When you need a reader
If you run a counter, a shop, or any fixed location, especially on an iPad, you almost certainly want a reader. Tap to Pay on iPhone takes contactless cards with no extra hardware, but only on an iPhone XS or newer, and only on the phone itself. Reach for a Stripe reader when:
- You run Tavvi on an iPad or Android tablet. Tap to Pay on iPhone is iPhone-only, so a tablet register needs a reader to take cards in person.
- You want a dedicated device at the counter, so staff aren't passing the register phone around.
- Customers hand you chip cards that must be inserted, or PIN-preferring debit.
A mobile solo operator on a newer iPhone can start with Tap to Pay on iPhone and add a reader later. A premise business working a fixed counter should plan on one from the start.
Which readers work
Tavvi connects to Stripe's own readers, these four:
- Stripe Reader M2, the small one, about $59. Bluetooth, pocket-sized, tap + chip. The right default for most solo operators.
- WisePad 3, Bluetooth with a keypad screen for PIN entry. Pick this if you get PIN-preferring debit cards.
- Chipper 2X, the basic Bluetooth chip/swipe reader. Fine if you find one cheap; the M2 is its newer sibling.
- WisePOS E, the countertop terminal with a full screen, about $249. For a fixed counter where the customer faces their own device.
You order Stripe readers straight from your Stripe Dashboard, open Readers, then Shop, or buy from a reputable POS reseller. See the full lineup, prices, and specs at Stripe Terminal devices. A marketplace "Stripe-compatible" reader that isn't one of these four won't connect.
Pair it
Charge the reader and turn it on. A fresh-out-of-the-box reader may blink while it wakes up, give it a minute.
Make sure Bluetooth is on for the phone or tablet running Tavvi. You do not pair in iOS Settings for these, Tavvi finds the reader itself (that's a Stripe reader quirk; printers are the opposite).
In the app, open your store's home screen → Payments & Banking → Service Settings, and find the card reader section.
Start the scan, keep the reader next to the device, and pick it from the list when it shows.
First connection often triggers a firmware update, a progress bar that can run several minutes. Don't turn either device off mid-update; let it finish once and it won't bug you again for months.
Take a card payment
Ring up the order and go to pay.
Choose the card option.
Customer taps or inserts on the reader. Chip cards stay in until the reader says done.
Confirmation shows in Tavvi the second it clears.
If something's off
- Reader never appears in the scan. It's asleep or out of juice, hold the power button until it wakes, charge it, retry. Also check it's not already connected to some other device (a reader pairs to one till at a time).
- "Reader belongs to another account." It was registered to a different Stripe account (used reader, or a re-setup). It needs to be released from the old account before it can join yours, if you bought it used, ask the seller; otherwise contact support.
- Firmware update fails halfway. Charge both devices, move them right next to each other, retry. Bluetooth + low battery is the usual culprit.
- It disconnects between sales. Normal for Bluetooth readers to nap; Tavvi reconnects when you start a card payment. If it's constant, keep the reader within a couple of meters and off metal surfaces.