Shopify Tap and Chip Card POS Reader Review

Shopify Tap and Chip Card Reader

Shopify’s Chip Card Reader is a mobile credit card reader that integrates seamlessly with Shopify POS and allows for payment in a variety of ways. It costs just $0.99.

Before we move on, I should mention that the Tap & Chip Card Reader has been sold out according to Shopify. The Chipper 2X BT Reader costs $49 and accepts swipe, tap and chip payments. The Chipper reader, however, is iOS-only, unlike the Tap & Chip Reader.

This Tap & Chip Card Reader Review is being left up in order to give you all the information necessary to make an informed purchase decision.

Continue reading to find out more about this mobile card reader.

Overall Design

Let’s take a look at the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader and the Dock designed to support it.

The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader measures 2.83 x 3.39 x 0.51 in and weighs 0.2 pounds. It shouldn’t pose a problem if you plan on accepting card payments occasionally. The device does not come with a clip to hold it in place.

You’ll want to pair the reader with the Dock Shopify sells for $39. The reader is held in place by the dock, which charges it. It also includes a bolt and nuts that allow you to mount it on a countertop. You won’t have to worry about your reader falling out of the dock. One issue with the dock is the difficulty in removing the reader from it when you need to separate them.

The back of the card reader is where you will find the power button as well as the USB-C charging port. There are four lights at the top of your device that double as battery indicator lights and payment status indicators lights.

A short USB charging cable is included with the reader (no wall plug). The dock also comes with a longer, 6-foot USB charging cable.

Device Specifics

Tap & Chip Card Reader accepts both EMV/chip card transactions as well as NFC/contactless transactions. The reader accepts the following transactions:

Visa and Visa Debit
Mastercard and Mastercard Debit Mastercard
American Express
Explore
Apple Pay
Google Pay

Your reader will need to be paired with a Shopify POS enabled device via Bluetooth. These devices are compatible with the reader:

iPhone: iPhone 5 and better with iOS 11.4 or greater
iPad Air, Generation 2 and better with iOS 11.4 or greater
iPad: Generation 4, or better, running iOS 11.4 or greater
iPad Mini Generation 2 and higher running iOS 11.4
iPad Pro: All iPad Pro models that run iOS 11.4 or higher
Android: Android device running version 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher

Shopify offers the following information about battery performance: “The Tap & Chip Reader requires one to two hours for full charge. The battery will last approximately a week after it’s fully charged. However, the battery won’t be needed if the reader is being used.

To use the Tap & Chip Reader, you will need Shopify payments.

Getting Started

It’s easy to get your Shopify reader ready to sell. Follow these steps to be ready to accept payments.

Charge your card reader. Once the card reader is fully charged all four indicator lights at the top of it will turn on. This process should take between one and two hours.
Install the Shopify POS mobile app.
Log in to the Shopify app by opening the app.
To turn the reader on, press the power button at the back.
The reader should now connect automatically via Bluetooth to the app (enable Bluetooth on your device). To verify that the connection is established, tap the Home button at the lower left. Next, select Settings in the menu. Scroll down to the Setup hardware link. Next, select Card Reader and then choose Chip & Tap. If your reader is connected, the app will detect it. An Connect card reader connection should be displayed. This caused me to get a message that said, “Pairing failed — already pair,” since the pairing had occurred automatically.

This video will walk you through the setup process in more detail. The part about how to accept credit cards at checkout will not be of any use as it should automatically turn on.

You will receive a USB charging cable, but not a plug. If you don’t have one, you can connect the cable to your laptop or battery pack to recharge. The dock accessory must be plugged into the reader if you want to use it with the dock accessory. The 6-foot USB cable that comes with the dock should allow you to place your device in a way that is convenient for you.

Let’s talk about how to accept payments from the reader. The following steps will allow to accept a tap payment:

Tap Credit from the Shopify POS Select Payment screen.
Tap the contactless card or device onto the card reader’s face and hold it there until the four blue lights flash. The transaction is completed when Shopify POS displays a payment received message.

To accept a chip payment:

Tap Credit from the Shopify POS Select Payment screen.
Let the customer insert their card. The chip should be oriented towards the Shopify logo.
If a signature is required for the transaction, the customer can sign their name on the signature screen. Once a customer is satisfied with their signature, they can tap Submit Signature.
After the transaction has been completed successfully, you can choose to present a receipt or tap Start a new order. Now the customer can remove their card.

Software Design and Features

Shopify Tap & Chip Reader can only be purchased online at Shopify’s website. It is not compatible with Shopify POS. It cannot be used with any other processing app.

You can read our Shopify POS Review to get the whole scoop. The Cliffs Notes version will be available here. Merchant Maverick is a big fan of Shopify POS. It’s affordable, intuitive, and easily integrates with Shopify online stores if you have one. The app was designed for retail and works well as a standalone application.

These are just a few of the benefits you will get from Shopify POS.

Payment Features

Accept Multiple Payment Options: Shopify allows you to accept multiple payment types in one transaction.
Gift cards: Make gift cards that can be used in-store and online.
Custom Payment Options Shopify POS has the unique ability to create custom payment options. You can accept personal checks, Monopoly money, and gold coins as payments. This is how it works.
Multiple sales channels: Copy and paste the “Buy Button” to your website or social media channels. You can sell items anywhere you like, not just from your Shopify store.

Take a look at these features

Automatic Sales Tax Calculations: Shopify POS calculates sales tax based upon the location of your shop. You can also set up custom taxes to be applied to specific products and orders.
Shipping addresses: Customers can be stored with their address and contact information so they can order in the future.
Custom Receipts Both your printed and digital receipts can be fully customized. The Shopify POS Pro addon is required to do this.

Store Management Features

Integration with Accounting Software: Shopify POS is compatible with accounting software such as QuickBooks or Xero.
Order History: View all orders made online or in-store.
Multiple staff accounts: This option can be used with more expensive Shopify POS plans.
Reporting – Shopify POS provides many analytical tools including dashboards that track traffic patterns, sales, orders and other data.

Product Management Features

Product Organization Your products can be arranged in almost any way that you like. Your products can be offered in multiple sizes, materials, or colors. Each product can have its own price, weight and SKU number.
Inventory Management: Shopify’s sophisticated inventory management system makes it easy for you to keep track of your most-sold items and monitor which items are cost-effective.
Barcode support: Every product can be either assigned an existing barcode, or fitted with one.

Easy To Use

Although I don’t have a lot of experience with operating card readers or POS software, I was able to set up the device easily, the process is almost self-explanatory. The app also has a knowledge base and videos that will help you perform basic Shopify POS functions.

Let’s look at the Shopify POS experience (your use the Tap & Chip Card Reader forms part of this experience) and the experience of processing payments with a traditional merchant account. For big merchants who have the resources to negotiate custom processing rates, merchant accounts can be a great option. You should be aware of things like equipment leases, processing agreements, early termination fees, and details about which merchant account provider is compatible to which card readers and integrations.

Shopify’s payment ecosystem, however, is easier for small businesses and startups. There are no contracts to sign and Shopify has a built-in payment processor. You can also integrate many other integrations to make it easier for you to concentrate your efforts on growing your business.

Pricing

The Tap & Chip Card Reader sold for $49 when it was last offered by Shopify. The dock is now available for $39. Third-party processors might offer a free card reader. However, these readers don’t typically accept tap transactions. A simple and user-friendly card reader that takes both chip and tap payments at 49 dollars is a fair price. Shopify may offer a discount on card readers to new POS users in the future. This is similar to what it has done in the past.

The cost of processing payment on this device depends on the Shopify plan you have. Here are the costs per transaction.

Basic Shopify (29/Month). 2.9% + $0.30 online transactions, 2.7% in-person transactions
Shopify (79/Month). 2.6% + $0.30 online transactions, 2.5% in-person transactions
Advanced Shopify (299)/Month: 2.4% + $0.30 online transactions, 2.4% in-person transactions

Shopify Payments will charge additional transaction fees if you use any other payment processor than Shopify Payments. These are 2.0% for a Basic Shopify Plan, 1.0% for a Shopify Plan, and 0.5% for an Advanced Shopify Plan.

Overall, Shopify’s pricing structure remains very competitive. This pricing breakdown shows what you get with every Shopify subscription plan.

Customer Service and Support

Shopify’s customer service has a higher reputation than other commerce giants (I’m referring to PayPal). Shopify’s customer support is generally regarded as very good. There have been a few complaints about the customer service of Shopify, which is not surprising considering it’s a large company.

Shopify provides 24/7 customer support via email, phone, chat, and Twitter. There are also a variety of additional customer support options available.

Academy: Training courses are free with full transcripts and videos.
Encyclopedia: Overviews and definitions of eCommerce terms.
Guides: Multichapter PDF guides to specific topics.
Forums There are many different community forums available depending on your needs.
Developer Docs: API documentation and other resources for the technically-inclined.
Webinars Register for live webinar broadcasts.
Podcast: The Shopify Masters Podcast features interviews of successful store owners.
Blog The Shopify blog has been well-maintained.
Update Log: Keep up to date with the latest features for your store.
Free Resources: Content templates and calculators are available from the main site.
Experts: Shopify experts are available to hire.
YouTube Shopify Help Center has many tutorials.

User Reviews

There aren’t many reviews for the Tap & Chip Card Reader. This section is about Shopify POS reviews and Shopify in general.

Negative Reviews and Complaints

Shopify POS is praised more than Shopify, but there are some common complaints.

Offline Functionality. Shopify POS has been a problem for many users due to its inability to provide offline functionality. While some services allow transactions to be processed even if the internet is down, Shopify does not.
Additional Costs: Shopify can be more expensive than initially thought when users discover they have to buy software or feature add-ons in order to get the functionality they require.
Bugs Many users complained about bugs and other issues that made their experience less enjoyable.
Shopify Payments’ poor service: Many customers have complained about Shopify Payments withholding payments. This is a problem that third-party processors also face. To learn more, please read our article Avoiding account terminations

Positive Reviews & Testimonials

Shopify’s services have been well received by users overall, especially when compared with similar services. These are the top Shopify features that people love.

Easy of Use: Shopify POS and Shopify in general have been praised by merchants for their simplicity and ease-of-use. There are few better ways to start a shop and sell online.
Inventory Management Many customers have commented on how easy it was to import inventory, and how Shopify POS handles a wide range of products.
Excellent Customer Service: Although not everyone likes Shopify’s customer support, Shopify is able to offer a live chat and a phone number with 24/7 availability. Many users also praised the friendliness of the support staff.
Extension: Shopify’s interconnectedness to the rest of the eCommerce software industry has been noted in many user reviews.

Final Verdict

The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader, which was last priced at $49, is a great device that can accept NFC/contactless payments. It gets a score of 4.5 out of 5 . It can only be used in retail settings if you purchase the $39 dock separately. Despite this, the Tap & Chip Reader can still be used in a retail setting as a cost-effective and powerful commerce tool. We hope it will soon be back in stock.

We’d love to know about your experiences using the Shopify Tap & Chip Reader for payment processing. Leave us a comment to let us know how the device helped you!

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