thread Re: How to get card reader in Payments Troubleshooting

How to get card reader

jmarfoley — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 18:41:43 GMT

After searching the Community I found the link: https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware/reader. On that page were two buttons "Get a free reader" and "Get first reader free". I tried them both. In both cases it took me to my "Dashboard". Nothing on the Dashboard indicated how to get a card reader.

How do I get a card reader?

Re: How to get card reader

Candlestore — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:47:24 GMT

@jmarfoley :

On your Square Dashboard there should be an option for settings, then Choose Hardware. This will open a new window on ordering Hardware. You may have to sign in to your Account again. You can order there and if this is your first reader you get one for free for Swiping the Magnet strip on the back of Credit cards.

Here is a Link to that page : https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware/reader

You would need to select the version you need. I just do not remember if the first one shows up free in the cart or not. So before completing your 'Purchase' call Square Support their number is in my signature line below.

Re: How to get card reader

jmarfoley — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:15:20 GMT

"On your Square Dashboard there should be an option for settings, then Choose Hardware."

Nope, on "Dashboard > Settings" I have: "Device Management", "Account & Settings", "App Integrations" and "Open Tickets". In "Accounts & Settings" there is nothing about hardware -- basically sign-in and security options. In "Device Management" I have "Add a Device", then "Point of Sale" or "Kitchen Display Systems". Under "Point of Sale" I see "Bar", "Full Service", etc., nothing about a card reader.

Re: How to get card reader

Candlestore — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:37:28 GMT

@jmarfoley :

Account and Settings is the one I was referring to sorry. And Square Hardware is down the list on the right.

As shown in this image circled in Red:

You should have been able to tap the text in my previous replay to go right to the Order page.

Here it is again : https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware/reader

Re: How to get card reader

jmarfoley — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:43:14 GMT

Yeah, I've been there too. Clicking on the red-circled link, "Order Square Hardware" takes me to a page https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware with a selection of hardware. I click on "Reader for Mag Stripe" and if gives me the aforementioned page https://squareup.com/us/en/hardware/reader, with the two buttons I mentioned in my initial posts: "Get a free reader" and "Get first reader free". As mentioned, clicking on either button takes me back to the Dashboard, no ordering of a reader.

Re: How to get card reader

Candlestore — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:50:48 GMT

@jmarfoley ;

Mine gets me in the same loop as I already got my Free reader for my account, so my suggestion is call Square Support their number is in my signature line below. As the steps above in my prevous reply is what I did in 2019. Now that being said things have changed since then. This forum is mainly run by other square users helping one another with a few moderators from Square.

Re: How to get card reader

Summer2024 — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 14:16:17 GMT

Hi, @jmarfoley ! Your browser could be caching too. My advice would be to clear your browser's cache and cookies and try @Candlestore steps again. If this doesn't work, let me know.

Re: How to get card reader

jmarfoley — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 15:11:13 GMT

Nope. Clearing the cache didn't work. Those buttons still take me right back to the Dashboard. Candlestore reported likewise and I doubt any of those pages are still in his cache after 6 years. Does your browser take you to somewhere different? If so, perhaps you could post the link and I'll try that directly.