Setting up POS Terminal

Note

POS Go is no longer available for sale.

POS Go devices purchased before August 28, 2024 in the United States, and before September 25, 2024 in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Spain will continue to be supported until September 2026.

POS Go devices included in POS Terminal sales won't support mobile functionality and can only be used in customer display mode as POS Terminal. POS Terminal will continue to be sold after support for POS Go stops in September 2026.

The POS Terminal Dock (formerly "POS Go Dock") can be combined with POS Terminal Reader (formerly "POS Go") to become a customer facing screen and payment terminal known as the POS Terminal. When the POS Terminal is connected to a tablet, the customer can view their cart information and complete payment of their order.

Requirements for using POS Terminal

To use the POS Terminal, you need to meet the following requirements:

• You need to have a POS Terminal (formerly "POS Go") device.
• You need to have a POS Terminal Dock (formerly "POS Go Dock").
• You need to have a POS device, such as a smartphone or tablet, running Shopify POS version 8.16 or higher.
• Your store needs to have Shopify Payments activated as your store's payment provider, and have Test mode deactivated.
• Your store needs to be based in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, New Zealand, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Finland, France, or Singapore.
• Your physical retail locations need to be based in the same country that your store is based in.
• Your store's currency needs to match the local currency of your physical store's location.
• You need to have access to your network and the internet by using a WPA2 Wi-Fi network, or an Ethernet cable.
• Your POS Terminal and POS device must both be connected to the same network.

Where to buy

The POS Terminal is available from the Shopify Hardware store in supported countries.

Components of POS Terminal

POS Terminal is created by inserting the POS Terminal Reader (formerly "POS Go") into the POS Terminal Dock (formerly "POS Go Dock"). Both components combine to create a payment terminal with a customer display that pairs with your POS device to create a complete setup for sales at the counter.

POS Terminal Reader

The POS Terminal Reader (formerly "POS Go") inserts into the POS Terminal Dock to create POS Terminal.

The POS Terminal Reader has the following features:

• Supports WiFi connectivity or Ethernet connectivity when inserted into the POS Terminal Dock.
• Accepts tap, chip, and swipe payments.
• Includes a customizable customer display.

POS Terminal Dock

POS Terminal Dock (formerly "POS Go Dock") connects with the POS Terminal Reader to create POS Terminal.

The POS Terminal dock has the following features:

• Connects to an Ethernet cable for wired connectivity for payments.
• Headphones can be plugged into to the POS Terminal Reader with the POS Terminal Dock to use the text-to-speech functionality.
• Keeps the POS Terminal Reader charged and secure at the counter.

Network requirements for POS Terminal

The POS Terminal can use Wi-Fi or a wired Ethernet connection to connect your network and the internet. If you use a router, then refer to your router’s manual and reconfigure the networking setup as required. For the POS Terminal to connect to your network, the following requirements must be met:

• Your network is set up to use the Shopify POS app.
• Your POS device and POS Terminal need to be connected to the same local network.
• The local network needs to have a functional Internet connection.
• Peer to Peer communication on the network must be available:
  • In your router settings, turn off the option that says “block clients from reaching any private IP”. Or turn on the option that says “allow guests to view each other and access local network”.
  • Contact your network administrator if you believe P2P communication might be deactivated on your local network.
• The POS app needs local network permission on iOS. The Shopify POS iOS app requests certain permissions when first installed on the device. The “Local network” permission is required to establish a connection with POS Terminal. From the Settings app, tap Shopify POS in the list. Tapping Shopify POS opens a screen that displays the Local Network permission toggle.
• UPnP (Universal Plug-n-Play) router setting should be activated (optional). The UPnP setting on the router allows devices on the network to discover each other. Ideally, this should be activated so that POS can find the paired POS Terminal on the network to automatically repair connections when possible.

Set up the POS Terminal (formerly "POS Go")

Before you can use the POS Terminal, you need to set up the POS Terminal Reader.

Steps:

1. Charge the POS Terminal reader and then turn it on.
2. Select the country where you're using the POS Terminal.
3. Select the Wifi network. Enter the password, tap Join, and then tap Connect. The POS Terminal reader automatically checks for updates and applies them.
4. Log in to Shopify POS.

Dock the POS Terminal Reader

To begin accepting payments with POS Terminal, insert the POS Terminal Reader into the POS Terminal Dock.

Steps:

1. If the POS Terminal Reader is in a case, then remove it to place it in the dock.
2. Plug the POS Terminal Dock into a power source that supports USB-A.
3. Optional: If you're using wired connectivity for data instead of Wi-Fi, then plug one end of an Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port on the dock and the other into your router.
4. Insert the POS Terminal Reader into the dock.
5. Tap Set up POS Terminal. The screen displays a QR code and instructions for you to complete the setup.

Plugging in the USB cable isn't required but is strongly recommended to ensure that your POS Terminal remains fully charged and ready to accept payments at any time.

Remove the POS Terminal Reader from the dock

To remove the POS Terminal Reader from the dock, pull the reader by the card slot upwards with force.

Connect POS Terminal to your tablet

To accept payments with POS Terminal, you must pair with your POS device running the Shopify POS app.

Steps:

1. Tap Set up POS Terminal. A QR code displays on the screen. If the QR code isn't displayed, then swipe from right to left and tap Reset connection to POS.
2. In your POS device settings, ensure your device is connected to the same Wi-Fi as your POS Terminal.
3. In your POS app, login to the same store and location as your POS Terminal.
4. In your POS app, set up the POS Terminal:
   1. Tap More > Settings > Set up hardware.
   2. Select Card reader > POS Terminal.
   3. Review the setup prompts and tap Scan QR Code.
5. To complete the set up, scan the QR code displayed on the POS Terminal with your POS device camera.
6. When successfully connected, your POS device displays a message that it's Connected to POS.
7. Tap Done.

Charging the POS Terminal in the dock

You can charge the POS Terminal Reader using the included USB-C cable. To charge the reader, plug the small end of the USB connector into the POS Terminal Reader, and then plug the large end into a phone charger.

Make sure your charger meets the minimum specifications of 5V/2A - Output 10W or 9V/2A - Output 18W. The charger should be able to supply at least 2A of current. A higher current or a charger with a dual label, such as with 5V and 9V, also charges the POS Go.

If the minimum charger specifications are met, then the POS Terminal Reader takes 2-3 hours to charge fully using a wall adapter. After the POS Terminal Reader is fully charged, its battery should last for a whole day of selling.

Network priority

The POS Terminal prioritizes connecting through Ethernet where possible. If you previously configured the POS Terminal for Wi-Fi, then the POS Terminal switches to using an Ethernet connection when connected to the dock with a plugged-in Ethernet cable. If you remove POS Terminal from the dock, then it switches back to the Wi-Fi connection.

If your store isn't equipped for Ethernet, then you can use Wi-Fi as the primary connection for the POS Terminal. This option still provides increased reliability with POS Terminal connected to your tablet over Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth.

Access settings on POS Terminal

The settings panel on the POS Terminal displays the information about your connection and allows you to make the following changes to the setup:

• Change your network settings.
• Initiate a reconnection to the POS device using a QR code.
• View your network status and make changes to the network settings.

To access the settings panel, swipe from right to left starting at the edge of the screen on the POS Terminal.