thread Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work? in Payments Troubleshooting

How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

songdove — Sun, 21 Sep 2025 17:42:51 GMT

Earlier today my package arrived containing my mag stripe reader and my contactless card reader. I was initially having issues getting the card reader to be connected properly, my android phone would keep saying "reader not ready". I briefly gave up on that one and decided to enable the mag stripe first. While doing that, I clicked around the square app and discovered it couldn't bring up my contact list. Turns out the vpn I'd installed was intefering with Square's operations so I had to disable it to let Square communicate with the server. In addition, the mag stripe installation was telling me that it couldn't be enabled due to developer options being turned on. I connect my Android to my computer all the time to use the filing sysem to move pics and videos off the phone to my pc, so I'd turned developer options on in order to make the connection. I turned that off, and the mag stripe installed fine.

I went back to the card reader, and suddenly it was installing just fine and giving me a quick tutorial on it's use. I'm not sure if it was the vpn getting in it's way or developer tools, it wouldn't say the way the mag stripe did.

But now that they are both installed and tested, I am left wondering how to secure my data transfers when using public wifi, as my phone is a wifi phone. It doesn't have a cellular connection data plan. I wanted the vpn on there to protect client transactions as well as my own banking and such.

Are there proxy settings somewhere I need to adjust for use with a VPN so that my set up will work safely?

Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

songdove — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 03:07:42 GMT

Nevermind, I re-enabled the vpn just now, and square is behaving again, whew. . . I guess it had to be off during set up. I'm good. . . sorry.

Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

Chad — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 00:47:28 GMT

Hello @songdove, I'm sorry no one followed up with you yet.

I'm glad to hear you got your problem solved. Sometimes Square Point of Sale won't let you process payments connected to a VPN.

If you have any other questions please feel free to @ mention me!

Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

Karinds — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 15:36:02 GMT

How did you go using your VPN with Square? Were you in another country having to use the VPN or just in your same country and wishing to use VPN for privacy? I'd love to know more about this.

Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

Helen — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 01:08:18 GMT

Hello @Karinds! Just to let you know it's not possible to use a VPN to take payments with Square in another country. You can only accept payments from the country that you activated your account in.

If you moved to another country where Square card processing is supported (the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Japan, or Australia) you can create another account in that country.

Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

Frenchtouch — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 19:23:37 GMT

Question. I set up my square in the USA but I want to use it in another country. Is it possible?

Re: How do you configure Android for VPN so that Square can still work?

Joe — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 13:11:01 GMT

Hi @Frenchtouch 👋 Good question! Square accounts can only be used to process payments within the country they were originally activated. In other words, if you created an account within the USA, you will only be able to use it stateside.

Hope this helps!