Square reportedly declined $3B Apple acquisition offer [update: nope]

Following news that payments company Square recently gathered another $100 million in funding, a report on Friday claims the firm declined an offer to join Apple reportedly worth some $3 billion.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, TechCrunch reports Apple and Square were recently in acquisition talks, though negotiations failed, with the payments firm declining Cupertino's offer of "around $3 billion." According to the publication, Square was valued at 66 percent of the rumored $3 billion figure.

At the time, Apple reportedly showed off payments solutions that were in the same wheelhouse as Square's credit card-swiping system, which itself attaches to an iPhone's 3.5mm jack to communicate with a set of third-party apps.

While specifics regarding the secret devices were left unreported, it can be assumed that Apple was demoing Apple Pay, the recently-announced NFC-powered mobile payments system due out with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

Today's rumor jibes with a report from January claiming both Apple and Google were mulling a takeover of Square, which would have considered an $8 billion valuation. At the time, it was said that Square CEO Jack Dorsey believes the company's aesthetic and values lined up with Apple more than Google.

Update: The well-connected Jim Dalrymple has poured cold water on rumors that Apple was interested in buying Square, responding to the reports with a patented "nope."