I have been testing Jack and Jim‘s new invention Square since April 2009. Jack bought me breakfast, then proceeded to charge me for it, using his iPhone.
I became a Square merchant in May. Since then I’ve been documenting a new 140 character space: the credit card line item.
Right now, I’m one of a handful of active merchants using an Alpha version of this new payment system (including Sightglass, Lilybelle, and Willotoons). I can process credit cards without the need for a merchant’s account to start. I use Square to sell copies of my book 140 Characters: A Style Guide for the Short Form.
Powered by the force of my swipe, the scanner is designed to fit into any smart device (read: Google, Blackberry, etc). Development is planned for the other devices (see Jobs), but the Beta is only for iPhone or iPod touch at the moment.
For more information, sign up for the Square Beta (opening soon to a few more merchants), follow @Square and keep a lookout for @SquareBook.