> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.arcuserp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Card Readers > Use Card Readers to pair in-person card readers, assign each one to a register and location, check reader status, send a test payment, brand the reader screen, and deactivate readers you no longer use. A card reader lets a cashier collect a tap, dip, or swipe on an order without typing in a card number. Card Readers is where you pair readers, keep them assigned to the right register, and check that they are online. Readers run on your connected Stripe account. ## Before You Start * You need the **payments.create** permission to see Card Readers and the reader list. * You need **settings.edit** to pair, rename, assign, test, refresh, deactivate, brand, or clean up readers. Without it, the page is read-only and those controls are hidden. * Stripe must be connected under **Settings > Integrations > Connectors**. * Create the location and, if you use drawers, the register the reader belongs to before you pair it. ## Open Card Readers 1. In the deck, open **Settings**. 2. Under **Payments & Checks**, choose **Card Readers**. The breadcrumb reads **Settings > Payments & Checks > Card Readers**. The Cash Registers page also links here: **Manage** beside a register's reader, and **Add a reader** on a register that has none. ## What You See * **Mode badge**: **Live mode** or **Test mode**, matching your Stripe account's mode. * **Refresh**: reloads the reader list and statuses. * **Register a reader**: opens the pairing wizard. * **Status tiles**: counts of active readers that are **Online**, **In use**, **Offline**, and **Needs attention**. The tiles appear once you have at least one reader. * **Reader list**: one row per reader, with its name, model, register, location, and status. * **Reader branding**: the idle-screen image for your readers. * **Show deactivated readers**: adds deactivated readers to the list. ### When The Page Is Empty * **Connect Stripe to use card readers**: Stripe is not connected. Use **Go to Integrations**, connect Stripe, and come back. * **No card readers yet**: Stripe is connected but no reader is paired. Use **Register a reader**, or **Order a reader from Stripe** to buy one. ## Pair A Reader 1. Click **Register a reader**. The **Pair a card reader** wizard opens at **Step 1 of 3**. 2. **Location**: choose the location where the reader lives. **Next** stays disabled with "Pick a location to continue." until you choose one. 3. **Pairing code**: type the pairing code shown on the reader's screen, for example `quick-brown-fox`. **Next** stays disabled with "Enter the pairing code to continue." until you enter it. 4. **Name and register**: give the reader a name such as Front Counter (optional; it defaults to the reader model) and, optionally, pick the register it serves. You can assign a register later. 5. Click **Pair reader**. Arcus confirms with "Card reader paired". Each register holds one reader. A register that already has a reader shows "(already has a reader)" and cannot be picked. ## Reader Status | Status | Meaning | | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Online** | The reader is connected and ready to take a payment. | | **In use** | The reader is busy with a payment right now. | | **Stale** | Arcus has not heard from the reader recently, so its status may be out of date. | | **Offline** | The reader is not connected. | | **Deactivated** | The reader was deactivated and no longer appears for charges. | The four tiles split your active readers with no overlap, so each reader counts under exactly one tile. **Needs attention** counts active readers that are stale or were paired in a different Stripe mode than the one you are in now. A reader that is offline counts only under **Offline**, and a reader busy with a payment counts only under **In use**. An amber banner appears when an active reader has no register: "Assign a reader to a register so a cashier can one-click charge that station." ## Manage A Reader Click a reader's name to open its detail panel: status, last seen, when its details were last synced, model, serial number, firmware, IP address, mode, register, location, and its Stripe reader and location IDs (with a copy button). Use the actions menu on a reader row for: | Action | What it does | | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Rename** | Changes the reader's display name. | | **Assign to register** | Pins the reader to a register, or **Unassigned (release register)** to free it. | | **Reassign location** | Moves the reader to a different location, or **No location**. | | **Test payment (\$1)** | Asks the reader for a one-dollar card authorization. Nothing is charged: Arcus never captures it and no order is involved. | | **Refresh from Stripe** | Pulls the reader's latest details from Stripe. | | **Deactivate** | Opens the deactivate confirmation. | ## Deactivate A Reader 1. Choose **Deactivate** on the reader. 2. Read "Deactivate this reader?". The reader stops appearing for charges and its register pin is released. You can pair it again later. 3. Optionally tick **Also remove this reader from Stripe**. Do this when you will pair the reader to a different account or location. It is blocked while a charge is in progress. 4. Click **Deactivate**. ## Reader Branding **Reader branding** shows your logo on the reader's idle screen. Click **Choose image** and pick a tall (portrait) image; Arcus crops it to the reader's 1080 x 1920 screen. Under **Apply to**, choose **All readers (account default)** or **A specific location**, then click **Apply branding**. The image is sent to Stripe in your current mode and appears after the reader's next restart. Until you set one, the card reads "Using the default Stripe splash screen." ## Clean Up Unused Locations When Stripe holds reader locations that have no readers, a row reads "unused Stripe Terminal locations with no readers. Safe to clean up." Click **Clean up**, review the list in "Clean up unused locations?", and confirm. Readers are never touched. ## Messages You May See | Message | What it means | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | "Card reader paired" | The reader is ready. | | "Reader updated" | A rename, register, or location change saved. | | "Tap a card on" followed by the reader name and "to confirm connectivity (\$1 auth, never captured)." | Complete the one-dollar test on the reader. | | "Reader re-synced from Stripe" | The reader's details are current. | | "Reader deactivated" or "Reader deactivated and removed from Stripe" | The reader is out of service. | | "Cleaned up" followed by a count, or "Nothing to clean up" | The unused locations were removed, or there were none. | | "This reader is already registered to this entity." | The reader is already paired here. Find it in the list, including deactivated readers. | | "That register already has an active reader assigned. Reassign or release it first." | Free the register on the other reader, then try again. | | A reader "has a charge in progress" or "is busy with a payment" | Wait for the payment to finish, or cancel it, before deactivating or removing the reader. | | "A reader is paired in a different mode than your current Stripe mode" | The reader was paired in test mode and Stripe is live, or the reverse. Pair the reader again in the current mode. | ## What Changes Elsewhere * **Taking payments**: an active, online reader assigned to a register becomes the one-click card option for that station when a cashier collects on an order. * **Your Stripe account**: pairing registers the reader with Stripe; removing it from Stripe on deactivation deletes it there; branding changes the reader's idle screen; cleanup deletes empty reader locations at Stripe. * **Money**: the test payment is an authorization only and is never captured, so no charge settles. * **Audit trail**: reader changes are recorded in the activity log. ## Related Articles Open drawer sessions and see which reader serves each register. Collect payment on an order, including in-person card payments. Connect Stripe and choose test or live mode. Configure payment behavior and related finance controls.