This is a credit card processing troubleshooting article for US customers using the PAX S300 payment terminal:
Please ensure that you've checked the web Portal for any specific messages and error codes and that you've noted any specific messages on the actual display of the payment terminal.
There are two types of issues you can experience:
PINpad terminal Communication Problem. The VAC's computer board simply cannot establish communications with the credit card terminal device.
Declining transactions. You select the purchase amount on the VAC but the PINpad terminal declines, either immediately or when you insert your credit/debit card
Issue Type 1: PINpad Terminal Communication Problem
You can determine if you're having this issue if you're making ANY of these observations:
Web Portal says Payment Terminal Error, or
The Payment LED on the VAC's control board is red, or
As soon as you press the Credit/Debit Card button, you get the message: PROBLEM: PINPAD ERROR
If this is a communication issue, use this flow chart to fix or to at least get closer to fixing the problem:
Activating the PINpad terminal
Plead read this article: Activating the payment terminal (US customers)
PINpad Error Messages
If your PINpad terminal's front display is showing any of the messages listed below, first try power cycling the terminal (unplug from power for 10 seconds, then plug the power back in) to see if the error clears on reboot.
If the error remains, it's likely the PINpad terminal will need to be replaced. The PAX S300 terminals are no longer available, so reach out to your distributor to order a replacement, which will be the newer PAX A35 PINpad terminal.
Note: When replacing a PAX S300 with a PAX A35,
you will also need to order the A35 PINpad terminal holder since the terminals have slightly different dimensions.
"so open error uai"
"9-Data Error"
"APP EXCEPTION"
"PED Tampered". In this case the PINpad likely needs to be replaced. Obtain a replacement from the payment processor
Rebooting Power to the PINpad Terminal
Open the Value Add Center and locate black terminal block. Unplug and plug back the DC power jack and wait for the PINpad terminal to boot-up. The VAC should be connected to the internet while you do this. Then wait 10 minutes before drawing any conclusions (the VAC needs time to re-synchronize to the terminal)
Issue Type 2: Declining Transactions
The very first thing you want to do is check the VAC Log report to get more details on why the transactions are declining. Simply click on your location and then click VAC Log on the right-hand side:
The log should indicate the reason for the transaction failure. For example:
Below is a list of some common decline messages that may need rectification:
Message | Description |
PINpad serial number mismatch | There's a mismatch between serial number of the expect PINpad on this VAC and serial number of the actual PINpad terminal that is currently installed. |
NEED REMOVE CARD FIRST | This means that the chip credit card was inserted before an amount was selected on the VAC. Certain PINpad versions do not like this.
If no card was inserted, it's possible there is something in the card slot causing the terminal to think the card has already been inserted. In some cases you're able to remove the obstruction without issue; but removing the obstruction may also damage the sensor requiring a replacement terminal
If no card was inserted, and no obstruction is located in the card slot, it's likely the card sensor has suffered a hardware issue and the terminal will need to be replaced. |
Invalid Account Status | This means that the payment processor has not yet set your account to Active, or there's some other issue with the payment processing account that needs to be addressed. Contact the payment processor to report this message so they can look into the status of your merchant account. |
More than 5 consecutive non-approved Credit/Debit sales
On the web Portal, you might see the message "More than 5 consecutive non-approved Credit/Debit sales".
This is a warning message and it does not necessarily indicate an issue with your PINpad terminal.
This message only means that the 5 most recent attempts to run a transactions on the credit card payment terminal have failed.
In some cases, it can simply the same customer re-attempting transactions, but having insufficient funds to complete it; or a customer starting the transaction but manually aborting it for whatever reason.
In cases like these, there is no issue with payment processing, and this error will clear on it's own as soon as a successful credit/debit card transaction is carried out.
In other cases, it could indeed indicate a problem with some configuration, possibly on the payment processor's side. You'll still want to check the VAC Log report via the LaundroPortal to see what error messages are occurring during these attempted transactions.
Payment Processor Support Contact
Fortis Support (formerly known as Payment Logistics):
800-761-8039