Square Enters the Kiosk Business With Agentic AI Ordering

By Amara Osei

Square has built its first kiosk, and it's betting agentic AI can do what clunky self-checkout machines couldn't: make customers actually prefer the machine. The point-of-sale company, owned by Block Inc. (NYSE: XYZ), is launching the Square Kiosk aimed at quick-service restaurants and other eateries.

The device breaks from the standard flat-screen box. It has a distinct oval shape and pairs touchscreen input with voice commands. Customers can ask conversational menu questions — Square's examples include "show me pescetarian options" and "what's on the menu that doesn't contain onions?" — and connect their Square Neighborhoods profile and Loyalty account while ordering.

What does the AI actually do?

"Adding intelligence and voice enables us to do more things," Thomas Templeton, hardware lead at Block Inc., told Fast Company. "That means it can take more complicated questions, and you can interact with it more like you would a person."

The built-in AI platform also pulls in contextual information in real time. It can recommend items based on the time of day or what's popular at a specific restaurant's location. Square says the goal is twofold: smooth out ordering friction for customers and help operators manage mealtime rushes.

Square's team calls kiosks "an area of growth" as more restaurants explore self-service and automation. The company expects the kiosk to spread across quick-service restaurants and other eateries soon, though it had no deals with specific chains to announce.

Why is Block pushing hardware now?

The kiosk fits Block's broader lean into AI and automation. The company, which also owns CashApp, Tidal and Afterpay, laid off 40% of its staff earlier this year after cofounder Jack Dorsey said the company needed to get leaner for the AI era.

Investors have gone along with it so far. Block shares were up 17.97% year-to-date as of Tuesday's close, versus 13.81% for the S&P 500 — a moderate outperformance of the broader market.

Is this self-checkout's redemption moment?

Square is entering a market with mixed optics. Industry data shows most people still prefer ordering from a human being, and the clunkiness of self-checkout machines has triggered a backlash and even backtracking by some retailers. Kiosks, though, have become more common in restaurants — particularly fast food, where customers can order without approaching the counter. That's where Square sees its opening.

"Every device we build starts with the problems sellers are forced to navigate in the day-to-day," Templeton said in a statement, "and then determining how hardware and software designed together can help operators overcome those challenges."

"Square Kiosk adds a third piece to the solution: intelligence," he said.

The bet now rests on whether conversational AI can close the preference gap between a screen and a cashier — before restaurant chains decide which kiosk vendor gets the counter space.