Square launches AI assistant in UK to help SMEs turn data into smarter business decisions

Square unveils AI data assistant

This content has been selected, created and edited by the Finextra editorial team based upon its relevance and interest to our community. According to a Square survey of 501 small businesses in Ireland, three in five rely on instinct alone to make day-to-day decisions. While 92% of business owners say combining instinct with data would boost confidence, time-intensive manual analysis remains a barrier. On average, respondents spend more than three and a half hours each week analysing sales, customer behaviour and performance data. Square AI is designed to help remove this burden by enabling business owners to easily access, understand, and act on their data, as more than three-quarters of SME owners wish they had an 'assistant' to dig into their data and identify opportunities while they focus on running their business. Built directly into the Square Dashboard, the assistant allows business owners to ask questions about their sales, customer, and labour data in their own words. Sellers can also view suggested questions to help them get started, revisit past conversations, and get guidance on Square products. Square AI enables hospitality operators to understand performance at a glance, from top-selling items to repeat customers. By aligning more closely with customer preferences, businesses can optimise menus, improve margins and profitability, and drive repeat visits. The firm stresses that Square AI is GDPR-compliant, privacy-first, and included at no additional cost within the Square Dashboard and Point of Sale app. John O'Beirne, CEO, executive director, Square International, says: "Irish business owners constantly tell us that they're time-poor and are in need of practical tools that remove complexity, and help them make quick and smart decisions to grow. "Everything we build at Square is centred on solving business challenges, and Square AI is already doing that. It's an easy-to-use, powerful tool, helping businesses make better sense of their data, providing actionable insights, and giving them time back to focus on what matters most: their customers and their success."

Square Offers Its AI Assistant to UK Merchants | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. Square AI, which is embedded into the Square platform, is designed to help businesses make clever and faster decisions using their in-house payments and commerce data, the company said in a news release Tuesday (Feb. 10). "For a long time, turning that data into real insight has been something reserved for larger organizations with analysts and operations teams," Willem Avé, Square's global head of product, said in the release. "Square AI levels the playing field by bringing powerful analytics into the flow of running a business, through a simple, conversational AI assistant. It enables businesses of every size to combine their instinct with real data, without complexity." The company introduced Square AI in June of last year, and in October added new capabilities such as external weather, events, news and reviews data. Merging this data with merchants' business metrics, helps give them insights that will inform their decisions around menus, staffing and inventory, Square said at the time. Square says the launch of Square AI in the U.K. follows new research commissioned by the company, showing that while 53% of the U.K.'s small and medium-sized enterprises have used AI in their business, less than a third use it regularly. "This low level of adoption is leaving many businesses experimenting without seeing value, or not yet taking advantage of AI at all," the company said. This uneven level of AI adoption among businesses in the U.K. dovetails with research by PYMNTS Intelligence which shows that AI use can vary according to types of business. For example, 75% of technology firms surveyed said they were extremely familiar with agentic AI, compared with about 1 in 3 goods-producing firms and 38% of services companies. And while 42% of tech companies were actively exploring ways to integrate agentic AI into their operations, under 4% of goods companies -- and no service companies -- said the same. At the same time, the small and medium-sized businesses that embrace artificial intelligence are employing the technology to compete with larger enterprises, PYMNTS wrote last year. "By automating processes, augmenting talent, and accelerating decision-making, AI enables smaller firms to bypass legacy systems and leap directly into an AI-first business model -- one that can rival what large incumbents offer," that report said.

Square Announces the UK Launch of Square AI

Square announced the UK launch of Square AI, a free, conversational AI assistant built directly into the Square platform to help businesses of all sizes make clearer, faster decisions using their own business data. The launch follows new research commissioned by Square, which shows that while more than half (53%) of UK SMEs have used AI in their business, only 30% use it regularly. This low level of adoption is leaving many businesses experimenting without seeing value, or not yet taking advantage of AI at all. The research found that UK businesses rely heavily on instinct to run their operations: 51% of SME owners describe themselves as instinct-led, compared with just 19% who rely on data to make decisions. Combining gut feel with data is the secret sauce for businesses, however: almost three in four (74%) UK SME owners say they feel more confident when instinct is combined with insight. UK businesses are time poor, but are being forced to spend more time than they need analysing data (4.3 hours per week) and running admin and reporting (2.3 hours). Freeing up that time would be crucial for businesses. When asked how they'd spend time given back, respondents said they'd focus on improving their work-life balance (37.2); find ways to market or promote their business (36.2); explore new ideas or focus on business growth (35.0); and spend more time building relationships with customers (32.4%). The research underlines that the real value of AI is not just about doing less, it's about giving business owners time back to spend on whatever is most important to them. One UK business that has been using Square AI during early access is Brickwood Coffee & Bread, an A Australian-inspired, multi-location, South London-based cafe. Square's research also shows UK businesses respond best to AI when it is positioned as a practical assistant rather than abstract technology. 53% agree AI helps them make more informed decisions, 43% say it could help them understand their business data more easily, and 41% say they want an assistant that digs into their data and identifies opportunities while they focus on what matters most. Square AI uses everyday, conversational language to help business owners get answers from their data, with no training or technical setup required. At the same time, trust remains a key barrier. 40.6% of UK SME owners say they do not trust AI to make recommendations without oversight, and 42% say clearer information about how their data is used would increase their comfort. Built directly into Square's established commerce platform, Square AI offers a familiar and transparent entry point into AI for businesses already trusting Square with payments and operations. Adoption is strongest in sectors like food and beverage, where businesses are already leaning into AI to improve operations, service, and day-to-day decision making. Square AI will be available to UK sellers from February 2026.