Square card reader

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Monty

Monty

Group Buy Coordinator
Joined
Mar 4, 2005
Messages
8,433
Location
Pearland, Texas, USA.
I've been having intermittent problems with my Square card reader in my Andriod 3G phone. The first time was about a month ago at our local IAP meeting. The reader scanned the first card with no problems, after that it would not read the card. I contacted Square support and was told it was most likely dust in the headphone jack and to check and clean the jack and try it again. I did and the reader read 3 cards of mine with no problem.
In preparation for my show this past weekend, I tried the reader at home before I left and it read with no problem. However at the show on Thursday, it would not read the one card I tried and I had to key in the card number. When I got home, it worked so I attributed the problem to maybe not having a good cell phone signal. On Friday at the show, it worked fine on the one card I was given. Saturday, it worked fine on the first 2 cards, than it wouldn't read the next 5 or 6 cards from customers and I had to key in the numbers. Mid day Saturday, I tried again and it worked.
Sunday, I contacted Square support with the following message –
I'm upset with the reliability of the Square card reader.
I had a show the past three days and the ability of the reader was hit and miss. On Thursday, it read the two cards. Friday and Saturday, one time it would read a card and the next time it wouldn't. This was extremely frustrating, not to mention that I had the card and had to key it in thus costing me more in fees and you placing keyed receipts on hold.
I had the same problem about a month ago and when I reported it, I was told it was probably "dust in the plug" and to make sure it the plug was clean. Don't tell me its dust in the plug again as I would remove and reinsert the reader several times with no difference. I also don't believe it was my signal strength as I would have 3-4 bars showing when it would not read.
I have another show this next weekend and don't want this to be a recurring problem.


I received this reply –
That does sound like a defective reader and I do apologize for the inconvenience. I will ship another reader out to you right away.

After your order has been placed, we will send you an email as soon as it has shipped. It typically takes about one business week from the time you submit your request to receive the card reader, but can sometimes take a couple days longer.

Our readers are also available in Apple Stores and most RadioShack and Best Buy locations.

Thanks and have a great day.
I received another email that a new card reader has been shipped, but I won't receive it until Monday.
Do not take this as a slam against Square as their CS response so far has been great, just posting in case anyone else has had intermittent problems with their card reader. I'll let you know if the new reader solved the problem after my shows this weekend.


As a side note, I sent my wife to Best Buy (she was going to the mall anyway) to get me a reader to use at my show this weekend. When I opened the box when she got home, there was no reader inside. Someone stole the reader out of the box at BB. She had to make another trip back to get another reader. I don't know why anyone would steal the reader since there is a card in the box with a number on it that you can enter on Square and get you $10 back.
 
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I use the square and was worried about either losing or breaking it at a show (I will admit to losing and breaking things far more than is socially acceptable), contacted their customer support folks and they sent me a spare, no charge. Haven't had the problems you describe, but have been happy with their service!
 
Well, maybe it's not the reader after all. Maybe it's my phone.
I received the reader form Square yesterday so I now have two new readers. Both worked on my CC here at home. Got to my show today and neither reader would with any card I tried when I had a sale. Late in the afternoon, I tried one of my cards again and surprise, it worked. Anybody have any idea what the problem may be or how to trouble shoot the problem?
 
I don't think I can help but I had one card last weekend that I had to scan about 10 times to get it to read. Other cards read in easily so it may be an issue with the card itself.

I also requested a second reader from Square and they are sending it at no charge.

John
 
Monty

I use the square as well and had a simular problem come to find out mine was user error with the android you need to make sure the reader clicks when inserting it into the headphone jack if not it will cause all kinds of weird problems
 
I know you would have already checked

I know you would have already checked this but I have done it a couple times. I have swiped the card facing the wrong way . So now I make sure the thicker part is the side the bar code is on. Other than that it has worked great.
 
fireangels said:
Monty

I use the square as well and had a simular problem come to find out mine was user error with the android you need to make sure the reader clicks when inserting it into the headphone jack if not it will cause all kinds of weird problems
Click to expand...

This is a pretty good tip. I've only had an issue once so far, and it was because a case I had was interfering with the reader going in all the way.
 
I use Square with Android. There have been some instances when it did not read and gave me a message to swipe card quickly, so I swiped the card faster on the next try. I swiped as many as 20 times before I got it to read, but it eventually did read the card. Then I tried swiping slower and it has never taken more than three swipes since I slowed down. I've used it for several hundred charges now and it is working great.
 
I have had cards read at times then other times it will not. Sometimes its the stripe on the back of the card. An old trick is to put the card in a plastic shopping bag and then swipe it.
 
If you MUST have a spare reader, immediately, they are available at many Radio Shack stores for $9.99.

We don't use the square except in emergencies because of the cost. But we do carry a couple as backups.

FWIW: You CAN, in fact, print reciepts from Square up with IPhone or IPad using OS 4.2 or later. This is done by sending the reciept to your email address and then printing to a AirPrint printer (or any printer, if you use PrintCentral).

This also eliminates another flaw in the Square software of not allowing reciepts to be reprinted. (you simply forward the "reciept e-mail" to the owner of the purchase.

I know these things because square sent me a couple of devices to evaluate and make recommendations. Reciept reprint and mail to multiple e-mail addresses or mobile devices will be offered very soon.

Also, the CSUSA stylus works very well for signatures.
 
Oh, and if you keep one of the small plastic "pen part bags" over the reader until you actually go to use the reader, it works much better.
 
Just a aheads up cause it's my understanding but I don't believe the Square solution is PCIS compliant with Mastercard and VISA. I'm in the financial industry so I understand what that means to me as a merchant and my liability beacuse of it. I got a reader when they first came out and was anxious to use it like evryone else who has jumped on this band wagon. But if you take credit cards and and are not PCIS compliant you can get into allot of trouble financially from the networks and liability regarding Identity Theft. Some of the smaller VISA/Mastercard penalties for taking in their cards and not securing the account data locally like on your phone start at $25,000. Plus Android is the most hacked operating system of all the mobile platforms. I purchased my Square reader initially when I bought an ipad when they first came out.
 
Mannie, I have intermittent problems with my Square reader and my Android, the Problem seems to be3 some of the cards, I'll do a card or two then no work. try another card and it works just fine, I also had the case interference problem but a scalpel blade solved that, Now I just can't take my phone swimming!!
 
Have you been having issues with your cell service? I ask because I have and when I called att about it they attributed it to maintenance due to the wildfires not far from us and the surrounding towers being stressed due to rerouted calls
 
Justturnin said:
Have you been having issues with your cell service? I ask because I have and when I called att about it they attributed it to maintenance due to the wildfires not far from us and the surrounding towers being stressed due to rerouted calls
Click to expand...
I have Boost Mobile (uses the Sprint network) and have been places where I've had 5-6 bars and the reader would not read.


bitshird said:
Mannie, I have intermittent problems with my Square reader and my Android, the Problem seems to be3 some of the cards, I'll do a card or two then no work. try another card and it works just fine, I also had the case interference problem but a scalpel blade solved that, Now I just can't take my phone swimming!!
Click to expand...
I give up. I have 3 readers and none will work more that once or twice. I'm beginning to think that they won't work with my Samsung Prevail phone. I probably keyed in over 95% of my CC sales from my shows.
Wish I could fine someone close with a different phone and/or network I could test the reader out on before I commit to a new phone on a different network.
 
What TomW said. Plus no Cc data is stored on your device. It is simply used as a network interface device. I neve touch the CC, just let the customer do the sliding.
 
Monty said:
Wish I could fine someone close with a different phone and/or network I could test the reader out on before I commit to a new phone on a different network.
Click to expand...

I don't live real close but I can assure you that mine works perfectly on my iPhone 4s and iPad 2. Occasionally I have to swipe twice but it has never failed to read and process. I ran a bunch of credit cards at SWAT with my iPad and got it down where I never swiped more than once and I am still on my first reader.

Then agian, Square was originally created for the iOS so that may have something to do with it. Who knows.
 
MesquiteMan said:
Monty said:
Wish I could fine someone close with a different phone and/or network I could test the reader out on before I commit to a new phone on a different network.
Click to expand...


Then agian, Square was originally created for the iOS so that may have something to do with it. Who knows.
Click to expand...

Curtis you may just be on to something. I also have a phone swipe device from my credit card company, and it works about the same, sometimes I'll have to swipe the card 3 or 4 times,.
I've thought about a trick some of the old Walmart cashiers would do. If your card wouldn't read, the cashier would put it in a store plastic bag, swipe the card and invariably it would work first time. like you said Who knows???
 
I've had no problem when using Square with an iPad, but when I've had to revert to an iPhone due to lack of WiFi, I've had some troubles swiping a card. To the best of my knowledge the issue has been due to the reader not being fully engaged in the headphone jack. I've had to take the protective case off of the iPhone to allow it to fully seat. There is an icon on the screen that tells you if you have a good connection.
 
Haven't had an issue with my Samsung Infuse (Droid) but know others that did. Usually it's not fully installed. It will feel like its's pushed in but you need the extra umph to fully seat. I have to rremove my balistic case to seat. As previously stated the fat part goes againest the mag strip. When cards won't read try rubbing the strip acrosss your shirt or pants leg. The card should read iregardless of signal...the info is input to the phone prior to making a connrction.
 
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