Troubleshooting Guide for Card Readers on Dines
Your Dines card reader is one of the most important parts of your day-to-day operation. While we have the utmost confidence that you’ll never experience issues with it, occasional connectivity issues can arise, as with most technology. Therefore, having a bit of “know-how” can prove invaluable - just in case!
Initial Card Reader Setup
To begin, power on your card reader by pressing the button at the top-right. You will see the Dines logo, which means you are ready to start.
On your iOS device, tap on the Dines app, which (providing you have previously logged in!) will open on your EPOS screen. If you haven’t yet logged in, please proceed to enter your username and password.
When on the EPOS screen, you will be automatically prompted to connect your card reader, due to it’s importance. A pop-up window will appear with a list of all card readers in the vicinity of your device, each with it’s own unique code. If the pop-up does not appear automatically, simply navigate to Functions > Connect Card Reader on your EPOS screen.
To find your card reader’s unique code, simply press the power button once, which will bring up the reader’s Settings menu.
The long Serial Number is what identifies your reader. In the example above, my Serial Number ends with 5293, so that is the option I choose in the animated image below.
Once done, a notification will appear at the top-right confirming that your reader is connected! You can now take payments using the Dines app and your connected card reader.
Card Reader Troubleshooting
If your card reader has disconnected, this could be for a variety of reasons, but there are a handful of very easy ways to fix it.
First of all, it’s prudent to make sure your card reader has enough battery to function! Low battery is one of the most common reasons for card reader issues. It can force a reader to power-off, leading to awkward moments when a customer is about to pay. With that in mind, it’s best to keep your card reader plugged in whenever possible, and to ensure that the cable is powerful enough to keep a constant charge. The readers will generally hold up to about six hours of charge when disconnected from power, but please note that this can vary depending on the number of transactions.
If your card reader has battery, yet has still disconnected, the first thing to do is make sure that it is not connected to a different iPad. An easy way to check this is by looking at the Bluetooth logo at the top right of your card reader. If the logo is flashing, the reader isn't connected to any device. If the Bluetooth symbol is steady, it's already connected to another device and can't connect to a new one. Should the latter happen, simply follow the classic “turn it off and on again” rule, by powering your card reader off, and then on.
Still experiencing issues? Please follow the below steps;
- Make sure you’re on the EPOS tab of the Dines App
- Tap “Functions” at the top of the page.
- Scroll down to “Card Reader Settings” (about halfway down the page)
- Select “Choose Device Location”
- Choose the location you are operating your device from on the list
- The Dines App will now search for your reader and allow you to reconnect.
One final step to take (in the very rare event of the above not fixing the issue), is forcing your iOS device to forget the card reader. To do this, navigate to the Settings on your iOS device, then Bluetooth. Under “My Devices” you should see a list of previously connected devices. Tap the “i” icon next to your card reader and then select “Forget This Device.” Following that, jump back into your Dines App and re-connect the card reader using the steps above.
The only situation where the above will not work is where your reader displays “TAMPER DETECTED” on the screen. If this is the case, the device is unfortunately damaged and cannot be used.
The above steps are likely to resolve any card reader issues you may have. However, if you are still experiencing issues, please double-check the below.
- You have Bluetooth enabled on your iOS device
- Your card reader and iOS device are close together
- You are logged into the Dines App and on the “EPOS” screen
- You are connecting to the correct card reader (remember to double-check the Serial Number by pressing the card reader’s power button once)
- Your card reader is displaying the Dines logo when powered on (if not, there may be an equipment-based issue)
If you have tried all of the above and are still experiencing issues, please contact our support team at care@dines.co.uk, use our Live Chat service here, or message us via WhatsApp on 07822 002783. And likewise, if you ever have any questions regarding any part of Dines, please do not hesitate to reach out. We’re always happy to help.