Discount one item at checkout by reducing its price before payment
In Square, you can lower the price of a single item during checkout without affecting its regular price in your catalog. The fastest way is to tap the item in your cart, select the price field, and type a new amount. Square will process the sale at that lower price, and the original catalog price stays unchanged for future transactions.
This method works in Square Point of Sale (the iPad or Android app), Square Online, and Square Register. The discount applies only to that one sale — you are not creating a permanent price change or a discount code that applies to multiple customers.
Key Takeaways
- Tap the item in your cart, then tap the price to edit it directly to a lower amount before you process payment.
- The item's catalog price does not change, so the next customer will see the original price.
- You can also add a separate discount line item if you want to show the original price and the discount amount separately on the receipt.
- Square records the sale at the discounted price in your reports and sales history.
- This method works on all Square payment devices and the web dashboard.
Edit the price directly in your cart
Open the transaction in Square Point of Sale and add the item to the cart as usual. Tap the item in the cart area — the item will highlight or expand to show its details. Look for the price field (usually shown as a dollar amount) and tap it. A keyboard will appear so you can type a new price.
Type the discounted amount and tap outside the field or press Done. The cart will update to show the new price. Complete the payment as normal. The receipt will show the item at the discounted price, and your sales reports will record the transaction at that amount.
Add a discount line item instead
If you want the receipt to show both the original price and the discount separately, you can add a discount line to the cart instead of editing the item price. In Square Point of Sale, after adding the item, tap the three-dot menu or the discount button (the location and label vary by device). Select "Add discount" or "Discount line item."
Enter the discount amount as a dollar figure or percentage. Square will add a line to the cart showing the discount, and the total will reflect the reduced price. This approach is useful if you want customers to see what they saved, or if you need your records to show the original price separately from the discount for accounting purposes.
Differences between editing price and adding a discount line
| Method | Receipt shows | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Edit item price directly | Item at new price only | Quick discounts when you do not need to track the original price |
| Add discount line item | Original price, then discount line, then total | Showing customers what they saved, or keeping records of original prices |
Where to find the discount button on different devices
Square Point of Sale on iPad: After adding an item to the cart, look for a three-dot menu icon or a button labeled "Discount" near the bottom of the screen. Tap it to add a discount line.
Square Point of Sale on Android: The discount option is usually in the menu at the bottom of the cart. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and select "Discount" or "Add discount."
Square Register (web): Add the item to the cart, then look for a "Discount" button or link in the cart summary. Click it to enter a discount amount.
Square Online: If you are processing a customer order through the Square Online dashboard, you can edit item prices in the order before checkout. Click the price next to the item name and type a new amount.
How discounts appear in your Square reports
Square records every discounted transaction in your sales reports and transaction history. If you edited the item price directly, the report shows the item at the new price with no separate discount line. If you added a discount line item, the report shows both the original price and the discount amount as separate line items.
You can view these details in the Square Dashboard under "Transactions" or "Sales." Search by date, customer, or payment method to find the discounted sale. This record is useful for accounting, tax purposes, or if you need to review why a price was different from the catalog price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does discounting one item change the price for all customers?
No. When you edit the price during checkout, you are only changing that one transaction. The item's catalog price stays the same, so the next customer will see the original price. Your catalog is not affected.
Can I set up a discount that applies automatically to certain items?
Yes, but that requires creating a discount rule in your Square catalog or using Square Online's discount settings. A manual price edit during checkout is faster for one-time discounts. For recurring discounts (like a 10% off sale on a specific item), you would set up the discount in your catalog settings instead.
What if I make a mistake and discount the wrong amount?
If you have not processed payment yet, tap the item again and edit the price to the correct amount. If payment has already gone through, you can issue a refund through the Square Dashboard and process a new transaction at the correct price. Square keeps a record of both transactions.
Does Square charge a processing fee on the discounted price or the original price?
Square charges its processing fee on the amount the customer actually pays — the discounted price. So if an item normally costs $20 and you discount it to $15, Square's fee is calculated on the $15 transaction.
Can I add a discount to a gift card purchase?
You can edit the price of a gift card during checkout the same way you would for any other item. However, the customer receives a gift card for the discounted amount they paid, not the original amount. Check your Square settings to confirm this is the behavior you want.