A card reader at the counter lets you take a card without typing its number. GarageFlow sends the amount to the reader, the customer taps or inserts their card, and the payment is recorded against the invoice on its own, with Stripe's fee, the same as an online payment.
You need a connected Stripe account first; see accepting card payments. Card readers are offered in the US and most of Western Europe. If your country isn't one of them, the In-Person Payments card on Settings → Payments says so.
Adding a reader
- Put the reader on the shop's Wi-Fi.
- On the reader, generate a pairing code: Settings → Generate pairing code,
or key in
0-7-1-3-9. - In GarageFlow, open Settings → Payments, find Card readers and press Add reader.
- Enter the Pairing code and a Name your team will recognise, such as Front counter.
The reader is registered to your own Stripe account. The list shows whether each reader is Online or Offline. From a reader's menu you can rename it, Reset reader if it's stuck, or remove it; payments already taken on a reader are kept when you remove it.
Charging a payment
On the invoice, press Charge card reader.
- The amount starts at the balance due. Change it to take part of the bill.
- Pick the Card reader.
- Press Charge. The reader shows the amount and the screen says Waiting for the card.
- The customer taps, inserts or swipes. Once the card is approved you see Confirming payment, then Payment received.
The payment appears on the invoice as Card reader. Changed your mind before the customer tapped? Cancel on reader stops it. Once the card is being authorized it's too late to cancel; let it finish and refund it if needed.
When something goes wrong
| Message | What happened | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Reader offline | The reader isn't connected. | Check it's switched on and on Wi-Fi, then try again. |
| Reader busy | It's still handling another payment. | Remove any card left in it, then try again. |
| Card declined | The bank refused the card. | Ask for another card or another way to pay. |
| Cancelled on the reader | The customer or your team cancelled on the device. | Nothing was charged. |
| The reader did not answer | GarageFlow lost track of the payment. | Check the invoice before charging again. |
| The reader lost its connection | The connection dropped mid-payment. | Check the invoice before charging again. |
Warning
When the reader stops answering or loses its connection, the payment may still have gone through. Stripe tells GarageFlow about every completed payment on its own, so reload the invoice and look at its payments before charging the customer a second time.
Refunds
A payment taken on a reader is refunded like an online card payment: Refund payment on the invoice, then Send via processor. The money goes back to the card it came from and reaches the customer in 5 to 10 days; Stripe keeps its original fee. See getting paid.
Teya card machines
In the countries where GarageFlow offers Teya, the Payments page can show Card machines instead of Stripe readers. Sign in to Teya links your Teya account (you sign in on Teya's own page, and GarageFlow never sees your password), then you choose the Teya store and add its machines.
On each machine, open Settings → POS integrations → External ePOS integrations and turn on Cloud communication (called Pay at Counter on some machines). Without it the machine never picks up a payment sent from GarageFlow. Charging from the invoice then works the same way, with Sending to the card machine while it picks the payment up.
Note
If the page says Teya card machines are not available yet, they aren't switched on for your account. Contact support.
Troubleshooting
"Charge card reader isn't on the invoice." No reader is registered yet, Stripe isn't connected, or your role doesn't have Invoice and take payment. Add a reader under Settings → Payments → Card readers.
"The pairing code isn't accepted." Codes expire quickly. Generate a new one on the reader and enter it straight away.
"The reader shows Offline but it's on." Check it's on the same Wi-Fi as before, then press Refresh on the Card readers list. Reset reader clears a payment it's stuck on.
"The customer was charged but the invoice still shows a balance." Give it a moment for Stripe's confirmation, then reload. Never charge again until you've checked.
"The card machine didn't pick up the payment" (Teya). Nothing was charged. Check the machine is on, online and has Cloud communication turned on.