect.squareupsandbox.com)","secret":true,"example_format":null,"environments":["development","test"]},{"name":"SQUARE_ACCESS_TOKEN","description":"Production personal access token for your own Square account (connect.squareup.com)","secret":true,"example_format":null,"environments":["production"]},{"name":"SQUARE_APPLICATION_SECRET","description":"OAuth application secret used with the code flow [to verify location in the console]","secret":true,"example_format":null,"environments":null},{"name":"SQUARE_WEBHOOK_SIGNATURE_KEY","description":"Signature key of the webhook subscription","secret":true,"example_format":null,"environments":null}],"renewals":[{"what":"OAuth access tokens for sellers","every":"30 days","every_days":30,"source_url":"https://developer.squareup.com/docs/oauth-api/overview"}],"estimated_minutes":null,"guide_url":"https://verapli.com/guides/square/developer"}