Windows Virtual Terminal & barcode scanner for purchases and Android tap to pay

[SawdustStitches]

Can I use a barcode scanner connected to my Windows laptop with Square virtual terminal, and use an android phone tap to pay for payment of the transactions on my virtual terminal?

[Summer2024 · Accepted solution]

Hi, @SawdustStitches ! Welcome to the Square Community! We are so happy to have you!

I've outlined below what you can and can't do and how to make this work. 

What You Can Do:

Use a USB barcode scanner with your Windows laptop running Square Virtual Terminal

• You can scan product barcodes to populate line items into the Virtual Terminal on your laptop. As long as your scanner acts like a keyboard (which most do), it will input the barcode data directly into the item or SKU field.

Accept payments using Tap to Pay on an Android device

• Square supports Tap to Pay on Android, allowing your Android phone to accept contactless payments directly. 

What You Can't Do

• You cannot use your Android phone’s Tap to Pay feature to collect payment for a transaction that was started in the Virtual Terminal on your laptop.

Virtual Terminal is meant for keyed-in or card-on-file payments, not device-based tap or swipe. The laptop can't pass off a transaction to a phone for Tap to Pay. Tap to Pay on Android is only available within the Square Point of Sale or Square Terminal app on the Android device itself.

Workaround Option:

If you want to use:

• A barcode scanner to ring items, and

• Tap to Pay on your Android device to complete the transaction,

Then you should consider using the Square Point of Sale app on your Android device. Here's how:

• Connect a Bluetooth barcode scanner that's compatible with Android 

• Ring items in the Square POS app on Android using the scanner.

• Accept Tap to Pay directly in the app.

This gives you both the scanning and the tap-to-pay functionality. It is just all on the Android device, rather than splitting it between your laptop and phone.

I hope this helps!