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Square Register -- Chip reader issues

We have had two Square Registers for some time. Recently we have had a problem with one of the chip readers.

 

When the customer inserts their card into the chip reader, they need to really push down on their card for it to be read. Our staff needs to assist on most transactions. Seems to happen most frequently with AMEX cards for some reason.

 

Is there anyway to clean or somehow do maintenance on these readers?

 

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Admin

Hi @square_marc. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. 

 

I'm not aware of any specific processing issues that go hand in hand with the Register and AMEX cards. 

 

I would suggest reaching out to our Customer Success Team and ask to speak directly to a Hardware Specialist. They'll be able to do some specific troubleshooting with you and see if this is happening on a more widespread basis.

Bea_
Beta Community Manager, Square
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We began using our square register a month ago. It already is not accepting chip cards. The customer had to insert their chip 3 timed than normally it will let them swipe. Why won't it recognize the chip? We have cleaned it with the chip reader card and tried dry air to make sure no dander was in the space effecting it.

 

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Alumni

Sorry for the trouble @Mollie0109. A few troubleshooting steps to run through first:

 

  • Check if the software is up to date under Settings > General > About Register. If an update is available, you'll be prompted to install it. 
  • If your customer display is docked, try inserting the chip while un-docked or vice versa (screenshots in this article)
  • Perform a factory reset if you don't have pending offline payments. Seems intimidating, but your info and data is safely stored in our servers to access later. However, you'll need to re-configure your device settings. 

If all else fails, give our Hardware Team a shout so they can extensively troubleshoot or warranty your display. 

 

Justin
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I was looking for someone with this same issue we are having.  Looks like I found someone.  Ours chip reader is malfunctioning after nearly 2 years.  Did you ever get resolution to this issue? 

 

I've tried blowing the chip slot out with compressed air, using a dedicated chip reader cleaner, unplugging and plugging the customer display back in, peering in with a magnifying glass to find any type of debris, all without success. 

 

The swipe & tap still function fine, but it's the darn chip reader that needs constant pressure on the card in order for it to read.

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