thread Re: I have received the mag strip reader in the mail and cannot get it work on my computer. in Payments Troubleshooting

I have received the mag strip reader in the mail and cannot get it work on my computer.

LS7150 — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 14:54:16 GMT

So I have received our mag strip reader in the mail and trying to get it to work on my computer. I have followed the steps and get to the part where you choose take payment in virtual terminal and it instantly takes me to the area where I would punch in the card instead of swiping it. So needless to say I have had to do that and pay the higher perctenage processing fee. Can someone please help me out.

Re: I have received the mag strip reader in the mail and cannot get it work on my computer.

VanKalkerFarms — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 20:42:48 GMT

once you are at the screen where you can choose to type in a manually entered card or use a customer card on file or choose swipe car, click swipe card and it will go thru the steps to connect the card reader the first time. once that has been done and you completed the test swipe all you have to do from then on is to click the Swipe card radio button.

Note: The computer must be an Apple or Chromebook computer for it to work right now.

https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/6408

https://www.sellercommunity.com/t5/Product-Updates/Virtual-Terminal-Swipe-In-Person-Payments-From-Your-Computer/ba-p/91682

Re: I have received the mag strip reader in the mail and cannot get it work on my computer.

LS7150 — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 14:13:35 GMT

So is there any software that they are working on to work with the other laptops?

Re: I have received the mag strip reader in the mail and cannot get it work on my computer.

Chad — Sat, 09 Feb 2019 00:30:30 GMT

Hello @LS7150!

We are tracking feedback for adding additional laptops right now! Although, I will add that the success of this functionality partly depends on your laptops hardware specifications.

For example, the headphone jack on a laptop needs to have audio-in capabilities to use the card reader. Some manufactures use audio-out jacks, since they're cheaper.