Square snaps up BookFresh to move beyond payments

Square has acquired BookFresh, a software startup that describes itself as OpenTable for “everything but restaurants.”

The San Francisco-based BookFresh has developed a scheduling tool for small businesses. Business owners who purchase a subscription for $20 a month can view their calendar, appointment requests, and messages from clients — all in one place. And while Square specializes in making it easier for small businesses to accept credit and debit card payments, it’s increasingly looking to offer a suite of merchant services.

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In company blog posts posted on Square and BookFresh, executives stress that the core mission of their two companies is aligned. “Just like Square, BookFresh is designed to give time back to sellers so they can focus on their business,” wrote Square product engineering lead Gokul Rajaram.

Rajaram confirmed in a blog post that it will be business as usual for BookFresh customers. This is not an acqui-hire or a strategic move to shut down potential competition. However, it is a curious acquisition target, given that Square has recently begun beta testing a service called PickUp. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Square is experimenting with a new series apps that let you prepay for food.

Rajaram said the two companies will continue to operate autonomously for now. “The [BookFresh] team remains dedicated to maintaining and improving the product and supporting you,” he wrote. However, the two products may be more closely integrated in the future. BookFresh chief executive Evan Ginsberg said that the products may only operate separately “for the time being.”

This is the most recent in a string of acquisitions by Square. The company also recently acquired a New York design firm called 80/20 and mobile payments startup Evenly.

The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.