Case study

Flash Order

Flash Order user interface for a breakfast order at a cafe

Summary

  • Flash Order is a digital ordering and management system for quick-service restaurants and cafes in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia.
  • The company integrated with Square Reader SDK for its self-serve kiosks and Square Online Payments APIs for its online ordering solution to provide an integrated, omnichannel offering to its customers.
  • Flash Order completed the integration with Terminal API in one week, enabling them to expand into Canada, the UK, and Australia for the first time.
  • The company rolled out its kiosk solutions to more than 100 restaurants in the U.S., including The Roll Up Crepe for fast service during peak traffic times.

An integrated digital ordering solution

Flash Order is a full-suite digital ordering and management system for quick-service restaurants and cafes. It enables restaurants to launch online and in-app ordering solutions, self-order kiosks, and kitchen display systems on web or mobile platforms. From the customer order experience to front-of-house processing to back-of-house operations, every part of the system is fully integrated with Square for a seamless experience online and in person.

“Our top-to-bottom integration with Square takes the pressure off when it comes to handling payments and compliance. By integrating with Square Reader SDK and Square’s Online Payments APIs, we can offer a streamlined solution to restaurants that accept orders on multiple channels, and make it easy for them to keep track of their business in one place.”

– Weston Hafen, co-founder at Flash Order

First Reader SDK, then Terminal API

Prior to integrating with Square, Flash Order’s self-serve kiosks were paired with third-party credit card machines. Customers swiped their credit cards on the payment devices and Flash Order was responsible for encrypting the payment data and sending it to the respective merchant account. This was not only time-consuming and error-prone, but placed the burden of credit card compliance on Flash Order. The team quickly turned to Square for its iOS- and Android-compatible Reader SDK, enabling them to connect kiosks to Square Reader devices for card and contactless payments. With the release of Square Terminal API, the team at Flash Order was one of the first to start integrating to expand to new markets and support multiple types of kiosks.

“We had our sights set on expansion and we needed a strong payments partner to help get us there. Square Terminal API made it possible for us to expand internationally to Canada, the UK, and Australia for the first time. Plus, we were eager to stay with Square and grow our business with Square’s seller community.”

– John Lund, co-founder at Flash Order

Implementation and Rollout

Flash Order began testing Terminal API in alpha. When the API was released publicly, the team completed its integration within one week and worked with the Square Partnerships team to QA and launch their integration in the Square App Marketplace. To date, Flash Order has rolled out its kiosk solutions in more than 100 restaurants in the U.S. and is beginning to roll out internationally.

The Roll Up Crepe, a multi-location restaurant in Utah, currently uses Flash Order’s self-serve kiosk paired with Square Terminal for contactless payments. The Roll Up Crepe already uses Square Stand and Square Register for cash and coupons, and Square Readers for contactless and card payments. After testing a few self-serve kiosk solutions to help with queue management, the restaurant chose Flash Order and Square for ease-of-use, reliability during peak traffic times, and to keep their business running with Square.