Square, the merchant payments platform owned by Block, has unveiled a suite of new features for business owners, including AI-powered voice ordering for restaurants, enhancements to its AI assistant, and a new Bitcoin payment and wallet system that lets merchants accept and hold cryptocurrency directly from their dashboard.
The company says the new tools aim to make selling “smarter, faster, and more flexible” for small businesses and restaurants.
AI Voice Ordering for Restaurants
Restaurants and cafes using Square can now use AI to answer calls, take food orders, and handle menu-related questions such as “What’s special on your menu today?” or “Make my meal spicy, but don’t add dairy.”
This feature is especially useful for cloud kitchens and delivery-focused restaurants, allowing them to offload repetitive customer interactions while keeping ordering fast and accurate.
Unlike third-party voice AI providers such as Yelp or Kea, Square’s voice AI is fully integrated with its payment and kiosk system, meaning orders, modifications, and payments sync automatically.
In addition, Square is adding Grubhub integration, a redesigned kiosk interface, and a new AI-powered inventory management tool to help restaurants optimize supplies.
Upgraded AI Assistant
Square’s AI assistant, launched earlier this year in open beta, is also getting new capabilities. The bot can now provide local insights, such as weather updates, nearby events, and industry trends, helping merchants make smarter decisions.
Merchants can also now save AI-generated visualizations as auto-updating widgets on their dashboards, track conversation history, and access the assistant directly through the Square mobile app.
Bitcoin Integration for Sellers
In line with Block co-founder Jack Dorsey’s long-standing support for Bitcoin, Square is introducing an integrated Bitcoin wallet and payment solution.
Merchants can now accept Bitcoin directly from their point-of-sale terminals with no processing fees for the first year. Starting in 2027, Square will charge a 1% transaction fee.
The new Square Bitcoin wallet allows sellers to buy, sell, hold, and withdraw Bitcoin directly from their merchant dashboard. Businesses can also convert up to 50% of their daily revenue into Bitcoin, up from the previous 10% limit. Since launching its early conversion program, Square merchants have reportedly accumulated 142 Bitcoins, valued at over $17 million.
“We’re making Bitcoin payments as seamless as card payments while giving small businesses access to financial management tools that were once reserved for large corporations,” said Miles Suter, Head of Bitcoin Product at Block.
Related: India Targets 25 Offshore Crypto Exchanges Over $9B in Assets for AML Violations
Industry analysts say the move positions Square to capture part of the growing cryptocurrency payments market, which is projected to reach 7.1 million active users in the U.S. by 2026, according to eMarketer.
