Terminal stuck on Preparing Payment screen after card inserted

[goodpud]

Terminal is stuck on Preparing Payment screen after card inserted.

I have reset. Hard reset. Factory reset. No change. Only happening on one of three terminals.

Also, tap card isn't working, customer must insert the payment card to read the card.

[tomven]

Hey @goodpud, that’s a rough one, especially when you’ve already done the full reset merry-go-round and the other two Terminals are fine. When it’s only one device, and both ‘Preparing payment’ hangs and contactless stops working, it usually points to either a software state on that Terminal, a network/antenna issue, or a hardware fault in the contactless (NFC) area.

Here’s the checklist I’d run, in order.

1) Check the basics that can cause ‘Preparing payment’ hangs

A. Make sure the Terminal is fully up to date
Even after a factory reset, the Terminal can sit on an older build until you force a software check
On the Terminal:

≡ More > Settings > Hardware > General > About Square Terminal > Software Update > Check for Update 

B. Test on a different network
Payment handshakes can stall on flaky Wi‑Fi, or networks with restrictions

≡ More > Settings > Hardware > Network
Switch to a different Wi‑Fi, or temporarily use a phone hotspot for a few test payments 

C. Move it away from interference
Square specifically calls out that placing the Terminal too close to metal (cash drawers, metal stands, shelving) can interfere with the internal antenna, which can impact tap and comms 

Quick test:

Pick the Terminal up and try a tap payment away from the counter and any metal drawer

2) Confirm it’s actually offering tap/insert/swipe on screen

If ‘Skip payment type selection’ is enabled, the payment flow is ‘Confirm & Pay’ and then you should see ‘Tap, Insert or Swipe’ on screen

On your POS (or on Terminal if it’s standalone), start a sale and check:

Does the screen explicitly show ‘Tap, Insert or Swipe’?

If it only behaves when a card is inserted, that’s another signal the NFC side isn’t functioning.

3) Practical workaround to keep trading
While troubleshooting:

Have customers insert the card (chip and PIN) or use another payment method 
If you’re in a rush, swap roles temporarily: use one of the working Terminals for customer-facing payments and keep the dodgy unit for non-payment tasks (receipts, order lookup)

4) Send a diagnostic report (this helps Support see what’s happening)
Square’s Terminal troubleshooting flow includes sending diagnostics before/alongside a reset 
On Terminal:

≡ More > Settings > Support > Troubleshooting > Send diagnostic report

5) When it’s likely a hardware fault
Because:

It’s only one of three Terminals
Contactless (tap) has stopped working entirely
Factory reset didn’t change behaviour

Official Square resource

Square’s step-by-step ‘Troubleshoot payment errors on Square Terminal’ is the best official reference and matches the steps above (network, software update, restart, diagnostics, factory reset)
Troubleshoot payment errors on Square Terminal

One quick question:
Is this Terminal being used standalone (taking orders on the Terminal itself), or in Connected Terminal mode with an iPad/iPhone via device code?
That one detail changes the best next step (especially around app pairing vs Terminal-only software)

[goodpud]

Hi Tomven,

Thanks for your reply. I have done all the hardware tests you suggest. It shows the Terminal is too old for the latest update. The tap doesn't work, under any conditions. Inserting the card is where it hangs up.

I have network connected to the home wifi, my phone, and two other phones. The table is plastic at the market and all tested networks work on all other devices.

I am sending a diag report from the Terminal now. I am trying to attach a screenshot of the device details?

[goodpud]

Hi, thanks for your response. It's been a busy time and I apologize for my slow response.

This Terminal is a V1 so I cannot run all the updates but I have compared it to an identical working Terminal and they are setup exactly the same.

I can manually enter a credit card and it processes perfectly. Tap or insert responds with "Processing payment" until it just times out. Tap sees the card. Insert sees the card, but will not complete the payment.

I have factory reset and checked for updates.

Test connectivity works perfect with any wifi connection, home, Android phone, iPhone, all good connectivity.

Nothing I do will process card payments using Tap or Insert?

[goodpud]

I just sent a Diag Report from the Terminal.