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Square Integration

Automatically synchronize your BookWish inventory with Square POS. Perfect for stores already using Square for in-person sales.

What is Square Integration?​

The Square integration connects your Square POS system with BookWish, automatically syncing your book inventory between both platforms.

How It Works​

  1. You connect your Square account (one-time setup)
  2. Initial sync imports your Square book inventory
  3. Future changes sync automatically
  4. Sales in Square update BookWish stock levels
  5. Both systems stay synchronized

What Gets Synced​

  • Book items from your Square catalog
  • Quantities for each item
  • Prices set in Square
  • Updates when you make changes in Square

Benefits​

Save Time​

  • No duplicate data entry
  • Automatic inventory updates
  • One source of truth (Square)
  • Reduces manual errors

Real-Time Accuracy​

  • Sales in Square immediately update BookWish
  • Customers see current stock levels
  • Prevents overselling
  • Automatic stock adjustments

Simplify Operations​

  • Manage inventory in Square (your familiar system)
  • Changes appear in BookWish automatically
  • No need to update two systems
  • Focus on serving customers

Requirements​

What You Need​

  • Active Square account
  • Square POS or Square Dashboard access
  • Book items in your Square catalog
  • Admin or owner access to Square account

BookWish Requirements​

  • Active Bookstore tier subscription
  • Store created in BookWish
  • Access to the BookWish app

Connecting Square​

Step 1: Access Integration Page​

  1. Open the BookWish app
  2. Navigate to Shop tab
  3. Tap Inventory
  4. Tap the menu icon (three dots)
  5. Select Square Integration

This opens the Square Connect page.

Step 2: Review Benefits​

The connection page shows:

  • What Square integration does
  • Benefits of connecting
  • What data is synced
  • How often sync occurs

Review this information before proceeding.

Step 3: Start Connection​

  1. Tap the Connect Square button
  2. You'll be redirected to Square's website
  3. Log in to your Square account
  4. Square will ask permission to share data with BookWish

Do Not:

  • Use someone else's Square account
  • Share your login credentials
  • Connect a test or demo Square account

Step 4: Authorize Access​

On Square's authorization page:

What BookWish Requests Access To:

  • Merchant information - Your store name
  • Inventory items - Your book catalog
  • Item updates - Changes you make
  • Stock levels - Current quantities

BookWish Does Not:

  • Access your payment information
  • See customer payment details
  • Process transactions
  • Modify your Square data (read-only)

To Authorize:

  1. Review the permissions
  2. Click Allow or Authorize
  3. You'll be redirected back to BookWish

Step 5: Initial Sync​

After authorization:

Automatic Process:

  1. BookWish connects to Square
  2. Retrieves your catalog items
  3. Identifies book items (by ISBN or category)
  4. Imports to your BookWish inventory
  5. Shows sync summary

Initial Sync Takes:

  • Small catalog (< 100 items): 1-2 minutes
  • Medium catalog (100-500 items): 3-5 minutes
  • Large catalog (500+ items): 5-10 minutes

Do Not:

  • Close the app during sync
  • Navigate away from the page
  • Try to add inventory manually

Step 6: Review Sync Results​

After initial sync completes, you'll see:

Success Metrics:

  • Total Square items scanned
  • Books identified and imported
  • Items skipped (non-books)
  • Any errors encountered

What Happens Next:

  • Your BookWish inventory now includes Square books
  • Future changes sync automatically
  • You're connected successfully

Managing the Connection​

Viewing Connection Status​

After connecting, the integration page shows:

Connected Badge:

  • Green "Connected" indicator
  • Square merchant name
  • Number of synced items
  • Last sync timestamp

Connection Details:

  • When you connected
  • Most recent sync time
  • How many books are synced

Manual Sync​

While syncing happens automatically, you can trigger a manual sync:

When to Manual Sync:

  • After adding many new books in Square
  • If you suspect inventory is out of sync
  • To immediately reflect changes

To Trigger Manual Sync:

  1. Go to Square Integration page
  2. Tap Sync Now button
  3. Wait for sync to complete
  4. Review results

Sync Process:

  • Fetches latest data from Square
  • Updates any changed items
  • Adds new books
  • Adjusts quantities
  • Usually completes in under 1 minute

Automatic Sync Schedule​

BookWish automatically syncs with Square:

Frequency:

  • Every 15 minutes during business hours
  • Hourly overnight
  • Immediately when you trigger manual sync

What Triggers Sync:

  • Price changes in Square
  • Quantity adjustments
  • New items added
  • Items removed

You Don't Need To:

  • Manually sync each time
  • Check if sync occurred
  • Worry about timing
info

Automatic sync ensures your BookWish inventory is always current without any action needed from you.

How Inventory Sync Works​

Square to BookWish​

What Syncs:

  • All Square catalog items identified as books
  • Item names become book titles (matched to BookWish database)
  • Square prices become BookWish prices
  • Square quantities become BookWish quantities

Matching Books: BookWish identifies books by:

  1. ISBN (if included in Square item name or SKU)
  2. Title and author matching
  3. Square category (if set to "Books")

If Match Found:

  • Book info pulled from BookWish database
  • Your Square price and quantity applied
  • Item added to BookWish inventory

If No Match:

  • Item skipped (not a book or not in BookWish database)
  • No error - just not imported

Ongoing Updates​

Changes Synced:

  • Price changes - New prices update in BookWish
  • Quantity changes - Stock levels adjust
  • New items - Added to BookWish inventory
  • Deletions - Removed from BookWish inventory

Updates Take:

  • Next automatic sync (within 15 minutes)
  • Immediately if you manual sync

BookWish to Square​

Currently Not Synced:

  • Changes you make in BookWish don't sync to Square
  • Square is the "source of truth"
  • Manage inventory in Square for it to reflect in BookWish

Future Feature: Two-way sync is planned for a future update.

Troubleshooting​

Books Not Appearing​

Problem: Books in Square aren't showing in BookWish.

Check:

  1. ISBN Present: Include ISBN in Square item name or SKU
  2. Format: Use format like "Book Title (ISBN: 9780743273565)"
  3. Category: Set Square category to "Books"
  4. Sync Completed: Ensure initial sync finished

Solutions:

  • Add ISBNs to Square items
  • Trigger manual sync
  • Check that items are actually books
  • Verify items are active in Square

Quantities Wrong​

Problem: BookWish quantities don't match Square.

Solutions:

  • Trigger manual sync
  • Check that quantities are correct in Square
  • Verify both apps are connected to same location
  • Contact support if persistently out of sync

Connection Lost​

Problem: Integration page shows "Disconnected."

Reasons:

  • Square revoked access
  • Square account changed password
  • Authorization expired

Solutions:

  1. Go to Square Integration page
  2. Tap Connect Square again
  3. Re-authorize access
  4. Initial sync runs again

Duplicate Items​

Problem: Same book appears multiple times.

Reasons:

  • Different variants in Square
  • Multiple conditions listed separately
  • Manually added before connecting Square

Solutions:

  • Consolidate items in Square
  • Delete duplicate from BookWish manually
  • Sync again

Slow Sync​

Problem: Sync takes a long time.

Normal If:

  • Large catalog (1000+ items)
  • First-time sync
  • Many changes since last sync

Solutions:

  • Be patient with large catalogs
  • Don't interrupt the sync
  • Schedule large updates during slow periods

Disconnecting Square​

Need to disconnect Square?

When to Disconnect​

  • Switching to different inventory method
  • No longer using Square
  • Testing other integrations
  • Troubleshooting issues

How to Disconnect​

  1. Go to Square Integration page
  2. Tap Disconnect Square
  3. Confirm your choice

What Happens:

  • Connection removed
  • Automatic syncing stops
  • Existing inventory remains in BookWish
  • You can reconnect anytime
warning

After disconnecting, you'll need to manually manage inventory. Square changes won't sync to BookWish.

Reconnecting​

To reconnect later:

  1. Go to Square Integration page
  2. Tap Connect Square
  3. Authorize again
  4. Initial sync runs
  5. Automatic sync resumes

Best Practices​

Set Up Square Properly​

Use ISBNs:

  • Include ISBN in Square item names
  • Format: "Title (ISBN: 9780743273565)"
  • Ensures accurate matching

Organize Categories:

  • Use Square's category feature
  • Create a "Books" category
  • Assign book items to this category

Keep Data Clean:

  • Remove discontinued items
  • Update prices regularly
  • Maintain accurate quantities

Manage Inventory in Square​

Since Square is the source of truth:

  • Make all inventory changes in Square
  • Price updates in Square
  • Add new books to Square first
  • Adjust quantities in Square

Don't:

  • Update BookWish inventory directly (if using Square)
  • Expect BookWish changes to sync to Square
  • Manually adjust synced items in BookWish

Monitor Sync Status​

Regular Checks:

  • Verify sync timestamp is recent
  • Check connection status weekly
  • Confirm quantities match periodically
  • Review sync errors if any

Monthly Review:

  • Compare Square and BookWish inventories
  • Identify any discrepancies
  • Clean up orphaned items
  • Update ISBNs for better matching

Combining with Other Methods​

Can you use Square integration with other inventory methods?

With Manual Entry​

Yes - You can manually add books not in Square:

  • Use manual entry for rare books
  • Add trade-ins manually
  • Square items sync separately

With Bulk Import​

Yes - Import books not in Square:

  • Upload CSV for non-Square items
  • Square sync continues independently
  • Manage two inventory sources

Recommended: Add all books to Square, then sync. This keeps one source of truth and simplifies management.

Cost​

Square integration is:

  • ✅ Included with Bookstore tier subscription
  • ✅ No additional fees from BookWish
  • ✅ No setup costs

Note: Standard Square fees apply for Square account itself. BookWish doesn't charge extra for the integration.

Next Steps​

After connecting Square:

Need Help?​

Questions about Square integration?