The news: Block’s Square expanded its partnership network, bringing more essential tools to its Square merchants, per a press release.

Square’s partners include giants like Apple, ClassPass, Intuit QuickBooks, Uber Eats, and Wix with nearly 1,000 total network participants—and two-thirds of these partners already have built-in integrations ready for sellers. Square merchants will be able to seamlessly access these tools from these partners without any adjustment to their backend operations for quick solutions across payments, marketing, and other business operations.

Why this matters: POS providers are facing fierce competition to prove to their merchants that they provide the most value. Vertical-specific integrations and tools have emerged as a key way for POS platforms to differentiate from the pack, with 40% of SMBs stating that adopting emerging technology is their number one priority, per a LinkedIn report. With the Square App Marketplace operating as an all-in-one solution, Square and its sellers stand to benefit from a flywheel effect where merchants increasingly benefit from deepening partnership tools and Square locks in deepening loyalty from its merchant class.

Implications for POS providers: As SMBs navigate tariff turmoil and thin margins, POS platforms need to offer bespoke solutions and tools to help merchants survive. Expanding efforts with AI to simplify operational tasks and return time to owners to focus on other key business areas will quickly become expected table stakes.