Tap & Chip Reader
Available only from Shopify
The Shopify Tap & Chip Reader is an EMV-compliant card reader that connects wirelessly to your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. You can use Shopify's Tap & Chip Reader to accept contactless and chip card payments with the Shopify POS app.
Card reader requirements and supported payment types
To use the Tap & Chip Reader, you need to meet the following requirements:
- a store based in the United States
- Shopify Payments activated as your store's payment provider
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a compatible iPad, iPhone, or Android device that supports Bluetooth 4.2 or higher:
- iPhone - iPhone 6 or higher
- iPad - iPad Air 2 or higher
- iPad mini - iPad mini 4
- iOS - iOS device running iOS 11 or higher
- Android - Android device running version 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher
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a compatible version of Shopify POS:
- iOS - Shopify POS 5.12.0 or higher
- Android - Shopify POS 3.4.0 or higher
You can use the Tap & Chip Reader to accept payments from the following payment types:
- Visa and Visa Debit
- Mastercard and Debit Mastercard
- American Express
- Discover
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
Where to buy the Tap & Chip Reader
The Tap & Chip Reader is available only from the Shopify Hardware Store in the United States.
Power the Tap & Chip Reader on and off
To turn on the Tap & Chip Reader, press and release its power button. The status lights will turn on. If you've already paired and connected the reader with your POS device, then the reader automatically reconnects to the device.
After one hour of inactivity, the Tap & Chip Reader goes to sleep. You need to press and release the power button to wake the card reader again. If you press and hold the power button for 4 seconds or more, then the reader resets any Bluetooth pairing it had, and needs to be paired again.
Charge the Tap & Chip Reader
You can charge the Tap & Chip Reader by using the USB cable that's supplied with it. To charge the reader, plug the small end of USB connector into the card reader or its base, and then plug the large end into a phone charger or computer.
The Tap & Chip Reader takes 1-2 hours to charge fully. After the reader's fully charged, its battery should last for a week of selling.
Press the power button to display the reader's battery level on the four status lights.
| ● ● ● ● | Full charge |
| ● ● ● ○ | 75% charge |
| ● ● ○ ○ | 50% charge |
| ● ○ ○ ○ | 25% charge |
| ● ○ ○ ○ (red) | Low battery |
| ● ❂ ○ ○ (flashing) | Charging |
Pair and connect the Tap & Chip Reader to your POS device
To use the card reader with Shopify POS, you need to pair and connect the reader with your POS device. After the reader and device are paired, the reader connects to the device automatically whenever both are turned on and in range.
Steps:
Press and release the power button to turn on the reader.
In Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware > Connect card reader.
In the Select Reader dialog, under Tap & Chip, tap Connect.
Press and hold the power button on the card reader for 4 seconds. The 4 LED indicator lights across the top will flash back and forth to indicate that the reader is ready for pairing.
- When the card reader appears beneath Available card readers, tap Connect beside it.
Press and release the power button to turn on the reader.
In Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware > Connect card reader.
In the Select Reader dialog, under Tap & Chip, tap Connect.
Press and hold the power button on the card reader for 4 seconds. The 4 LED indicator lights across the top will flash back and forth to indicate that the reader is ready for pairing.
- When the card reader appears beneath Available card readers, tap Connect beside it.
Press and release the power button to turn on the reader.
In Shopify POS, tap Store > Hardware > Connect card reader.
In the Select Reader dialog, under Tap & Chip, tap Connect.
Press and hold the power button on the card reader for 4 seconds. The 4 LED indicator lights across the top will flash back and forth to indicate that the reader is ready for pairing.
When the card reader appears beneath Available card readers, tap CONNECT beside it.
In the dialog that appears, tap PAIR.
Unpair the Tap & Chip Reader from your POS device
You can use the Tap & Chip 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, and then tap Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Tap & Chip Reader.
Tap Forget card reader.
In the Forget card reader dialog, tap Forget.
From Shopify POS, tap Store, and then tap Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Tap & Chip Reader.
Tap Forget card reader.
In the Forget this card reader dialog, tap Forget.
From Shopify POS, tap Store, and then tap Hardware.
On the Hardware screen, tap Tap & Chip Reader.
Tap Forget card reader.
In the Forget this card reader dialog, tap FORGET READER.
Accept payment with the Tap and Chip Reader
To accept a tap payment:
From the Shopify POS Select payment screen, tap Credit.
Tap the contactless payment card or device on the face of the card reader and hold it in place until the four blue notification lights appear. When Shopify POS displays a Payment received message, the transaction is complete.
To accept a chip payment:
From the Shopify POS Select payment screen, tap Credit.
Allow the customer to insert their card. The chip should face up, towards the Shopify logo.
If a signature's required, then allow the customer to sign their name on the signature screen. When the customer's 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.
Troubleshoot the Tap & Chip Reader
If your card reader isn't working, then you can troubleshoot the problem by going through the following steps with a test order:
Check that you meet the requirements to use the Tap & Chip 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 won't be able to process payments with the Tap & Chip Reader.
If you want to process credit card payments but you don't have an internet connection, then you need to use 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.
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When pairing the card reader with your device, make sure that you don't hold the power button for more than 4 seconds. If you continue holding the power button after the LED lights flash back and forth, then one of the following things could happen:
- If the card reader is unpaired, then the reader is turned off.
- If the card reader is already paired, then the reader is disconnected from the current 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 the card correctly.
Try entering the card information manually. If this works, then there's a problem with the card reader.
If the manual entry doesn't work, force quit the Shopify POS app, and then turn off the device. Turn the device back on, open Shopify POS, and ensure that the card reader has re-connected. 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.
Shopify Dock for Tap & Chip
The dock for the Shopify Tap & Chip card reader does the following:
provides power to the reader so that it is always on and charged
elevates the reader
secures the reader to a countertop
The dock is available from the Shopify Hardware Store in the United States.
Attaching the Shopify Tap & Chip card reader to the dock
Optional: Mount the dock to a countertop using the M5 (0.8 mm) bolt and nut. You need to drill a hole through the countertop. You then screw the bolt through the bottom of the counter top and in to the bottom of the dock.
Remove the end cap from the dock.
Slide the Shopify Tap & Chip card reader into the dock. Make sure that the USB-C connector on the dock connects to the card reader.
Replace the end cap.
Connect the power cable to the dock and then to a power source that has a USB-A connector, such as the Shopify Retail Stand.
Shopify Tap & Chip iPhone case
The case is designed to attach the Shopify Tap & Chip reader to the back of your iPhone. This gives you the mobility and ease to take payments without being restricted to a countertop checkout. It also offers protection for your iPhone and card reader.
The case is compatible with the iPhone X and iPhone XS models. It is available from the Shopify Hardware Store.
Attaching the case to the iPhone and Shopify Tap & Chip reader
We recommend that you attach the iPhone to the case before you attach the Shopify Tap & Chip reader.
You need to power on and pair the Shopify Tap & Chip reader before you attach it to the case.
Steps:
Power on the card reader and then pair the card reader to your phone.
Attach the case to the iPhone.
Attach the case to the Shopify Tap & Chip reader.
Remove the Shopify Tap & Chip reader from the case before you detach the iPhone.