Issue: My card reader will not connect.
It can take up to 15 minutes for the card reader to connect the first time. This is because the card readers require a 10-minute update the first time they are connected to the CommentSold POS app.
They also need to be nearly fully charged, or it will not update.
Issue: My card reader appears disconnected
The reader automatically goes into standby mode after 10 hours of inactivity. The reader stays connected to your device while in standby mode and will automatically exit standby mode when you resume activity.
Card Reader Error: “Device cannot be paired”
- Press the power on button to restart your device.
- Check if you can find the device’s “Serial Number” (Shown on the back of the device) in the “Scanned Device List” of your smartphone or tablet.
Issue: Card Reader lost the connection with my smartphone or tablet.
- Press the power on button to turn on the device again. The device will automatically connect with your smartphone or tablet again.
- The device may be at a lower battery level. Please use the USB cable to recharge it, then retry.
- Ensure the device or smartphone/tablet is within the reception range.
- Check for any software updates needed on the iPad. You can check by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
- Try logging out of the app and back in. This may jump-start the connection and force the reader to reconnect.
- While the App is searching, try pressing the side button on the reader 2-3 times rapidly.
- Restart the card reader by holding down the square button on the side until all of the lights go out one by one, waiting 60 seconds, and then pressing the button again.
- Disconnect the card reader in the POS app and reconnect.
- Reset location permissions (Confirm in the iPad settings that the app has full location permissions. No location data will cause the card reader to not function). Check this by going to Settings > General > Transfer & Reset iPad > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. You may need to restart the device.
- Reboot the iPad
Issue: The Card Reader cannot read the card successfully
Check these first:
- Press the power on button to turn on the device again. The device will automatically connect with your smartphone or tablet again.
- The device may be at a lower battery level. Please use the USB cable to recharge it, then retry.
- Ensure the device or smartphone/tablet is within the reception range.
Swiping or inserting a card
- Check if the device has power when operating and ensure devices are connected.
- Check if the application instructs to swipe, insert, or tap the card.
- Ensure that there is no obstacle in the card slots.
- Check if the magstripe or chip of the card is facing the right direction when swiping or inserting the card.
- Ensure that your phone/ tablet is a supported model for this device’s operation.
- Swipe or insert the card at a more constant speed.
Tap Card
- Check if the card supports NFC payment.
- Ensure that the card is placed within a 4cm range on top of the NFC marking.
- Take out the NFC payment card from your wallet or purse for payment to avoid any interference.
Issue: Card Reader not responding
Use a paper clip to press the reset button at the bottom for a reboot.
Issue: Card Reader keeps disconnecting
First, confirm the reader is not just in standby mode. (See How do I know what the status lights mean on the card reader? above)
If the reader is NOT in standby mode, this is almost always caused by pairing the card reader from the iPad's Bluetooth Settings rather than within the POS App itself. We have seen this issue completely go away if you follow these steps exactly:
- Unpair the Card Reader from within the iPad's Settings screen. Here’s how:
- Open the Settings App on your iPad.
- Select Bluetooth.
- Locate the Card Reader device. It has a name that starts with STRMXXXXXX, and select the little i bubble next to it.
- Select Forget this Device.
- Reboot your iPad. Even if you recently restarted your iPad, restarting now is important.
- Open the CS POS App.
- Turn on the Card Reader.
- In the CS POS app, select Menu > Settings.
- Select Connect under Card Reader.
Still not connecting? Check that the app has Location Services turned on in the iPad.
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
- Make sure that Location Services is on.
- Scroll down to find the CS POS app.
- Tap the app and select one of these options:
- While Using the App
- Always: Allows access to your location even when the app is in the background.
Error: Discovery timed out. Please ensure your device is on.
- Restart the card reader
- Fully disconnect the card reader
- Reset location permissions
- Reboot the iPad
If none of these steps work, try re-installing the app.
Issue: Add to Cart button is missing in CommentSold POS for certain products.
This issue can occur when unsupported HTML tags—such as <pre> and </pre>—are present in the product description’s source code. These tags can interfere with how the product renders in POS, causing the Add to Cart button to disappear. This often happens when product descriptions are copied and pasted directly from a supplier’s website, bringing over hidden formatting or code.
Resolution: To restore the Add to Cart button, you’ll need to clean up the product description by removing any problematic HTML tags.
Start by reviewing the product description’s source code and removing tags like <pre> and </pre>, then save the product. After making the changes, restart the POS to ensure the updates take effect.
To prevent this issue going forward, paste product descriptions as plain text instead of rich text. On Mac, you can use the shortcut Option + Shift + Command + V when pasting to avoid bringing in unwanted formatting or HTML.