As of February 1, Amazon no longer provides support for its mobile payment processor, Local Register. New reports from Re/code show Amazon is sending free Square card readers to former Local Register users, so they still have a way to accept debit and credit card payments on their mobile devices.
Last November, Amazon announced it would be discontinuing its mobile card reader after just a year on the market. The reader is similar to Square and PayPal Here in the way it operates. A small dongle plugs into the headphone jack for a smartphone or tablet, and pairs with an app to process card payments.
Even though business owners have had ample time to transition to other payment processors, many of them continued to use Amazon’s product until it no longer worked. This may be why Amazon is choosing to issue free Square card readers to their Local Register customers, so they can continue their operations without interruption. The latest Square card reader costs $49, and it accepts both Apple Pay and EMV card payments.
There is no information about any financial transactions that occurred as a result of the unexpected partnership. If you are a business owner who was relying on Local Register to process your card payments, you should have received an email from Amazon with a confirmation code to request your free Square card reader.