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Freedom251 › Blog › CSV export

How to Switch From Square to Another POS Without Losing Your Sales Data

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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You can leave Square without losing your sales history, but a POS switch is not a single “export and import” action. Protect the original Square files first, export reports and transaction details separately, move your item and customer records through the destination system’s template, and treat saved cards as a regulated payment-data transfer. Then test, reconcile, and cut over while Square remains available for reference.

The safest sequence is: inventory every data domain, export unedited files, obtain order-level data when reports are insufficient, map fields, arrange any card-on-file transfer with the receiving processor, test-import representative records, reconcile totals, train staff, and switch at a low-volume time.

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What actually moves when you change POS systems?

Different POS products accept different kinds of imports. A CSV can preserve a useful archive without creating usable records in the new system, while payment credentials, historical orders, and location-level inventory may require a separate process. Decide what the destination must recreate and what can remain an audit archive before you cancel or downgrade Square.

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Data domain Square extraction or source Typical destination treatment Risk to check
Sales reports Dashboard report export as CSV Archive for accounting and reconciliation; import only if the new POS supports historical summaries Date range, timezone, gross versus net fields
Transaction details Transactions area, exported as a CSV Archive or transform into the destination’s order format Refunds, discounts, taxes, fees, and tender types
Orders and line items Orders API when reports lack required detail Possible historical-order import if the destination has an API or migration tool Order IDs, itemization, customer references, returns
Items and variants Items > Item library > Actions > Export Library; Excel or CSV Import through the destination catalog template SKU, variation, modifier, tax category, price, and location
Customers Customer Directory export Import through the destination customer template Duplicate people, consent fields, addresses, and external IDs
Inventory by location Item export and any location-level stock fields available in the export Load quantities after locations are matched Location names, units, bundles, and stock snapshot time
Saved cards Separate transfer requested through Square Support Direct processor-to-processor transfer only when eligibility requirements are met PCI scope, owner verification, customer-ID matching, and lead time
Gift cards, loyalty, permissions, and settings Destination-specific; exportability is not established by a generic Square CSV Recreate or migrate according to the replacement POS procedure Balances, expiration rules, employee roles, and audit history

Do not assume that a successful catalog import means historical orders, refunds, card tokens, or loyalty balances have moved. Keep a domain-by-domain status column marked exported, transformed, imported, reconciled, or archive only.

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1. Inventory every record before changing anything

Make a written checklist and assign an owner for each line. Include the business questions you will need to answer after the cutover, not just the files you would like to download.

  • Sales summaries for the full retention period, with the reporting timezone noted.
  • Transaction-level details, including tenders, discounts, taxes, fees, tips, refunds, voids, and net deposits where available.
  • Orders and line items, including variations, modifiers, quantities, and customer references.
  • Item catalog, SKUs, barcodes, prices, tax categories, modifiers, images, and archived items.
  • Stock by location, units of measure, reorder information, bundles, and the date and time of the stock snapshot.
  • Customer profiles, customer IDs, email and phone values, addresses, notes, and marketing-consent fields.
  • Gift-card balances, loyalty points, memberships, subscriptions, and store-credit rules.
  • Refund and exchange history, including whether the replacement POS can refund a pre-cutover tender.
  • Employee accounts, roles, permissions, time-clock records, and approval workflows.
  • Locations, registers, devices, tax jurisdictions, receipt settings, and integrations.

For each domain, record whether it is exportable from Square, transformable into the new POS format, or destination-specific. This prevents a late discovery that an apparently minor balance or permission cannot be recreated automatically.

2. Export Square data and preserve the originals

Export before editing, cleaning, deduplicating, or opening files in a way that may alter dates and leading zeros. Keep an untouched copy in read-only storage and work only on duplicates.

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Export reports from Dashboard

  1. Sign in to the Square Dashboard with an account that can access the required reports.
  2. Choose the broadest useful date range for your retention and tax requirements. Note the selected locations, filters, currency, and timezone.
  3. Run each required report and review the on-screen totals before downloading.
  4. Click Start export to download a CSV file, as Square’s report instructions describe, and open the copy with spreadsheet software.
  5. Rename the working copy with the report name, date range, location, and export timestamp. Do not rename or edit the original file stored for audit.

Save a report index listing the file name, filters, row count, total sales, and the person who downloaded it. If a report is regenerated later, keep both versions and document why.

Export transaction details separately

  1. Open the Transactions area in Square Dashboard.
  2. Apply the required date, location, payment, and status filters.
  3. Check that the displayed transaction count and totals match your intended scope.
  4. Click Export to download transaction details as a CSV. Square documents this as a separate path from report export.
  5. Store the unedited transaction file beside the corresponding report export and record its filters.

Reports and transaction exports answer different questions. A summary report may reconcile deposits while omitting the order-level line-item structure needed to recreate an order. Keep both rather than trying to derive one from the other.

Export the item library

  1. In Square, go to Items > Item library.
  2. Open Actions and choose Export Library.
  3. Choose Excel or CSV, and select all items or the filtered subset required for the migration.
  4. Save the original export, then create a working copy for field mapping.

Export archived items when the destination needs historical SKU recognition, but mark them clearly so they are not accidentally sold as active products. Capture the export date because inventory quantities are a snapshot, not a perpetual ledger.

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Export the customer directory

Export the Customer Directory and retain the Square customer IDs. IDs are often the most reliable bridge when names, emails, or phone numbers are duplicated or changed. Keep consent and communication fields exactly as exported until you understand the destination’s privacy and marketing model.

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3. Use the Orders API when CSV reports are not enough

Use the Orders API when you need historical order structure, itemization, customer references, or return details that do not appear in a report or transaction CSV. Square describes the API as able to search a seller’s past sales and returns for itemization data, customer references, and other details from sales made through POS or online.

Plan this extraction as a data project rather than a quick download:

  • Record the request date, account and location identifiers, API version, and timezone assumptions.
  • Store the raw response for every page, including pagination information and any error response.
  • Preserve order IDs, line-item IDs, refund IDs, customer references, taxes, discounts, and fulfillment details.
  • Keep API output separate from normalized files. Never overwrite the raw response after changing column names or data types.
  • Reconcile API totals to the corresponding Square report and transaction export before importing anything.

If the replacement POS cannot accept historical orders, the API extraction still provides a searchable audit archive. Do not promise customers that old orders will appear in the new register until the destination provider confirms that behavior in writing.

4. Build a field-mapping sheet for the destination POS

Download the replacement POS’s current import templates before transforming Square data. The destination headings, accepted values, required fields, and character limits are the source of truth. Keep a mapping sheet that shows the Square column, destination column, transformation rule, and validation result.

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Square-side value Destination field to map Validation question
Item name and variation name Product, variant, or option name Will the destination create one product with variants or separate products?
SKU, barcode, and external ID SKU, barcode, and import key Are leading zeros preserved and are IDs unique across locations?
Price and currency Base price and price-list fields Are prices tax-inclusive, tax-exclusive, or location-specific?
Tax category Tax code or tax class Does the destination use the same jurisdiction names and exemptions?
Modifier sets Options, add-ons, or modifier groups Are required choices, minimums, and maximums supported?
Location name Store or inventory location Does an exact match exist, or will a new location be created?
Quantity on hand Opening inventory quantity What is the stock-count timestamp and unit of measure?
Customer email and phone Customer contact fields How are duplicates, blanks, international formats, and consent handled?
Square customer ID External customer ID or note Can support use this value to trace a customer after migration?

A documented migration flow for Shopify illustrates why this matters: its Store Migration app requires Square CSV files to be uploaded, then provides an import report; inventory quantity is imported per Square location, locations are matched by name, and a new location is created when no matching location exists. Its customer import requires Square’s data to be reshaped to the destination customer CSV headings, with no automatic mapping support for that customer import. Treat those behaviors as examples of destination-specific rules, not as universal POS behavior.

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Normalize without destroying evidence

  • Use text formatting for SKUs, ZIP codes, phone numbers, and IDs so spreadsheet software does not remove leading zeros.
  • Standardize dates only in the working copy and state whether they are UTC or local time.
  • Do not merge duplicate customers until you have retained the original IDs and a merge log.
  • Keep a separate exception sheet for missing tax codes, unmatched locations, invalid emails, duplicate SKUs, and unsupported modifiers.
  • Have a second person review the mapping before the first import.

5. Saved cards require a separate, regulated migration

Do not place card numbers or payment tokens in an ordinary spreadsheet. Square states that, under PCI regulations, it can directly transfer card-on-file data only to another PCI DSS Level 1-compliant payment processor. The account owner must contact Square Support for verification, and Square says the average export timeframe is up to two weeks.

  1. Choose and contract with the receiving payment processor before requesting the transfer.
  2. Confirm in writing that the processor is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant and can receive a card-on-file migration.
  3. Ask the receiving processor how it will provide new customer or payment-method IDs.
  4. Contact Square Support as the verified account owner and complete its verification process.
  5. Give both processors the customer-ID mapping needed to associate transferred cards with the right customer records.
  6. Test recurring charges, card-present payments, refunds, and failed-payment handling with non-production or approved test records.

The stated average timeframe is up to two weeks, so start this work before the register cutover. If the destination processor is not eligible or the transfer is declined, plan a customer re-entry or card-update campaign rather than attempting an unsafe workaround.

6. Test-import a representative sample

Never make the first import your full production migration. Create a test location or staging account when the destination offers one, and load a small sample that exercises every rule.

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  • A normal sale with one item.
  • A discounted sale with multiple quantities.
  • A refund or exchange.
  • A tax-exempt transaction.
  • A product with variants and a product with modifiers.
  • A customer with multiple addresses and an existing duplicate.
  • Records from every location.
  • An item with zero stock and one with a nonzero stock balance.

Check the import report for rejected rows, silently skipped fields, created duplicate locations, and converted values. Correct the mapping, delete the test records if the destination allows it, and rerun the test until the exception list is understood.

7. Reconcile before approving production

Reconciliation is the control that proves the new system represents the old one. Compare the same date range, locations, currency, and timezone in both systems.

Control total What to compare What a difference may indicate
Item count Active, archived, and variant counts by location Filtered export, duplicate SKU, or unsupported variant
Inventory Quantity on hand by SKU and location at the same snapshot time Unit conversion, location mismatch, or stock movement during export
Gross sales Sales before discounts, refunds, taxes, and fees Date boundary or omitted order type
Refunds and returns Count and value, including partial refunds Refund status or tender mapping problem
Discounts Amount and rule by transaction Unsupported promotion or tax-order difference
Tax Taxable sales and tax collected by jurisdiction Tax-inclusive pricing or category mismatch
Processing fees Fees by tender and period New processor pricing or unavailable historical field
Net deposits Deposit totals against the Square report Settlement timing, chargebacks, or timezone boundary

Do not approve the production import while unexplained differences remain. A difference can be legitimate, but it needs a written explanation tied to a specific record or rule.

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8. Plan the cutover in stages

One to two weeks before

  • Finish saved-card eligibility and timing checks.
  • Complete staff training on the new register, refunds, discounts, tax handling, offline behavior, and end-of-day close.
  • Publish the mapping and exception logs.
  • Decide how staff will handle a customer asking for a receipt or refund from before the switch.
  • Set a low-volume cutover window and an escalation contact for the destination provider.

During the final export

  1. Announce a short catalog-edit freeze so prices, SKUs, and modifiers do not change while files are being prepared.
  2. Export the final reports, transaction details, item library, and customer directory.
  3. Record the exact cutoff time, timezone, locations, and active register status.
  4. Load the final catalog and opening inventory after the destination locations are confirmed.
  5. Keep Square online but stop taking new sales there once the new register is live, unless your contingency plan explicitly requires it.

On the first day

  • Run a real low-value test sale, discount, receipt, and refund according to your approved procedure.
  • Check that taxes, tips, fees, inventory decrement, and customer association behave as expected.
  • Monitor the first close and compare its totals with the destination’s report.
  • Keep a written incident log for rejected payments, duplicate customers, stock errors, and refund questions.

After cutover

Keep Square read access until the first complete reconciliation and any required accounting, tax, chargeback, or customer-service period has passed. Store raw exports, API responses, mapping versions, import reports, reconciliation sign-offs, and the cutover log under controlled access. Read-only retention is safer than deleting the old account immediately.

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Refunds, old sales, and customer service

Ask the replacement POS provider exactly how it handles a refund for a sale made before the switch. Some systems can search imported historical orders; others require the original processor, a manual refund, or a documented exchange procedure. The answer depends on the destination’s order import and payment integration, so obtain it in writing and train staff on one approved path.

Give support staff a lookup method that includes the original Square transaction or order ID, export date, location, and customer identifier. If old orders remain archive-only, do not tell a customer that the new register contains a complete history. Use the retained Square data to verify the purchase and follow the processor’s refund rules.

How to evaluate the replacement POS before signing

Question to ask Why it affects the migration
Can it import historical orders, or only catalog and customer records? Determines whether staff can search old purchases in the new register.
How are variants, modifiers, tax categories, and SKUs mapped? Prevents catalog duplication and incorrect prices or taxes.
Can inventory be loaded by location with an opening timestamp? Protects stock accuracy when stores start at different quantities.
What customer fields, consent values, and external IDs are accepted? Reduces duplicate profiles and preserves traceability.
What is the saved-card migration path and who owns PCI responsibilities? Determines whether customers must re-enter payment details.
Can it refund or exchange pre-cutover sales? Defines your customer-service procedure.
What API, CSV, and audit exports remain available after migration? Protects future reporting and exit flexibility.
Will the provider supply a written field map and cutover plan? Turns assumptions into an accountable implementation.

There is no universal import guarantee across POS vendors. Require a written statement of supported fields, rejected fields, location behavior, historical-order handling, refund rules, and card-transfer responsibilities before you schedule the switch.

Common failure modes and recovery steps

Spreadsheet software changed IDs or dates

Restore the untouched export, import ID columns as text, and regenerate the working file. Compare row counts and representative values before proceeding.

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Customers were duplicated

Stop further imports, preserve both destination IDs, and use the Square customer ID plus a documented email or phone rule to merge only verified duplicates. Do not delete the source mapping.

Inventory is wrong at one location

Check location-name matching, stock snapshot time, unit of measure, and movements made during the freeze. Correct the opening quantity with an auditable adjustment rather than editing the original export.

Refunds do not reconcile

Separate full, partial, and canceled refunds; compare refund status and tender; and confirm whether the destination imported returns or only sales. Use Square for pre-cutover refunds if the new processor cannot reference the original payment.

Saved cards did not arrive

Do not attempt to upload card data manually. Contact both processors, verify Level 1 eligibility and account-owner approval, and switch to a customer card-update workflow if the direct transfer cannot proceed.

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The import report shows skipped fields

Review the destination template and exception report, map each skipped field to an approved alternative or mark it archive-only, then rerun a small test. Never assume a blank destination value means the source was blank.

Minimum evidence to keep after leaving Square

  • Untouched report CSVs and transaction CSVs.
  • Original item-library and customer-directory exports.
  • Raw Orders API responses, request dates, location identifiers, and timezone notes, if used.
  • Versioned mapping sheets and exception logs.
  • Destination import files and import reports.
  • Reconciliation worksheets with sign-off and explanations for differences.
  • Saved-card transfer correspondence and processor eligibility confirmation.
  • Cutover date, cutoff time, staff instructions, and refund procedure.

These records let you answer tax, accounting, chargeback, and customer-service questions without relying on a live Square subscription or memory of how the migration was performed.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

CSV exportcustomer datainventory migrationOrders APIpayment processingPOS migrationsales dataSquare

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