Of Square credit card readers!

Yes, my purse is generally full of crap: camera, iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, Mophie, countless cords, ear plugs, wallet, makeup, band-aids, Advil, contacts…the list goes on and on and on, but how many times has it come in handy for you? There have been countless nights where I have lent out my cell phone charges, Mophie chargers to those in need, given Advil to those in pain and caught many moments on camera (that most would probably like to forget) but it is always worth it.

Now my purse is full of something else that will likely help others more than it helps me: Squares.

My good friend Dave was nice enough to grab me a bunch of Square swag when he was in SF last week. In the past he had already given me about 5 that I have either used myself (I always have one handy), or distributed to those in need (mainly to bands like Tickle Me Pink).

So what exactly is a Square? It is an awesome new company started by one of the co-founders of Twitter. They make it easy for anyone (seriously ANYONE) to accept credit card payments…on the go! The Square credit card reader is made to work with iPhone and iPads via the headphone jack. After you install the app on your device, plug in the Square, type in the amount to be charged, swipe the card and send off the receipt!

How can this come in handy? A few weeks ago I had about 6 extra tickets to a sold out concert in Denver. When trying to sell the tickets, most people did not have cash on them (and let’s be honest, I never have cash either). So rather than making them go find an ATM, I just pulled out my Square and charged them right on the spot!

It really is that easy! Here are the instructions that accompany the reader:

So why am I telling you all this? Because I have a purse full of Squares that I want to distribute to those who will actually use it. Mainly I was looking to give them to local bands so they could accept credit cards for merchandise, but if you have another use for them, let me know and I will gladly share the wealth!

Let me know in the comments if you are deserving of one of these…OR come find me tonight in Denver at the My Body Sings Electric show at the Marquis Theater!