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Credit Card Reader

Card Reader Disconnected

Our card readers are designed to reconnect automatically, but a weak network or a Bluetooth hiccup can sometimes leave one showing a "Reader Disconnected" message, or stuck "Searching for reader." Work through these steps in order—most disconnects are resolved by the first few.

1. Check the reader battery

Tap the button on the left side of the card reader and take note of the LED lights that show.

  • No LEDs or a single LED indicates a low battery

  • 4 LEDs means the reader is fully charged

  • A flashing LED indicates the reader is charging

  • If the outer left and outer right LEDs are flashing rapidly, the reader has a hardware failure and will need to be replaced. Contact us for a replacement!

2. Check your internet connection

The reader needs a stable connection to pair and stay connected. If your kiosk is running on cellular data or roaming, connecting it to Wi-Fi will often resolve the issue.

  • Open the iPad's Settings app and tap Wi-Fi, then join a reliable network.

  • If your kiosk is locked in Kiosk Mode, disable Kiosk Mode by opening the Admin Panel. Tap 5 times in the bottom left corner of the screen then enter your Pin. You can also disable Kiosk Mode from the Dashboard.

  • If you can't reach Settings, reach out to us so we can disable it for you.

3. Restart the Kind Kiosk app

If the reader LEDs indicate an acceptable charge, make sure you are in the Kind Kiosk app. Tap 5 times quickly in the bottom right corner of the screen to open the Admin Panel.

  • Enter your admin PIN. You can find this in the Kind Kiosk Dashboard under the organization settings.

  • Click "Quit App."

  • If your kiosk is in Kiosk Mode, the app will automatically relaunch. If not, tap the Kind Kiosk icon to reopen it manually.

  • You will see the "Reconnecting" banner when the app opens, but it should go away once properly connected.

  • If the "Reconnecting" banner does not clear, tap Cancel on it and let the app re-find the reader.

4. Restart the iPad

A full device restart clears most stubborn connection issues:

  1. Press the volume up button once.

  2. Press the volume down button once.

  3. Press and hold the top button for about 10 seconds, until the Apple logo appears.

When the iPad restarts, reopen the Kind Kiosk app and wait for the "Reconnecting" banner to clear.

5. Re-pair the reader

If the reader still won't connect, re-pair it from scratch:

  1. Open Settings → Bluetooth. Tap the card reader (it appears as a device starting with "STRM") and choose Forget This Device.

  2. Restart the iPad (see step 4), then reopen the Kind Kiosk app.

  3. Open the Admin Panel (5 taps in the corner → admin PIN) and tap Pair Reader.

If pairing still fails, reset the reader's hardware: locate the small pinhole on the top edge of the card reader and press the button inside it, then try pairing again. Also confirm the reader's cable is fully seated—the reader port must be connected to the adapter for a proper connection.

6. Using a new or replacement reader

If you've recently swapped readers or iPads:

  • Turn the old reader off so it isn't competing for the connection.

  • Confirm the serial number (SN) on the back of the reader matches the one shown in the Admin Panel before pairing.

Still not connecting?

If the reader fails after all of the steps above—or its outer LEDs are flashing rapidly, email us at support@kindkiosk.com and we'll get a replacement on the way.

See below for a Quick Guide to the card reader lights:

Card Reader Lights.png
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