My magstripe reader is having trouble swiping cards, what can I do?

[pnutguy]

I have to keep swiping a credit card many times before it recognizes the card.

[Sean · Accepted solution]

There could be a couple things going on here. With a bit of troubleshooting, we should be able to get this issue sorted out! Check out these steps below:

1. Make sure the black magnetic stripe is facing the thickest part of the card reader. ​

2. Remove any case or cover from your device. Some cases prevent the reader from plugging in completely.

3. Firmly plug in the reader. You'll hear a small click when the reader has been correctly inserted.

4. Make sure there is no lint or dust in your headset jack.

5. Wipe the metal connector with a cloth.

6. Disable any Bluetooth wireless headsets or earpieces while taking payment cards.

7. Remove the app from your device and reinstall. See Apple's support site and Google's support site for instructions on how to do so. (Before uninstalling, make sure you've uploaded any payments accepted while in Offline Mode by connecting your mobile device to the Internet. Deleting the app will permanently remove pending offline payment data and the funds will not be captured).

If you're still having issues, please reply with the exact make and model of the smartphone/tablet you're using.

You can also check out this Support Center Article: Square Magstripe Reader Troubleshooting

Thanks! 

[JeraldPope]

DOne all these things - twice. App sez reader is installed but doest react to any cards passing through

[Tom]

@JeraldPope, thanks for giving them a shot and sorry to hear you're still encountering the issue. Please let our Support team know. They'll get back to you with next steps ASAP.

[art2]

mine is having the same problem  how did you fix this

[Helen]

Have you been through the troubleshooting steps described by Sean above? These should help! You should also check your device is compatible with the reader. 👍

[ultrublu]

Tried all the tips in the suggested thread (leaing contacts, uninstall/reinstall, etc). No luck. I'm using a Samsung-SM-G850A (Android version 5.0.2). I'll get a message "Reader connected. Swipe card to charge." When I swipe, I get the message "Magstripe reader disconnected." Same thing happens on my wife's Samsung.

The contactless reader works fine though. Could this be a bug in the latest software? This never happened in the past.

[Sean]

@ultrublu - Sorry to hear about the trouble, and thanks for those details. It sounds like a connection issue (hardware), more so than software. Out of curiosity, are you using a case on your devices? In my experience, this is the number 1 reason that someone would see a message like this. The reader has to be pretty snug in the headphone jack. 

[RI]

I have done all the necessary requirements to make it swipe but all to no avail 

[Helen]

Sorry to hear that @RI!

If you've had the reader for a while you may need to order a new one from the app or from your online Dashboard.

If you're using a new reader and it's still not swiping do contact our Support team who can help you get back up and running! 

[Afrancis0608]

Samsung Galaxy S8+ - I have tried all suggestions and it still won't swipe. The phone is recognizing the reader but not accepting the swipe. This is happening with two readers. My contactless device works fine. 

[EJ_]

Hi @Afrancis0608

That device should be compatible with our readers, so you shouldn't have trouble swiping cards. Have you tried any troubleshooting? Did you make sure to remove any protective case on the phone that might be causing a connection issue? 

[Afrancis0608]

Yes, I've tried it all! :o(

[EJ_]

@Afrancis0608  Give our CS Team a call and we can figure out what might be happening here. It's pretty strange that two separate readers are giving you trouble, so there might be an underlying issue happening with either the app itself or maybe your device settings. 

[Mecca1997]

This reply was created from merging an existing thread: I can't accept swipe card payments, I can only process manually 

I'm cannot process swiped payments, I can only enter manual payments ... Do I need a new square piec?

[Helen]

Hi @Mecca1997. Hmm, it does sound like you might need a new reader. These magstripe troubleshooting steps could help but if you still can't swipe cards you can buy a new reader from the Square Shop or you could buy one in a store. 

[jlh]

My square is not allowing me to swipe cards. It has worked fine until yestterday. It is the regular card not the chip reader square. I was able to enter the credit card manually but I do not want to pay a higher transaction fee for manual entries and would like to know how to fix this. I tried it on both of my phones (Droid and Iphone) and neither worked. I also made sure I took the phone case off since I read in one of the threads that it could cause problems.

Please advise. I have clients all day most of whom pay by card.

Thanks,

Josie Hudson

[dkmoore4]

I got the free Square Reader. I plug it into the headphone jack. A message flashes that reads "reader connected". Then not even a second later a message flashes that reads " magnetic reader disconnected ". Why? How can I fix it?

[Tom]

Hey @dkmoore4, sorry to hear about the reader connection issue. 😕

Take a look at @Sean's answer in this post. If those tips don't fix the issue, please contact our support team and we'll have a closer look. 🙂

[ladyv]

for the past few months I have been challenged by the uneasy swipeness of credit cards this is costing me extra money because I have to enter the number in opposed to swiping

[Kelly]

Sorry to hear about that trouble @ladyv. Check out Sean's tips above for some help!