Square · Square Terms of Service

Acceptable Use Policy Incorporation

Medium severity
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Why it matters

The full scope of restrictions on your ability to use Square is not contained in this document alone — you must also comply with a separate policy document that can be updated independently, and any violation can result in losing access to your payment processing.

Consumer impact

Square's Terms of Service create significant limitations on users' legal recourse through mandatory arbitration and a class action waiver, effectively preventing group lawsuits against the company. Square retains broad discretion to suspend or terminate accounts — including holding funds — with limited notice, which poses material financial risk to merchants who rely on Square for payment processing. You can opt out of the mandatory arbitration clause by sending written notice to Square within 30 days of account creation or within 30 days of any material update to the arbitration terms.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Close Your Account
    If your business category is listed in Square's Acceptable Use Policy as prohibited, contact Square Support before processing any payments to confirm your eligibility, or initiate account closure to avoid fund hold risk.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC can investigate whether incorporation by reference of external policies constitutes inadequate disclosure of material terms under FTC Act Section 5 deceptive practices standards.
    File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information
Document
Square Terms of Service
Entity
Square
Document last updated
March 24, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
April 1, 2026
Last verified
April 1, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-001729
Document ID
CA-D-00362
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
SHA-256
ebe4dad01572d442a532db0e4116862184830da777a3f0690f094270e7e2276e
Verified
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Change verified
How to Cite
ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: Square | Document: Square Terms of Service | Record: CA-P-001729
Captured: 2026-04-01 13:09:10 UTC | SHA-256: ebe4dad01572d442…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/square/square-terms-of-service/acceptable-use-policy-incorporation/
Accessed: April 4, 2026
Classification
Severity
Medium
Categories

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