thread Re: Square reader damaged in Hardware Setup & Troubleshooting

Contactless reader says damaged. I replaced it and app and square stand still says damaged. Why?

Alexandra1 — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 12:15:17 GMT

My contactless reader says damaged. I replaced it and I am still getting the same message on both my phone app and square stand. How can this be happening on 2 devices? Neither units were dropped.

Square reader damaged

Beggsie-liz — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 11:29:22 GMT

I have now had 3 readers which works properly for one or two transactions then stops working and comes up damaged. It is a pain as it charges more per transaction to input manually. Starting to think it is done on purpose as we made sure the readers where not mishandled

Re: Square reader damaged

VanKalkerFarms — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 19:13:38 GMT

are these the plugin type chip readers you are having issues with? I have had nothing but problems with them too, I have 5 or 6 dead in a drawer. I have even had the warranty exchanged ones come "damaged". I do not recommend that reader. I have had great success with the contactless Bluetooth reader. the battery lasts for 100s and 100s of transactions and are durable. we take them to farm markets twice a week and use in our retail store everyday. I would suggest you buy this reader contactless reader.

Re: Square reader damaged

EJ_ — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 17:05:47 GMT

Hi @Beggsie-liz

That sounds very frustrating, sorry to hear this keeps happening. I want to assure you this isn't being done on purpose!

Were you able to troubleshoot those readers at all?

Check out this article, as these tips usually help resolve issues if possible:

Square Chip Card Reader Tips and Troubleshooting

If you've already done this, go ahead and give our CS Team a call directly and they'll be able to help out and get you taken care of.

Error message for Contactless + Chip Card reader, "Reader Damaged - Use a different reader"

Alexandra1 — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 04:34:09 GMT

Received message. " Reader Damaged use different reader" . I got another reader and I got same message on both my phone and square stand. HELP.

Clearly isn't the contact less reader.

Re: Error message for Contactless + Chip Card reader, "Reader Damaged - Use a different reader"

isabelle — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 01:12:46 GMT

Hey @Alexandra1! ✨

Thanks for posting in the Seller Community.

So sorry about this. Can you try doing a hard reset on the reader?

Here are the instructions: Hold down the power button for approximately 20 seconds. The lights on your reader will flash orange, then red, and then they will stop flashing. Do not let go of the power button until after the red lights have stopped flashing.

Then try to connect again. Can you let me know if that doesn't work?

Re: Square reader damaged

CraftersMarkets — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 16:28:49 GMT

My Bluetooth reader was working perfectly in October 2019 when I last used it.

It literally sat in a drawer for 20 months and not the app says the reader is damaged.

Do I have to buy a new one?

How is this possible?

Re: Square reader damaged

AshleyK — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 17:50:52 GMT

@CraftersMarkets It sounds like the reader may need a hard reset. Try these steps below and let me know if it starts working after that:

Force quit the Square app and reopen it.
Delete and reinstall the Square app. Note: Log out of the app before deleting it.
Turn your mobile device off and back on.

If these tips don’t solve the issue, force shutdown your reader. To do so, follow the steps below:

Plug in the reader for at least 20 minutes to be sure it’s charged.
Use a bobby pin, pen cap, or paper clip to firmly press and hold the button on the reader for 20 seconds or after the 4 lights stop blinking red.
After 20 seconds, release the button and wait 10 seconds.
Press the button again to turn the reader on and observe any lights on the reader.

If the reader lights turn on, you’re all set. If the lights don’t turn on, please try again and make sure to firmly press and hold the reader’s button for a full 20 seconds.

Re: Square reader damaged

CraftersMarkets — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 22:50:45 GMT

Thanks for your suggestion Ashley.

I followed the instructions. The orange flashing lights come on , however I get the Reader Damaged message when trying to pair.

Re: Square reader damaged

AshleyK — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 14:26:16 GMT

I'm so sorry to hear that. It might be time to consider a new reader as that one may be outdated to the phone now. Let me know if you have success pairing another Contactless and Chip Reader to your phone - that sounds like the best way forward.

Re: Square reader damaged

Jen_hol — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 23:49:17 GMT

I'm having the same issues, went through both troubleshooting processes you outlined above. The contactless reader seems to be working perfectly, however when I try to connect it to use it, it will immediately disconnect and come up with "device damaged". It's a little bit disappointing to think I have to replace it when I've only had it maybe 2 years, and it has been stored away safely for the last 6 months.

Re: Square reader damaged

Joe — Thu, 01 Jul 2021 11:39:05 GMT

Hi there, @Jen_hol - thanks for reaching out and letting us know. We'd love to get some insight into the diagnostics of the device itself. Would you mind flagging this over to our Support Team directly? They can assist further here.

Re: Contactless reader says damaged. I replaced it and app and square stand still says damaged. Why?

lpaparel — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 12:44:28 GMT

I have the same issue with the contactless reader. I followed all the troubleshooting instructions (completely recharged the reader, hard reset on the reader, unpaired the device, uninstalled the sqareup app on my android phone, reinstalled it, restarted my phone.) When it finally connected, it immediately gave a message stating it is "DAMAGED".

I've always had issues connecting to this reader. It never connected on the first try. Due to the pandamic, this reader hasn't been charged for over a year. Could that have been the issue? Is there a firmware upgrade that needs to happen?

Re: Contactless reader says damaged. I replaced it and app and square stand still says damaged. Why?

Ellie_ — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 20:05:01 GMT

I am very sorry that is happening for you @lpaparel

Have you contacted our Customer Success team regarding this? If not, I recommend doing so, as they will be able to take a deeper look at this for you.

Re: Contactless reader says damaged. I replaced it and app and square stand still says damaged. Why?

Nekomimi — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 04:37:32 GMT

Hello,
I am also having the same same issue. My bluetooth reader is connected but I am getting the reader is damaged message. I have done the hard reset a few times, removed the connection from my bluetooth to start fresh and my app is up to date, however I no success. The reader was working perfectly before, I have not used it since 2020 but it has been stored away safely I know it is not physically damaged.
Any suggestions as to what I can try next? I know the device is not broken, maybe it needs a firmware update?

Re: Contactless reader says damaged. I replaced it and app and square stand still says damaged. Why?

Arie — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 00:44:12 GMT

Hey @Nekomimi,

Thanks for writing in and welcome to the seller community 👋

I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with your reader. The reader damaged message can appear for a variety of reasons, so even though the reader may not be physically damaged, the security measures in the reader may have been triggered to disable it. When this happens, you can file a warranty claim for your Square contactless and chip card reader online in the Square Shop, and we'll send a new reader out to you 🙂.

Re: Square reader damaged

AfternoonBalloo — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 22:23:26 GMT

I'm having the same issues as described above. We bought our device in 2018 and have barely used it. It has been protected in it's original packing and safely stored with my wife's balloons which she is care not to expose to extreme temperatures. It's unreasonable to say it's damaged and it's frustrating to want to use it now and have it reporting as damaged when it seems perfectly ok in every manner.

It seems as though there is a timer in the product that disables it after two years. Either that or these devices are very fragile. Either way I think the suggestion below to look at a new reader is a good idea. There are other alternatives here: https://www.merchantmaverick.com/best-square-alternatives-competitors/ that I'll be looking into if Square can't explain why their product simply fails after two years.

Re: Square reader damaged

Frida — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 22:42:44 GMT

Hello @AfternoonBalloo,

Good to see you posting in the Seller Community for the first time, welcome!

Sorry to hear about your reader not functioning. I can assure you, there is no timer that disables the ability to function. Something I always suggested to our Sellers as well, is to take environmental factors into consideration as well.

Where is the reader stored? Is it exposed to sun and heat for long periods of the day? Also, I curious to learn as to whether your device is indicating any tamper warnings or firmware update notifications?

I look forward to reading your reply😊

Re: Square reader damaged

Rythmix — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 16:02:47 GMT

I am also getting the same error message. I have had the reader stored in an indoor cupboard since 2018. I wonder if it is some kind of backward firmware compatibility issue? Meaning the device trying to connect to the reader is now running iOS 15, whereas back in 2018 when I last used the reader it was probably running iOS10. The reader is running firmware version 211037, and refuses to connect, telling me that the reader is "permanently damaged". How's that happened when all it's done is sit on a shelf? Not cool

Re: Square reader damaged

Arie — Mon, 13 Dec 2021 05:33:05 GMT

Hi @Rythmix,

Sorry to hear about the trouble with your reader! There are security measures built into the Square Reader that can sometimes be triggered by accident, which then results in the error message you're seeing. Reach out to our support team, who'll be able to help with a replacement.

PS. I noticed it's your first post, welcome to our community 👋 🙂