Concerns About Removing Commerce App

Over the past 18 months we have been able to save our small business by having a beautiful online store with Squarespace. We had people buy gift cards through their and we now have people order from all over the country. It's been a lifesaver - and while we use a different POS for in-store purchases with the Commerce app we have been able to quickly update any in-store purchases and get easy notifications for any purchases coming in from the website so we can pull inventory before it sells in-store. We have also been able to redeem the online gift cards through the app, which has allowed us to "use them" in-store. It's been really good.

However, now with the Commerce app being removed, we can no longer use the online gift cards in store and we cannot get notifications to our phones and iPad when orders come in. We can only see them in email. In addition, I have an Android phone which won't even allow we to do sales with the app in-person and even though I just downloaded the new app I cannot even update inventory through it, as it crashes immediately if I try to do anything with the inventory.

Heading into the holiday season, with COVID back on the rise, I am really concerned that taking away the Commerce app is going to negatively impact our already small business. Why is such a change being made when the new app clearly doesn't have the features that the current one has? Why are you taking away options for businesses at this time? In talking to a rep they told me I should have a computer ready in case someone wants to use an online gift card in store and they should have to put their entire order in that way instead of me being able to redeem it how I have been. How does this seem like a reasonable workaround for this - when there already was a system that worked? 

If anyone knows someone who has figured out a workaround please let me know. We need to find a way to make this work and I'm really frustrated that Squarespace has been non-responsive. 

Chiming in here as well, as the removal of the Commerce app right before the holiday season is adding a layer of stress my business does not need. I have run my business on Squarespace for five years now. During the pandemic our website became one of our lifelines. Once we were able to reopen the Commerce app became one of our most valuable tools for ensuring our customers were happy. I am so disappointed to hear that the Commerce app is going away at the end of September, especially when I see that the new Squarespace app is missing so many of the key features we rely on. These include: new order notifications, the ability to manually adjust gift card balances, and a reliable Android app. We small businesses have had to pivot so many times, especially those of us in California navigating through not only a pandemic, but wildfires. To lose a key feature that allows us to run our businesses smoothly, right before the holiday rush is crushing and extremely disappointing. Unfortunately if Squarespace can't see that the features offered by the Commerce app aren't valuable to its customers I will need to start looking for another website builder and will be encouraging my fellow small business owners to do the same.

20 hours ago, CaitlinS said:

I am really concerned that taking away the Commerce app is going to negatively impact our already small business. Why is such a change being made when the new app clearly doesn't have the features that the current one has?

I'm hoping they'll review this decision - at least until the 'Squarespace' app has caught up to a level of functionality and usability that matches the 'Commerce' app they are retiring. I've raised concerns too.

However as Squarespace don't routinely monitor this forum for customer concerns (see the guidelines - item 6) I do recommend that you continue to pursue a resolution through Customer Care. If everyone affected contacts them, they'll have a better idea of the potential impact of their decision.

Thank you Paul. I have also reached out through customer service and their response was terrible. Hopefully with enough people reaching out that will help. I am also going to leave reviews in the Google Play store both on the Commerce App as well as the Squarespace one. If you have any other ideas on how I can get the word to them please let me know! I appreciate your support on this. 

I'm concerned too. I hope they are planning to add new Commerce features, not only in the app but also to the website. In-store pickup option is a step forward, just hoping they'll go on  

We are in the same boat we sell 85%of our online sales are for gift cards. It's a major revenue stream. We have no way of verifying the gift cards we have out there. People could just photocopy the codes and we wouldn't be the wiser.

We had to come up with a quick fix when one of our shops weren't able to redeem vouchers.

1. Create a physical instore voucher item in the online store. Make sure there is no postage attached to it.

2. When guest comes in to redeem voucher, staff member uses that gift card code as payment for the physical instore voucher.

3.staff puts the venues details, autofill address. So that the person dispatching orders knows not to send it.

4. The gift card code is now redeemed and drained of its currency,and is now unusable.

It's a long way around a simple fix for Squarespace. They told us that they hadn't any plans right now to keep that functionality but it may come back in the future...ahhhhhhh

Please for the love of all of your customers bring back the commerce app immediately. The Squarespace app may have its benefits but is far inferior for fulfilling and notifying you of orders. You can’t even swipe out of the pages 

Notes to fix on Squarespace app to bring up to speed… 
can’t swipe to go back…have to press done

Previous line on purchases not highlighted for a second when going back to all orders so you can see which line order you were just looking at  

Orders page not coming up as main first page when opening the app

no notifications that order came in. Have to check app to see every time. 

10 hours ago, Guruwiz said:

Please for the love of all of your customers bring back the commerce app immediately.

Squarespace don't routinely monitor this forum for customer concerns (see the forum guidelines - item 6). To raise this with Squarespace, contact them via Customer Care. 

POS orders from the app won't open in my browser.  I've restarted, cleared cache, tried different browser blah blah blah. Squarespace of course blames my browser, but it's not me. Very frustrating. Commerce App, I never had any issues.