Square sellers gain new discovery and ordering capabilities through Ask Maps, Google’s newest AI experience in Google Maps
DISTRIBUTED-WORKFORCE/OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Square today announced an expansion of its relationship with Google, bringing U.S. food and beverage (F&B) sellers into Ask Maps, a conversational AI experience within Google Maps where customers discover restaurants and place orders simply by asking questions. Square F&B sellers who activate a Google Business Profile can surface in Ask Maps results and have new order flows enabled. Their menus, hours, and location details will automatically sync from Square Dashboard, with no added setup, contracts, or fees required.
Photo courtesy of Square featuring Partners Coffee
Showing Up in the Conversation, Not Just the Search
For the millions of businesses who utilize Square to run their operations, being found by the right customer at the right moment is critical to growth. Ask Maps can give Square customers an intuitive way to find and order from local favorites, with prompts like: "Order spicy pad kee mao with seafood for me to pick up on my way home.”
Building on the existing Square Dashboard capabilities that sync with Google Maps, Square sellers can now appear directly in Ask Maps answers – showing up accurately in the conversation with no additional lift required. As customers increasingly turn to AI-powered conversations, Square sellers can:
- Get discovered through natural, conversational questions, surfacing directly in Ask Maps responses to everyday food ordering customer questions.
- Stay accurate everywhere, automatically, as information in Square pulls to a Google Business Profile and Ask Maps in real time.
- Seamlessly get started with no API to build, no new tool to configure, and no added cost.
"Connecting with our community is at the heart of everything we do – from the producers supplying our coffee program to the guests visiting our cafes, and everyone in between,” said Andrew Costaris, Digital VP at Partners Coffee. "Increasingly, that connection begins before someone ever walks through our doors. Working with Square means Partners Coffee shows up accurately wherever people are looking, so those first interactions feel as intentional as the ones at our counter – whether someone's using Ask Maps to find great cold brew nearby, checking our hours, or exploring our seasonal drinks menu. Every new way Square connects us to a search or an AI conversation is another chance to grow that community, one cup at a time.”
From Discovery to Ordering in One Place
The partnership goes beyond discovery: customers in the U.S. can also use Ask Maps to browse Square sellers’ menus, customize orders, and complete checkout using Order by Cash App. Finding a neighborhood favorite and ordering from its real-time menu is possible in just a few taps. For sellers, these orders flow directly into their existing Square setup, including POS and Kitchen Display System, requiring no additional operational lift.
"The way people find a restaurant to book, a cafe to visit, or take-out to order is evolving," said Morgan Kuntze, Global Partnerships Lead at Block. "Our expanded work with Google means Square sellers show up in those conversations, without having to manually update their details across the many channels their business is present. We built Square to help sellers show up everywhere their customers are going, and increasingly, that's in an AI-powered conversation like Ask Maps. Square sellers are now positioned to be there when it matters most."
Building for the Future Together
Today's announcement marks the first step in a broader partnership between Square and Google, as both companies continue building new ways for sellers to be discovered and transact across Google's ecosystem. As part of that collaboration, Square, Google, and others are expanding the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard for agentic commerce, to the food industry. Through UCP, food ordering journeys will become more seamless and intuitive in AI experiences.
To learn more about how Square supports AI-powered F&B seller discovery and ordering, visit: squareup.com/us/en/ai/agentic-commerce
About Square
Square helps businesses turn transactions into connections and businesses into neighborhood favorites.
In 2009, Square started with a simple invention — the first mobile card reader, which changed how the entire financial system thinks about small businesses. Square has since grown into a global business platform helping millions of sellers of all sizes participate and thrive in their communities.
Whether independently run or a global chain, Square understands that sellers succeed when they have the freedom to focus on the experiences that keep customers coming back. From point of sale and payments to online commerce, staff management, cash flow tools, and more, Square brings together the tools sellers need to run and grow on one intelligent platform. For more information, visit squareup.com.
Source: Block, Inc.