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Bookstore POS and inventory software for Square

Keep Square for checkout. Add book by book for the parts of bookselling Square is missing: ISBN lookups, book descriptions and cover images, distributor order imports, and receiving new stock.

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What POS should an independent bookstore use?

Many indie bookstores already run on Square because it's affordable, the hardware is good, and it handles payments, online orders, and gift cards well. The trouble starts when books arrive: Square has no book data and no way to read a distributor order, so every new title gets typed in by hand. You don't need a different POS to fix that. You need the bookstore parts added to the one you have.

Square handles

  • Checkout, card readers, and receipts
  • Your item catalog, prices, and stock counts
  • Sales reports, customers, and gift cards
  • Online orders and other Square apps you already use

book by book adds

  • Look up books by ISBN with title, author, publisher, description, and cover image filled in
  • Import distributor order files and invoices instead of retyping them
  • Create new books in Square and add stock to the ones you already carry
  • Track costs and discounts, plan restocks, and review COGS

Compared with switching to a bookstore-only POS, there's no new register to learn, no hardware to replace, and no catalog migration. Your items, prices, and stock stay in Square.

How receiving books into Square works

Most stores finish their first import within a few minutes of signing up.

  1. 1 Connect Square.
    Create an account and connect your Square store. book by book reads your existing catalog and categories, so nothing needs to be set up twice.
  2. 2 Bring in your books.
    Upload a distributor order file or invoice, scan barcodes with your phone or a USB scanner, or paste a list of ISBNs.
  3. 3 Review the details.
    Titles, authors, descriptions, cover images, and list prices fill in automatically. Books already in Square are marked for restock; new titles are marked to create. Adjust anything before it goes out.
  4. 4 Send it to Square.
    Create the new items and update inventory in Square, or export a Square purchase order if you prefer to receive there.

Importing an Ingram order file, reviewing the books, and updating Square in book by book.

Import orders and invoices from your distributors

Upload the file your distributor already gives you. The format is detected automatically, and quantities and costs come straight from the file.

  • Ingram
    order files and invoice PDFs, including Ingram Publisher Services
  • Edelweiss
    order spreadsheets
  • Pubeasy
    order files
  • BookNet CataList
    order spreadsheets
  • Penguin Random House
    order files
  • Gardners US
    order PDFs
  • La Panoplia Export
    invoice PDFs
  • Hachette Book Group Canada
    invoice PDFs
  • Scholastic Canada
    invoice PDFs
  • UTP Distribution
    invoice PDFs
  • Orca Scan
    barcode scan exports
  • Used bookstore CSV
    ISBN, quantity, price, and condition

Buying from somewhere else? Files from other suppliers often import as well, and any book with an ISBN can be scanned or pasted in, including used and out-of-print titles.

Bookstore inventory management, inside Square

Book details in Square

Every new item gets a proper title, author, description, and cover image, so your Square catalog and online store look complete.

Your categories and naming

Genres are matched to the Square categories you already use, and item names follow the format you choose.

New and used copies

Define the conditions you use, map them to Square categories, and keep new and used copies of the same ISBN as separate variations.

Costs and COGS

Record vendor discounts and unit costs as you receive. On Square plans that support it, cost is sent with the inventory update so Square's COGS report stays accurate.

Restock planning

See which titles are selling through, how many days of stock are left, and export reorder files for Ingram or Pubeasy.

Order history

Search every past order by title, author, or ISBN, or scan a barcode, to find when a book came in.

Trusted by Independent Bookstores

“This is so cool, just found out about it! Exactly what we needed.”

“Used the trial for 5 minutes before signing up! AMAZING.”

“A task that has in the past taken me multiple hours is now done in minutes.”

“Thank you!! This tool just saved my life!!”

What it costs

One plan with everything included. No setup fees and no per-transaction fees.

Standard
$29
per month
or $299/year (save 14%)
  • Distributor order imports
  • ISBN scanning with descriptions and images
  • Automatic Square category mapping
  • Square catalog and inventory sync
  • Restock and COGS reporting
  • Cancel anytime
  • Your data stays in Square

30-day free trial. No credit card required.

Need a hand? Email support or use the in-app chat if you want help getting set up or just have questions.

Questions from bookstore owners

Is book by book a POS system?

No. Square is your point of sale: it rings up sales, takes payments, and holds your catalog and stock counts. book by book works alongside Square and handles the bookstore-specific work Square doesn't do, like ISBN lookups, book descriptions, distributor imports, and receiving.

Is Square a good POS for a bookstore?

Square is a solid, affordable register with good hardware, payments, and online ordering. What it lacks is book data and distributor workflows: you have to type in titles, authors, and descriptions yourself and enter each shipment by hand. book by book fills that gap so you can keep Square.

Do I need to switch POS systems or re-enter my catalog?

No. book by book connects to your existing Square account and works with the items, categories, and inventory you already have. Your catalog stays in Square.

Which Square plan do I need?

Any Square plan works. If you're on Square for Retail Plus or Restaurants Plus, unit costs are also sent to Square with inventory updates so Square's cost of goods sold report stays current.

Which distributors and file formats can I import?

Ingram order files and invoice PDFs (including Ingram Publisher Services), Edelweiss, Pubeasy, BookNet CataList, Penguin Random House, Gardners US PDFs, La Panoplia Export, Hachette Book Group Canada, Scholastic Canada and UTP Distribution invoices, Orca Scan exports, and a used bookstore CSV format. Files from other suppliers often work too, and any book with an ISBN can be scanned or pasted in.

Does it work for used books?

Yes. Scan any book with an ISBN, including used and out-of-print titles, and set its condition and price. New and used copies of the same book can live side by side in Square.

How much does it cost?

$29 per month or $299 per year, with a 30-day free trial and no credit card required. There are no setup fees and no per-transaction fees, and you can cancel anytime.

See it in practice

Get your next shipment into Square in minutes.

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