Onboard your sole proprietorship to Square
Last updated: July 2024
About onboarding your business
When you sign up for an account with Square, we ask you to answer a few questions and/or upload supporting documents to learn more about you and your business. These questions help us understand your business, the products and services you offer, and ensure the legitimacy of your business.
Before you begin
This onboarding guide is for individuals or sole proprietorship businesses. If your business is not a sole proprietorship business, go to onboard your registered business with Square.
You may be requested to provide additional information or re-verify the documentation you have previously provided at any time to comply with applicable financial services laws and/or Square’s internal policies.
Step 1: Provide your business information
Enter the information unique to your business.
Enter the Business name as you would like it to show on your receipt. This is typically your registered doing business as (DBA) name or registered trade name
Enter your Preferred phone number.
Choose your Estimated annual revenue. You can refer to previous years’ revenue or, if you’re just starting out, you can select the approximate revenue you’re expecting.
Enter your physical business address, city and postal code.
Click Continue.
Step 2: Verify your identity
When you sign up with Square to accept payments, you'll be asked to input your personal information and to answer a few questions to verify your identity. Square is legally required to collect and verify your personal information to ensure that your account remains safe and secure.
The following information is required to activate a Square account:
Full legal name
Date of birth
CA address (PO Boxes are not permitted)
In some cases, Square may need to perform additional identity verification. Additional information needed may include:
Physical government-issued photo identification document (like an ID Card, Passport, Residence Permit, or Driver’s License)
Photo of your face (selfie)
You may be asked to take a photo of your government-issued ID and a selfie. Avoid using photocopies of your identification document when verifying your identity with Square. Follow the prompts to complete.
If you’re unable to provide the information above, you won’t be able to accept card payments, but you can still use other Square services.
Periodic Reviews
To comply with financial regulations and Square’s internal policies, we may ask you to reconfirm your information or re-verify documents you’ve previously provided. If you update your personal or business information, you may be asked to provide:
Proof of a name change: A marriage certificate, name change certificate, or other legal document that displays both your former and current name if you’d like to update the legal name on your Square account.
Updated identification: Two documents that show your name and address or name and date of birth, such as a driver’s license, ID card, utility bill, passport, insurance document, employment record, or bank or credit card statement.
New ID: A valid government-issued ID if the one you used during onboarding has expired.