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iOS apps Square & IFTTT launch automation tie-up for merchants

Small businesses using Square's popular iPhone- and iPad-connected credit card readers now have a new way to connect the payments system to their other business processes, as Square and IFTTT on Thursday unveiled a new Square channel for the web automation service.

The channel has been pre-populated with a number of recipes, though users are still able to create their own. Among the hookups supported at launch are Google Drive, Evernote, Philips Hue, and mobile push notifications as well as IFTTT's built-in e-mail and SMS facilities.

At press time, the most popular recipes included logging all transactions to a spreadsheet, sending e-mail notifications of new settlements, and providing a weekly digest email of all refunds.

Notably, included among the prepaid recipes are two designed for Google Glass. Early adopters of Google's heads-up display can receive immediate notifications of transactions over a certain threshold.

Launched in 2009 by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey, Square is perhaps the most popular iPhone-attached accessory for mobile businesses, and the company has branched out to offer iPad-based "cash register" units for more permanent installations. It was reported in April of this year that Apple had "considered" buying the smaller firm, but ultimately elected not to.