Chip & Swipe Reader
Available only from Shopify
The Shopify Chip & Swipe Reader is an EMV-compliant credit card reader that connects wirelessly to your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Customers can insert or swipe their card, and then sign on the screen of your POS device.
Who is the Chip & Swipe Reader for?
The Chip & Swipe Reader is pocket-sized, wireless, and comes with a base to rest on a countertop. It's a good choice if you often sell in different locations, or if you're just getting started with accepting card payments in a retail store.
You can also use the Chip & Swipe Reader alongside another card reader as a cost-effective backup when you're travelling or during busy selling periods.
Card reader requirements and supported payment types
To use the Chip & Swipe Reader, you need to meet the following requirements:
- a store based in the United States
- Shopify Payments activated as your store's payment provider
- a compatible iPad, iPhone, or Android device:
Devices compatible with the Chip and Swipe reader iPhone iPhone 5 or better running iOS 11 or newer iPad Gen 4 or better running iOS 11 or newer iPad mini Gen 2 running iOS 11 or newer Android Android device running version 5.0 (Lollipop) or newer - a compatible version of Shopify POS:
Shopify POS versions compatible with the Chip and Swipe card reader iOS Shopify POS 5.15 or newer Android Shopify POS 3.1.3 or newer
You can use the Chip & Swipe Reader to accept the following payment types:
- American Express
- Discover
- Mastercard and Debit Mastercard
- Visa and Visa Debit
Where to buy or rent the Chip & Swipe Reader
The Chip & Swipe Reader is available for purchase from the Shopify Hardware Store in the United States.
When you buy the Chip & Swipe Reader, you receive the following accessories:
- a base for standing the card reader on a countertop
- a USB cable for charging the reader
- a travel case
- two mounting stickers
You can also rent the Chip & Swipe Reader individually from the Shopify Hardware Rental store or as part of one of the Shopify hardware rental kits.
Mount the Chip & Swipe Reader
The Chip & Swipe Reader comes with two mounting stickers, which you can use to attach it to another device (such as the back of a cellphone or tablet) or a smooth flat surface. If you detach your Chip & Swipe Reader for any reason, then the mounting sticker can be wiped clean and re-used.
Clean the mounting surface and the Chip & Swipe Reader before attaching the mounting sticker to ensure a strong bond.
To mount the Chip & Swipe Reader: 1. Remove the protective film from one side of the mounting sticker. 2. Attach the mounting sticker to the back of the Chip & Swipe Reader (the side with no logo). 3. Remove the remaining protective film from the mounting sticker. 4. Press the sticker side of the Chip & Swipe Reader against the mounting surface and hold for 3 seconds.
Power the Chip & Swipe Reader on and off
To turn on the Chip & Swipe Reader, press and release the power button on the side of the reader. The status light turns on. If you've already paired and connected the reader with your POS device, then the reader automatically connects to the device.
After 30 seconds of inactivity, the Chip & Swipe Reader goes into standby mode, and the status light flashes every 5 seconds. While in standby mode, the card reader turns on automatically when you take a card payment at checkout.
After 3 hours of inactivity, the Chip & Swipe Reader turns itself off fully. When you next want to take a card payment, you need to press and release the power button to turn on the card reader again. Typically you need to turn on the card reader only once a day. You can manually turn off the reader at any time by pressing and holding the power button until the status light turns off.
The Chip & Swipe Reader status light
Whenever the Chip & Swipe Reader is turned on, its status light shows the reader's connection status and whether the reader needs to be charged:
| Continuous flashing | The card reader is ready to connect to a POS device. |
| Flashing every 5 seconds | The card reader is in standby mode. |
| Green | The card reader is charged. |
| Yellow | The card reader is charging. |
| Red | The card reader's battery is at 10% and the reader should be charged. |
| No light | The card reader is turned off. |
You can continue to make sales when the status light turns red, but you should charge the reader soon.
Charge the Chip & Swipe Reader
You can charge the Chip & Swipe Reader by using the USB cable that's supplied with it. To charge the reader, plug the micro USB connector into the card reader or its base, and then plug the larger USB connector into a phone charger or computer:
The Chip & Swipe Reader takes 1-2 hours to charge fully. After the reader is fully charged, its battery should last for a week of selling (about 400 chip transactions, or 700 swipe transactions).
Pair and connect the Chip & Swipe Reader to your POS device
To use the card reader with Shopify POS, you need to pair and connect the reader with your device. After the reader and device are paired, the reader connects to the device automatically whenever both are turned on and in range.
If you accept credit cards and your card reader is not connected during a checkout, then you are prompted to follow the instructions on the Shopify POS screen to connect it.
Steps:
From Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Connect card reader.
In the Select Reader dialog, tap Connect beneath the Chip & Swipe Reader.
Press and release the power button on the side of the card reader. The status light starts flashing.
When the card reader appears beneath Available card readers, tap Connect beside it.
When the pairing is successful, you return to the Hardware screen where you see that the Chip & Swipe Reader is connected.
If you accept credit cards and your card reader is not connected during a checkout, then you are prompted to follow the instructions on the Shopify POS screen to connect it.
Steps:
From Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Connect card reader.
On the Select Reader screen, tap Connect beneath the Chip & Swipe Reader.
Press and release the power button on the side of the card reader. The status light starts flashing.
When the card reader appears beneath Available card readers, tap Connect beside it.
When the pairing is successful, you return to the Store screen where you see that the Chip & Swipe Reader is connected.
Steps:
From Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Connect Card Reader.
On the Select Reader screen, tap Connect beneath the Chip & Swipe Reader.
Press and release the power button on the side of the card reader. The status light starts flashing.
When the card reader appears beneath Available Card Readers, tap CONNECT beside it.
In the dialog that appears, tap PAIR.
Unpair the Chip & Swipe Reader from your POS device
You can use the Chip & Swipe Reader with only one device at a time. If you want to use the card reader with another device, then you need to first unpair it from its current device.
Steps:
From Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Card reader.
Tap Forget card reader.
In the Forget card reader dialog, tap Forget.
From Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Chip & Swipe Reader.
Tap Forget card reader.
In the Forget this card reader dialog, tap Forget.
From Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Chip & Swipe Reader.
Tap Forget card reader.
In the Forget this card reader dialog, tap FORGET READER.
Update the Chip & Swipe reader software
Your Chip & Swipe card reader might require a software update. Updating the Chip & Swipe card reader can take up to 15 minutes.
Connect your card reader and iPad to their charging cables.
Pair your card reader with your iPad.
From the Shopify POS, tap Store.
Tap Hardware.
Under Connected hardware, tap Chip & Swipe Reader.
Under Update available, Tap Details.
Tap Update.
Accept payment with the Chip & Swipe Reader
To accept a chip payment:
- From the Shopify POS Select payment screen, tap Credit.
- iOS only: Tap Start payment.
- Let the customer insert their card. The chip should face towards the Shopify logo.
- If a signature is required, then let the customer sign their name on the signature screen. When the customer is happy with their signature, they tap Submit signature.
- When the transaction is successful, choose whether to provide a receipt, and then tap Start new order. The customer can now remove their card.
To accept a swipe payment:
- From the Shopify POS Select payment screen, tap Credit.
- iOS only: Tap Start payment.
- Let the customer swipe their card. The magnetic stripe should face away from the Shopify logo.
-
If a signature is required, then let the customer sign their name on the signature screen. When the customer is happy with their signature, they tap Submit signature.
When the transaction is successful, choose whether to provide a receipt, and then tap Start new order.
Troubleshoot the Chip & Swipe Reader
If your card reader isn't working, then go through the following steps with a test order for a $1.00 quick sale item (you can refund the order later):
Check that you meet the requirements to use the Chip & Swipe Reader.
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Check that you have an internet connection. Shopify POS needs to connect to the internet through wi-fi or your device's cellular data to process payments. If you can't connect to the internet, then you can't process card payments.
If you don't meet all of the requirements, then you can still take credit card payments using an external payment terminal.
Check that your device has Bluetooth enabled and that the card reader is showing as connected in the Shopify POS hardware settings. If the card reader isn't showing as connected, then try pairing the card reader with your device.
Make sure that you're tapping Credit at the payments screen. The External terminal payment option is only for when you're using an external payment terminal instead of a Shopify-supported card reader.
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iOS only: Go to the Hardware section of the Shopify POS settings, and check whether your device is also paired with the Tap, Chip, and Swipe card reader.
When both card readers are paired with your device, Shopify POS tries to use the Tap, Chip, and Swipe card reader because it has the most features. If you want to be certain of which card reader to use, then unpair the reader that you want Shopify POS to ignore.
Make sure that you're inserting or swiping the card correctly.
Try entering the credit card information manually. If this works, then there's a problem with the card reader.
If the manual entry doesn't work, then force quit the Shopify POS app, and then turn off the device and card reader. Turn the device back on, open Shopify POS, and then turn on the card reader. When the card reader's status light shows that the reader's connected, try another test order.
If your card reader's still not working, then contact Shopify Support.