Star Micronics TSP650II Bluetooth wireless receipt printer

Requirements

To use this hardware with your Shopify store, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • the all-new Shopify POS
  • a compatible iPad that is running iOS 13 or higher, an iPhone that is running iOS 13 or higher, or a compatible Android device that is running version 7.0 (Nougat) or higher

Buying paper for your Bluetooth wireless receipt printer

Any thermal paper rolls work with this printer, if:

Specifications for paper for the Bluetooth wireless receipt printer
SpecificationsMeasurement
Width80mm standard
ThicknessBetween 0.053 mm and 0.085 mm
Roll diameterUp to 83 mm

For an explanation of how to load the receipt printer, see the guide in the manufacturer's hardware manual.

Plug in your Bluetooth printer

You need to connect your printer to the power supply.

Steps:

  1. Plug one end of the power cable into the back of your receipt printer.
  2. Plug the other end of the cable into a power outlet.
  3. Turn the printer on. The POWER indicator turns solid green. The ERROR indicator blinks red when no paper is loaded.

After this, you're ready to pair the printer with your iPad.

Status indicator lights

It's useful to understand the meaning of the status light at the back of the Bluetooth wireless receipt printer:

Interpreting the status lights on the Bluetooth wireless receipt printer
Status lightStatus
Green (not flashing)Not connected
Green flashingIn pairing mode
Blue (not flashing)Connected and ready to print
Purple flashingAuto-connect is on

Pair your Bluetooth printer

Pairing the receipt printer with your iPad enables the devices to connect when used in the future.

You need to pair your printer with your iPad only once, but you have to connect it every time that you turn the devices on.

On the most recent model of the Star Micronics TSP650II Bluetooth wireless receipt printer (model number 39449871), auto-connect is enabled. This means that after you've paired your printer with your iPad, the Bluetooth connection is established automatically every time the printer's switched on and in range of your iPad.

Steps:

  1. Connect your printer to the power supply.
  2. Tap the Settings icon on your iPad, then tap the Bluetooth menu option. You should see the Star Micronics printer in the DEVICES list. The printer's status is Not Paired.
  1. Find the red Pair button located at the back of the printer, and hold it down for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, the green LED at the back starts to flash, indicating that the device is in pairing mode. Pairing mode lasts for 60 seconds.
  2. While your printer is in pairing mode, tap the Star Micronics printer in the DEVICES list on your iPad. After a short pairing process, the printer displays as Connected, and the LED on the back of the printer turns solid blue.

Connecting older models

Older models of the Bluetooth printer are shipped with auto-connect off. This means that a paired printer can't connect automatically, even if it's turned on and within range of the iPad it's been paired with.

If auto-connect is off, you have two options:

Enabling auto-connect

If you want your paired printer to connect automatically every time you switch it on and the iPad is within range, then you need to activate auto-connect.

On model number 39449871, Bluetooth auto-connect is activated by default. For older models, you need to use an app produced by Star Micronics.

Steps:

  1. Make sure your printer is paired with your iPad.
  2. Download the Star Setting Utility app from the Apple App Store, created by Star Micronics.
  3. Open the Star Setting Utility, then select your paired receipt printer from the list.
  4. Tap the Auto Connect toggle switch to turn auto-connect on, then tap Done.
  5. When prompted, tap Update.
  6. To finish configuring auto-connect, power cycle the printer by turning it off, waiting 5 seconds, then turning it back on.
  7. Now you must select the printer from the Bluetooth DEVICES list in your iPad settings one more time. Tap the printer name and wait for it to connect.

From now on, your Bluetooth wireless receipt printer connects automatically every time you switch it on, if the iPad is within range. You don't need to select it from your Bluetooth DEVICES list.

Manually connect your printer and iPad

If auto-connect isn't activated, then you need to connect the paired printer manually every time you turn it on. To do this, tap the printer name in the Bluetooth DEVICES list in your iPad Settings (not the Shopify POS app setting).

After you've connected the Bluetooth wireless receipt printer with your iPad

After connecting your printer, don't forget to:

Unpair your iPad and receipt printer

  1. Turn off the printer.
  2. In your iPad's settings, tap Bluetooth to see your connected Bluetooth devices.
  3. Tap the i symbol to the right of the printer name, and then tap Forget this device to remove the printer from your Bluetooth devices list.
  4. From the Settings screen of Shopify POS, tap Manage connected hardware.
  5. Tap the name of the printer you want to remove.
  6. Tap Disconnect Printer in iOS Settings.

Reset Bluetooth settings on your receipt printer

You can return your receipt printer to its factory settings.

Steps:

  1. Unpair your iPad and receipt printer, and then turn your iPad off.
  2. With the printer turned off, find the reset button located on the back of the printer, and then use a pen to press and hold down the button.
  3. While holding down the reset button, turn on the printer. Continue holding the reset button for 10 seconds after turning on the printer, and then release the reset button.
  4. The lights on the front of the printer begin to flash. Wait until the Power light is a solid green and the Error light is off.
  5. Test the receipt printer:
    1. Turn off the receipt printer.
    2. Hold down the FEED button.
    3. While holding down the FEED button, turn on the printer.
    4. When the printer starts printing, release the FEED button.
    5. Make sure the second page contains the printer's Bluetooth information.
  6. Turn on your iPad and pair it with the receipt printer.

If you're using model number 39449871, then resetting leaves auto-connect activated, although you need to pair your devices again. On older models, you have to re-connect the printer manually or re-activated auto-connect after you've paired the printer with your iPad.

Limitations when using the Star Micronics TSP650II BTi Bluetooth wireless receipt printer

Shopify POS has an exclusive, 1-to-1 relationship with the Star Micronics TSP650II BTi Bluetooth wireless receipt printer, which means the following:

  • You can't connect multiple devices to the same printer.

  • Shopify POS won't work with multiple printers at the same time.

Troubleshooting the Star Micronics TSP650II

If you have trouble using the Star Micronics TSP650II, then try these troubleshooting steps.

Steps:

  1. Check that you have these basic requirements:
    • Your Shopify POS app is up to date.
    • Your iPad's version of iOS is up to date.
    • Your iPad has Bluetooth activated.
  2. Check that printer paper is correctly installed and that the status indicator light is a solid green color.
  3. Unpair your iPad and receipt printer.
  4. Return your receipt printer to its factory settings, following the same instructions as for the Star Micronics TSP100IIIBI Bluetooth wireless receipt printer.
  5. Pair your iPad with the receipt printer.
  6. Restart the printer.
  7. Go to your iPad's Bluetooth settings, and confirm that the Star Micronics printer displays as Not connected.
  8. Tap the printer to connect to it.
  9. When the printer shows as Connected, restart it again. When the printer turns on, it should display briefly as Not connected, and then as Connected.
  10. If the printer doesn't connect automatically when you restart it for the second time, then you need to activate auto-connect.
  11. Test the printer by printing a test receipt.

If you still have trouble using the receipt printer after trying these steps, then contact Shopify Support.

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