With the launch of WooCommerce In-Person Payments, we’re excited to have you join us on this journey as we bring tap, swipe, chip card, and mobile wallet payments to your store!
WooCommerce In-Person Payments is available to qualified U.S., UK, and Canadian merchants using iPhone, iPad, or Android devices for non-subscription-based products. Support for subscriptions and other countries is coming soon.
Requirements
↑ Back to topIn-Person Payments requires the following:
- A connection to the Internet via WiFi or cellular data.
- The latest version of WooPayments.
- A WooPayments account in good standing.
- A device running iOS 15+ or Android 5+.
- The Woo Mobile App is connected to your site.
Using Tap to Pay on iPhone and Tap to Pay on Android have further requirements, which you can see on each linked page.
In-Person Payments fees
↑ Back to topIn addition to the above requirements, the fees for accepting In-Person Payments are different than the fees for accepting online payments.
The fees for In-Person Payments are dependent on the country your business is located in. You can find more information on our fees page.
Testing Your Reader Connection
↑ Back to topFirst, allow your reader to fully charge. Both the M2 and the WisePad 3 readers ship partially charged, but we recommend that your reader be charged fully before the first use.
To charge your reader, use the supplied cable to connect the USB-C on the reader to a USB charger. With a full charge, the reader should be able to process 600 to 800 contactless transactions before needing a recharge. A full charge will take a few hours.
The next step is to connect your card reader to your mobile device for the first time. To do so, in the Woo Mobile App, go to Menu > Payments:
NOTE: Do not pair the card reader via your phone or tablet’s built-in settings — the Woo Mobile App will communicate with the reader automatically!
Then, on the Payments screen, look for the option to Continue setup for In-Person Payments:
When you see the Connect your card reader screen, tap the Connect card reader button:
You should be prompted that Woo Would Like to Use Bluetooth. Tap OK to allow this. Scanning will begin:
Press and briefly hold the power button on your reader to turn it on. Keep it near the mobile device.
After a few seconds, you’ll see a Do you want to connect… prompt with your reader’s serial number:
Tap Connect to Reader to begin the connection process.
You should see the Allow Woo to Use Your Location prompt. Tap to Allow While Using App.
That’s it: your reader is now connected and ready to accept payments!
Collecting Payment with M2 or WisePad 3
↑ Back to topYou’ll be prompted to connect your card reader if it isn’t already connected. Tap on Connect Card Reader, wait for the reader to be found, and then tap on Connect to Reader to complete the connection.
Now, you should be prompted to Collect payment from your customer. Have your customer insert their chip card, (or swipe their older non-chip card if your device supports it). Newer cards that support tap-and-pay can be tapped to the reader. Customers may be required to enter their PIN. The reader also supports NFC wallets for mobile devices including, for example, wallets on Apple and Google mobile devices.
If a chip card was inserted, remove the card from the reader when prompted.
Wait for the payment to be processed. This can sometimes take 10 seconds or more.
Once payment is successful, iPhone users should hear a sound and feel a vibration. On an iPad and Android devices, you will hear a sound. You should be prompted to print or email a receipt.
Collecting Payment with Tap to Pay
↑ Back to topPayment can also be made using Tap to Pay on iPhone or Tap to Pay on Android. Please see those respective pages for our full instructions on taking payments via those methods.
Fulfillment Options
↑ Back to topIf you offer local pickup or curbside pickup options, you’ll need to decide if you want to deliver to your customers, have them pick up their orders, or both. You’ll then set up Shipping Methods which your customers can choose during checkout.
For more information, see Setting up Shipping Zones.
Option 1: Delivery
If you already have shipping set up for delivery, feel free to review or skip this section without making changes.
First, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping from your store’s administrator dashboard.
If you don’t already have a Shipping Zone that includes delivery, add a new Shipping Zone, and give it a Zone name (e.g., “North End Seattle Metro“):
In Zone regions pick the state you deliver to and then the specific ZIP Codes:
While on this Shipping Zone screen, add a Shipping Method for delivery using the Flat rate method. In this example, we called it “Seattle Metro North End Delivery.“
If you want to support traditional shipping for these nearby customers, don’t forget to add a Shipping Method for that, too (see USPS above as an example). Remember, for customers whose shipping address falls within the shipping zone, only the shipping methods specified for that zone will be visible.
Option 2: Local Pickup
If you already have shipping set up for local delivery, feel free to review or skip this section without making changes.
First, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping from your store’s administrator dashboard.
If you don’t already have a Shipping Zone that includes local pickup, add a new Shipping Zone, and give it a Zone name (e.g., “Washington State”):
In Zone regions pick the state that you want to offer local pickup for and then, optionally, the specific ZIP Codes (or allow any ZIP code in your state if you prefer):
While on this Shipping Zone screen, add a Shipping Method for local pickup using the Local pickup method. In this example, we called it “Local Pickup (Free!)”
And if you want to support traditional shipping for these nearby customers, don’t forget to add a Shipping Method for that too (see USPS above as an example). Remember, for customers whose shipping address falls within the shipping zone, only the shipping methods specified for that zone will be visible.
Don’t forget to click Save changes when you are finished.
Option 3: Both Delivery and Local Pickup
If you already have shipping set up for delivery and local pickup, feel free to review or skip this section without making changes.
First, navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping from your store’s administrator dashboard.
If you don’t already have a Shipping Zone that includes delivery and local pickup, add a new Shipping Zone, and give it a Zone name (e.g., “North End Seattle Metro”):
In Zone regions pick the state that you want to offer local pickup for (in this example, Washington State) and then the specific ZIP Codes to which you deliver.
While on this Shipping Zone screen, add a Shipping Method for delivery using the Flat rate method. In this example, we called it “Seattle Metro North End Delivery.“
And then add another Shipping Method for local pickup using the Local pickup method. In this example, we called it “Local Pickup (Free!)”
And if you want to support traditional shipping for these nearby customers, don’t forget to add a Shipping Method for that too (see USPS below as an example.) Remember, for customers whose shipping address falls within the shipping zone, only the shipping methods specified for that zone will be visible.
When you’re done it should look something like this:
Don’t forget to click Save changes when you are finished.
Don’t forget to click Save changes when you are finished.
↑ Back to topAdd a Cash on Delivery Payment Method
↑ Back to topYou already have the WooPayments payment method set up on your store to allow your customers to enter their card information on your website to complete checkout. For In-Person Payments, you’ll need to add another payment method: Cash on Delivery.
Don’t worry about the word “Cash” there — we’ll fix that in the next few steps.
To do so, go to WP Admin for your store and click on WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > All Payment Methods:
Next, enable Cash on delivery:
Then click on Manage to access the settings for Cash on delivery. We recommend changing the name to something like “Pay on Delivery” or “Pay in Person” depending on your business:
Note that you can limit Cash on delivery to selected Shipping Methods. This way your customers will only see the cash on delivery payment method e only if they qualify for those Shipping Methods. Just select those Shipping Methods in the Enable for shipping methods box.
Accepting Payments
↑ Back to topWhen collecting a payment, In-Person Payments supports the following payment methods:
- Cash
- Card reader
- If you’re using a supported device, you’ll also be given the option to use Tap to Pay to collect the payment.
- Shareable payment link
- This link can be shared with a customer and used to pay for the order online.
- Scan to Pay
- This will generate a QR code that a customer can scan to pay for the order online.
With In-Person Payments, there are three ways of collecting payments:
Collect Fast Payments
↑ Back to topWith In-Person Payments, you can accept a quick payment that isn’t tied to particular products. Since it isn’t associated with products, it will not reduce stock or be associated with itemized products.
To collect a fast payment:
- Navigate to the Menu section of your Woo Mobile App.
- Tap on the Payments option.
- Tap on the Collect payment option.
- Enter in the amount to collect.
- Add an order note (optional).
- Tap on Take payment.
- Choose how to collect payment.
Build Orders
↑ Back to topWith In-Person Payments, you can build an order in the Woo Mobile App and collect payment immediately.
To build an order and collect payment:
- Navigate to the Orders section of the Woo Mobile App.
- Tap on the
+
icon in the top-right corner to create an order. - To add products to the order, you can either:
- Scan product barcodes using your device’s camera.
- If the barcode matches a SKU for a product available on your store, it will automatically be added to the order.
- Select Add Products.
- Scan product barcodes using your device’s camera.
- If you choose Add Products, select the product(s) you’d like to add to the order and tap the # Product(s) Selected button to add the product(s) to the order.
- After the order is fully created, select the Collect Payment button to take payment.
- Choose how to collect payment.
Collect Payment for an Order Placed Online
↑ Back to topWith In-Person Payments, you can allow customers to place an order online without supplying payment at the time the order is placed. They can then pay for the order in-person using a card or cash.
To collect a payment in-person after it is placed online:
- Navigate to the Orders section of the Woo Mobile App.
- Tap on the order being paid for.
- Orders placed online with the Pay in Person payment method will have the
Processing
status.
- Orders placed online with the Pay in Person payment method will have the
- Review the order details and tap on on the Collect payment option.
- Choose how to collect payment.
Receipts
↑ Back to topAn email receipt is sent automatically upon payment collection if a customer email address is set on the order. You can also send the email receipt manually after the payment. However, as an In-Person Payments merchant, you are obligated to provide your customers the option of a printed receipt for any payment.
Printing Receipts to a Printer Accessible via the Same WiFi Network
↑ Back to topIf your mobile device has access to a WiFi Network, e.g. for curbside payments or point-of-sale type payments, you should be able to use any printer accessible via that WiFi network using AirPrint (iOS) or Mopria (Android).
Android users should note that, for some printers (including the Brother RJ-4250WB-L and many others), you may need to install additional software such as the Brother Print Service Plugin.
Printing Receipts to a Portable WiFi Direct Printer (e.g. Brother RJ-4250WB-L or similar)
↑ Back to topWiFi Direct printers like the Brother RJ-4250WB-L have their own internal WiFi access point/hotspot that a mobile device can connect to directly for printing receipts.
If you have access to a WiFi Direct Printer like the Brother RJ-4250, ensure your mobile device has access to cellular data and then connect to the printer WiFi using your device’s WiFi settings. In the case of an RJ-4250WB, the printer will have 4250WB in its SSID and the password is 425, followed by the last five digits of the serial number, e.g. 42533007.
You can then accept payments (over cellular data) and print receipts (over WiFi Direct). This can be especially useful for in-person delivery at a customer’s home.
Why Not Both?
↑ Back to topSome printers, like the Brother RJ-4250WB-L, can be used both with a traditional WiFi network and with WiFi Direct. This is great for maximizing the use of a somewhat expensive printer like the Brother RuggedJet. Android users may also be able to connect to printers, like the Brother RJ-4250WB-L, using Bluetooth as a third option.
The idea is that, when you have your printer at their place of business, it can be accessed like any other printer on their WiFi network. But when you take the printer somewhere else, like a customer’s home or trade show, the WiFi Direct mode takes precedence.
For the Brother RJ-4250WB-L, a special Windows-based Printer Setting Tool is needed to set up the WiFi network SSID and password. To get this tool
- Visit the Brother website.
- Click on Windows for OS Family and then choose your OS (e.g. Windows 10 (64-bit)).
- To the right of “Software/Document Installer” click on “Click to choose” and choose your preferred language.
- Agree to the EULA, download and run the installer.
- Connect the RJ-4250WB-L to your computer using a USB Mini-B cable. The port is near the paper opening button:
- After installation completes, launch the Printer Setting Tool, connect to your RJ-4250 over USB, and click on Communication Settings
- Switch to the Wireless LAN tab, then pick Wireless Settings. Enter (or search for) your wireless network and give its passphrase. Hit Apply to send the settings to the printer.
- Lastly, on the printer itself:
- Press the Menu (down arrow) button until you see WLAN.
- Press the OK button.
- Press the Menu (down arrow) button until you see Mode.
- Press the OK button.
- The Menu (down arrow) button until you see Direct/Infra.
- Press the OK button.
- Your printer should now be able to function both on your WiFi network (Infra) and off-network (Direct).
Viewing Transactions
↑ Back to topPayments collected using In-Person Payments appear in your dashboard just like other payments processed via WooPayments. As a result, you can find them under Payments > Transactions.
If you’d like to view just In-Person Payments transactions, you can do so by:
- Showing the Advanced filters.
- Using the
Device type
filter to display payments made with either aniPhone
orAndroid
device.
You can use other filters if you’d like to get more granular reporting about your In-Person Payments transactions.
Update Your Privacy Policy
↑ Back to topLike any Payment Method, customers using In-Person Payments should be aware of what data is shared about them and their transactions with others. Customers using card-present payments can expect to have the following personal data shared with our partners at Stripe:
- Their location at the time and date of purchase.
- Their email address.
- their name.
- A Stripe assigned customer ID if the buyer has prior payments for this store.
- The buyer’s address and phone number.
- The quantity, price, and description of items in the order.
All data is used to support fraud detection during payment collection. You can find more details on provacy and our products here, and you can manage your store’s privacy policy in the Settings > Privacy section of your site’s administrator dashboard.
More details on privacy and our products.
Powering Off Your Reader
↑ Back to topIf you want to power off the M2 or WisePad 3 to save battery life, hold down the power button for roughly four seconds.
Depending on the device, either the light will go off and stay off, or the LED will display a prompt Power off?
— which you can confirm with the green enter button on the PIN pad.
Refunds
↑ Back to topYou can refund your customers’ In-Person Payment just as you would any other WooPayments payment by following the refund flow on their order in the app or on your site via WP Admin.
If an order was paid with Interac, the refund must be initiated from the Woo Mobile App, and the original card used for the purchase must be presented.
To refund through the Woo Mobile App:
- Navigate to the Orders section of your Woo Mobile App.
- Select the order you’d like to refund.
- Scroll down to find the Issue Refund option. Select it.
- Adjust the quantity of the products you’d like to refund and select Next.
- If desired, enter a reason for the refund, then tap the Refund button.
- Select Refund again to confirm the refund.
Frequently Asked Questions
↑ Back to topIs it possible to set up In-Person Payments for events without changing the checkout flow for web visitors?
↑ Back to topYes! To do this, please:
- Keep the “Pay in Person” setting in Menu > Payments disabled in the app. This setting is only required if you would like to collect payments for website-placed orders in our app.
- Create an order either in the Woo Mobile App or in your site’s web-based administrator dashboard.
- Accept the payment via In-Person Payments.
Does In-Person Payments work with test mode enabled on WooPayments?
↑ Back to topNo. In-Person Payments is not compatible with test mode or sandbox mode.
Does my mobile device need an Internet connection to collect payments?
↑ Back to topYes. Your mobile device needs to be connected to the Internet to collect payments.
If you are using cellular data to connect to the internet, please be sure Cellular Data is enabled for the “Woo” application in your device’s Cellular Settings.
Which cards and digital wallets are supported?
↑ Back to topIn addition to most credit and debit cards, we also support in-person payments using:
- Apple Wallet
- Google Wallet
- Samsung Pay
- VISA payWave
- MasterCard PayPass
- AMEX ExpressPay
- Interac
- Discover D-PAS
Can I use In-Person Payments for my subscription-based products?
↑ Back to topNot at this time. Support for subscription products will be coming in a future release.
Can I bring my own card reader?
↑ Back to topYes! M2 and WisePad 3 card readers purchased from a different site work as expected with the Woo Mobile App.
If you have a supported iPhone or Android device, you can also get started collecting contactless payments with Tap to Pay without any additional hardware!
What is the minimum version of the Woo Mobile App I need on my mobile device for In-Person Payments?
↑ Back to topThe latest versions of the app are required for both iOS and Android devices.
What is the Card Reader Return Policy?
↑ Back to topRefer to the WooPayments Card Reader Return Policy for more information.
What is the estimated shipping time for the reader?
↑ Back to topOrders typically arrive within six business days, but orders placed after 21:00 UTC will ship the following business day.