What can I do when my contactless chip reader won't pair with my Galaxy S3?

[rsky]

My new reader will not pair with my Galaxy S3 + Android 4.4.2 (yes its on the supported device list). Phone sees the reader, displays the pairing message, then says "Failed to pair".  I have the latest square app available from google play as of 18 June, reset the phone, and fully charged both devices. No luck. Also noticed that the reader pairing button is very difficult to press, requiring lots of force and often multiple tries before it "clicks". Anyone else having these problems?

[Soapfactory]

I've been having the same problem! I have been able to turn Bluetooth off and back on to reconnect. But today it's not working at all. I tried "forgetting this device" to reestablish a new connection. Now my chip reader will not go into pairing mode at all. I charged it again (even though it didn't need it). The orange lights will not come up. I hold for some time and eventually get red lights-no good! So, now swiping chip cards. Not a happy camper right now!!!

[vintiquellc]

I agree 100%  the kicker is when you use the magnastrip you become liable.  Square's "low bidder" card reader is going to cost me pleanty because of this if I get tagged for fraudulant charges...

Why OH WHY didnt you guys get some hardware that was well built instead of something cheep???

[EJ_]

@Soapfactory @vintiquellc Sorry to hear you're both having trouble with the Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader. 

The Square Contactless and Chip Card Reader is usually very reliable and any connection or pairing trouble can usually be resolved with some troubleshooting. 

Have you tried anything thus far? Check out this existing thread and go through the troubleshooting tips to see if it helps any:

What are the troubleshooting steps for the Contactless and Chip Card Reader?

[Soapfactory]

I have the same issue!  But I have found that getting both the tablet and the reader a FULL CHARGE helps.  Plus, I move closer to my comcast box until the pairing is achieved and the screen shows "reader ready".  These two things seem to help.  Keep in mind that my chip reader shows that it is fully charged!  Non-the-less, I charge it some more and make sure my tablet is fully charged as well.  One more trick is to turn off the blue tooth connection in my tablet and wait a few seconds, then turn it back on (a sort of reboot of the blue tooth).  This seems to do the trick as well.  It is EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND I HOPE SQUARE CAN COME OUT WITH BETTER TECHNOLOGY TO ELIMINATE THIS ISSUE.  IT SEEMS WE ARE ALL HAVING THIS TROUBLE.  I know several shop owners in the downtown where my store is located and they are all experiencing the same trouble.  Hope this helps!

[VixenHair]

Been experiencing the same issues for the past 6 months. Chip Reader will not stay connected. It then wouldn't connect at all on my samsung tablet, so I bought a new tablet thinking it was an issue with samsung... NOPE!! Its square, because again the device won't stay connected. I've troubleshot my device, replaced the reader, replaced my tablet... NOW WHAT?!?... Extremely frustrated and need answers ASAP. I can only swipe cards to get it to work. My swipe/chip reader doesn't work either. Only my old school swiper does. HELP!!!

[Blue_Moon_Farm]

I have been using my chip/contactless reader for over a year with  my MotoG (Android) phone.  This past weekend I could not get it to connect.  I tried my husband's MotoG, and couldn't connect it either.  Has something changed??  I ended up using the magstrip reader all weekend.

I have done all the troubleshooting things with no luck.  I finally tried connecting to my friend's Samsung (also Android) and it connected right away.

What's up?????

[JustinC]

Sorry to hear this. I just checked our device compatibility list, but nothing has changed for the Moto 5. You mentioned you've exhausted troubleshooting - did you include updating your device's OS version as a step or reinstalling the app? 

@Blue_Moon_Farm

[Blue_Moon_Farm]

I worked on this for a couple of hours this morning and have finally got it back working!!  It involved "Forgetting" the chip reader in my bluetooth settings, and starting from scratch.  I am so relieved to have it back!  We've been giving it a workout every weekend at farmers' market!

Thank you for your help!

[WeyakinDesigns]

I am also unable to pair my Square chip reader with my phone. I have an iPhone 8 running iOS 15.5. I haven't used my chip reader in years, but am back to doing art shows again. My chip reader is from 2015. Is it possible it's too old and needs to be replaced? It appears to be working, charges properly, and shows up on my phone. It simply won't pair.

I have followed all troubleshooting steps, plus restarted phone multiple times, turned bluetooth on and off multiple times, reinstalled the Square app, etc. What gives?

Thanks.

[MayaP]

Hi @WeyakinDesigns,

Thanks for reaching out! Hmm that is bizarre!

If everything is up to date it shouldn't have issues pairing to your iphone 8. If you have tried all troubleshooting steps and it is still not working.  Please go ahead and contact our Direct CS Support. They can investigate and file a ticket. 

You can reach support at 1-855-700-6000 squ.re/contactsqsupport .

Please reach back out if I can help with anything else!