Square Payment Addon for MEC

Your calendar sets one currency and your Square account sets another

You sell tickets in US dollars, and your Square location charges in Canadian dollars. Everything is connected, the credentials are right and the booking form loads. And still the payment is not processed.

With Square on MEC, the currency is decided in two places at once, and a minimal difference between them is enough for no sale to complete.

Square Payment Addon adds the Square gateway to Modern Events Calendar, next to Stripe and PayPal, which MEC offers at no cost. It is used in the cart or in bookings, and the customer can pay by card. The currency of your Square location must match the one you set in MEC, under Settings, General, Currency. That match is the first thing worth checking before blaming the credentials.

What the gateway does

• Connection to your Square account: established by filling in three values in the settings: Application ID, Access Token and Location ID.
• Card payment: attendees can pay by card when booking.
• Cart or booking: the gateway appears in MEC's cart section or booking section.
• Test mode and live mode: the Access Token can be from Sandbox or from Production.
• Phone or computer: Square works on your site from both kinds of device.

In Sandbox, transactions are only simulated and no real money moves. To charge for real you must use the Production credentials.

Sandbox first, real charges after

An event with a price can start with the Sandbox credentials, where transactions are only simulated. Afterwards they are swapped for the Production ones to charge for real. This is a starting proposal; adapt it to what you need.

If the charge fails, check in order the currency of your Square location against MEC's, and that there are no spaces at the start or end of the Application ID or the Access Token.

Conditions of use and known failures

• MEC Pro is required: with the free version of Modern Events Calendar, the add-on does not work.
• The Square location's currency must match MEC's. A minimal difference, like US dollars against Canadian dollars, prevents the transaction from processing.
• If Square does not support your local currency, the integration fails.
• Spaces at the start or end of the Application ID or the Access Token can stop the fields from saving.
• If your events only take cash or on-site payment, the add-on is not needed.

Connecting Square to MEC

You need MEC Pro, a Square developer account and MEC's booking module turned on.

1. In MEC, Settings, Booking, turn on the booking module, save the changes and reload the page so the gateway options appear.
2. Install and activate the add-on together with MEC Pro.
3. In Square's developer dashboard, create an application and copy the Application ID and the Access Token, from Sandbox, which simulates transactions, or from Production to charge.
4. Copy the Location ID from the Locations tab in Square.
5. In MEC, Settings, Booking, Payment Gateway, Square, enter the three values and save.

Square gateways and MEC add-ons

The base for this add-on is Modern Events Calendar. If your booking or checkout runs on another plugin, there are Square gateways for BookingPress and for GetPaid. To sell tickets with invoices or seats in MEC, look at MEC Ticket and Invoice and MEC Seat.

Square on MEC, case by case

Does it work with the free version of MEC?

No. It requires MEC Pro.

Which Square values do I need?

The Application ID, the Access Token and the Location ID.

Can I use it without charging for real?

Yes. With the Sandbox credentials, transactions are only simulated.

Why is no money reaching my bank?

Check that the app is in Production: in Sandbox, transactions are only simulated.