Got Square?

Received my new Square swiper and thought I'd inform folks about it. In case you've been under a rock for a while credit cards with the EMV embedded chip require a new swiper for which Square will charge you $29. Not too bad considering all the free ones they gave to us.
The new swiper has two slots and is quite a bit fatter. The top slot accepts the EMV embedded cards while the bottom slot is for traditional swiping. Just plug the card into the top slot and don't remove it till the transaction is totally complete! Easy peasy!
The hardest part about the new card is remembering to charge it. Unlike the old swiper you have to charge this one with a USB/mini plug cable. The first time I used it, after charging it I thought it would take the charge off my iPad. Nope! So, the next day I'm swiping madly away and it's not working, no EMV charges no regular swipes, etc. Finally, at the end of the day, the light bulb goes off in my head, hey! Charge it! Wha-lah, like magic, it's working again. I later discovered that when you plug it in and it initializes its connection it shows a battery charge icon indicating the strength of its charge!
Good luck and happy charging!

Post Scribble: I've had the swiper plugged into my iPad since 9 am it is now 4pm and I got an alert when I unplugged it and plugged it back in that it has no charge! Believe me, it wasn't because I was madly swiping away at the Rio Grande, Albuquerque show this weekend. (But that, is another story). Glad I have my little portable Mophie power supply!

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  • I have had 3 of the new card readers sending them back to square because they did not work. Well after talking to Square numerous times we finally came up on what was wrong. The new reader does not work with all phones. When I ordered the first reader I had asked if it will work on my new android phone and they said sure it will well it doesn't. It will work with some of the androids but not all, they are working on making it work on all androids but not just yet.  

  • I used the newer dual card device that takes magnetic cards and EMV chip embedded cards. It is one more thing to remember to charge it the night before a show, but it is a more secure device than the older one. Eventually every card will be EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa) chip only so it pays to have it on hand. I should be getting the NFC device soon. NFC stands for Near Field Communication and will allow users with the EMV chip embedded cards to use that device as well, and anyone who uses an iPhone with Apple Pay or the Android equivalent. Those are the most secure transaction options as I understand since they are the most encrypted. As credit and debit cards are replaced with EMV only and more people use their phones to pay, it will be smart to have the dual slot device on hand as well as the NFC one. I used my iPad this past season and never ran out of juice. I can always switch to my iPhone if my iPad runs low on power as I too use Mophie to get an additional. 120% power which is crucial for having enough power for art shows.

    I love the convenience of using Square and am very satisfied with the generated reports and confirmation e-mails I get. They are constantly making improvements and adding features and I think that Square Register is a very valuable tool for artists at shows compared to the alternatives.

    I use my IPhone to pay at Whole Foods and it's so much easier than having to take out a wallet and taking out a card. You can add several cards and switch between them in an instant.

    Technology is great when it works and when it doesn't, there is always other payment means that customers who want to purchase your art will use.
  • I am so glad that you wrote this...I did not know that it needed to be charged.....so had to use the old swipper for the last show....not that it was needed much.  

    thanks have it plugged in now.

  • if you preordered your swiper, square will cover any losses until they are able to get the things to us.

  •  I decided to get the $49 one since they will rebate the cost via my processing fees the first 3 months.  As of now we are all covered if we have either one ordered for the liability.  I always carry power packs with me and just added a tablet to my cell phone plan to use the data if necessary on the road.  Hope to get the new reader soon since my last 3 big shows are coming up and i know I'll process enough to pay for the reader

  • I gave my new reader its first outing this past weekend and I also had a power charge reading 2/3rds charged after charging it all night. I kept it plugged into my phone allday and it had no charge by 3pm. I will try unplugging it between sales and get a mobile power source. 

  • "you are liable for swiped transactions if it turns out to be a hacked card."
    I thought that only applied if you "swipe" a chipped card-- if the card has only a magnetic strip, there's no way for a chip-only reader to process it.
  • I'm not thinking all the $49 models are stand alone, because when I signed up for early order I had to make sure my phone was compatible (which it's not, so I'll have to upgrade).

  • Keep in mind you are liable for swiped transactions if it turns out to be a hacked card. We all at least need the $29 reader from what I understand.
  • Sounds like I need to get the "cheap" one, too.... Or, just continue to use the original version for mag strip only cards. Since I was using an iPad, I need the WiFi, anyway; was planning to replace my flip phone, but maybe I won't need to yet.

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