POS CC Reader (Non Shopify-Payments)

[AlanK]

Hello All,

I have both an online store and POS, neither use Shopify-Payments. I am using Stripe and PayPal for processing sales.  I need a credit card reader for the POS system and it seems I can not use the Shopify hardware (card reader) as I am not using the the Shopify payment system (Shopify-Payments).  Is this correct?  I contacted strip about a credit card reader and it seems they only off CC Readers for their own POS system and I need payments to still go through Shopify to track them and handle inventory.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. 

Thank you for you all for your time.

-Alan

[Julie]

Hi, Alan!

Julie here from Shopify Support.

You can most definitely use the Shopify POS app with an external card reader, including Stripe’s. To do so, you’ll first need to set up an account with Stripe (or possibly upgrade your existing account to accept in-person payments), and then purchase a terminal from them. 

After you have set up your account with Stripe and you have a card reader, all you will need to do on Shopify’s end is simply enable the External terminal as a payment method in your POS settings. We have instructions on how to do so here.

Once that’s done, whenever you accept payment in person, you will just need to select “External terminal” as a payment method. The Shopify POS app will then record the transaction and mark it as paid, adjusting your inventory as necessary, but the payment is processed and collected by your external terminal provider, not Shopify.

I hope this clears things up! Let me know if you have any further questions.

[AlanK]

Gotcha, that helps!  Am I correct in thinking that I can not use Shopify Card Readers if I am not using Shopify Payments?  

I already purchased two wireless card readers and I can't return them and I couldn't get them to connect.

[Julie]

I'm glad that helps! 

That is correct. Although, there is an exemption for merchants who are using the swipe card readers (both the audio-jack and lightning models), as these particular card readers support Authorize.net and First Data Payeezy as third-party payment gateways. Unfortunately, however, they are not compatible with Stripe. Aside from those two third-party providers, all of our card readers are exclusively for Shopify Payments. 

Is there a reason why you are using Stripe as opposed to Shopify Payments? Which card readers did you purchase? 

[Timbucktew]

HI Julie, 

Very helpful, and seems to be working to a degree. We're using Authorize.net, set up our Auth.net account in Shopify and walked through steps for External Terminal. Processed a test sale using my card. However, any additional sale is processing before tapping/swiping/chipping the card. Seems to be defaulting the card account I used to test.

Also, there is a "Connect Card Reader" alert box that pops up in front the External Terminal button during the customer checkout process. 

Is there a process we missed?

Thanks

Tim

[Julie]

Hey, Tim!

Which card reader are you currently using? Because Authorize.net is a payment gateway compatible with the Shopify POS, you could use one of our own card readers. Doing so, you wouldn't need to select the "External Terminal" option and would instead be able to process the transaction by selecting the "Credit Card" option. If you are using a third-party card reader, however, then you will need to use the "External Terminal" payment option when processing a transaction. Are you able to elaborate more on the issue you are facing when using this method?

As for your question regarding the "Connect Card Reader" notification, this is intended for those who are looking to connect a card reader that was purchased through the Shopify Hardware Store. If you have a supported card reader, then you can connect it to the POS app using this option. Please let me know which card reader you're using; it sounds like it may be compatible with the Shopify POS, but it would be great to confirm whether this is the case. 

Looking forward to hearing from you!

[drama]

I'm also having a problem setting up Authorize.net with Shopify POS. Unfortunately to use a Shopify card reader in Shopify POS you have to enable Shopify Payments. I ordered a POS from Authorize.net but it doesn't seem like it can be connected to the Shopify POS either. Is there a solution that will allow me to use Authorize.net with Shopify POS?

[Julie]

Hi, @drama!

It's entirely possible to use Authorize.net with the Shopify POS. However, there are a few conditions. For example, your payment account must be based in either Canada or the United States. You also must be on the Shopify plan or higher and using a compatible card reader. The full list of requirements for using Authorize.net with the Shopify POS can be found here.

If your store does not meet those requirements, then you could use an external card reader. When you mention that you ordered a POS from Authorize.net, do you mean that you ordered a card reader? If so, you could use this card reader with the Shopify POS app. To do so, you will just need to select External terminal as a payment method when processing a transaction in the Shopify POS app. This will tell Shopify that the payment was accepted through a third-party device and Shopify will record the transaction as such. 

I hope this answers your question! Let me know if you have any further questions. 

[Casey_Samson]

But not really. If you use Authorize.net, you cannot process ANY credit/debit cards within the Shopify POS.

[Julie]

Hey, @Casey_Samson!

Thanks for reaching out. You can most definitely accept credit card payments using Authorize.net and the Shopify POS as long as you are using a supported card reader and are currently on the Shopify plan. 

As mentioned above, Shopify offers a couple of card readers that are compatible with Shopify POS, like the Swipe (audio-jack) card reader and the Swipe (Lightning) card reader, both of which are currently only available in Canada, however. Where are you located? If you aren't located in Canada, then you can still accept Authorize.net using an external card reader and the Shopify POS app. 

Are you running into any issues trying to use an external card reader with the POS app? If you need any further clarification, please let me know!

[Casey_Samson]

Let me clarify. If you use Authorize.net in the USA, you cannot process ANY credit/debit cards directly within the Shopify POS. Having to use an external credit card processor is redundant. I should be able to use the card readers we purchased from Shopify to complete a transaction. 

[Casey_Samson]

Unfortunately your reply does not seem to be accurate either. The POS does NOT give me the option to pay via an external reader. 

[Julie]

Thanks for following up, Casey. 

Testing out the order process on the Shopify POS app here on my end, I can see that "External terminal" is a payment option alongside the other payment types I've enabled, like "Cash" and "Gift card". Here's what that looks like on my end: 

Once you select "External Terminal", you'll then be presented with an option for "External debit", as well as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. The payment option you select here will then be recorded in your sales and payment reports, and will also reflect in the order details page. Here's what that looks like:

Based on the fact that you are not seeing an option to pay via an external reader, it sounds like you may not have the External terminal option enabled in your POS settings. We can confirm if this is the case by heading to Store > Payment types > External terminal. From there, you'll want to ensure that "Enable external terminal" is toggled on. Let me know if you're not seeing that option there!

That being said, I do appreciate your frustration about Authorize.net not being a compatible gateway with Shopify's card readers, and I'd be happy to pass this feedback along to our Retail team. I do hope that we can integrate with other payment types in the near future. 

[davidcastorio]

If and when we integrate authorize.net into our shopify system we can manually input credit cards and then they would show the card details with the order. Why is shopify blocking external card readers from doing the same thing it is obvious your system already has the capabilities to link the two. 

[ScaleNorthJoe]

Hi!

We are evaluating Shopify POS Pro as a solution for a US client and they may desire using authorize.net to accept credit card payments. What are the current processors that can be used via authorize.net? Also, is there hardware that can accept the external payment that is available in the US? Lastly, I didn’t see external payment options on the POS Pro demo, is it still available?

If all of these thing align, are there charges from Shopify to use authorize.net?

[davidcastorio]

Based off my experience there are charges from Shopify to use authorize.net.
The percent they tack onto sales vary depending on the account you pay for
monthly with them. They currently have 3 different plans.

[ScaleNorthJoe]

Thanks David,

Can authorize.net be an integrated processor on the new POS with the hardware and when credit card is used at the payment type in UI? 

[davidcastorio]

I don't think so that is my complaint with shopify right now.

[Julie]

Hi, @ScaleNorthJoe!

Thanks for joining in on the conversation. As mentioned here: 

While it is possible to use Authorize.net with Shopify POS, you will need to ensure that you are using a card reader that's compatible with this particular gateway. Currently, the only card readers compatible with Authorize.net include: 

• Swipe (audio-jack) card reader(available in Canada only)
• Swipe (Lightning) card reader(available in Canada only)
• Swipe (30 pin) card reader(discontinued)

If you are using Authorize.net, then you will need to source a card reader directly from them and enable External Terminal as a payment option in the POS app. Once that's done, you can then select External terminal as a payment method when processing a transaction. 

This applies to all Shopify POS plans. You can use any card reader that you like and you'll still be able to select "External terminal" as a payment option through the POS app. As mentioned in my previous reply, the "External terminal" option first needs to be enabled in your POS settings, under Payment types. It's likely that this payment type was not enabled as you were demoing the POS Pro, but you can see that this is an available option from the POS Pro features page here.

Because the External terminal payment type indicates that the payment was accepted using a device external to Shopify, it really doesn't matter which hardware you use, as long as it is capable of integrating with your payment gateway (in this case, Authorize.net). While I'm not sure if Authorize.net allows you to use external card readers, they do have their own card readers you can purchase here. Again, these will work perfectly fine with the Shopify POS Pro app using the External terminal payment type. 

Lastly, there won't be any transaction fees or other charges from Shopify if you decide to use a third-party gateway for in-person POS transactions. If online payments are processed using Authorize.net, however, then transaction fees will apply and these vary based on the plan you are on. 

Has your client considered using Shopify Payments instead? Where are they located and what kind of products are they selling?

[Georgeaga]

But will it send the payment automatically do the external card reader or do i have to manually i put the transaction amount on the card reader?

i have Authorize.Net on shopify pos and i just tried to do a transaction and its asking me to manually enter the credit card.

[JessBarfield]

I have the same issue and spent over an hour talking to support.

They kept telling me to set up a custom payment method. So I did and named it external, but it just gives the option to mark the order as paid.

This is using the NEW POS system and not the old one. Every single response here has been referencing the older version. If I wanted to use that, I would, but I don't. I want to use the new version nd I want it to work and nobody can give me any information on how to make that happen. 

[Julie]

Hey, @JessBarfield!

Welcome to the conversation.

That's right. When setting up a custom payment method using the new Shopify POS, you will need to mark the order as paid once you've processed the transaction using an external card reader. This will tell Shopify that the order was processed using that particular payment method. 

Have you tried marking the order as paid yet? When you do so, you should see it in your sales reports and it should reflect that the order was processed using the custom payment method you created. 

I hope this clears things up! 

[davidcastorio]

I mark orders as paid, but it becomes an issue with returns. There is
nothing noting the card used, brand, last four digits, anything. It defeats
the concept of having the POS do it all.

[waynevanrooyen]

Hi.

I am trying to clarify something here for a partner customer here. Being based in South Africa we dont have the integrated POS card readers etc. So we setup a custom payment type

in the new POS lite version, when ringing up a sale we choose our Custom Payment method which we called card for example. ringing off the sale and going to the register that custom payment is not reflected at all.

Are you stating its due to us not marking the sale as PAID.
Can anyone confirm they can see any custom payment types in the daily register. For us if this isnt the case to see what was done in split over card or cash for the day is a no brainer fail on shopify side. We know the payment is not processed but it should at least keep track of the payment type taken.

Thanks

[Julie]

Hey, @waynevanrooyen!

Thanks for joining in on the conversation. 

When you use your third-party card reader to accept a payment, Shopify POS marks the order as paid while the actual payment is processed by your terminal provider, not Shopify. If you're doing split payments, then the order should reflect as partially paid via your custom payment method.

When it comes to reporting, Shopify tracks the following order details for custom payment methods:

• Order number
• Associated customer information
• Line items
• Order total, including taxes
• Order date/timestamps
• Custom payment type used

For better payment tracking, custom payment options can be created for the terminal itself (for example, TD terminal), or you can create custom payment options for each of the card types that is accepted by the terminal (for example, Visa or Mastercard). In your case, it sounds like you named your custom payment method "Card", so this is what will be shown as the method of payment in your order details and sales reports.

Are you able to clarify where you're not seeing the custom payment reflected? 

[Casey_Samson]

Well, that is Shopify's MO here lately. Bad support, no direction. 

[ScaleNorthJoe]

Thanks Julie, 

A few questions, I'm getting conflicting information from Support (Excerpt from Chat):

Me: With Shopify's new POS, can authorize.net still be an integrated payment processor?

Me: I continue to read about third party credit card processor functionality being transitioned to External Terminal payment types and no longer integrated but that seems like a step back in functionality so I'm confused

Shopify: To answer your question about Authorize.net, yes it is still an integrated processor for Shopify POS.Even with the new POS

Me: To confirm, we don't have to use external payment functionality in the new POS to use authorize.net. Credit card can be taken at POS hardware and the credit card transaction will be processed in Shopify?

Shopify: That is a YEs on the POS question and authorize.net. However for the New Shopify POS, there will be a fee after october 31,2020.

Can I input the authorize.net credentials into the settings for the new POS and process credit card transactions using Shopify's credit card reader, have the credit info populate in the POS UI and run reports with the transactions out of Shopify? 

My client is in the US and the hardware list seems to only have options in Canada, there aren't any credit card readers in the US that can support authorize.net and Shopify POS? 

I have vetted their industry and they do qualify for shopify payments; however, they have strong existing relationship with their current processor so we'd like to provide them all options available for consideration. 

In advance, thanks for your help Julie. These are critical decision points for my high volume client and your assistance is much appreciated. 

[Julie]

Thanks for the quick followup, @ScaleNorthJoe.

I'm sorry to hear that you've been given conflicting information. I should clarify that we haven't transitioned away from third-party credit card processing with the POS. The only Shopify card readers that were ever compatible with Authorize.net were exclusively for Canadian merchants and this hasn't changed (aside from the fact that one of those card readers has been discontinued, which shouldn't affect your client as they are in the US).

If you head on over to our Hardware Store, you’ll be able to browse all of our card readers available to your client in the US. Doing so, you’ll also be able to see which gateway each card reader can integrate with. There, you’ll notice that the card readers are only compatible with Shopify Payments. This means that in order to use Authorize.net, your client needs to purchase a card reader directly from them.

When using Authorize.net with Shopify POS, all of your orders and sales reports in Shopify will still be accurate; the only difference is that you’re selecting “External terminal” as a payment option, then using Authorize.net’s card reader to actually accept the payment. If you have the new POS app, then the process is slightly different and instead requires you to set up a custom payment method that you can then label "External".

That being said, I strongly recommend that your client uses Shopify Payments to ensure a smoother POS experience. With Shopify Payments, you can use any of our in-house card readers and our Retail team will be able to fully support any potential issues that may arise. If your client also plans on accepting payments through their online store, then they won't be subject to any transaction fees that would typically apply if they were to use a third-party gateway like Authorize.net.

Ultimately, if your client is already approved to use Shopify Payments, then I would strongly suggest having them consider making the switch, as this would not only allow them to use one of our own card readers, but it would also save them a considerable amount when it comes to transaction fees on online purchases. 

[Casey_Samson]

This is the most hated thing with Shopify and Shopify POS. Which, I will say, does accurately describe the product 😉

Shopify, being so liberal it's sickening, won't allow us to use Shopify Payments because we sell...... HUNTING KNIVES..... so scary. 

Then, on top of that, we were entirely misled, which it seems I wasn't the only one, into believing we could use Authorize.net with the POS. 

SIMPLE ANSWER IS NO YOU CAN NOT...... Authorize.net is NOT compatible with the POS.  To say it is compatible is like saying you can get McDonald's McNuggets with Burger King BBQ sauce.

By simply hitting a button for external payment, you could swipe the card in your armpit and the POS would accept the "external payment"

[ayrity]

In the exact same position as you. I sell wine, and since it's an "age restricted product" we cant use shopify pay. I refuse to use their external processing solution, because it looks SO unprofessional, and I am looking to integrate and streamline my systems, not add weird appendages that don't talk to one another!

[ayrity]

Can we get more Shopify employees in here please? I am unable to use shopify Pay since I sell alcohol. I am FINE using an external payment method/terminal, but I am not OK with having there be no communication to it. Is there any way to have shopify POS send the price total data to the external card reader, and then have the card reader send info back to shopify POS that the order has been paid for? I'm on shopify Plus, can we make a Flow that will do this somehow? Can we use the POS API to do it? How about hacking the shopify tap&chip reader? Please respond ASAP!

[Julie]

Hey, everyone!

First off, I really appreciate everyone's feedback here. While there are some workarounds previously mentioned in this thread, I can understand the need to have Authorize.net integrated with all of Shopify's card readers and I have shared this feedback with our developers. 

I also appreciate you joining the conversation, @ayrity and it's great to hear that you've recently made the move the Shopify Plus. Because you've recently upgraded to Plus, you should have been assigned a dedicated Launch Manager and/or Solutions Engineer. Is this something you have discussed with them? If not, I recommend reaching out to the Plus Support team directly so they can explore some options with you. Our Plus team is here to help you work through this and identify a solution that works best for your own business. 

Thank you again for all of your feedback. 

[Casey_Samson]

I am doing my first event this year due to covid. Usually run about 30-35 trade shows a year. I have to say not being able to use the chip and dip reader is absolutely insane. So much slower. I ended up buying a headphone jack reader but swiping each payment is very time consuming and customers really didn’t like it with the pandemic going on. Just make the dang readers work with Authorize.Net

If the swipe can be used with Authorize.Net, there’s no reason the newer, more secure and safer readers can’t. This is a critical failure on Shopify. I for one, will not be doing next season if this is not fixed.

[Casey_Samson]

@Julie any update with the developers in eliminating the monopoly on card payments?

[ayrity]

@Julie I would love an official response here as well. Will you guys be accepting other processors on your POS platform any time soon? I can not use shopify pay, and want to use your POS, but having to type in the total amounts manually between systems is a dealbreaker. Please allow us to connect to external payment providers!

[GLIMMER]

I have run into this same issue with a client who is trying to integrate with Authorize.Net for their 30 US stores.

The "External payment" option is a non-starter. I spoke to the people at Authorize.net and they said that they

indeed have a Canadian Integration with Shopify POS where there was an integration of their "plug-in" and that

it would simply require Shopify doing this in the US as well.

If Shopify wants to scale to larger retailers they should open things up to 3rd party processors. 

Here is the link to to Authorize.net's developer API page.   I hope Shopify will be more democratic and less rigid in what clients can use.

https://developer.authorize.net/api/reference/features/in-person.html

[Casey_Samson]

@GLIMMER 100% !!!!! I have been saying this for MONTHS. This is not a hard task. It is likely simple coding to allow it to happen or better yet, it is there already. Think about it. If I can manually enter the card details ON THE SHOPIFY POS, I should be able to use an EMV card reader. It is already working with Authorize.net. 

This HAS to change. 

[GLIMMER]

@Julie You have been very helpful in responding to all these questions, but please help us all to see this through.

What needs to take place so that Authorize.net can be certified for partial-integration with Shopify POS for the US, as it is in

Canada?   My understanding from Auth.Net is this is simply a certification to their encryption key. As Shopify grows into larger

retailers with more complex needs and established relationships, it becomes critical to expand retailers choice.

Please let us know Julie.

Thanks

Michael

[Julie]

Hello again, everyone.

I do thank you all for your feedback and suggestions and I have ensured that this has been raised with our developers. While I don't have a definitive answer as to whether Shopify POS will have a full integration with Authorize.net, your feedback has not gone unnoticed.

I fully understand how this integration would help many merchants like yourselves, so I appreciate everyone hopping into the conversation and sharing their feedback. I'll continue to pass this along to our developers. In the meantime, you can keep an eye on our changelog for future platform updates.

If you need a hand with Shopify POS in the meantime, I encourage you to reach out to our 24/7 Support team or start a new topic here in the Community Forums.

Thanks again!

[davidcastorio]

Your rates are so high it's difficult to justify using Shopify Payments.
You charge the same rates even when a debit card is used and that's
ridiculous. Most companies charge $0.30 plus maybe a small percent per
transaction. On a large transaction that is no where near 2.6% what Shopify
is charging.

[Casey_Samson]

@ScaleNorthJoe Its a monopoly. They CAN allow authorize.net to be used with their readers. They CHOOSE not to to force you into their "Shopify Payments"

[davidcastorio]

Absolutely. I agree. Which is so obvious by the fact that you can manually
enter a credit card and it would show all the details. Adding a card reader
is just a smoother and safer way than inputting a cc number. Shame on
them!!!

[tatsuya_s]

Hi @Julie 

I have a question about payment process for Shopify POS with Authrize.net.

Already, I have posted same question in another thread (here) and post here again.

Hi there,

We are planning to use Shopify POS with Authorize.net as third-party gateway.

Question:

If we setup the POS with iPad, certified Tap & Chip Reader and Authorize.net.

How does a store staff operate the POS screen like below?

 - "Credit card" section (red circle) will activate?

 - And Tap & Chip Reader will activate when "Credit card" section is clicked by store staff and the total amount has been set automatically?

 - The customer insert or tap their credit card, then payment process will start and complete automatically? 

 - The POS screen will show "The Order as Paid"?

I just want to know that when we select Authorize.net as gateway, the POS can provide us the same experience as with Shopify Payment.

Best regards,

[Casey_Samson]

@tatsuya_s  Hi there!

I am not @Julie  But can answer this. 

If you are using Authorize.net, you CANNOT use the Tap & Chip Reader. It is impossible. You can manually enter the CC information on the screen, but Shopify is stingy and will not allow Authorize.net to connect to their card readers. 

If you are using Authorize.net as your payment provider, it really hinders the Shopify POS.

Simply put, you CANNOT run credit cards with the POS unless you MANUALLY type in the info, if you are using a 3rd party payment provider. 

Shopify knows this, and has known for a long time, and refuses to make this simple change. 

[ayrity]

This is absolutely, 100% true. Good reply.

[Casey_Samson]

@ayrity It is stupidly annoying. It also makes "pop up" markets and vendor shows a complete nightmare. We have been actively looking for a better solution, but sadly there is not a better option right now. I am disgusted on how difficult they INTENTIONALLY are making this system. 

[Julie]

Hi, @tatsuya_s!

Thanks for joining the conversation. 

The Tap and Chip card reader requires merchants to be using Shopify Payments. This is outlined in the Requirements section here. 

In the chart located in this help doc, you'll see which payment gateways are supported for each card reader. If you are in Canada, you can purchase the Swipe (audio-jack) card reader, which is compatible with both Shopify Payments and Authorize.net. It can be purchased from Shopify's Canadian Hardware Store here.

Otherwise, I suggest sourcing a card reader from Authorize.net directly. You can learn more about using external card readers with Shopify POS here. 

I hope this clears things up!

[ayrity]

@Julie     What you said is all true as well, however, by being focused on the work arounds and implying the limitation is no big deal, your reply could be misleading to someone unfamiliar with the issue here.

The clear way to understand is:

If you use Shopify Payments you get full functionality of the POS system

If you DO NOT use Shopify Payments, you do not have access to the full functionality of the POS system. The lacking functionality being there is zero communication between whatever you use to process a credit card and the POS system which is a core concept of what a POS is supposed to do.*

*(There existes a small exception if you happen to have a store in Canada and somehow find an ipad with a headphone jack and are happy using old hardware that is no longer supported)

[Casey_Samson]

@ayrity EXACTLY!!! Isn't funny how we are forced to use old hardware when the new technology is there but they are too money-hungry to support a third-party processor on a POS!? Kind of along the lines of what some would call a monopoly... Or the old song, " Sixteen Tons", "I owe my soul to the company store" 

Company stores - A company store is a retail store selling a limited range of food, clothing, and daily necessities to employees of a company. It is typical of a company town in a remote area where virtually everyone is employed by one firm,

Basically, use all our hardware and our services or you can't be an efficient merchant. 

[tatsuya_s]

@Julie 

Oh, Okay.

Our store is located in U.S.

So it means that there is NO way to integrate Shopify POS with a Card Reader when we select the third-party payment gateway.

Thank you @Casey_Samson and @ayrity .

Yes, I request Shopify team strongly to unlock this integration issue for your loyal customers.

Best regards,

[Casey_Samson]

@tatsuya_s 

I want to make sure you get the information correct. 

What @Julie is referring to end the end of her last post is misleading at best. Using a Reader from Authorize.net WILL NOT integrate with the POS. So it is really not a solution at all. It would be a standalone system and there is no way to display the transaction ID and other information required to be on credit card receipts from the Shopify POS terminal. 

The receipt would simply show a payment method that you name, and paid. Essentially you would have to give the customer 2 (TWO!) Receipts so that they would have the required information, one from Shopify listing what they bought, and one from the CC terminal showing that you actually charged their card on another device/terminal. 

The Swipe reader is an option, BUT not if you bought the expensive Shopify POS system made by Shopify. What is infuriating is it is clearly available, since you can swipe the dang card using an audio jack reader, but they refuse to integrate into the more secure and more reliable readers. ?

@Julie  DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PLEASE!

[Georgeaga]

You mentioned “Authorize.net is a payment gateway compatible with the Shopify POS, you could use one of our own card readers.”

Does this mean that i can use “Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader ” on shopify pos and use Authorize.Net.net as my payment gateway?

i

[Casey_Samson]

One would think. But no, they control the payment gateway and they do not want you using their readers if you are not using Shopify Payments. Of course you can't call and ask for help either because they have zero support right now.

[Julie]

Hey, @Georgeaga!

While it is possible to use Authorize.net with Shopify POS, you will need to ensure that you are using a card reader that's compatible with this particular gateway. Currently, the only card readers compatible with Authorize.net include: 

• Swipe (audio-jack) card reader (available in Canada only)
• Swipe (Lightning) card reader (available in Canada only)
• Swipe (30 pin) card reader (discontinued)

Unfortunately, it is not possible to use Authorize.net with the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader, as this particular card reader is only compatible with Shopify Payments. If you are using Authorize.net, then you will need to source a card reader from them and enable External Terminal as a payment option in the POS app. Once that's done, you can then select External terminal as a payment method when processing a transaction. 

I also wanted to follow up regarding @Casey_Samson's concerns about our phone support. Due to an extremely high volume of support requests as of late, we are currently offering callbacks as a method of phone support. All of our other contact methods, including live chat, can be found here. If callbacks are available, you'll see an option to request one directly from that page. If you are ever needing support with Shopify POS specifically, you can also find the contact information for our Retail team, as well as their dedicated phone number directly in the POS app, under Store > Support.

I hope this clears things up!

[astaraquestions]

HI Julie,

I appreciate all of the information you are sharing here. I need some help and don't know exactly where to go for it. But it is definitely related to this thread.

We have a Shopify Pro subscription and have just discovered we cannot use Shopify Payments because we need the gateway/merchant services to accept donations. We have just recently purchased the POS option and are utilizing that for a whole new set of inventory that has just gone online. We have also purchased the Shopify chip and swipe readers from Shopify as well as the Socket mobile.

In this current climate we are not selling much in person, but we hope to not too long from now. So, almost all of our purchases occur online and the current gateway is Authorize.net.

We want to switch to a gateway/merchant services provider that can accept donations, integrate with Shopify and Shopify POS, will allow for monthly subscription plans, will process with card-present and not card-present transactions, have good customer service, and also understand what our hardware (card readers, etc) requirements are, and ideally integrate with Quickbooks online.

I see the whole list of payment providers at Shopify's site (all 50 or so of them). How do I whittle this down with you all so that I am not in the situation of the others in this thread? Who can help me answer all of these questions without having to talk to 6 different people and getting information that is integrated?

Please help! If I get a callback from Shopify, will they be able to help me?

Kellie 

[Julie]

No problem, Kellie.

I can definitely appreciate the situation that you're in at the moment. Are you a registered charity? If so, then you will be able to accept donations using Shopify Payments.

If you are not a registered charity, then you will need to continue using Authorize.net. They are a very reputable gateway and many merchants use Authorize.net as an alternative to Shopify Payments. While I am not entirely certain whether they will allow you to accept donations, this is definitely something you can check in with them on. Is there a reason why you are wanting to look at other options aside from Authorize.net? 

Regardless as to the payment gateway you choose, you will need to use an external card reader with Shopify POS, as the Chip and Swipe card reader is only compatible with Shopify Payments. When did you purchase your hardware from Shopify? If it has been less than 30 days since the card readers were shipped to you, then you may be able to request a return from our Retail Hardware team. 

To touch on your comment about integrating with Quickbooks, this is actually something that can be setup directly through Shopify. In fact, we have quite a few apps that will sync Shopify with Quickbooks here. The payment gateway you choose should have no impact on whether you can use one of these apps; any order that is placed through your online store or Shopify POS (even if you use an external card reader) will be recorded as a transaction and will be synced with Quickbooks.

If you request a callback, you can most definitely discuss this further with our Support team. Alternatively, there should be a phone number you can access directly in the Shopify POS app's Support section, which will allow you to connect with the Retail team directly. 

Please let me know when your hardware was purchased and I'd be happy to explore some options with you. If you have any further questions, feel free to follow up here!

[JessBarfield]

Julie,

I have a question for you with regard to Authorize.net and the POS. 

Currently, if our business uses Square it allows us to accept payments via the POS and all of the sales data, , order and inventory information will be in Shopify while the payment data remains in Square's database

I want to know if the same would be true if we chose to use a card reader supported by Authorize.net.

[Julie]

Hey, @JessBarfield!

Thanks for joining in on the conversation. To clarify, are you currently using the Shopify POS with a Square card reader? If so, are you using the "External terminal" option when processing payments? 

You can use whichever payment gateway you like with the Shopify POS. However, if it's a third-party payment gateway, then you will always need to select the "External terminal" option. Doing so will record the sale on Shopify's end, meaning that your sales data, order, and inventory levels will all be up-to-date.

Are you able to elaborate on what you mean when you say "the same would be true" if you choose to use a card reader supported by Authorize.net? Are you referring to one of Authorize.net's own card readers or a Shopify card reader? As mentioned above, the only Shopify card readers compatible with Authorize.net include: 

• Swipe (audio-jack) card reader (available in Canada only)
• Swipe (Lightning) card reader (available in Canada only)
• Swipe (30 pin) card reader (discontinued)

If you would like to use Authorize.net but do not have one of the supported card readers listed above, then you will just need to purchase a card reader from Authorize.net directly. 

If I've misunderstood your question, please respond here and let me know! I'd be glad to offer some further insight. 

[chobza94]

Hi Julie,

I am currently trying to set up a reader for this specific issue. Authorize.net is successfully set up, however, I am not able to connect a card reader. Are you saying the Shopify Chip Reader will support running the payments via Auth? If so, how do I set that up? Since adding Auth the Shopify chip reader has not been working and I have had to manually enter the card number. Support informed me I could use the BB POS chip reader from Auth, so I bought one, but it will not sync with Shopify POS. 

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[GLIMMER]

@Julie You have been very helpful in responding to all these questions, but please help us all to see this through.

What needs to take place so that Authorize.net can be certified for partial-integration with Shopify POS for the US?

Will Shopify only allow integrated card swipe if retailers use Shopify Payments?  That seems very restrictive when many

of our retail clients have existing processing/banking relationships that want to keep in place.

Can you please see if there is a path to fully certifying with Authorize.net or another gateway?

Michael

[Julie]

Hi, @GLIMMER. 

I'm glad to know that you've found this thread helpful and I appreciate your feedback.

I completely understand how useful it would be for merchants in the US to have a direct integration between Shopify's card readers and Authorize.net. At the general support level, however, I do not have any insight into how this can be implemented, nor do I have access to any information on if or when this will be supported. 

That being said, what I can do is submit your feedback to our developers; the more feedback we get, the better. As previously mentioned, we have a system in place for submitting feature requests, so I'll make sure this gets added to the list. Hopefully, we can work with Authorize.net to make our card readers compatible with their gateway sometime in the near future. 

In the meantime, please keep an eye out on our changelog for future platform updates.

Thanks again!

[Julie]

Hi, @chobza94!

Thanks for joining in on the conversation. To clarify, third-party card readers, including those from Authorize.net, cannot be directly synced with Shopify POS. As mentioned here: 

It is possible to use Authorize.net with Shopify POS, however, you will need to ensure that you are using a card reader that's compatible with this particular gateway. Currently, the only Shopify card readers compatible with Authorize.net include: 

• Swipe (audio-jack) card reader (available in Canada only)
• Swipe (Lightning) card reader (available in Canada only)
• Swipe (30 pin) card reader (discontinued)

However, you can still use your Authorize.net card reader to process transactions while using Shopify POS at the same time. You'll just need to enable a custom payment method in the Shopify POS app for that particular card reader. Once that's done, you'll be able to select that payment method when processing in-person transactions. This will tell Shopify that the payment was accepted through a third-party device and Shopify will record the transaction as such. 

I hope this clears things up! 

[GLIMMER]

Hi @Julie,

That really does not help because it becomes a manual double entry process. If it’s available in Canada with authorize.net, why can’t they also make it available in the United States. There is so much business I can bring to Shopify, larger accounts, If they allowed integration with other processors besides Shopify Payments aka Stripe.

Can you talk to your development team, and see if they are open to allowing this? The system is far too limited And really only works for small mom and pops that I don’t have existing processing/banking relationships.

Michael

[Casey_Samson]

Ha! I am not surprised this is the response from Shopify!

Good luck! I have been on this for a year. Such a simple thing. They do not care how many clients you could “bring”. It’s not happening. Mark my words, Shopify has zero intention or interest in allowing POS users to use authorize.net

[chobza94]

Can the audio jack and lightning swipers still work in the US if I got one?

[Casey_Samson]

Yes, but only if you are using your own stand. Not the Shopify stand.

[davidcastorio]

What do you mean by own stand?

[PedroMotocross]

Hey,

I see your comment and I'm in the same boat. I have authorize.net online for my Shopify Store. However, I can't use the card reader. I see that you posted an answer for another user regarding this issue and you mentioned getting the lighting swipe card reader (Canada). Did you try and it works here in the USA? If so please let me know, also let me know where to get them. It's frustrating that Shopify doesn't allow to use of the lighting card reader in the USA but it does in CANADA. Please advise.

[ashleystell]

I never truly found a solution as to why I cannot use Shopify’s equipment,
but I did find something that works me. I’ve kept Shopify/Authorize.net
for my online processor and use square in store. While it doesn’t work
fluently together, I’m able to process everything via Shopify in store and
if they’re using a card to pay I just switch over to Square and process the
payment and mark it paid on Shopify. It’s pretty seamless as far as a
transaction goes, so that’s a plus.

I hope this helps. (:

[Casey_Samson]

And just like that, Shopify gives us small businesses the middle finger and says "Join Us or Starve"

Starting on January 31, 2022, your swipe card reader(s) will no longer be able to process transactions because we are ending support for third-party payment processing on Shopify hardware. Please know that you will still be able to process payments through Black Friday Cyber Monday and the holiday season.

Absolutely disgusting; greed is all it is.