thread Re: Contactless Chip Readers Defective?? in Payments Troubleshooting

Contactless Chip Readers Defective??

Chelseabrebeaut — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 14:12:35 GMT

I’m currently on my 5th chip card reader in a year. I’ve done the warranty claim each time, which gets me a new reader. But they never last past the first charge! I get a low battery alert, plug it in, the lights flash red and go all crazy, then the lights turn off. Leave it plugged in and then it never turns back on. I’ve tried different chargers, outlets and even different houses. I did all the steps suggested on the website, and nothing gets the reader to come back on. What is going on with them?

Re: Contactless Chip Readers Defective??

AshleyK — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 14:09:39 GMT

Hey, Chelsea! Thanks for reaching out. So sorry to hear this is happening... it sounds super frustrating and also very strange. Our readers are supposed to last much longer than what you are experiencing and it's very abnormal to have 5 malfunction in such a short period of time. The good news is, that we can still work on troubleshooting.

Can you explain in detail when the reader unpairs? And when the lights go crazy, what exactly happens?

Before attempting to connect your reader, let's also confirm the following:

Your device is supported with the contactless and chip card reader.
Your device’s operating system is up to date. Note: The reader is only supported on Android devices running 5 or higher. Apple iOS 9.0 is not supported, so you’ll need to update to the latest version.
Your device has the latest version of the Square app.

If the above steps don’t solve the issue, try the following tips:

Make sure Bluetooth is turned on from your device settings. If it’s on, try turning it off and back on again.
If you’re using an iPhone or iPad on iOS 13, make sure Bluetooth permissions for the Square app are enabled. To do so, head to Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth > enable permissions for the Square app.
Be sure the Square app is open and that you’re signed in.
Make sure your reader is in pairing mode. To do so, press and hold the reader’s power button for 3-10 seconds and immediately release your finger when you see the orange blinking lights. If you see red lights, you’ve held the button too long.
Make sure that if the reader you’re connecting has been connected to a previous device, you forget that device before pairing it to a new one.
If the reader and device are more than 3 meters apart, the reader will have trouble maintaining a consistent connection. Move your reader and device closer when in use.
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.

Let me know if any of these steps help!

Re: Contactless Chip Readers Defective??

Chelseabrebeaut — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 19:39:45 GMT

It’s after every time I charge them for the first time!

We have 8 girls at our salon too and at least 4 of them have also had this issue.

One girl is on her third one and another on her 4th.

I thought maybe it was the salon outlets. But I’ve charged them at home too and had the same issue.

I use the cords that come with the readers.

I get a low battery alert on my phone.

I plug the reader in.

The lights flash red very fast.

After they are done flashing, they go dim, and the lights turn off.

After a few hours I unplug it. And the reader never turns back on. I can’t get any lights to turn on the reader. I’ve tried the hard reset.

The reader won’t even turn on for me to even attempt to pair it.

Re: Contactless Chip Readers Defective??

AshleyK — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 20:03:23 GMT

Thank you for explaining all that and I'm so sorry to hear all this. I have sent your case to support so that engineering can take a look because this is definitely not intended behavior so you should be hearing back shorty in regards to that.

Do you have other readers to help you take payments while we figure out what is going on with your devices not staying charged?

Re: Contactless Chip Readers Defective??

Chelseabrebeaut — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 22:37:13 GMT

Yes I do! Ive been just using my swipe method. Will they contact me via email?

Re: Contactless Chip Readers Defective??

ashc — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 11:57:35 GMT

Hi @Chelseabrebeaut! Stepping in for @AshleyK here.

It looks like she escalated your case and you're correct- they will be following up by email once they have more information.

Thank you so much for your patience while our team takes a closer look into what could be going on for you.