Stripe card readers are the in-person payment devices that work with Stripe Terminal, and they come in two kinds: smart readers that connect to your network themselves, and mobile readers that pair with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth. You order, register and monitor them from the Stripe Dashboard, and in-person payments sit in the same Stripe account as your online ones.
Here's what catches new users out. Smart readers restart every day at midnight for PCI compliance and disconnect from your point of sale app every morning, and mobile readers force a reboot 24 hours after they last started. Stripe also says that failing to install a required software update can stop a reader accepting payments. So leave smart readers on and plugged in overnight, because that's when updates run without interrupting sales.
Smart readers vs mobile readers
| Reader | Type | How it connects | Where Stripe sells it, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe Reader S700/S710 | Smart, Android based, countertop or handheld | WiFi, or Ethernet with the optional hub; the S710 adds 4G/LTE | US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and a list of European and Asian countries |
| BBPOS WisePOS E | Smart, countertop | Over the internet to your app | US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and a list of European and Asian countries |
| Stripe Reader T600 | Smart | Over the internet | US, Canada, UK, Australia and a list of other countries |
| Verifone V660p, UX700, P630, M425 | Smart | Over the internet | US and Canada; all but the M425 also in the UK and Ireland |
| Stripe Reader M2 | Mobile, small handheld | Bluetooth Low Energy, or USB on Android | US only |
| BBPOS Chipper 2X BT | Mobile | Bluetooth Low Energy | US only |
| BBPOS WisePad 3 | Mobile, with a display and PIN pad | Bluetooth Low Energy, or USB on Android | Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and much of Europe and Asia, not the US |
The WisePad 3's PIN pad makes it the mobile choice in countries where PIN payments are common. The M2 can sit in an optional dock for countertop checkout or a mount for roaming checkout. If you're new to the system as a whole, my Stripe Terminal overview covers the setup, ready-made apps and Tap to Pay.
Inside the S700/S710
Stripe publishes full specs for its own smart reader. As of October 2026, it has a 5.5 inch display at 1920 x 1080, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and runs Android 10. Battery life is an estimate: about 15 hours of active use and 140 hours on standby, with roughly 2.5 hours to charge. The cameras and microphones are present but not supported. It needs 12W of power to run and charge, so use the supplied adapter, and if you charge from a computer, use a USB-C port, not USB-A. A deeply drained battery can take up to 30 minutes of slow charging before the screen comes on. Stripe readers aren't liquid-proof, so keep them dry.
Network rules that quietly break readers
Mobile readers use your phone or tablet's internet connection, so the device needs to reach Stripe and the room needs to be free of Bluetooth interference. Stripe's own example is heavy microwave use. Smart readers connect to your network directly, and the rules there are stricter.
- Your network must support IPv4. IPv6-only networks aren't supported.
- Readers need a private IP address and must keep the same one for at least an entire workday.
- WiFi must be password protected, and readers don't support WiFi 6.
- If you use a Terminal SDK, pick WiFi or Ethernet, not both, or the connection becomes unstable. Server-driven setups can use both.
- With an SDK on a separate till, the reader and the till must be on the same local network.
Stripe is blunt that it can only help with basic network questions; running and fixing your network is your job. Its tip for spotting a network problem is to move a reader and till to a different connection, such as a mobile hotspot, and see if the issue follows them.
How to check a smart reader that won't connect
- Swipe in from the left edge of the reader's screen and tap Settings.
- Enter the admin passcode and select Diagnostics.
- Check the Stripe connectivity test. If it fails, the reader can't take payments or receive updates.
- Review DNS resolution, WiFi signal strength and battery and hardware status on the same screen.
- On a WisePOS E dock, connect both cables before you insert the reader, then reinsert it.
- Still stuck? Check your firewall isn't blocking Stripe, try a different connection, then contact support with error messages and logs.
Readers also make sounds. On the S700/S710, a successful tap gives 1 long, high-pitched beep, and a failed tap gives 2 short, low-pitched beeps, which is useful for staff to learn.
Receipts are not optional
Card network rules and local regulations are different for in-person payments. If you accept payments with Stripe Terminal, you must offer customers a physical or email receipt. The simplest route is Stripe's prebuilt email receipts, which include all the fields the card networks require and are sent automatically when the payment is captured, as long as you've added the customer's email. Custom receipts are allowed, but for chip cards you must include required fields, such as the application name and AID. Receipts for test payments aren't sent automatically.
My verdict on Stripe card readers
I'd pick a smart reader if you have a fixed counter and decent WiFi, because it runs on its own and updates overnight. I'd go mobile if you sell at markets, events or on the move, choosing the M2 in the US or the WisePad 3 elsewhere. Skip Stripe readers altogether if nobody on your team can handle basic network troubleshooting, since Stripe won't do it for you. If you're still comparing systems, my Stripe or Square comparison and my guide to card machines in the UK are good next reads.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Stripe smart readers and mobile readers?
Smart readers connect to your network and the internet directly. Mobile readers pair with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth Low Energy, or USB on Android, and use that device's connection.
Why does my Stripe reader restart at midnight?
Smart readers restart every day at midnight for PCI compliance and disconnect from the point of sale app every morning. Updates also run at midnight if the reader is left on and plugged in.
Which Stripe card readers work in the US only?
The Stripe Reader M2 and the BBPOS Chipper 2X BT are listed as available in the US only. The BBPOS WisePad 3 isn't sold in the US.
Do Stripe readers work on WiFi 6?
No. Stripe says Terminal readers don't support WiFi 6, and IPv6-only networks aren't supported either.
Are receipts required for Stripe Terminal payments?
Yes. If you accept payments with Stripe Terminal, you must give customers the option of a physical or email receipt that includes the fields card networks require.
