How to enable Square for Restaurants features on a Sandbox account?

Questions
1

We need to test our application against some Square for Restaurants features.

By default, these features do not seem to be enabled on Sandbox accounts. These features and APIs are documented here.

Per those docs, it seems like we need to do one of the following on our sandbox account:

  • Be a Square account with Square Free, Plus, and Premium subscribers with advanced restaurant capabilities added — don’t know how to add those.
  • Visit the add-more page https://app.squareup.com/dashboard/add-more — does not work in sandbox.
  • Be a seller with “full service, quick service, or bar mode enabled in the Square Point of Sale app” — we are unsure how to do this (don’t otherwise use the app).

So we are a bit stuck. Help?

2

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3

In the Square Sandbox environment, not all features available in the production environment are supported or enabled by default. Specifically, advanced features for Square for Restaurants, such as those requiring a subscription to Square Free, Plus, or Premium, are not automatically available in the Sandbox.

To test features specific to Square for Restaurants, you typically need to simulate the environment as closely as possible using the available tools and APIs. However, some advanced features might not be fully testable in the Sandbox due to its limitations.

Here are a few steps you can take:

  1. Create a Sandbox Test Account: Ensure you have a Sandbox test account set up. You can create up to 10 additional Sandbox test accounts in the Developer Console, which can simulate different seller environments.

  2. Use the API Explorer: The API Explorer in Sandbox mode can help you test API calls and simulate certain features. While it might not replicate all advanced restaurant capabilities, it can be useful for basic API testing.

  3. Simulate Restaurant Features: You can try to simulate some restaurant features using the Catalog API to manage menus and items, but note that some advanced functionalities might not be available.

  4. Check for Updates: Occasionally, Square updates the Sandbox environment to include more features. Keep an eye on the Square Developer documentation and release notes for any updates regarding Sandbox capabilities.

Unfortunately, if specific advanced features are not available in the Sandbox, you might need to test them in a production environment with a trial or subscription to the necessary Square services.

This answer was reviewed by @Bryan-Square.

4

Whole lotta AI spew there, looks like the answer is: you can’t use square for restaurants features in Sandbox. OK.

5

At this time that is correct. We’re constantly working to improve our features based on feedback like this, so I’ll be sure to share your request to the API product team. :slight_smile: