NCWM regulation standards for connected scales
About NCWM compliance changes
The National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) develops the national regulations for weighing and measuring devices used in U.S. commerce. Square makes appropriate changes to products to meet the latest regulations set by NCWM.
This article provides general information about the changes made to Square products to meet the latest NCWM regulations. Square does not provide legal advice, so consider consulting with a legal professional for specific guidance.
Before you begin
The NCWM compliance updates take effect on Jan 27, 2026 for retail mode and Feb 17, 2026 for standard mode.
Certain features and functionality related to weighed items will change to align with regulatory requirements.
These regulations apply to all scales connected to Square Stand, Square Register, Square Terminal, and Square Handheld devices in both retail and standard modes.
Brecknell scales will require a configuration update.
Ensure your scales are meeting the latest requirements
Make sure your scales are working properly with the NCWM compliance update.
If you use a Brecknell scale with Square Point of Sale or Square for Retail, you'll need to update your scale's configuration.
Other scale models will not need to be reconfigured.
Update your Brecknell scale configuration
If you're using a Brecknell scale, you'll need to update its configuration to work properly with the NCWM compliance changes. Follow these steps on or after January 27, 2026.
To configure your Brecknell scale:
-
Update to the latest version of Square Point of Sale.
Learn how to update software on Square Terminal, Square Register, and Square Handheld.
For other devices, navigate to your device’s app settings and update the Square app.
Turn off your scale.
On the scale, press and hold the On/Off and Hold buttons until you see Config on the display.
Navigate to USER-COM2-LYOUT and set it to MULTI.
Navigate to USER-OUT2-STAUS and set it to YES.
Turn the scale off, then back on.
If you're having trouble accessing the configuration menu, make sure your scale is completely powered off before pressing the buttons. If the configuration menu doesn't appear, try again with a longer hold on the buttons. If needed, refer to your scale manufacturer's instructions for maintenance and calibration procedures.
If you've completed these steps and your scale still isn't connecting, follow additional troubleshooting steps for scale connections..
Review changes for scales
The NCWM compliance update introduces several changes to how connected scales work with Square. Understanding these changes will help you and your team adjust your checkout process.
Tare, the weight of a container or packaging, must be cleared between each item. If you set a tare for one item, you’ll need to clear it and remove the container before weighing the next item on the same scale. This prevents tare values from carrying over and affecting subsequent measurements.
Square now uses banker’s rounding (also called round-half-to-even) to calculate prices for weighed items. Prices are rounded to the nearest cent unless they end in 5 in which case they are rounded to the nearest even numbered cent. For example:
- $1.227 rounds to $1.23 (rounds up to nearest cent)
- $1.235 rounds to $1.24 (rounds up to even)
- $1.245 rounds to $1.24 (rounds down to even)
This rounding method is preferred for regulatory compliance and reduces bias in price calculations over time.
Alternatives to manual weight entry
View alternatives to manually entering item weight at checkout. Choose the method that works best for your business.
This option works best for items packaged with a previously marked or known tare.
To enter tare manually:
- Place the item on the scale.
- In your Square Point of Sale, enter the tare weight.
- The system calculates the net weight and price.
This method requires you to weigh items on a separate scale that can print price-embedded barcodes. Scan the barcode at checkout to ring up the item. Learn how to set up your barcode label printing scale.
This method works best when items are sold as a standard size, such as 1 lb per package. This allows you to specify the quantity of the item at checkout without weighing the item. Learn how to edit the unit types of your items.