Does the Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader need wifi?

[girlfridaypaper]

I'll be using it for the first time at an event in November where there is no wifi available. Will it work, or will I need to swipe cards?

Thanks!

[slhlj]

Can the Square Contactless + Chip Reader be used with wi-fi?

[George]

Hi @slhlj,

The contactless and chip reader doesn't connect via wi-fi but rather it connects wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy.

To connect your reader wirelessly:

• Press and release your reader's button to turn it on.
• Go into your device settings to ensure Bluetooth is turned on.
• Open the Square app and tap the three lines, then Settings > Card Readers > Connect a Reader. (On an iOS device, you can tapContactless + Chip Reader.
• Press the reader's button for 3–6 seconds to put it into pairing mode.
• Release the button as soon as you see the orange flashing lights. If the lights turn red, you've held the button too long and need to try again.
• When your reader appears on the screen, tap it. That means it's paired. The reader will be listed as Ready in the app.

The full instructions and video tutorial are in this Help Center article: http://squ.re/1Sik9y4.

[Fresh1 · Accepted solution]

It works via Bluetooth LE. So make sure that is enabled! This reader does require an internet connection to process payments. You can use Wi-Fi, hotspot, or cellular data. You will not be able to use Offline Mode with this reader. 

For step-by-steps on connecting your Contactless and Chip Reader via Bluetooth LE, check out this handy video:

[girlfridaypaper]

Thanks!

[TarahRoseHair]

Do NOT listen to ANY one else that says the "contactless chip reader" ONLY needs bluetooth...it's a lie.  I have been doing hair on my own for just about a week now, the salon is in an old building, in the bottom floor (ie a wifi CAVE) and I have yet to be able to use the chip reader...even with my cell phone, which I would rather NOT use since I have an iPad set up JUST for work purposes, but since the iPad doesnt have a data plan I cant use the friggin chip reader, OR Apple Pay, OR Google Pay...not that it helps with my cell phone which DOES happen to have a data plan...  I guess I am mostly complaining, unless someone here has some advice, but in response to your quesiton "Does the contactless chip reader need wifi?", the answer is most definitely, YES, sadly...

[VanKalkerFarms]

@TarahRoseHair, you are correct, to use the chip reader you need a connection to the internet, be it WIFI or Cellular.  you can process credit cards in offline mode via swipe or manual entry but not with the chip reader (tap or dip).

[VanKalkerFarms]

Be very careful when accepting payments in offline mode (no internet connection). You will be responsible for all declined cards with no way to be reimbursed. 

Find a way to get cellular data on your phone or something so that you can take credit card payments without worrrying. 

[Sean]

@girlfridaypaper @Fresh1 - As an add on, chip cards and contactless payments cannot be accepted in offline mode. They require an active internet connection (wifi or cellular data). Meaning you'll need an active internet connection to use the Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader. Collecting payments in offline mode is limited to swiping cards using the magstripe reader (which comes with the Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader). You can find more details here. Hope this helps!

[brycehays]

That's scary. Does the app notify me of these declined cards or just act as if it recieved payment?

[Spenser]

You'll be notified of declined transactions in your Activity screen once you've regained an internet connection, but this would likely be after your customer has left. Square is unable to know whether that is the case until you have internet access so that's the risk in using offline mode. It should definitely be limited to when it's absolutely necessary. 

It can be worth asking your customers for their contact info when using Offline Mode as well, just in case there is an issue with their payment. Hope that helps.

[karensc]

your phone will say "Transaction Complete" after a failed capture.  I had no idea there was a problem until a few days after my show -- when $Zero was available for deposit.   

Offline mode doesn't work with this contactless and chip card reader.  Lost a lot of money.  

[Tom]

Hi @karensc, I'm so sorry for the confusion and to hear about the trouble you encountered with these payments.

That sounds strange—the Contactless and Chip Reader won't be able to pair with your mobile device without a strong Wifi or data connection. In addition, you should have received an error message within the app if the payment wasn't successful. 😕

If you haven't already, I would suggest getting in touch with our Customer Success team directly. They'll be able to take a deeper dive into your account and provide more insight on these attempted payments. In addition, they'll be able to escalate any specific payment issues for further review.

For more information on processing payments without an internet connection, have a look at this section of our Support Center: Process Payments with Offline Mode.

[karensc]

Thanks Tom, but I have reached out to the Square Customer Service team.   The unit works appropriately with a strong WIFI connection only.    Using a Cellular data plan for iphone and this CLCCR when there is no WIFI available is a total crap shoot.  Throughout the day I checked the bluetooth connection between my Square CLCCR and my iphone and my iphone indicated that it was properly connected via bluetooth.  After each transaction (I slid a customer's credit card into the device) the phone said "Transaction Complete".  I never got a message that the reader was offline.  I proceeded to take payments as if it was working properly.  I had practiced at home in my own WIFI zone and all was well.   I really don't think this CLCCR works reliably with cellular data plans (which MOST artists use at shows).  And there is most definately a glitch regarding a failure to indicate that the reader is not connected via bluetooth.   

[Tom]

Apologies for the frustration, @karensc. Were they able to escalate these payment attempts internally for further review? If you received a transaction complete message, those payments should show up in the app's logs. Generally speaking, a weak internet connection may cause the reader to disconnect—and this would prevent the card payment from completing successfully.

In addition, these tips may help prevent this issue from happening again:

• Make sure that your reader is within 10 feet of your device. Beyond that distance, the BLE connection will be out of range and become disconnected.
• Double check that your reader is fully charged.

Hope this helps. Please let me know if you're still encountering any trouble and I'll be happy to open a case on your behalf with our Customer Success team so that they can take a deeper dive into the payment issues.

[Kay4]

Thank you for posting this! I used my contactless chip reader for the first time last weekend and it freaked me out - would not work at all because I wasn't on a wifi network (I have cellular data and thought that it would work with that). I was so fortunate that the event did have a wifi network- my first sale with this was only possible because my first customer was so nice and had used something like this previously. I don't know what I will do when there isn't a wifi network, it simply would not work.

[karensc]

YES . I used my contactless and chip card reader 2 weeks ago and paired it via bluetooth to my phone using my cellular data plan.  BEWARE!  Not one single charge (there were 38 of them) went through, not a single credit card number was captured.    If you are not in a wifi zone, DONT use this contactless and chip card reader . Use the old fashioned square reader than fits into your phone.  Also of importance is that this contactlesa nd chip card reader DOES NOT WORK IN OFFLINE MODE.    Don't do it!  I lost just short of $2000 and square claims zero responsibility

[MeBeEstateSales]

Finally spent the $50 bucks for this chip card reader and will be packing it up and sending it back to square. I had thoroughly read up on everything I could find on the the square site about this unit.

NOWHERE did they mention that it would not work without WIFI. The swipe will. I had both an iPhone and an Android ready for opening day. The chip card reader connected to the iPhone worked once.

Then never again... And yes I have a data plan.

Our business is Estate Sales and 90 percent of the time the clients have dropped their WIFI so this is not a viable solution for me and I am very disappointed in the Square marketing of this item.

[Marian52]

I have significant issues with the chip reader- I basically never use it anymore. Most shows I go to are in convention centers that are kinda Faraday cages. Bluetooth doesn't WORK in them for long enough to finish a transaction. I really need SQUARE to come up with a version that can connect to the device via hardwire of some sort.