⚠️ When setting up a box fresh reader, you need to charge it for at least half an hour (to at least 50% battery) to an hour first, and then it will need to update when it pairs to a device. Plan accordingly.
We use card readers from Stripe called BBPOS Wisepad 3.
These should be paired exclusively using the Serve EPOS or Kiosk device.
The settings page of the app will show nearby readers by their ID (printed on the back, or accessible on the screen by pressing the power/settings button)
Readers pair directly to an iOS device and shouldn’t be swapped around. You can connect multiple readers to the same iOS device - but this can get confusing, so it
‼️ KEEP ONE READER TO ONE iOS DEVICE. Readers can only pair to one iOS device at a time and will try to reconnect automatically to devices they have paired with before.
How do I connect a card reader to an EPOS device?
Power on the Stripe Wisepad 3, click the ‘On’ button and locate the serial number
Open the Sessions Serve app and login with your pin code
Navigate to Settings > EPOS
At the bottom of the section, all bluetooth card readers will appear as available to pair with
Tap the card reader that matches your serial number and press ‘Pair’
The card machine will likely now perform any updates
Once the updates are complete, you can test the card reader by adding something to the basket and pressing ‘Card’. If the card machine is triggered then it’s ready to use
After following the above steps, the EPOS should be ready to start taking orders and processing payments.
Troubleshooting card reader issues:
Check the battery charge level
The card readers are a bit troublesome whenever they have low charge. You must make sure to charge them up for at least 15 minutes before you can expect to use them.
<aside> 🪫 If the reader needs an update, it needs to have at least 50% charge. New readers always need an update before they can work properly. From dead, this might take up to an hour. You won’t be able to tell if the reader needs an update until you get to this charge level - so plan accordingly.
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Beware that the power level on the device can be deceptive so don’t trust it - keep it on charge and wait until it works.
Forget the reader and re-pair
Forget the device in iOS bluetooth settings
Open the Serve EPOS app and reconnect it in there
Hard reset the card reader
If neither of the above options work, you can try hard resetting the reader by putting a pin or a paperclip into the tiny hole next to the charging port. The device will reset and you should try to pair it again from inside the Serve app.
Check for liquid damage
If a reader is liquid damaged it will display an error message, usually referencing being tampered with in some way.
Unfortunately, in this case, the reader is irrecoverable and must be replaced.