Square’s $399 Handheld accepts tap-to-pay at your table

The Square Handheld is available today for $399 with support for traditional card transactions and tap-to-pay, scanning products, and managing inventory, all from a single device. That should bring tap-to-pay acceptance without an iPhone to more places in the businesses and restaurants where you’re already used to seeing the Square Stand and other similar setups.

Weighing in at 11 ounces (about 311 grams) and measuring less than an inch thick, Square says this is “one of the thinnest and lightest handheld point of sale devices on the market.” That makes the Handheld easier to lug around than Square’s wedge-shaped Terminal POS device, and provides some competition for Clover’s $749 Flex system.

The Square Handheld includes a splash and dust-resistant 6.2-inch touchscreen, a barcode scanner, and a 16 megapixel camera. Square says that the battery provides enough juice to “power through a whole day.” Belkin is also offering SheerForce protective cases for the Handheld starting at $39, which can help businesses to better tailor the device to their brand identity and bolster it against damage.

Square has also redesigned its POS app, giving the Handheld access to seven modes that can be customized with industry-specific features such as Quick Service mode, Bar mode, and Retail mode.