The customer is done and is standing at the counter. With card payments on, you put the amount from the receipt straight onto your card reader: the customer holds their card against the device, and as soon as that has gone through the receipt in Stippa is marked paid. You have nothing to type over and nothing to tick.
What do I need?
Three things, in this order:
- A subscription from Groei up.
- The Card payments at the counter module switched on, under Management > Modules.
- A card reader belonging to your payment provider: to Mollie or to Stripe. That is the same party you receive online payments through.
You buy or rent the reader itself from that provider. Stippa sells no devices and charges nothing extra on a card payment: you pay your provider's transaction fees, exactly as you do on an online payment.
Adding a card reader
The list is under Management > Card readers. How you add one depends on your provider.
With Mollie
The reader is already linked to your account at Mollie itself. Stippa reads that list, so all you have to do is point at the device you want to use.
Click Add card reader
Pick Mollie as the payment provider. You then see the devices belonging to your Mollie account.
Add the device
Click Add next to the reader standing on your counter.
Is there a notice saying Stippa is not allowed to read your card readers? Then the connection with Mollie was made before this feature existed. Reconnect Mollie under Management > Payments and grant access to card readers while you are there. Your existing payments and payouts are unaffected.
With Stripe
With Stripe you connect the device from inside Stippa, using the code shown on the reader's little screen.
Click Add card reader and pick Stripe
Enter a name you will recognise at the counter, "Front counter" or "Back counter" for instance.
Enter the registration code
That code is on the reader's screen. If you do not know how to bring it up, look in the device's manual.
Enter your address once
Only for your first reader. Stripe ties a device to a location, and that is your business address.
The name matters more than it looks
If you have more than one device, your employee will be picking the right reader from a short list per receipt. "Front counter" and "Back counter" work; "Terminal 1" and "Terminal 2" leave a customer waiting at the wrong device. You can always change the name.
If a device goes off for repair or to another location, set it to Out of service. It then disappears from that list, while the earlier payments on it are kept.
Settling a receipt
Open the appointment and go to the receipt.
Pick Card as the payment method
If you have more than one reader, pick the right device.
Click Send to reader
The amount appears on the device. Your screen says it is waiting for the reader.
Let the customer finish
As soon as the payment has gone through, the screen moves to Card payment successful by itself and the receipt is marked paid. You do not have to refresh and you do not have to wait for the customer to confirm anything.
The amount on the device decides, not the employee's screen. While the customer is still busy, nothing has been paid. Only once the reader has completed the payment does Stippa put it on the receipt.
When the card payment will not go through
This happens, and nothing breaks. The receipt stays open and you can simply try again or pick another payment method. What you see on your screen:
| Message | What you do |
|---|---|
| The card was declined | Ask for another card, or settle in cash |
| The customer cancelled the payment | Click Try card again |
| The reader is still busy with another transaction | Wait for the device to come free, or use another one |
| The reader cannot be reached | Check the device's power and wifi. Settle in cash in the meantime |
| The payment expired | Nothing was charged. Click Try card again |
| We do not know whether the payment went through | Click Check status before charging again, so you do not take the money twice |
If the device stays stuck on an amount that no longer belongs there, use Reset reader. That breaks off the outstanding card instruction and releases the device, without anything on the receipt changing.
A card reader that will not work never has to cost you a sale. Cash, bank transfer and gift card stay available on the same receipt, even with the card payments module switched off and even with no device connected at all.
Refunding money
Every payment made on a receipt is listed underneath it. A card payment carries a Refund button: the amount goes back to the card it was paid with. The customer does not have to come by for it and the reader does not have to be switched on.
A refund cannot be undone, and it appears visibly on the receipt. How long it takes before the customer sees the money is up to the customer's bank: usually a few days.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same card reader at two locations? A device belongs to one business in Stippa. If you work with several locations within the same business, add a device of its own per location and give it that location's name.
Does Stippa charge anything on a card payment? No. The transaction fees are Mollie's or Stripe's, and they are in your arrangements with them.
I cannot see Card readers in the menu. Then the Card payments at the counter module is switched off, or your subscription is Starter. You will find the module under Management > Modules.
A customer paid cash while the reader was already standing by. Choose Reset reader to take the instruction off the device, then settle the receipt in cash.