Using Mobile Readers with the Staff App

IMPORTANT: payment processing in the Staff App is limited to only NAR Ecommerce gateways. GrowthZone Pay gateways are NOT able to process payments via the Staff App at this time. The Point of Sale functionality will be replaced by the GrowthZone Pay app.

Supported Readers

Mobile Reader Compatibility at a Glance

Important:

• Only readers without manufacturer key-injection are compatible with GrowthZone/ChamberMaster Apps.
• Card readers are not specific to a mobile OS version but the apps are. Please ensure the app itself is compatible with your device before purchasing a card reader.
• iPad use: be advised that due to the way the iPads connect to the reader, you cannot use multiple iPads with multiple readers simultaneously. iPads do not allow a connection through Setup and will autoconnect to any device in the area. This is only an issue with iPads; iPhones and Android phones/devices do not exhibit this behavior and many customers have used multiple readers + multiple devices successfully.

Pairing the VP3300BT

• Make sure Bluetooth is turned on for your mobile device. You should see the little Bluetooth symbol at the top of your phone’s screen. If you don’t, go into the settings to enable it.
• IMPORTANT With Android devices, the IDTech VP3300 BT must be paired with their mobile devices when NOT plugged in. It must only be using the bluetooth connection when the pairing occurs. After that, the reader can be plugged into a USB connection if desired (which would be the case if you were charging the device).
• VP3300BT will stay connected to the host indefinitely (via Bluetooth) if powered via the USB cable. If the unit is operating on battery power, it will go to sleep after 20 seconds of idling, to extend battery life. To perform a transaction again, simply press down on the Bluetooth function button to re-establish the Bluetooth connection.

Processing a Card with VP3300BT and an IOS Device

Connecting the Device

1. Ensure that your Bluetooth is turned on for your IOS Device.
2. Turn on the power on the card reader.

Processing the Card

1. Select the invoice that you wish to pay. You can use the card reader to pay for contact's open invoices as well as event registration invoices.
2. Proceed to check-out, to reach the “Payment by Card Reader” screen.
3. On the Payment by Card Reader screen, if the reader is available, the App will look for it to connect. NOTE: If you do not see Looking for card reader… then, click Check for Reader Now and then choose VP3300BT when prompted.
4. If necessary, wake up the card reader by clicking the power button on the left side of the device. The blue light will begin a fast blink when it has connected to your IOS device.
5. Click Swipe/Tap Card or Insert Card. Please note that using ApplePay / GooglePay is not an option!
6. Swipe, Tap, or Insert the Credit Card. NOTE: When swiping a card, you will hear a loud beep indicating that the card has been read. When inserting a card to read the chip, if the reader is facing you (you can see the lights on the front), insert the card with the back (magstripe) facing you. A yellow led light will come on while the card is being read.
   • If the card is successfully read the green led light will turn on temporarily (you may not see this light, but an indication that the card was read successfully will be displayed in the App.). Click Submit Payment in the App.
   • If the card can’t be read or the transaction fails, the red light will come on. An indication will be displayed in the App.

LED Indicators

Processing a Card with VP3300BT and an Android Device

Connecting the device

1. Ensure that your Bluetooth is turned on for your Android Device.
2. Turn on the power on the card reader.
3. Follow Android instructions for pairing the card reader with your Android device. NOTE: You MUST pair prior to processing payments. Once paired, you will see the blue light flashing quickly. Leave the Reader unplugged after pairing and ensure that the blue light is no longer flashing before connecting to the app during checkout.
4. Optional: After pairing, you can test connecting your device to the reader by tapping Settings > Card Reader Status in the app. Tap “VP3300BT” when prompted. Then press the power button on the Bluetooth reader. If successful, the reader will display a green light for 2 seconds and in the App the Card Reader Status will display “Connected”.

Processing the Card

1. Select the invoice that you wish to pay. You can use the card reader to pay for contact's open invoices as well as event registration invoices.
2. Proceed to check-out (this will vary dependent on the type of sale: POS item vs. Event Registration), to reach the “Payment by Card Reader” screen.
3. Once you reach the Payment by Reader screen, power up the reader by clicking the button on the left-hand side. The blue LED will display a fast blink when connected.
4. Once connected, the App will display options to swipe/tap, insert or manually enter card. Click the option you will use. Please note that using ApplePay / GooglePay is not an option!
   • If the card is read successfully, confirmation will be displayed in the App. Click Submit Payment Now.
   • If the card can’t be read or the transaction fails, the red light will come on. An indication will be displayed in the App.

LED Indicators

Tips on Pairing

• Make sure the two devices are in close enough proximity to one another. While you wouldn’t think someone might try to pair an iPad with a keyboard if the two weren’t sitting right next to each other, it’s probably worth noting that you should make sure any devices you're trying to pair are within five feet of one other.
• Power the devices off and back on. A soft reset sometimes can resolve an issue. With phones, an easy way to do this is by going into and out of airplane mode.
• Remove old Bluetooth connections. If you're having trouble pairing your phone with the reader, it could be because the you phone is trying to connect to an old device. Some older devices are very simple. They just try to connect with the last thing they paired with. If a Bluetooth device was previously paired with something else, turn off that other gadget. And if you are no longer planning on using that other gadget, unpair it from your Bluetooth device to prevent future issues. In iOS settings, you can remove a device by tapping on its name and then Forget this Device. In Android settings, tap on a device’s name, then Unpair. After removing a device, start at step 1 above. You can also reset Bluetooth on devices that can pair to more than one device. This clears all pairings from the device so you can start fresh. Search "reset" device name to instructions from the manufacturer.
• Charge up both devices you're trying to pair. Some devices have smart power management that may turn off Bluetooth if the battery level is too low.
• Delete a device from a phone and rediscover it. If your phone sees a device but isn’t receiving data from it, sometimes it helps to start from scratch. In iOS settings, you can remove a device by tapping on its name and then Forget this Device. In Android settings, tap on a device’s name, then Unpair. After removing a device, start at step 1 above.
• Move away from the Wi-Fi router. Another potential obstacle to successful pairing is interference from devices that use the same spectrum, such as your Wi-Fi router. Wi-Fi has been designed to cope with this, but it might not be a good idea to have your devices directly on top of the router.
• Move away from a USB 3.0 port. Interference from USB 3.0 is also possible. Newer laptops, for example, often have the higher-speed USB 3.0 port, so if the connection isn't happening, try pairing your Bluetooth gadgets away from the computer.
• Make sure the devices you want to pair are designed to connect with each other. Whether it’s a headset, speaker, mouse, keyboard, camera or something else, your device has a specific profile that spells out what it can connect with. If you’re not sure, check the user manual.
• Update the hardware’s firmware. If you’re not sure how to get the latest firmware for your hardware, check with the device manufacturer.
• Limit data shared between devices. Android and Windows devices let you choose the information you share between devices. So, for instance, you can choose to share phone audio, media audio, contacts and text messages with your car. If you don't need to share all of the data, deselecting one or more of the types of information may enable the devices to pair. For Android devices, go to Settings > Bluetooth and select the device. If there are options to select, they will appear. For Windows, go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers and right click on the Bluetooth device in question. Then select the Services tab to choose which types of information to share.
• Clear the Bluetooth cache (Android only). Sometimes apps will interfere with Bluetooth operation and clearing the cache can solve the problem. Go Settings > Backup and restart > Reset network settings.

VP3300BT FAQ's

• Does it matter what mobile device I use as along as the device supports bluetooth? You can use any device that supports bluetooth. The VP3300 works with all bluetooth devices including the BLE (BlueTooth Low Energy).
• Is there a warranty on my VP3300BT device? The warranty on the VP3300Bt is one year from the date of purchase with IDTech. If there are hardware troubles, you should contact IDTech directly to troubleshoot. To check the warranty status, you will need the model, or P/N and the S/N.
   

Troubleshooting Tips

If your device is having trouble connecting....

• Try uninstalling and reinstalling the GrowthZone Staff App. You may have missed allowing permissions that are preventing your phone from connecting to the card reader.
• Try using the pin reset switch on the bottom of the reader. This will reboot the device without changing the transactions keys or any configuration settings.

  

VP3300BT User Manual