The card reader is offline, busy or not found
What to do when a card payment can't reach the reader, with an explanation of every card reader error message and code.
On this page
When the till can't reach the card reader, no money has moved: the payment never started on the reader. You can safely try again once the reader is back. This article starts with the quickest fixes and then explains each error message.
Quick fix
- Look at the reader. Is it switched on, awake and showing its idle screen?
- Check its battery. Plug it in if it's low.
- Check it's connected to Wi-Fi (or the cable or 4G). On the reader, swipe right from the left edge and check the network under Settings.
- Restart the reader: hold the power button, switch it off and on again.
- On the till, try the payment again.
Escalating checklist
1. Is the reader online?
In the back office, go to Settings › Card payments, open the location and look at the reader: Online or Offline. Choose Check status in the menu to ask for its current status. Offline means the reader hasn't been in contact recently: it's off, out of battery or has no internet.
2. Is the network working for the reader?
- Is the Wi-Fi up for other devices? Try opening a web page on a phone on the same network.
- Is the reader on a guest network or a network that needs a login page? Move it to your normal network.
- Readers connect with Wi-Fi or a cable, not both, and don't work on Wi-Fi 6-only networks.
- An S710 can use 4G instead: useful when the Wi-Fi is down.
3. Is it the right reader for this till?
Open the reader in Settings › Card payments and check:
- Location: the reader and the till must be at the same location.
- Default for terminal: the till this reader is used by. Without a default, the till asks the cashier to choose.
On the till, More › Settings › Connections shows which reader this till uses.
4. Is the reader busy with something else?
A reader takes one payment at a time. Another till may be waiting for a card on it, or a bar tab may hold it. Finish or cancel that payment first, on the till that started it. A card attempt can also be cancelled from another till.
5. Is the connection mode right?
A reader goes Through Verimly (any till at the location) or Directly from the POS (only the till connected to it). If you switched one recently, see How card readers connect to your tills.
6. Is the reader up to date?
When the till shows "A reader update is available", choose Install. Keep the reader switched on, close by and charged above 50% until it's done.
What each error means
| Code | Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
CARD_READER_OFFLINE | The card reader is offline. Check its power and network. | The reader can't be reached. | Work through checks 1 and 2, then try again. |
CARD_READER_BUSY | The card reader is busy. Wait for it or cancel the current payment. | Another payment or a bar tab hold is using the reader. You also see this when changing or removing a reader that's in use. | Finish or cancel the other payment, then try again. |
CARD_READER_NOT_FOUND | Card reader not found. | The reader was removed, or (when pairing a Bluetooth reader) its serial number doesn't match. | Choose another reader on the till, or register the reader again. |
CARD_READER_SDK_MODE | This card reader is connected directly to a POS app. Take the payment from that app. | The reader is set to Directly from the POS, so Verimly can't send it payments. | Take the payment on the till connected to it, or switch the reader back to Through Verimly in Settings › Card payments. |
CARD_READER_SERVER_DRIVEN_MODE | This card reader is driven through the server, not connected to this POS app. | The till tried to connect to the reader directly, but it goes through Verimly. | On the till, choose the reader under Use a reader through Verimly (recommended), or switch the reader to direct in the back office. |
CARD_READER_NOT_BLUETOOTH | This is not a Bluetooth card reader. | A smart reader was picked in the Bluetooth pairing flow. | Smart readers are registered in the back office. See Register a card reader. |
CARD_READER_MODE_FIXED | A Bluetooth card reader is always connected by the POS app. | Someone tried to switch a Bluetooth reader to Through Verimly. | Nothing to change: a Bluetooth reader always connects from its till. |
You may also see:
- "The card reader did not respond. Try again." (
CARD_READER_TIMEOUT): the reader didn't answer in time. Check it's awake and try again. - "Choose a card reader for this terminal first.": the till has no reader. Pick one on the till or set a default in the back office.
- "This card reader belongs to another location.": the reader and the till are at different locations.
Bluetooth reader problems
- "Bluetooth is off or not allowed for Verimly POS." Turn on Bluetooth and allow it for the app in the device settings.
- "Location access is off for Verimly POS." Card readers need it: allow it in the device settings.
- "The reader is connected to another terminal." Choose Take over to move it to this till.
- Keep the reader within a few metres of the till and charged.
Direct (local network) problems
"The reader can't be reached on the local network." Check that the reader and till are on the same network, without client isolation, and that Verimly POS may use the local network (on iPhone and iPad: Settings › Privacy & Security › Local Network). The full list is in How card readers connect to your tills.
Take the payment another way
If the reader stays offline during service, take the payment in cash, or with QR at the table if you use QR ordering. Other card terminals can't be recorded in Verimly.
Still not working?
Contact support and send:
- the reader's name and serial number (in its details in Settings › Card payments);
- the till's name and the location;
- the order number, the time and the exact error message or code;
- a photo of the reader's screen if it shows an error.