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Square launches AI voice ordering and an integrated Bitcoin solution formerchants
Square has launched AI voice ordering for restaurants, enhancing its AI assistants with local insights, and introducing an integrated Bitcoin solution for merchants, allowing direct Bitcoin payments and wallet functionalities without fees for a year. This facilitates management for businesses and aims to encourage Bitcoin adoption in daily transactions.
Key points
- Square launched AI-powered voice ordering for restaurants to manage incoming calls and orders, particularly benefiting cloud kitchens.
- The AI assistant now offers local insights and can create visual widgets for merchants' dashboards.
- Square's integrated Bitcoin solution allows merchants to directly accept and manage Bitcoin without processing fees for one year.
- Previously, Square allowed converting 1%-10% of earnings into Bitcoin; now merchants can convert up to 50% of their revenue.
- This move aims to normalize Bitcoin as a regular payment method for small businesses.
Why it matters
- The trend of integrating AI in restaurant services aligns with increasing automation in the food industry.
- The rise of Bitcoin acceptance is part of a broader trend toward cryptocurrency adoption expected to grow significantly by 2026.
- Similar voice AI services are emerging from competitors like Yelp and Kea, indicating an industry shift toward tech-driven solutions.
Square's latest features demonstrate its commitment to innovating payment technologies, particularly with AI and cryptocurrency, positioning small businesses at the forefront of these transformative trends.