Why Is My Card Machine Not Working?
Five causes explain almost every dead card machine. In order of likelihood: a lost connection, a power or battery problem, a provider outage, a terminal fault, or an account suspension.
- Lost connection: test the wifi on another device or check the SIM signal bars, then restart router and terminal.
- Power or battery: charge for 10 minutes, then hold the power button for a full restart.
- Provider outage:every card declining at once means it is them, not you; check your provider’s status page.
- Terminal fault: if the problem survives a restart on a good connection, call your provider for a replacement.
- Account suspension: terminal works but everything declines; call the number on your terminal or statement.
The first two causes fix most cases on the spot, which is why you check them before phoning anyone.
Symptom, likely cause, fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Payments time out or show a connection error | Lost wifi or weak SIM signal | Test the wifi on your phone, restart router and terminal, or move where the signal is stronger |
| Screen dead, or terminal dies mid-shift | Power or battery problem | Charge for 10 minutes (check the charging light comes on), then hold the power button for a full restart |
| Every card declines or times out at once | Provider or acquirer outage | Check your provider’s status page or app; call the number on your terminal; wait it out or use a backup reader |
| Cards not reading, keypad or screen unresponsive, repeated crashes after restart | Terminal hardware fault | Call your provider and request a replacement under your rental agreement; ask for the timescale in writing |
| Terminal healthy but all payments decline, payouts also stopped | Account suspension or hold | Check your email for a notice from your provider, then call and ask what they need to lift the restriction |
Status pages, error codes and replacement service levels are provider-specific: check your provider’s status page, or call the number printed on your terminal or statement.
The full walkthrough
Each of the five causes has a deeper section in our master guide, including how to spot an acquirer outage from your shop floor, your replacement rights on a rented terminal, and the arithmetic on what a lost trading day costs against a £19-£29 backup reader.
Read the full troubleshooting guideRelated problems have their own guides: money not arriving in your bank is usually settlement timing rather than a fault, and a customer charged despite a declined payment is almost always an expiring authorisation hold.
Common Questions
Why is my card machine not working?
In order of likelihood: (1) it has lost its internet connection, whether wifi or SIM signal; (2) it has a power or battery problem; (3) your payment provider or their acquirer is having an outage; (4) the terminal has a hardware fault; (5) your merchant account has been suspended. Check them in that order: the first two are fixable on the spot in a couple of minutes, and each later cause only becomes likely once the earlier ones are eliminated.
How do I tell whether the problem is my machine or my provider?
An outage at the provider or acquirer looks like every card declining or timing out at once, across different customers and card types, on a terminal that otherwise seems healthy. Check your provider’s status page (search the provider name plus "status") or app, and call the support number printed on your terminal or statement. If a nearby business on the same provider has the same problem, it is confirmed. One card declining is a customer issue; every card declining is upstream.
My card machine is connected and charged but every payment declines. What now?
That pattern points either to a provider outage or, more rarely, to a restriction on your merchant account, especially if recent payouts have also stopped arriving. Check the status page first, then search your email (including spam) for anything from your provider, and call them to ask directly whether there is a hold or suspension on the account and what they need to lift it.
Can I demand a replacement for a faulty rented terminal?
Rental agreements generally include maintenance and replacement of faulty hardware, because the terminal remains the provider’s property. Ask three questions on the call: is the fault covered, what is the replacement timescale, and is there a charge for the swap-out. The exact service level is contract-specific, so check your agreement, and get the promised timescale in writing.
What should I do while the card machine is down?
Take cash, send payment links from another device if your provider supports them, or fall back to a backup pay-as-you-go reader on a different provider, which keeps cards working whatever has failed upstream. A backup reader costs £19-£29 + VAT one-off with no monthly fee, so it costs nothing to own while it waits in the drawer.
MerchantSwitch is a free comparison service; we are paid by providers when we successfully match a business. We are an introducer, not a lender or acquirer, and we are not regulated by the FCA.
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