Card machine not working? Causes and solutions for small business owners

With fewer and fewer people carrying cash these days, being able to take card payments in a smooth, efficient way is vital for customer-facing businesses of every size and type.

Whether you’ve become your own boss by providing professional services in the local area, or you’re exploring things to make and sell in fairs and markets, or perhaps running your own food and drink outlet, your card machine is likely to be the most important payment option you have.

But what if your card machine’s down? This isn’t a common occurrence with today’s state-of-the-art devices, but knowing how to handle sudden hitches should be part of your small business risk management planning.

So, even if you’re not dealing with a card machine issue right now, it’s well worth reading on for tips on managing any problems if they crop up.

Why is my credit card machine not working?

While they’re often still casually referred to as credit card machines, the fact is that today’s portable card readers can accept a variety of cashless payment types, from debit cards and credit cards to Google Pay and Apple Pay. 

It’s this versatility which makes them so invaluable for customer-facing businesses, with unexpected outages having an immediate impact on operating cash flow. Let’s consider some of the main reasons for card machines not working.

Card network failure

If credit and debit cards are declined repeatedly, it may be because of an issue with the card network itself, rather than any glitches with your hardware or software. 

A striking example is the Visa outage which unfolded on 1st June 2018. A systems failure meant transactions all over Europe were unable to go through, with more than 2.4 million payments failing in the UK alone. 

Dramatic scenes of trolleys being abandoned in supermarkets and long queues at ATM machines ensued, in what was an embarrassing fiasco for Visa. While events on this mammoth scale are rare, occasional network disruption can cause issues with card payments in a way that’s beyond the reach of your operations management, and will require you just to wait until normal service resumes.  

Bluetooth or internet connection problems

Some card machines need to be paired with tablets or smartphones via Bluetooth, which means they will not function if the Bluetooth connection isn’t on for any reason. On top of this, no portable card readers will work if there’s a problem with the internet connection. 

The latter may be because of a problem with your business’s own internet setup, say a malfunctioning router, or because of a wider network outage affecting your region.

While internet connection problems are often very fleeting, lasting only seconds or minutes, they can occasionally be more serious and persistent. If your router is broken, or there’s a significant system failure in your region, it’ll be down to your internet service provider to deal with these issues as quickly as possible.

Battery/charging issues

If a portable card reader is refusing to switch on, the explanation may quite simply be that it’s run out of juice. 

That’s why it’s important to keep the power topped up. If it comes with a charging station, that’s where the reader should always be placed when not in use. Your staff should also know to do this as a matter of course (one of the the benefits of training employees properly is that handling work equipment will become second nature).

If you’re finding that the power is running out too rapidly on a reader, or that it’s being erratic even after being charged, then a replacement may be required.

Software glitches

Software isn’t just central to online business ideas; it’s also required for state-of-the-art business tools like portable card readers. And, as anyone who’s ever used a computer will know, software can sometimes crash or get stuck in the middle of tasks.

Depending on the issue, the time-honoured approach of simply turning the device off and on again may be enough to restore normal operations. 

Hardware issues

As with any piece of kit, card readers can stop functioning properly if they sustain physical damage. 

Being dropped, subjected to high temperatures or accidentally struck or trodden on can all potentially lead to a card machine not working, either because it’s broken or because an automatic lock has been triggered (which we’ll discuss in the next section).  

What to do when the card machine’s down

When running a business, the last thing you want is to discover that your card machine’s not working today. 

It’s important to take a calm, methodical approach to the situation, especially if your card machine’s down during the working day and the actions of you and your staff will affect the customer experience. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Pivot to other payment methods

Maintaining good customer service is paramount, so the first thing to do when your card reader goes down – before you even start investigating the issue properly – is to bring fallback payment methods into play. 

Physical cash is the obvious alternative, but you certainly don’t have to become a cash only business while your card machine issue gets sorted. Thanks to merchant services providers like SumUp, you can offer some other other cashless payment methods which don’t involve your card reader, including:

Contactless payments through your phone

If your card machine’s down, you can always use your smartphone as a replacement reader. This is a purely software-based system which doesn’t require purchasing any extra kit – it’s just a matter of downloading the capability to your device.

Your customers can then make cashless transactions by tapping their cards or phones to your phone, exactly as they would do with a portable card reader.

QR codes 

By providing QR codes in your place of business, your customers will be able to make purchases without having to rummage about for cards or cash. 

The process is simple: by taking a snap of the QR code with their smartphone, a customer will be put through to a secure payment gateway where they can input their card details and complete the transaction without having to download an app or open an account.

Creating QR codes for your business is a straightforward process with SumUp. You head to the relevant section on the SumUp app, enter the details of the products being sold, and print out the bespoke codes generated by the app. These are then displayed on counters, shelves or walls in your shop or eatery so customers can take photos when they’re ready to buy. 

2. Diagnose the issue

Once you’re happy that your business can continue to take payments and your cash flow isn’t going to be too disrupted, you can turn your attention to why your card machine is not working.  

It’s not turning on

If your card reader is refusing to switch on at all, it may be because the battery has run out, or there’s a hardware fault which will require contacting the provider for their advice. 

It’s been blocked

We mentioned in the previous section that card machines can shut themselves down in certain situations. For example, sustaining a sudden impact or temperatures above 40ºC or below 0ºC may trigger SumUp card readers’ automatic security locks, which permanently block devices to prevent manipulation or tampering. 

In this case, you’ll need to get in touch to request a new card reader, as the block can’t be deactivated.

It’s not completing transactions

If the device successfully switches on and functions, but the card machine isn’t carrying out transactions, it may be because your internet is down. Check online to see if your internet service provider is aware of service disruption in your region. If it is, it’s a matter of sitting tight and waiting for them to fix it. If there’s no known issue, contact your ISP for help.

If your internet is fine, it could be that your card machine is not connecting to the rest of your point-of-sale system. Remember that while SumUp Solo readers are able to function independently, SumUp Air or Solo Lite readers must be connected to a smartphone or tablet in order to carry out transactions, so resetting the device and Bluetooth connection may help resolve this kind of software glitch.

To do this, turn off the Bluetooth on your phone or point-of-sale system, and close the SumUp app. Then, ensuring the card reader isn’t charging, press down on the power button for a few seconds until it turns off. Then press the power button again until you see “Release for BT” and hear a beep, at which point release the power button and wait for the second beep which confirms the reset.

To reset the Bluetooth on your SumUp Solo and restore a broken connection to your POS system, tap the arrow at the top of the screen and select “Connections”. Then, just toggle to disable Bluetooth, wait a few seconds, and toggle to enable it again.

Whether you’re using a Solo or an Air, you should manually reconnect your device by toggling “Accept payments with card reader” on your SumUp app or your point-of-sale system.

If resetting your card readers doesn’t solve the problem, your merchant services provider may be experiencing a temporary outage. SumUp users can head to our service status page to see if the issue lies with the network or your specific setup. If it’s the latter, get in touch so we can help resolve the issue.

3. Communicate with customers

Hopefully, any issues you have with a card machine not working will be very fleeting, and alternative payment methods like SumUp’s Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android will mean the temporary problem won’t impact customer acquisition or your small business finances.

But if you feel there’s a risk that your card machine not working will slow down transactions or otherwise inconvenience customers for longer than a day, you might want to manage expectations through clear communication. 

Putting up a “card machine not working” sign on your countertop or window is one way to let customers know before they queue. If you’ve been using social media for small business marketing purposes, you might want to put out posts on your channels to mention that you’re taking cash and/or other methods while your card machine issue is being resolved.

It may seem like you’re making too much of a relatively minor inconvenience, but this kind of transparency and attention to detail can reflect very well on your business and brand, helping boost customer loyalty and disarming any potential complaints from difficult customers.