Square Launches Food Ordering Service

American mobile payments company Square has expanded its services with the launch of Square Order. Supporting businesses of all sizes and perfect for restaurants, the service allows users to pay for food pickups and tabs directly from their smartphones. Users simply locate their purveyor of choice using the app, place an order, and pay in advance; the app then alerts the user when the order is ready for pickup.

Though similar to other “order ahead” services, Square Order has a huge advantage in that it already supplies merchants with payment systems – meaning that since there is no third party involved, there are no additional fees associated with ordering food using the app. Square Order is now available to download from the App Store – as well as in beta form from Google Play – and is currently limited to San Francisco and New York City.