Managing power and charging for the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader

On this page, you can find detailed instructions on powering on and off your Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader, as well as guidelines for charging the device. Maintaining proper power management is crucial for uninterrupted sales operations.

Power the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader on and off

To turn on the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader, press and release its power button. The status lights should turn on and display the battery level. If you've already paired and connected the reader with your POS device, then the reader automatically reconnects to the device.

Sleep mode

After 8 hours of inactivity, the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader goes to sleep. You need to press and release the power button to wake the card reader again. If you press and hold the power button for 4 seconds or more, then the reader resets any Bluetooth pairing it had, and needs to be paired again. If the reader is connected using a USB-C cable, then pressing and holding the power button won't reset the pairing.

To prevent the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader from going into sleep mode, ensure that it's plugged into a continuous power source.

Rest mode

To conserve battery, the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader enters rest mode after 30 seconds of inactivity. During rest mode, the LED lights flash every 5 seconds. The reader stays connected to Shopify POS and doesn't need to be reconnected.

Security checks

The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader performs an automatic security check every 24 hours from the time it was last powered on. During this check, the reader disconnects from Shopify POS, restarts, and then automatically reconnects. This process takes approximately 20–30 seconds.

Charge the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader

You can charge the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader by using the USB-C cable that's supplied with it. To charge the reader, plug the small end of the USB connector into the card reader, and then plug the large end into a phone charger or computer. Best practice is to use a 5V / 1A (5W) charger.

The reader also charges when placed in the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader Dock. The USB cable supplied with the dock must be plugged into a phone charger or computer.

The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader takes 1-2 hours to charge fully. After the reader's fully charged, its battery should last for a week of selling.

Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader battery status

Press and release the power button to display the reader's battery level on the four status lights: