Square reader problem

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Monty

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,439
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
If you have an older Square reader please take note and test you reader.
I have the new Square chip reader card on order (since August) but like most, not yet received.
Two weeks ago my old reader was working fine. I went to use it this morning at my show and the first customer I went to charge, I received a message that my reader was no longer supported and that I needed to order a new reader. So, in the middle of the opening rush of customers, I was phoning Square to see what happened. After the standard test of turning off my tablet and rebooting it, the customer service person I was speaking to said I needed to get new reader. In the meantime I was to manually enter the CC info and they would reimburse me the $10, plus they gave me $500 in free processing to offset the additional fees of manually entering the CC info.
So, if you arre using a older card reader, you might want to run a test charge and see if your reader still works.
 
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wizical said:
Square sent out an email stating that the old readers would no longer work and had to upgrade to the new card readers.
Click to expand...
Now there's old and there's older readers. Do you know which they were referring to. The older ones quit in July this year. Found a picture. Which one did you have Monty?
 

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Mr Vic said:
wizical said:
Square sent out an email stating that the old readers would no longer work and had to upgrade to the new card readers.
Click to expand...
Now there's old and there's older readers. Do you know which they were referring to. The older ones quit in July this year. Found a picture. Which one did you have Monty?
Click to expand...
All three of my readers were like the one on the left.
I don't recall receiving an email that the older readers were being phased out.
 
Mannie,

I'd give Square a call to check on your order. I ordered a chip reader on 10/1 and had it by 10/8.
 
Kragax said:
On location do you have to switch back and forth from card reader to chip reader?
Click to expand...
the new emv readers have two slots - one for mag stripe cards (old technology) and one to "dip" the chip cards. SO as I understand it, you only need the EMV reader once you get it. my Mag stripe reader is the newer type and I intend to take it with me to shows as well as the new EMV reader - once I get it.
 
I have the non-chip type reader (like the one on the right above). At the craft show I did last week (12/5/15) it worked just fine. I don't recall an email saying it would no longer work, just that the new ones would be coming and using the old one would mean I was at risk if a fraudulent card was used. Perhaps the problem is only on the oldest readers.

mike
 
After seeing this thread I went on the Square website and looked at the new readers. I have had one on order for several months. My understanding is that the one I have on order is bluetooth and does not plug into the phone directly. It is $50 but I am supposed to receive that back in a credit toward processing fees.

I was surprised to see that there is alternative one that plugs into the audio port just like the older reader does. It is $30, but there is no credit available for processing fees. I'm wondering is that is the one that has been received? Has anyone received the "free" contactless reader?

It was supposed to have been shipped "early fall" when I first ordered it last spring or summer - here we are in "late fall" and I still haven't seen it.
 
I had problems with my reader this week end. I keep getting a message saying that the reader needs access to my microphone. Can't figure what that is about. Is there another service similar to square? Some one said amazon had a credit card reader but can not find anything about it.
 
triw51 said:
I had problems with my reader this week end. I keep getting a message saying that the reader needs access to my microphone. Can't figure what that is about. Is there another service similar to square? Some one said amazon had a credit card reader but can not find anything about it.
Click to expand...
Paypal has a reader similar to the Square. I don't know what their plans are for the chip type cards.
 
triw51 said:
I had problems with my reader this week end. I keep getting a message saying that the reader needs access to my microphone. Can't figure what that is about. Is there another service similar to square? Some one said amazon had a credit card reader but can not find anything about it.
Click to expand...
Maybe it wasn't pushed in all the way. It goes in the "earphone" jack which has three conductors and if it's not pushed in all the way, one conductor is not reached. Just an idea.
 
triw51 said:
I had problems with my reader this week end. I keep getting a message saying that the reader needs access to my microphone. Can't figure what that is about. Is there another service similar to square? Some one said amazon had a credit card reader but can not find anything about it.
Click to expand...

The reader uses the microphone port for access. Go into the settings and find the microphone setup and activate the microphone. You should be good to go.
 
If you have a hard phone case, it may not allow the reader to insert into the phone enough to work. My Iphone has an Otter case and it will not contact with the case on.
 
triw51 said:
I had problems with my reader this week end. I keep getting a message saying that the reader needs access to my microphone. Can't figure what that is about. Is there another service similar to square? Some one said amazon had a credit card reader but can not find anything about it.
Click to expand...


Intuit, the makers of have Quickbooks, have Quickbooks Payments service available. Their service is at Credit Card Processing, Merchant Services, Payment Processing|QuickBooks Payments
1724
 
We just used the older Square last weekend and it worked. Artists in booths next to us had the chip reader version. I think what happened is there are 2 versions of the chip reader, one sells for $49 and the other for $29, I don't know how they are different in function. The $29 version has shipped and possibly some of the $49 version. We got an email last week that promised ours will ship soon.

If you are using the chip reader you can still swipe a non-chip card. If you are using the older non-chip swiper you can (or at least you should be able to) still swipe a chip or non-chip cards.

Like Monty, we have the new readers on order since August.
 
The newer mag stripe reader is still available. The Mag/Chip reader is available right now for $29. It's a plug in reader. The Wireless Mag/Chip/Apple Pay reader is slowing shipping to pre order folks it runs $49.

As stated above the reader must be fully seated in the earphone/mic kack, the mic must be on and not muted with the volume full on. I used a Ballistic Case on my Samsung Infuse and had to remove the outer cover to plug in. The otter box on my new Note 5 barely lets it fully seat.

I also have the Intuit reader for a backup service. Why not it's free if not used. Their reader has the same issues. Not sure why they didn't think about protective covers in the design phase. From what I read on the Intuit site it will be March of 2016 before they announce/launch any form of chip reading devices.
 
Addendum - You can use an ear phone extension jack to help get a better seat but it must have a 4 ring plugs on both ends. The majority are 3 ringed and strictly for sound. The reader use the microphone line which makes sense for transmitting and sound for receiving.
 
Monty said:
Mr Vic said:
I also have the Intuit reader for a backup service. Why not it's free if not used...
Click to expand...

And if you don't use it they cancel your account...at least that's the reason they gave me for closing mine.
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I got the warning and made one charge. Probably about do to do another or I may let it go...Haven't had any issue with Square other then network coverage. The transmit when service is available takes care of that..
 
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Monty
Received mine, but it was bad. Have to go through the process of returning the unit! A lot of them are bad apparently. Many of them returned according to the person I talked to. New one/type coming out to n early to mid January they stated. Cost is believed to be near $60(?).
Randy

Monty said:
wizical said:
Square sent out an email stating that the old readers would no longer work and had to upgrade to the new card readers.
Click to expand...
Has anyone received the new reader yet????
Click to expand...
 
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