Card Reader Screen
How the Card reader screen sets up Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, or a card reader, on your phone for Stripe or Square, and how to check it is ready before you take a payment.
The Card reader screen sets up how your phone takes card payments in person: Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, where the customer holds their card or phone against yours, or a card reader. Open it in the Work Planner phone app from Settings > Payments > Card reader, or with Set up Tap to Pay on iPhone (Set up Tap to Pay or a card reader on Android) on the Stripe or Square screen once that provider is connected. What it shows depends on the provider the business uses for card payments in person, Stripe or Square. For a business that uses Zettle, it says Zettle card payments in person are coming in an app update.
On an iPhone that can take Tap to Pay on iPhone, Work Planner also shows a full-screen Tap to Pay on iPhone announcement once to people who can take card payments. Its Set up Tap to Pay on iPhone button opens this screen, and Not now closes it.
When You Can Use It
- Phone app: The screen is only in the Work Planner phone app, in a version that includes card payments. Opened in a web browser, it asks you to open Work Planner on your phone instead. If you are on your phone and still see that, update the app.
- Plan: Card payments are included on the Pro and Team plans, and other plans can add the Card Payments bolt-on.
- Permission: Your role needs Take Card Payments, in the Payments group on the Roles screen.
- In person provider: The business needs Stripe or Square connected and chosen under In person on the Payment Providers screen. Without one, the screen says Choose a provider for card payments in person in Settings → Payment Providers.
If you have more than one business selected, choose one under Business first. Each business takes payments through its own provider, so the rest of the screen follows the business you pick. A Test mode badge beside the provider's name means the business's Stripe account is a test account, so payments through it are not real.
Stripe: Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, or a Bluetooth Reader
With Stripe, choose how this phone takes payments under Take payments with:
- Tap to Pay on iPhone: What the first option is called on an iPhone, with The customer holds their card, phone or watch against the top of your iPhone. underneath. It is what an iPhone uses until you choose something else, and it needs setting up first, as below. An iPhone older than the iPhone XS cannot take Tap to Pay on iPhone, so it is not offered there and the screen says This iPhone can't take Tap to Pay on iPhone payments, which need an iPhone XS or later. Use a Bluetooth card reader instead.
- Tap to Pay on this phone: What the first option is called on Android, with The customer taps their card or phone on the back of yours. Needs NFC. underneath. Stripe can only take taps on some Android phones, so it is only offered on those, and there it is what the phone uses until you choose something else. On any other Android phone the screen says This phone can't take Tap to Pay payments, which need NFC and Android 13 or later. Use a Bluetooth card reader instead. Stripe's rules for Tap to Pay on Android also say the phone's Developer options must be switched off.
- Bluetooth card reader: A Stripe reader such as the BBPOS WisePad 3, for chip and PIN. Switch the reader on and keep it near the phone, press Find card readers, then pick yours from the list, which shows each reader's model, such as BBPOS WisePad 3, with its serial number underneath. The first time, the phone asks to use your precise location and, on Android, to find nearby devices. The screen then shows Using with the reader's name. Until you pick a reader, the phone carries on with whatever it used before and Check the card reader stays greyed out. If the list stays empty, the screen says No card readers found. Check yours is switched on and nearby. There is no need to pair the reader in the phone's own Bluetooth settings, as Work Planner finds it and connects to it itself.
- Stripe's simulated reader: Only appears for a Stripe test account, for trying a payment without a card. On Android it needs permission to find nearby devices too, like a real reader. Switching between it and a real reader needs the app closing and opening again: until then, the screen says Close and reopen the app to use the simulated reader. or Close and reopen the app to use a real card reader.
Setting Up Tap to Pay on iPhone
Before an iPhone can take Tap to Pay on iPhone payments, Apple asks for its Tap to Pay on iPhone terms to be accepted for the business. When Apple reports that they have not been accepted yet, the button at the bottom of the screen says Set up Tap to Pay on iPhone instead of Check the card reader.
- Set up Tap to Pay on iPhone: Press it, and accept Apple's terms when Apple shows them. Stripe then sets the iPhone up, and a Setting up Tap to Pay on iPhone popup shows how far it has got as a percentage, with Keep Work Planner open. This happens the first time and can take a minute or two. When it is done, the screen says Tap to Pay on iPhone is set up. Ready to take card payments. and shows how to take a payment.
- Who can set it up: Apple only lets an admin accept its terms for the business. In Work Planner that is someone whose role has the business's provider permission, such as Stripe, in the Integrations group on the Roles screen. Anyone else sees Tap to Pay on iPhone isn't set up for Shine Ltd yet. Ask your admin to set it up on this screen., with the business's name, instead of the button. Once the terms have been accepted for the business, everyone who takes its card payments can use Tap to Pay on iPhone.
- How to use Tap to Pay on iPhone: Shows how to hold the iPhone and where the customer taps. It opens by itself the first time Tap to Pay on iPhone is set up or checked on the iPhone, and you can open it again here whenever you need it. On iOS 18 and later it opens Apple's own guide.
On iOS 16 and 17, which do not have Apple's guide, How to use Tap to Pay on iPhone shows these steps instead:
- Enter the amount and choose Tap to Pay on iPhone. Your iPhone then shows where the customer should tap.
- Hold your iPhone out to the customer. They hold their contactless card, or Apple Pay or another digital wallet on their phone or watch, flat against the top of your iPhone until they see Done.
- If their card asks for a PIN, they enter it on your iPhone's screen. Customers who need help entering it can choose Accessibility Options on the PIN screen.
- If a card can't be read or has to be inserted, ask for another card or digital wallet, use a card reader, or send them a payment link instead.
Square: Readers and Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android
Square chooses for itself: it uses your Square Reader when one is paired and switched on, and Tap to Pay on iPhone otherwise, or Tap to Pay on this phone on Android. The screen signs the phone in to the business's Square account as it opens, so the buttons below show straight away.
On Android, Square needs some of the phone's permissions, and Android asks for each one in a prompt of its own. While any are still to be asked for, a Square needs some permissions popup comes up first, listing the ones Android is about to ask for and why: location, so Square can confirm each payment is taken somewhere it works; nearby devices, to connect to a Square Reader; the microphone, only to read Square's magstripe reader; and what Android calls making and managing phone calls, so Square can identify the phone, though nothing makes calls. Press Continue, then allow each one when Android asks. Not now stops there, and the screen says Square needs these permissions to take card payments on this phone.
- Pair or manage Square Readers: Opens Square's own screen, where you pair a Square Reader with this phone and Square keeps it up to date.
- Set up Tap to Pay on iPhone: Appears on an iPhone that can take Tap to Pay on iPhone but has not been set up for it. It links an Apple Account to Tap to Pay on iPhone. When it is done, the screen says Tap to Pay on iPhone is set up. and shows how to take a payment. As with Stripe, only someone with the business's Square permission can do this; anyone else sees Tap to Pay on iPhone isn't set up for Shine Ltd yet. Ask your admin to set it up on this screen.
- How to use Tap to Pay on iPhone: On an iPhone that can take Tap to Pay on iPhone, this opens the same guide as for Stripe.
- Show Square's test reader: Only appears for a Square test account, for trying a payment without a real reader.
Check the Card Reader
Check the card reader gets the phone ready the way a real payment would, without taking any money. It starts the provider's card software and asks for any permissions it needs. For Stripe it then connects your reader, or Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, and for Square it signs the phone in to the business's Square account. When everything is ready it says Ready to take card payments, and for Stripe it names what it checked, such as Ready to take card payments with BBPOS WisePad 3. or Ready to take card payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone.
Press it after setting up a new phone or reader, so a problem shows up here rather than in front of a customer. If a Stripe reader needs an update, an Updating the card reader popup shows how far it has got as a percentage. It cannot be closed, because Stripe cannot stop an update once it has started, and it can take a few minutes: keep the reader switched on and next to the phone, and keep Work Planner open, until it finishes.
If the Check Does Not Pass
- Location: Allow Work Planner to use your precise location. Stripe and Square need the phone's precise location to take a payment. Allow it when the phone asks, or switch on precise location for Work Planner in the phone's settings.
- Nearby devices: Allow Work Planner to find nearby devices to use your card reader. On Android, Stripe needs this permission for a Bluetooth reader and for Stripe's simulated reader, and asks for it before looking for one. Allow it when the phone asks. An iPhone asks about Bluetooth by itself the first time it looks for a reader.
- Square permissions: Square needs these permissions to take card payments on this phone. This follows Not now in the Square needs some permissions popup on Android. Check again, choose Continue and allow each one when Android asks.
- NFC: This phone couldn't start Tap to Pay. Check NFC is on. On Android, switch NFC on in the phone's settings and check again.
- Tap to Pay on iPhone: This iPhone couldn't start Tap to Pay on iPhone. Try again in a moment. Wait a moment, then check again.
- iOS version: Update this iPhone to the latest version of iOS to use Tap to Pay on iPhone. Tap to Pay on iPhone needs a recent version of iOS. Update the iPhone in its Settings app, then check again.
- Phone not supported: This phone can't take Tap to Pay payments. Use a card reader instead. On an iPhone it says This iPhone can't take Tap to Pay on iPhone payments. Use a card reader instead. Choose Bluetooth card reader and use a Stripe reader.
- Reader not found: Couldn't find your card reader. Check it's switched on and nearby. Wake the reader up, bring it close to the phone and check again.
- Business address: Add your business address in Settings → Organisation to take card payments in person. With Stripe, Work Planner needs the business's address the first time the business takes card payments in person. Add it on the Organisation Information screen and check again.
- Older app: Update the app to take Stripe card payments on this phone. This version of the app cannot take that provider's payments. Update Work Planner from the App Store or Google Play.
- Disconnected provider: Reconnect Stripe to take card payments in person. The provider has been disconnected from the business. Someone who manages it needs to connect it again, in the phone app or in a web browser.
Saved on This Phone
What you set up here belongs to the phone, not the business. The Stripe choice under Take payments with applies to every business you take Stripe payments for on this phone, and Square Readers are paired with this phone. Everyone who takes card payments sets up their own phone. A new phone, or the app installed again, starts with Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android chosen for Stripe. On a phone that can't take Tap to Pay, choose Bluetooth card reader and pick your reader before your first payment.
Related articles
- Taking a Card Payment on Your Phone: Taking a payment with Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, or the reader set up here.
- Card Payment Provider Settings: Connecting Stripe or Square for the business, in the phone app or a web browser.
- Payment Providers Screen: Choosing which provider takes card payments in person.
- Roles Screen: Giving people the Take Card Payments permission.