Square chip reader issues - sporadically will not read the chip

Deesseboutique — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 10:42:42 GMT

I know I have asked this before but don't remember getting an adequate answer.

Once again I had issues at a show with the reader working intermittently.

It would process a few transactions with contactless chip, then the next time it wouldn't read it at all - not tapping not dipping and I would be forced to enter manually at the higher rate.

The only thing that fixed it was completely restarting my phone because I could not force the App to shut down. It would get stuck in a loop of requiring the password / back to the transaction but going nowhere.

I had to restart multiple times during the show just to function.

Why is this happening? It has happened at every show I have done for the past few years since I got the chip dipper, resulting in a lot of extra fees that should not have happened with a card present sale.

Re: Square chip reader issues - sporadically will not read the chip

JJ_ — Tue, 10 May 2022 17:34:15 GMT

Hello @Deesseboutique

First of all, I am sorry to hear that this has been happening for years. This definitely sounds like a defective reader as this behavior is not what we expect from our Contactless and Chip Reader.

I am pretty sure you have but need to ask anyway. Have you performed the Troubleshooting Steps for the Contactless and Chip reader? Specifically, the Reset your reader section is what I'm interested in finding out.

thread Re: Square chip reader issues - sporadically will not read the chip in Payments Troubleshooting

Square chip reader issues - sporadically will not read the chip

Re: Square chip reader issues - sporadically will not read the chip