Square ordering profile vs Square Online: which settings apply

Why a setting seems ignored

• 01You changed the other page. A seller found pickup and delivery settings on two dashboard pages and asked which one Square Online follows; another seller answered that Square Online uses the fulfillment page (Square Community). Square's help pages confirm the two are separate (Square).
• 02The profile has its own calendar. A bakery that takes orders a week ahead for Tuesday and Saturday pickup saw the ordering profile offer next-day pickup (Square Community). The profile has its own lead time, cut off time, scheduling window and order limit per pickup window, so those need setting there too (Square).
• 03Hours live in several places. One seller counted locations, menus, QR code ordering, fulfillment and the ordering profile, and said the menu showed as unavailable online when they did not match (Square Community). On the profile, Use location hours keeps pickup hours in step with your location (Square).
• 04Different items on each. Square says one menu used for both "may" show different items on each surface; an item needs the Ordering Profile channel on the item itself, not only on the menu (Square).
• 05Pickup or delivery greyed out. A new seller on the free plan could not switch on either option on the profile, and the thread had no answer (Square Community). Square's troubleshooting steps start with checking that ordering is switched on under Channels, Online ordering, then that a location is enabled for pickup or delivery (Square).

Which one should a cafe use?

Most cafes end up with both: the website for people who find you on the web, and the profile link for Cash App, Google and a QR code on the counter. That is fine as long as you treat them as two channels. When you change hours, prep time or a holiday closure, change it in both places, or set the profile to use your location hours so one change covers it. If you only want one, pick the one your customers already use and turn pickup and delivery off on the other, so nobody orders from settings you forgot to update.

Cash App orders and Neighborhoods

Your ordering profile is also how Cash App customers order from you. Square adds eligible food and beverage sellers to Neighborhoods on Cash App as part of their current setup, with no sign-up: followers can browse your menu and order in Cash App, and customers earn Local Cash to spend at participating businesses (Square). It is US only and for select food and beverage sellers on supported Square hardware; Square says sellers using Square Loyalty may not be included for now.

• 01Turned on without asking. Sellers found Local Cash prompts on their counter screen mid-shift and asked how to stop them; one with over 100 sales a day could only pause the prompt for a few hours at the register (Square Community). The longer pause is in Square Dashboard under Channels, Neighborhoods, and leaving fully takes a request to Square Support (Square Community, Square).
• 02Which orders came from Cash App? A seller on Neighborhoods asked how to tell (Square Community). Square's answer: check the order source in Square Dashboard; only a Cash App order source gets the 1% rate (Square).
• 03Settings that do not carry over. A bakery with 48-hour items said Cash App ignored the item prep time their Square Online site honored, so they hid those items in Cash App (Square Community). Another seller saw Cash App orders print modifiers in the wrong order; Square said in September 2026 it was fixed for new orders (Square Community).

Cash App is one more ordering channel, cheap per order but on Cash App's terms: customers order inside Cash App, and the reward is Local Cash they can spend at other businesses too.

Your own app: one source, not a third

A branded app should not add a third set of hours to keep in step. With Crate, your app follows Square settings you already keep.

• 01Follows your Square Online site. Sections, their order and the visible items come from your Square Online site, so hiding an item there hides it in the app.
• 02Live pickup times. Pickup times for today and tomorrow come from your Square Online site's live schedule, with its prep time, and are checked again when the order is placed.
• 03Or a Square menu you choose. If you run on Square Menus instead, tell us which menu the app should follow; its sections and hours apply. Without a Square Online site, pickup follows your Square location's business hours.
• 04Not the ordering profile. Crate does not read the ordering profile's settings, so its lead time, cut off and pickup limits do not apply in the app.
• 05Your rewards, not shared Local Cash. Rewards are built into your app as stamps or points earned with you. Customers pay by card, saved card, Square gift card, or Apple Pay or Google Pay where set up; Cash App Pay is not offered in the app, and app orders pay your normal Square processing rate, not the 1% Cash App rate.
• 06Orders land in Square. Each app order is a real Square order with its pickup time, at $80/month for up to five locations and no Crate per-order fee.

Where it may still fit: If the ordering profile, Cash App and your website already cover your customers, you may not need an app at all. Crate may still fit later if you want your own name in the App Store and Google Play with rewards built in.

For time-limited items, see Square menu hours. For costs and options, see a branded ordering app for your Square business and Crate cafe ordering.

Check your setup in five minutes

1. 01Open Online, Ordering profile, Settings and note the pickup and delivery hours, prep time, lead time and cut off for each location.
2. 02Open Settings, Account and Settings, Fulfillment methods, Online pickup and delivery and note the same for your Square Online site.
3. 03Make them match, or turn on Use location hours on the profile so it follows your location.
4. 04Check that items you sell online have the Ordering Profile channel on the item, not only on the menu.
5. 05Using Crate? Your app follows the Square Online site or the Square menu you chose, so update that one.

Questions

What is the difference between a Square ordering profile and Square Online?

Both take online orders from the same Square items. The ordering profile is a branded ordering page for food and beverage sellers, shared as a link or QR code and also reachable from Cash App and Google. Square Online is your website. Each has its own pickup, delivery and hours settings, and Square says changes to Square Online pickup or delivery hours do not apply to the ordering profile.

Where do I set pickup hours for my Square ordering profile?

In Square Dashboard go to Online, Ordering profile, Settings, then Pickup, and edit the location. Turn Use location hours off if the profile should take pickup orders at different hours from your location. Square Online pickup hours are set separately, under Settings, Account and Settings, Fulfillment methods, Online pickup and delivery.

Why does my ordering profile offer pickup times my website does not?

Because its settings are separate. The ordering profile has its own prep time, lead time, cut off time, scheduling window and order limit per 15-minute pickup window. Set them on the ordering profile itself; changing Square Online does not change them.

Why do I see different items on my ordering profile and my website?

Square says that if one menu serves both, you may see different items on each surface. An item reaches the ordering profile only when it has the Ordering Profile channel at the item level, not just on the menu, and the right location.

Do I need a paid Square plan for an ordering profile?

No. Square lists the ordering profile on Free, Plus and Premium plans for food and beverage sellers, and only the account owner can create it. Processing fees apply.

Do Cash App orders really cost 1%?

Only orders placed directly in Cash App, including through your ordering profile inside Cash App. Square says orders on your web ordering profile, in store or paid with Cash App outside the Cash App ordering experience pay standard Square rates. Check the order source in Square Dashboard: only orders with a Cash App order source get 1%.

How do I turn off Local Cash prompts at checkout?

In Square Dashboard go to Channels, Neighborhoods and select Pause Local Cash sign-up. On a Square Register you can also pause the rewards prompt for a while under Settings, Checkout, Neighborhoods, Rewards upsell. Pausing does not take you out of Neighborhoods: people who already follow you can still earn and redeem Local Cash. To leave fully, ask Square Support to remove your business.

Which settings does a Crate branded app follow?

Your Square Online site, or one Square menu you choose. Crate reads the sections, visible items and live pickup times from your Square Online site, prep time included. Without a Square Online site it uses your Square location's business hours. It does not read the ordering profile's settings. Crate is $80/month for up to five locations, with no Crate per-order fee.