The Mobile Tap reader is a small, portable and battery-powered Bluetooth payments terminal. It supports EMV-chip and tap transactions, mobile wallets like Apple Pay, and magnetic-stripe swipes. The reader connects to your iOS device running Lightspeed Restaurant via Bluetooth. The reader acts as the payments terminal, while the connected iOS device acts as the payments screen. It comes with a sticky adhesive so you can physically attach it to your iOS device so the two are always together - while mobile, the reader can only pair to one iOS device at a time.
The following articles takes you through unboxing your Mobile Tap reader to connecting the terminal to your iOS device:
- Unboxing
- Charging your Mobile Tap
- Connecting the Mobile Tap to your iOS device
- Status notifications
- Turning the reader on and off
Unboxing
When you receive a Mobile Tap ordered through Lightspeed, you will receive:
- Mobile Tap reader
- Micro-USB charging cable
- Charging cradle
- Lanyard
- Sticky adhesive pad (for attaching reader to iOS device)
The Mobile Tap includes the following components:
Charging your Mobile Tap
Ensure your card reader is fully charged before connecting to Lightspeed Restaurant. Use the micro-USB charging cable and port to charge the terminal (please note: the cable and port are only for charging the terminal, and cannot be used to connect to another device). Charge the Mobile Tap for at least 3 hours. Once charged, the Mobile Tap can be powered on by pressing and releasing the power button located on the side of the device. It can be manually turned off by pressing and holding the same power button until the status lights turn off.
Connecting the Mobile Tap to your iOS device
The Mobile Tap reader connects directly through the Restaurant POS app. To pair the BBPOS reader with the Restaurant POS app, Location Services and Bluetooth must be enabled on the iOS device. With that said, do not connect the Mobile Tap through your iOS Bluetooth device list - the terminal automatically connects through the Restaurant POS app instead.
The Mobile Tap reader can only be connected to one iOS device at a time. If your establishment takes payments on more than one iOS device, a Mobile Tap reader will need to be present at each station.
Enable Location Services from iOS Settings
Location Services must be enabled for the Mobile Tap reader to pair with your iOS device through Bluetooth.
- Navigate to Settings on your iOS device.
- Scroll down to and select Privacy.
- Tap Location Services from the list of settings.
- Enable Location Services by swiping the toggle right.
- Location Services is enabled when On displays beside the setting name.
Enable Bluetooth from iOS Settings
Along with Location Services, Bluetooth must also be enabled for the Mobile Tap reader to pair with your iOS device. While Bluetooth must be enabled on the iOS device, please note the reader connects directly through the Restaurant POS app. Do not connect the Mobile Tap from your iOS Bluetooth devices list.
- Navigate to Settings on your iOS device.
- Scroll down to and select Bluetooth.
- Enable Bluetooth by swiping the toggle right.
- Bluetooth is enabled when On displays beside the setting name.
Enable Location and Bluetooth from Restaurant POS Settings*
Location and Bluetooth must also be enabled from the Restaurant POS app settings in order to process a payment with the Mobile Tap reader.
* Please note: Location may not appear on the Restaurant POS app settings until after the Mobile Tap has been paired with the device for payment.
- Navigate to Restaurant from your iOS device's settings menu.
- Select Location from the top of the list and tap While using the app.
- Go back to Restaurant settings.
- Slide the toggle beside Bluetooth to enable the Bluetooth setting.
Status notifications
When the reader is connected to an iOS device running Lightspeed POS, the reader's status light will shine blue. If inactive for more than 30 seconds, it enters standby mode to conserve power, and the status light begins flashing at 5-second intervals. The reader stays connected to your iOS device while in standby and automatically exits standby mode when processing a transaction.
Common status lights include:
- No light: the reader is off.
- Flashing blue every second: the reader is on and ready to be paired.
- Solid blue light: the reader is on and connected.
- Flashing blue every 5 seconds: the reader is in standby mode to conserve power.
- Flashing red: the reader's battery is low and in need of recharging.
- Alternating red and magenta: the battery is recharging.
- Rapidly flashing blue and orange: The reader has finished installing a software update.
In addition to the status light (found near the power button), there are 4 NFC status indicator lights on the reader. When the first status indicator is lit, the reader is ready to accept a contactless (tap) payment. When all 4 status indicators are lit and accompanied by one beep, the payment has been successfully accepted.
Turning the reader on and off
Press and release the power button to turn on the Mobile Tap reader. The status light will turn on to indicate power. The reader waits for a Bluetooth connection for five minutes before turning off. If a transaction is not processed with the Restaurant POS app within five minutes of turning on the Mobile Tap reader, a user may need to turn on the Mobile Tap reader again before processing a transaction.
The reader automatically turns off after 10 hours of inactivity. To turn off manually, press and hold the power button. The status light will turn off once the reader has been turned off.
To charge the reader, insert the reader into it's charging cradle and ensure the cradle's power cable is inserted into a USB hub.
What's next?
Process a sale in Lightspeed POS. See Making a sale.
Having a hard time connecting? See Helpful tips.