Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader Review

Pros

• Easy to use
• Bluetooth connection
• Accepts chip and contactless/NFC transactions

Cons

• Does not process magstripe transactions
• The dock costs an additional $40

What Is The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader?

Shopify’s Tap & Chip Card Reader is a handy mobile credit card reader that works seamlessly with the Shopify POS app and accepts cutting-edge forms of payment for a reasonable price.

Shopify Credit Card Reader Pricing

Shopify earns strong marks in this category due to its competitive hardware prices and processing rates (for every plan other than Starter, anyway). The significant monthly fee for the Basic Shopify plan (the lowest-tier plan that gives you an online store and competitive processing rates) and the transaction fees incurred when using a non-Shopify payment processor prevent us from giving the reader an even higher score here.

The Tap & Chip Card Reader sells for $49, which is a good price for a simple, user-friendly card reader that accepts tap and chip payments. The charging dock will cost you an additional $40.

As for the cost of payment processing on this device, that depends on your Shopify plan. Here’s what you’ll pay per transaction:

• Shopify Starter ($5/month): 5% + $0.30 for online transactions, 5% for in-person transactions
• Basic Shopify ($39/month if paid monthly or $29/month if paid annually): 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions, 2.7% for in-person transactions
• Shopify ($105/month if paid monthly or $79/month if paid annually): 2.6% + $0.30 for online transactions, 2.5% for in-person transactions
• Advanced Shopify ($399/month if paid monthly or $299/month if paid annually): 2.4% + $0.30 for online transactions, 2.4% for in-person transactions

If you use a payment processor other than Shopify Payments, you’ll encounter additional transaction fees: 2.0% per transaction with a Basic Shopify plan, 1.0% with a Shopify plan, and 0.5% with an Advanced Shopify plan.

On the whole, however, Shopify’s pricing structure is quite competitive, though Shopify Starter is only appropriate for very occasional/light sales due to the very high per-transaction rates. Our Shopify review details what you’ll get with each Shopify subscription plan.

Overall Design

Let’s examine the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader, the dock built to work with it, and the devices’ respective packaging.

Measuring 2.83 x 3.39 x 0.51 inches and weighing 0.2 pounds, the Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader is a small, light device. If you plan to accept occasional card payments with the device in your hand, it shouldn’t be a problem. However, the device doesn’t come with a clip or holder to secure it.

For that reason, you’ll likely want to pair it with the dock Shopify offers for the device, which is sold separately for $40. The dock holds the reader securely in place and keeps it charged, and it also comes with a bolt and nut so that you can mount it to a countertop. The dock holds the device very securely, so you won’t need to worry about the reader coming loose.

The one issue I have with the dock is that it can be a bit difficult to remove the reader from the dock when you want to separate the two.

Looking at the card reader itself, the power button and the USB-C charging port are both on the back of the device. Along the top of the device, there are four lights (they aren’t visible when off) that double as both battery indicator lights and payment status indicator lights.

The reader also comes with a short USB charging cord (no wall plug included). Thankfully, the dock comes with a much longer 6-foot USB charging cord.

Shopify Tap & Chip Reader Hardware Specs

As you would expect of a device called Tap & Chip Card Reader, both EMV/chip card transactions and NFC/contactless transactions are accepted. Specifically, the reader will accept the following:

• Visa and Visa Debit
• Mastercard and Debit Mastercard
• American Express
• Discover
• Apple Pay
• Google Pay

You’ll need to pair your reader with a Shopify POS-enabled device via Bluetooth. The following devices can connect to the reader:

• iPhone: iPhone 5 or better running iOS 11.4 or higher
• iPad Air: Generation 2 or better running iOS 11.4 or higher
• iPad: Generation 4 or better running iOS 11.4 or higher
• iPad Mini: Generation 2 or higher running iOS 11.4 or higher
• iPad Pro: All iPad Pro models running iOS 11.4 or higher
• Android: Android device running version 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher

As for battery performance, Shopify states the following: “The Tap & Chip Reader takes one to two hours to charge fully. After the reader’s fully charged, its battery should last for a week of selling.” Of course, if you’re using the dock, you won’t need to worry about the state of the battery.

Additionally, you must use Shopify Payments as your payment processor to use the Tap & Chip Reader.

Getting Started With The Shopify Tap & Chip Reader

Getting your Shopify reader ready for selling is a breeze. Do the following, and you’ll be prepared to accept payments:

1. Charge your card reader. When the reader is fully charged, all four battery indicator lights on the top of the device will light up. This should take one to two hours.
2. Download and install the free Shopify POS app onto your mobile device.
3. Open the app and log in to your Shopify store (sign up for an account if you haven’t already).
4. Press the power button on the back of the reader to turn it on.
5. At this point, the reader should connect to the app via Bluetooth automatically (make sure you have Bluetooth enabled on your mobile device). To check that the connection has been made, touch the Home button in the lower left of the app, then select Settings from the menu that comes into view. Next, scroll down to the link that reads Set up hardware. Select Card Reader from the next menu and then select Tap & Chip. At this point, if your reader is on, the app should discover it. A Connect card reader link should display. When I did this, I got a message saying, “Pairing failed — already paired,” as the pairing had already happened automatically.

The following video walks you through the setup process in a bit more detail. However, the part detailing how to turn on “accept credit cards at checkout” will probably be unnecessary for you, as the setting should turn on by default.

The device comes with a USB charging cable but no wall plug, so if you don’t have a wall plug handy, you’ll need to connect the cable to a laptop or battery pack to charge. If you use the reader with the dock accessory, the dock will need to be plugged in — and it doesn’t come with a wall plug, either. However, the dock’s 6-foot USB cable should give you some flexibility in terms of device placement.

Let’s discuss how you accept payments with the reader. To accept a tap payment, do the following:

1. From the Shopify POS Select payment screen, tap Credit.
2. Tap the contactless payment card or device on the face of the card reader and hold it in place until the four blue notification lights appear. When Shopify POS displays a Payment received message, the transaction is complete.

To accept a chip payment:

1. From the Shopify POS Select payment screen, tap Credit.
2. Allow the customer to insert their card. The chip should face up toward the Shopify logo.
3. If a signature is required, allow the customer to sign their name on the signature screen. When a customer is happy with their signature, they tap Submit signature.
4. When the transaction is successful, choose whether to provide a receipt and then tap Start new order. The customer can now remove their card.

Features & Software Design

Our Shopify POS review provides the full scoop on Shopify’s POS app, but we’ll provide the Cliffs Notes version here.

We here at Merchant Maverick are fans of Shopify POS. The pricing is competitive, and the system is strikingly intuitive to use. It easily integrates with your Shopify online store if you have one. However, the app is designed specifically for retail, and it works perfectly well on a standalone basis, though you’ll still have the eCommerce features should you need them.

Shopify’s POS is quite well-featured and should do just about everything you need it to do, so the Tap & Chip Reader gets a great score in this category. One thing the app is missing, however, is the ability to take payments in offline mode (Square’s POS provides this functionality).

Note that the Shopify Tap & Chip Reader is only available online from Shopify’s website and is only compatible with Shopify POS. You won’t be able to use it with any other processing app.

Here’s just some of what you’ll get with Shopify POS:

Payment Features

• Accept Two Or More Payment Options: Shopify POS allows you to split tenders and accept more than one payment type in a single transaction.
• Gift Cards: Create gift cards that are redeemable either in-store or online.
• Custom Payment Options: One of Shopify POS’s most unique features is the ability to generate custom payment options. Want to accept personal checks, gold coins, or Monopoly money as payment? This is how you do it.
• Multiple Sales Channels: Create a “Buy Button” to paste into your website and/or social media channels. Sell items from wherever you want — not just directly from your Shopify online store.

Checkout Features

• Automatic Tax Calculations: Shopify POS automatically calculates sales tax based on the location of your store. Additionally, you can set up custom taxes for specific products or orders.
• Shipping Addresses: You can store a customer’s address and contact details so that you can ship their orders in the future.
• Custom Receipts: You can fully customize both your digital and printed receipts. This requires the Shopify POS Pro add-on, though.

Store Management Features

• Integration With Accounting Software: Shopify POS can integrate with accounting software, including QuickBooks and Xero.
• Order Histories: View all past orders, whether made in-store or online.
• Multiple Staff Accounts: This option is available with the more advanced Shopify POS plans.
• Reporting: Shopify POS gives you several analytical tools, including dashboards that track sales, orders, and traffic patterns.

Product Management Features

• Product Organization: You can organize your products in just about any way you want. You can also offer multiple sizes, materials, and color options for your products, each with its own price, weight, SKU number, etc.
• Inventory Management: Shopify’s advanced inventory management system makes tracking your best-selling items easy and keeps tabs on what items are the most cost-effective.
• Barcode Support: Each product can either be assigned an existing barcode or fitted with a new one.

Ease Of Use

Though I don’t have much experience with operating card readers and POS software — not on the business end, at least — I didn’t have any trouble setting up the device, as the process is nearly self-explanatory. What’s more, the knowledgebase and training videos available through the app ensure that you should be able to perform basic Shopify POS functions.

All told, we’re giving this card reader a perfect score in this category. I truly don’t see how the device and associated software could be any easier to use.

Let’s compare the experience of using Shopify POS (your use of the Tap & Chip Card Reader is a part of this experience) to the experience of using a “traditional” merchant account to process payments.

Merchant accounts can have their advantages in terms of total processing costs, particularly for big-time merchants with the heft to negotiate custom processing rates. However, you’ll need to be wary of certain things, such as equipment leases, processing contracts, early termination fees, and the particulars of which merchant account provider is compatible with which integrations and card reading devices.

By contrast, the Shopify payment ecosystem is much easier to navigate for the average small business and startup outfit. With no contracts to sign, a built-in payment processor, and an extensive array of integrations, you’ll be free to focus the lion’s share of your energies on growing your business.

Customer Service & Support

Shopify’s customer support has a better reputation than some other commerce giants. The quality and swiftness of Shopify’s support are typically regarded as quite good. With a wide range of helpful support options, an extensive knowledgebase, and several tutorial videos on YouTube, the Shopify Tap & Chip Reader earns a great score in this category.

This isn’t to say that we haven’t seen public complaints regarding the company’s customer support. However, this isn’t surprising for such a sizable company, and we see lots of positive feedback regarding Shopify’s customer support as well.

Shopify offers 24/7 direct customer support via phone, live chat, email, and Twitter and provides a wide array of supplementary customer support options as well:

• Academy: Free training courses with videos and full transcripts are available.
• Encyclopedia: Definitions and overviews of eCommerce terms and concepts.
• Guides: Multichapter PDF guides on specific topics.
• Forums: Several separate community forums are available, depending on your needs.
• Developer Docs: API documentation and other resources for the technically inclined.
• Webinars: Sign up for live webinar broadcasts.
• Podcast: The Shopify Masters Podcast features interviews with successful store owners.
• Blog: The Shopify blog is well-maintained and informative.
• Changelog: Stay on top of new and updated features available for your store.
• Free Tools: Content templates, calculators, and other free resources accessed from the main website.
• Experts: From developers to designers to marketers, Shopify experts are available for hire.
• YouTube: The dedicated Shopify Help Center channel has countless video tutorials posted.

Shopify Credit Card Reader Reviews

Shopify earns a strong score in this category, as the company’s services are generally well-received on popular user review sites. Of course, there’s room for improvement here as well.

I haven’t seen many reviews of the Tap & Chip Card Reader specifically — this section refers to reviews of Shopify POS and Shopify as a whole.

Final Verdict On The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader

The Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader is a fine device and, at $49, is competitively priced for a reader that accepts NFC/contactless payments. Backed by Shopify’s extensive suite of payment services, the Tap & Chip Reader earns an excellent score of 4.3 out of 5. To be truly useful in a retail setting, you’ll need to use it with the $40 dock that is, unfortunately, sold separately.

Still, even when taking this into consideration, the Tap & Chip Reader is a powerful and cost-effective retail commerce tool. Check out the best credit card readers for small business for some additional options.

POS Hardware & Mobile Credit Card Reader Rating Methodology

We spend hours researching and evaluating each POS hardware and mobile payments device that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on key characteristics to generate our product ratings.

When rating POS hardware (which might include registers, mobile card readers, and other similar devices), we use a 38-point rubric that looks at pricing, ease of use, features, customer service, and user reviews. We weigh each section differently to calculate the total star rating.

• Pricing: 40% of the total star rating
• Ease of Use: 20% of the total star rating
• Features: 25% of the total star rating
• Customer Service: 10% of the total star rating
• User Reviews: 5% of the total star rating

Each section is further broken down into granular, weighted subsections, in which we look at specific attributes, like whether reduced fees are available for multiple terminals, which payment processing options are available, and how well the hardware integrates with POS or payment processing software apps. We’re also paying careful attention to hardware’s relative cost, any associated fees, and whether financing is available, among other things.

Learn more about how we rate POS hardware.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader	Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader for yourself.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader	Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader for yourself.