Getting started with In-Person Payments with WooCommerce Payments

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.

Introducing Your Card Reader

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Both the M2 reader and the WisePad 3 ship with a partial charge. We recommend that it be charged fully before the first use. To charge your reader, use the included USB-C cable to connect the reader to any USB charger. A full charge will take a few hours.

Requirements

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All In-Person Payments require the following:

• A connection to the Internet via WiFi or cellular data.
• The latest version of WooCommerce Payments must be active.
• Your WooCommerce Payments account is in good standing.
• A device running iOS 15+ or Android 5+.

If you’d like to collect In-Person Payments using Tap to Pay on iPhone, you will need an iPhone which meets the following requirements:

• iPhone XS or newer.
• iOS 16.0 or above.
• The device must be signed in to an iCloud account.
• The device must have a passcode set.
• The NFC (near field communication) chip must not be disabled.

Getting Started: Testing Your Reader Connection

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First, allow your reader to fully charge. To do that, 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.

The next step is to connect your card reader to your mobile device for the first time. To do so, in the WooCommerce Mobile App, go to Menu > Payments:

Then, on the In-Person Payments screen, look for Manage card reader and tap on it. (Keep in mind that menu options are country-dependent. UK and Canadian merchants may see the WisePad 3 as an option instead of the Chipper and/or M2.)

When you see the Connect your card reader screen, tap on Connect Card Reader:

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 the 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!

Collect Fast Payment

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To collect a payment, navigate to the Menu tab in your WooCommerce mobile app. Tap on the:

• Menu
• Payments 
• Collect payment
• Enter in the amount to collect
• Add an order note (optional)
• Tap on collect payment

The app supports the following payment methods: 

• Cash
• Card
• Shareable payment link. This link can be shared with a customer and used to pay for the order online

Buy Online, Pay at Pickup

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If you offer local pickup or curbside pickup options, you’ll need to decide if you want to deliver to your customers, or if they will be picking up their orders, or both. You’ll then set up Shipping Methods that your customers can choose during checkout.

Option 1: Delivery

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If you already have shipping set up for delivery, feel free to review or skip this section without making changes.

First, go to WP Admin for your store and click WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping.

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.“

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 the Save changes button when you are finished

Option 2: Local Pickup

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If you already have shipping set up for local delivery, feel free to review or skip this section without making changes.

First, go to WP Admin for your store and click on WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping.

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

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If you already have shipping set up for delivery and local pickup, feel free to review or skip this section without making changes.

First, go to WP Admin for your store and click on WooCommerce > Settings > Shipping.

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

For more information on setting up Shipping Zones see https://woocommerce.com/document/setting-up-shipping-zones 

Next, Add a Cash on Delivery Payment Method

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You’ve already got the WooCommerce Payments Payment Method setup on your store to allow your customers to enter their card information on your website to complete checkout. But for In-Person Payments, you’ll also 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, e.g.:

Note that you can limit Cash on delivery to selected Shipping Methods like those we set up earlier. This way your customers will only see the Cash on delivery Payment Method only if they qualify for those Shipping Methods. Just select those Shipping Methods in the Enable for shipping methods box (see above.)

Collect Payment for an Order Placed Online

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Enter Orders and browse orders in the Processing state. Orders created with the Cash on Delivery Payment Method are initially in the Processing state.

Tap on an order from the list, for example:

Scroll down to the Payment section and tap on the Collect Payment button:

You will be prompted to select a payment method. Select Card for any type of card-present payment, using either a Bluetooth card reader, or Tap to Pay on iPhone.

Alternatively, the Cash option marks the order as paid and updates your inventory for a cash payment, or the Share payment link option will bring up the share sheet to send a link that the customer can use to check out on your website, using any payment methods you have configured for web orders.

If you’re using a supported iPhone, you’ll be given the option to connect a hardware card reader or use Tap to Pay on iPhone to collect the payment.

Collecting Payment with M2 or WisePad 3

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You’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.

On success, iPhone users should hear a sound and feel a vibration. On an iPad and Android devices, you will hear a sound.

Now, you should be prompted to print or email a receipt (or No thanks to doing neither). You can also print a receipt later.

Collecting Payment with Tap to Pay on iPhone

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After selecting Tap to Pay on iPhone, if this is the first time using the feature, the app will check that your device is ready to use Tap to Pay on iPhone and display a prompt to accept the terms and conditions.

You will have the option to continue with your device’s Apple ID or another Apple ID. The Apple ID you use will be associated with a merchant account for merchant account management and fraud prevention and compliance purposes through Apple.

You can unlink your Apple ID from a merchant account by contacting Apple Support or using the instructions that are sent by email after setup.

Once that one-time setup process is complete, the built-in reader will prepare to take the payment and then display the payment screen.

The card or phone used as the payment method can be tapped on the area indicated on your device. The app will then process the payment and, once completed, adjust your inventory automatically.

Now, you should be prompted to print or email a receipt (or No thanks to doing neither). You can also print a receipt later.

Receipts

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An email receipt is sent automatically upon payment collection as long as 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

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If 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)

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WiFi 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 a 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?

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Some 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 in WP Admin

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Payments collected using In-Person Payments appear in your Dashboard just like payments collected using WooCommerce Payments online. You can find them in WP Admin under Payments > Transactions.

Update Your Privacy Policy

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Like 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 partner 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.

More details on privacy and our products. 

To manage your store’s privacy policy, go to WP Admin for your store and click on Settings > Privacy.

Powering Off Your Reader

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If you want to power off the M2 or WisePad 3 to save battery life, hold down the power button for about 4 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

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You can refund your customers’ In-Person Payment just as you would any other WooCommerce Payments payment. Simply follow the refund flow on their order in the app or on your site via WP Admin. When refunding orders via WP Admin, be sure to select Refund $x.xx via WooCommerce Payments (avoid using the Refund $x.xx Manually button as this button does NOT refund the customer’s money automatically through WooCommerce Payments – see Manual Refunds for more information.)

If an order was paid with Interac, the refund must be initiated from the app, and the original card used for the purchase must be presented.

FAQ

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Does In-Person Payments work with Test Mode enabled on WooCommerce Payments?

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No. In-Person Payments is not compatible with Test Mode. You should ensure that Test Mode is NOT enabled in WP ADMIN under WooCommerce > Settings > WooCommerce Payments.

Does my mobile device need an Internet connection in order to collect payments?

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Yes. Your mobile device needs to be connected to the Internet to collect payments. If using cellular (e.g. for delivery), be sure Cellular Data is enabled for the “Woo” application in your iPhone or iPad’s Cellular Settings.

Which cards and Digital Wallets are supported?

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In 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, and Discover D-PAS.

Can I use In-Person Payments for my subscription-based products?

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No, not at this time. Support for subscriptions products will be coming in a future release.

Can I bring my own card reader?

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Yes, M2 and WisePad 3 card readers purchased from a different site work as expected with the WooCommerce mobile apps. If you have a supported iPhone, you can also get started collecting contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone without any additional hardware.

What is the minimum version of the WooCommerce Mobile App I need on my mobile device for In-Person Payments?

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The latest versions of the app are required for both iOS and Android devices.

What is the Card Reader Return Policy?

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Refer to the WooCommerce Payments Card Reader Return Policy for more information.

What is the estimated shipping time for the reader?

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Our orders typically arrive within six (6) business days, but orders placed after 1 pm Pacific Time will ship the following business day.