Need better way to take credit cards at Craft Fairs

[Pat Scott]

I had my first Craft Fair booth yesterday, and everything went well except for getting my credit card reader to work. I have a brand new Etsy reader and a brand new chip-enabled Square reader. I was able to get the Etsy reader to read a card swipe ONE time, and never again. I ended up manually keying in the credit card number (and paying the higher fee for manual entry). More than half of my sales were by credit card.

Thinking I had a defective reader, I swapped to my brand new Square reader. My phone wouldn't even connect with the reader. Talk about frustrating when you have a customer standing there while you fumble with your @#$%^ card reader! I tried my wife's phone and had the same results as far as not recognizing either reader.

I had tried both readers at home prior to the show and both performed flawlessly. At the show with my Etsy reader I could do a practice swipe and it would say "Perfect Swipe", but when I did an actual sale it wouldn't read squat. Later I couldn't get it to even do a practice swipe. I tried rebooting my phone multiple times, unplug/replug the reader, tried it with and without WiFi (the venue had free public WiFi), made sure the volume was turned all the way down, nothing. Back home after the show both readers worked great. AAHH!!

I have a bigger Craft Fair in a month and I can't afford to waste time on a reader that won't work reliably. What do the rest of you guys use? Do I need to look into a dedicated credit card machine instead of my cell phone card reader? What models are best? Does iPhone work better with readers than Android?

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[Randy Red Bemont]

Sorry to hear about your headache but great thread. I will be following closely because I will be in need of something reliable soon myself. I hope there is an easy fix. Loosing a sale due to a non-connecting reader is beyond frustrating.

Red

[Dave Lehnert]

Noticed the other day Amazon is now into that type of service.
https://register.amazon.com/

[Michael Mason]

The ones I have used needed the volume all the way UP. That may not be your case but I have not used your brand. I use PayPal Here now, no complaints.

[Pat Scott]

I saw the PayPal reader a while back but it was pretty much the same cost per swipe as what I had so I didn't pursue it any more.
I wasn't aware of the Amazon reader, but since it's cheaper than either one that I have now, I ordered one.

Hmm, I didn't try the volume all the way up because the Etsy hints said it needed off. I might try to contact Etsy tomorrow and talk to them. After yesterday it's hard to trust the reader that I have. I wonder if it's a Wifi thing? But I turned off Wifi and tried 4G by itself and no change. I only had two bars for 4G so maybe that wasn't a good solution either. I felt like I was batting 1000 yesterday.

[John A langley]

Just a thought sometimes those places that you rent the space from Will block the Wi-Fi signal so that you have to subscribe to theirs and pay a daily fee

[Scott Shepherd]

We use Square almost daily when dealing with walk in customers. Works fantastic on most devices. You need to make sure your apps are current, they release updates for it a lot.

I have, myself, just last week, swiped a card repeatedly and gotten nothing. Only to figure out that I had the reader turned around backwards :o Turned the reader around, it worked first swipe :)

Someone here has a phone that's got a case on it, and they have problems. Their case is recessed around the jack, but not enough for it to always get a good seat in the plug. If they remove their case, it works fine. Do you have cases on your phones? If the reader doesn't say it's connected with a message on the screen, then it might be that. Just a couple things to think about.

[Tony De Masi]

Been using the Square reader for a couple of years with no issues. Just don't try to answer your phone with the reader plugged in. You would need to remove the reader to use the phone.

[Kent Adams]

I don't know much of anything about these readers, however, in my opinion you're much better off with an iPhone. There is only one operating system for the card readers to have to develop to on the iPhone. Android is messed up with different OEM skins, operating systems are rarely updated, except for the Nexus device etc.

[Pat Scott]

Thanks Scott. I did remove my case but that made no difference. I know that I was swiping the card oriented correctly with my Etsy reader, but now you have me wondering about the Square. It could have been that when I tried it hurriedly in the middle of the sale that I was flustered and had the card the wrong way.

So a general question - all of these card readers will work on either Wifi or 4G signal, correct? If I have a weak or non-existent Wifi, they should still work on 4G? For the vendors Wifi, it was free but like a lot of free Wifi's, I had to sign up and then sign in. Those are always a pain because sometimes I will sign in, it confirms that I'm connected, but yet it still says I need to sign in. I have this happen fairly often at hotels. That's when I tried turning off Wifi and just trying to use 4G.

[Scott Shepherd]

Yes Pat, it should be connecting via 4G. You might even want to turn WiFi off on your phone just do it doesn't try to use that. The square reader is nice, but it really could use something on it to let you know which side faces out and which side the card swipes on. I don't personally use it every day, so about 100% of the time, I have it turned around backwards or the card backwards :) I really should mark it to saw "this side out" and then show which way the card faces. If they'd hurry up and send that new reader with the chip card reader in it, it would stop all that :)

[Pat Scott]

Thanks Scott. Funny thing is that I do have the new chip enabled Square reader. I hope I didn't have the card the wrong way! But I remember that I couldn't get the reader to even connect with my phone when plugged in. Made me wonder if it was a setting or problem with my phone, but we tried Square on my wife's phone also and it couldn't connect either. But everything worked perfectly once I got home.

[Ronald Blue]

I can tell you that the Android system does get updated. Not sure where you get that from. I am on the second update in less then a year and it could be the third. A micro USB port is the same no matter what the device. As for the card reader I can't speak to that. However most places I have been that were using a plug in reader were using Android based tablets.


I don't know much of anything about these readers, however, in my opinion you're much better off with an iPhone. There is only one operating system for the card readers to have to develop to on the iPhone. Android is messed up with different OEM skins, operating systems are rarely updated, except for the Nexus device etc.

[Scott Shepherd]

Thanks Scott. Funny thing is that I do have the new chip enabled Square reader. I hope I didn't have the card the wrong way! But I remember that I couldn't get the reader to even connect with my phone when plugged in. Made me wonder if it was a setting or problem with my phone, but we tried Square on my wife's phone also and it couldn't connect either. But everything worked perfectly once I got home.

You've got this thing? I didn't think it was available yet. We preordered it, but ours hasn't shipped yet.

https://squareup.com/contactless-chip-reader

[Fred Belknap]

I use the Square reader and the chip reader. They work pretty good when there is a strong signal. I also found that the chip reader needed to be recharged between sales. The battery in it would go dead after several swipes so when I get a break I plug it in and charge. I called square about this and they didn't have a work around. They need some way to charge the battery while the chip reader is being used, the way it is now it can't be charged while being plugged into a device. I use an Apple mini tablet.

[roger wiegand]

I've been using the Intuit GoPayment system for several years now and never had a problem. Fees don't seem out of line.

Square refused to give me an account and refused to tell me why, so I'm pretty unhappy with them. (Last I checked my credit score was 843, so I'm not exactly a deadbeat. Company is a MA LLC that's been in existence over 5 years)

[Kent Adams]

I can tell you that the Android system does get updated. Not sure where you get that from. I am on the second update in less then a year and it could be the third. A micro USB port is the same no matter what the device. As for the card reader I can't speak to that. However most places I have been that were using a plug in reader were using Android based tablets.

What device are you using that is getting routine updates and which version of Android are you running? Micro-USB ports (hardware) have nothing to do with operating system (software) versions I referred to, BTW. Think of a CNC machine. The router on the CNC machine is hardware. The computer program to program it is software. So, when I say your CNC software isn't updated across devices equally, I don't mean your router (micro-USB port). My guess is that you are unlikely to be running the latest version of Android on your device, unless you have a Nexus because that is the only device that has updates that bypass carrier approval, like iOS. Nexus Androids and iPhones are the only handsets that bypass carrier approval. Hope that helps.

Source for all the android OS versions in distribution based on device: http://www.androidcentral.com/lollipop-now-235-percent-active-android-devices

Latest iOS distribution released in October: https://www.gosquared.com/global/ios/9/#launch

As you can see, the majority of Android versions running are several years old whereas the latest iOS version released just a few weeks ago is already installed on the majority of all iOS devices, no matter the age. Android is fragmented and difficult for developers to program for, so there will be bugs when you hook in an accessory. The accessory communicates with the software to work, has nothing to do with the hardware. I wouldn't be surprised that most card readers are being used with Android tablets. Most people use and buy cheap tools. However, that doesn't mean the cheap tools work the best or produce better results for the job they're doing.

[Pat Scott]

I use the Square reader and the chip reader. They work pretty good when there is a strong signal. I also found that the chip reader needed to be recharged between sales. The battery in it would go dead after several swipes so when I get a break I plug it in and charge. I called square about this and they didn't have a work around. They need some way to charge the battery while the chip reader is being used, the way it is now it can't be charged while being plugged into a device. I use an Apple mini tablet.

I agree, you would think with the reader plugged into the phone that it would charge. Too bad it doesn't have some kind of battery charge indicator as well.
I thought maybe the reason it wouldn't connect with my phone was because it needed charged, but that's when I realized that the charge cable requires a regular USB port. I didn't bring a computer with me, so I was screwed. I can bring an external USB hub that plugs into the wall next time, that will be smaller than lugging a laptop just to charge it.



You've got this thing? I didn't think it was available yet. We preordered it, but ours hasn't shipped yet.
I don't have the contactless one, mine is the small 1.5" square reader that you swipe cards (the original square reader is a bit smaller), but it also has a 2nd slot for inserting chip cards. Square is the only reader so far that is chip enabled so I paid the $29 and got it weeks ago. In retrospect, I wonder if I should have started off using it instead of the Etsy reader.

So nobody uses a dedicated credit card reader similar to this? I don't know much about these (yet), but I suspect they work over WiFi as well, so I don't know if that's going to buy me much.
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[Wes Ramsey]

I've used all of them for a season or two in my wife's business, which is a bi-annual children's consignment event. Other than the fees and the app to run them there's not a lick of difference between most of the scanners. Right now we're using Payscape due to the lower fees and you only borrow the readers, which is important since we use up to 8 at a time. Their weekend support is also top notch and you can send invoices online similar to Paypal.

As for using them I've run into all sorts of troubles and found a few solutions:

- cell signal in metal building is awful. Even if your device says you have 2 bars the data connection may be intermittent, causing regular failures. That's with any Apple or Android device. the only way around it is to get a cell signal booster or use the local wifi.
- cell signal boosters are amazing devices, but can be pricey. Wilson makes good gear for this and you can get them on Amazon. The $250-300 amp will give you signal where there is NONE even with poor setup, but may be too bulky for trade shows. They make smaller/cheaper devices that may work fine, but I have no experience with them.
- Trade show building wifi can save your bacon. Or not. One of our first events the wifi was open and broadcast, and with the hundreds of people in the building all sharing the same wifi the router kept going offline or was so bogged down we couldn't connect or complete transactions. Another event we lost power for a while (and didn't have 4g to run transactions due to being in a metal building). I had the router password protected, but signal to our registers was still spotty due to range and interferance. I bought a dual-band range extender which helped most of the time, but it came with its own set of problems; namely that they have to be reset once a day or so when they lose connectivity with the main router.
- As for the device itself, we use only iphones and ipads just so they're all the same technology. I have no experience with android devices. I haven't found any tricks to make them work better - almost all issues we've had came from lackluster connectivity to the network. However, one thing I have found that almost always interferes with proper connection of the card reader is protective cases. There's nothing like making a $20 sale, only to have the buyer drop your $300 ipad. I cringe every time we hand one over for them to sign. My wife found some simple, cheap, rubber cases that can be trimmed so there's nothing keeping the card reader from being plugged in all the way. They aren't lifeproof, but they aren't $80/each either. If you prefer to use a quality case then invest a bit in a plug extension, like the one that comes with Lifeproof cases to ensure you get a good connection. But test it first - some 1/8" plug extensions may not support the card reader.

Hope this helps someone!

[Pat Scott]

Thanks for all the info Wes!

[Brian Elfert]

A vendor I know probably does 100 transactions a month with his Square with no issues. The biggest issue I have seen with the Square stripe readers is the speed with which the card is swiped seems to affect if the stripe is read or not. The vendor just got the new reader from Square, but I haven't talked to him about it yet.

I got a Square reader for some stuff I do, but it won't work with my phone case, and it takes forever to process a transaction so I no longer offer to take credit cards. If I took credit cards all day long the length of time would be less, but being unable to read the screen in direct sunlight is a big issue. The transactions are small and rarely does someone not have cash.

[Reed Gray]

Funny thing about my card reader, some times if I swipe from one side like from right to left, if it doesn't work, I swipe from the opposite direction and it does work. Personally, I think that reader should be wider to the card stays flat against the surface rather than wobble. Kind of like why a jointer with a longer bed is more accurate than one with a shorter bed...

robo hippy

[Mark Levitski]

Media volume all the way up, and turn Bluetooth off for readers.

[Pat Scott]

A vendor I know probably does 100 transactions a month with his Square with no issues. The biggest issue I have seen with the Square stripe readers is the speed with which the card is swiped seems to affect if the stripe is read or not. The vendor just got the new reader from Square, but I haven't talked to him about it yet.

I got a Square reader for some stuff I do, but it won't work with my phone case, and it takes forever to process a transaction so I no longer offer to take credit cards. If I took credit cards all day long the length of time would be less, but being unable to read the screen in direct sunlight is a big issue. The transactions are small and rarely does someone not have cash.
I wish the Square app had an option for you to practice swiping a card (like the Etsy app does). I don’t see where either reader that I have is touching my case, but I took it off anyway and no change. After reading Wes’s reply about customers dropping your iPad, I think a case is a good thing to use! Hopefully since my phone is smaller than an iPad it will be easier for customers to hang on to.



Funny thing about my card reader, some times if I swipe from one side like from right to left, if it doesn't work, I swipe from the opposite direction and it does work. Personally, I think that reader should be wider to the card stays flat against the surface rather than wobble. Kind of like why a jointer with a longer bed is more accurate than one with a shorter bed...

robo hippy
I’m not sure if I tried swiping both ways or not, but I should have known that. After reading all of the other comments I did take a Sharpie and wrote “front of card” on the front of my Square reader. I read the directions again (imagine that!), and whether I use the strip or chip, the front of the card faces forward. I’m thinking I should have started off with the Square after all the positive comments. I did notice that most if not all of the credit cards that I was handed did have the chip on them. So maybe if I had used the Square reader and let it read the chip instead of trying to read the mag strip I would have been better off.



Media volume all the way up, and turn Bluetooth off for readers.
I sure hope I wasn’t shooting myself in the foot by having the volume all the way down instead of all the way up. I’ll give that a try next time.

[Shawn Pixley]

Yes Pat, it should be connecting via 4G. You might even want to turn WiFi off on your phone just do it doesn't try to use that. The square reader is nice, but it really could use something on it to let you know which side faces out and which side the card swipes on. I don't personally use it every day, so about 100% of the time, I have it turned around backwards or the card backwards :) I really should mark it to saw "this side out" and then show which way the card faces. If they'd hurry up and send that new reader with the chip card reader in it, it would stop all that :)

We use the square reader with an iPhone 5S Works wonderfully. We put a dot on the side of the square reader with a Sharpie so as to keep track of the orientation.

[cody michael]

My wife has used the paypal one with good success, I have I think an unused paypal reader (there was a deal they would pay you 20$ to buy the 15$ reader) if anyone wants one I will send it there way, just pay shipping...