Square enables restaurants to accept orders from ChatGPT and Claude without marketplace fees

Square Launches Direct Ordering from ChatGPT and Claude

Square has introduced a new ChatGPT app and Claude plugin that fundamentally changes how restaurants connect with customers through AI integrations. The system allows U.S. food and beverage sellers with activated Square Online Ordering profiles to accept AI-driven orders directly within these platforms, with no technical setup required and zero marketplace fees 1

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. Eligible sellers are automatically enrolled, and the integration pulls live data from Square's catalog, dynamically mapping menus, pricing, modifiers, and stock availability so AI agents never display out-of-stock items 1

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When customers prompt ChatGPT or Claude with queries like "Find me a specialty coffee shop nearby," the AI parses real-time data provided by Square, enabling direct ordering from AI platforms without leaving the chat interface 1

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. Block Inc., Square's parent company, positions this move as part of a broader strategy to help sellers gain visibility as AI-powered order discovery channels emerge 2

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Breaking Free from Delivery Aggregators and Marketplace Fees

The financial implications for restaurants are substantial. Currently, DoorDash charges restaurants between 15% and 30% commission depending on the tier, with even pickup orders carrying a 6% marketplace fee 1

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. Uber Eats demands 20% to 30% for delivery and up to 10% for pickup, while Grubhub takes between 5% and 20% of total order value 1

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. For independent restaurants operating on 3% to 9% net profit margins, a 25% or 30% commission on a $40 order means preparing food at a loss 1

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Square charges only its standard online transaction processing fee of 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction, with 3.3% plus $0.30 for merchants on Square Plus and Square Premium plans 1

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. Unlike delivery aggregators, Square doesn't charge marketplace commissions on AI-generated orders 3

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. For delivery, Square uses a white-label dispatch network charging a flat courier fee of $7 to $10 depending on distance, which restaurants can absorb or pass to customers, protecting food margins 1

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Agentic Commerce and the Future of AI Shopping

Morgan Kuntze, global partnerships lead at Block Inc., describes this as part of an investment in agentic commerce aimed at helping sellers appear wherever customers are going 2

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. Research from NielsenIQ indicates that 42% of consumers already use AI tools for shopping tasks such as product discovery and comparison 3

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. Morgan Stanley projects that agentic shoppers could drive nearly $385 billion in U.S. ecommerce spending by 2030 3

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However, PYMNTS Intelligence research reveals consumers embrace AI unevenly, giving it authority only in certain scenarios 2

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. Consumers prefer AI as a collaborative layer rather than a replacement for human agency, with product recommendations, deal comparisons, and personalized discovery ranking high in comfort levels 2

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Expanding Beyond ChatGPT and Claude

Square is also working with Amazon to integrate sellers into Alexa+ experiences and partnering with Google to develop the Universal Commerce Protocol specification for local food ordering and delivery 3

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. The company participates in the AAIF Agentic Commerce Working Group and the W3C Web Payments Working Group 3

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. Partners Coffee, a Brooklyn-based brand, participated in developing these integrations, with Digital VP Andrew Costaris noting the system creates more experiential moments for their team 3

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. With a market capitalization of $45.7 billion and revenue of $24.5 billion over the last twelve months, Square currently serves more than 4.5 million sellers across search, maps, social, and marketplace channels 3

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