Most Card Reader settings you'll change regularly aren't managed from the Card Reader's individual settings page. Instead, other LaundroPortal tools are used to set Card Reader price settings, adjust Card Reader Free Dry settings, or set up automated discounts/enforce last wash times.

However, there are times when you may need to adjust a single reader's setting individually, or adjust Card Reader settings that can only be accessed via the Card Reader's individual settings menu.

To access these settings, log into your LaundroPortal, click on the address of your location, find the specific Card Reader you need to make adjustments to in the Machines list, and click on the Wrench icon for that specific Card Reader:

The Machines list in the LaundroPortal with the Wrench icon highlighted for each Card Reader

Once in the Machine Configuration settings menu, click the Edit Machine Settings button to bring up the Edit Machine Settings pop-up window:

The Edit Machine Settings button on the Machine Configuration page

Below is an overview of the various Card Reader settings, in the order they'll appear on the Machine Configuration settings page.

Prices Section

Washer and Dryer Card Readers

The available settings you'll see in the Prices section will heavily depend on the type of machine the Card Reader is connected to, the specific Control Type the Card Reader uses in order to communicate with the machine, and the vend price settings the machine allows our Card Reader to adjust (if any).

Examples of Price settings from various Card Reader types (click to expand)

Below are a few examples of the types of settings you may see in the Prices section of the Card Reader settings:

Example of Dryer Prices settings with top-off and temperature prices Example of Washer Prices settings with a price for each cycle option Example of a long list of individual Prices settings

Example of Dryer Prices settings with a time cost Example of Washer Prices settings with a base cycle cost

In some cases, there will be no Price settings available to the Card Reader (this happens when the machine is in complete control of all vend prices).

In these cases, the Prices section will be completely hidden, and the first section that will be shown is the General section:

Card Reader settings with no Prices section, starting at the General section

For information on the specific Prices settings you're seeing when viewing your Card Reader settings, review our Configuring Card Reader/Machine Vend Prices - By Machine Manufacturer article.

Door Access Card Readers (click to expand)

For Door Access Readers, instead of seeing a Prices section, you will see a Door Settings section:

Door Access Card Reader Restriction Settings

These settings are used to configure Door Access reader restriction settings.

For details on how these settings work, review our Door Access Reader Installation/Configuration - Door Access Reader Restriction Settings article.

Vending Machine Card Readers (click to expand)

Vending machine card readers are always in direct communication with the machines, and the vending machine is always in complete control of all vend pricing, so there won't be any price settings available via the LaundroPortal.

General Section

These settings affect Card Readers in the same way, regardless of the type of machine the Card Reader is controlling (with a few exceptions).

Language (click to expand)

The Language setting drop-down with English and French options

Sets the language used by the Card Reader's display.

Balance Limit (click to expand)

This is a legacy setting. On Card Readers running application version 5.000 or higher, it's locked at $655.35 (the most a laundry card's memory chip can store) and can't be changed.

It sets the maximum balance a Laundry Card/LaundryCat App account can have for the reader to accept it.
If the balance is higher than the limit, the reader refuses the card and shows this error:

A Card Reader display showing the Balance Limit error message

The setting was originally used to help catch fake laundry cards. The VAC software now has better ways to detect fraudulent cards, so the limit no longer needs to be adjusted.

Control Type (click to expand)

The Control Type setting drop-down showing the available control types

This setting dictates the type of software the Card Reader uses in order to communicate with the machine it's connected to. The available options depend on the machine/device type the Card Reader is set to. In the vast majority of cases, this setting should never be changed once a Card Reader is working with its machine.

The Control Type that is used is heavily dependent on the type of machine the card reader is controlling. Different Control Types require different Card Reader firmware to be installed in order for the reader to use them.

If you are unsure of what Control Type a Card Reader should be using, you can check a reader that's installed on a working machine of the exact same model; however it's best to reach out to the Laundroworks Support team to confirm the Control Type, and so we can ensure the Card Reader has the matching firmware installed to run the specific Control Type you're using.

Free Balance Configuration (click to expand)

The Free Balance Configuration setting drop-down with Disabled, Wash and Dry, and Free Dry options

This setting is used to trigger a Card Reader to participate in a Free Dry Promotion that is running in the store.

This setting should be consistent with the VAC's Free Balance Display setting, and in most cases, setting VAC01's Free Balance Display setting will trigger the system to automatically adjust all Card Readers' Free Balance Configuration settings to match.

In cases where a Free Dry Promotion is configured while a Card Reader is powered OFF, it is necessary to manually adjust this setting on the affected Card Reader, whenever it is powered back ON.

Free Dry Bonus Amount (click to expand)

This setting determines how much Free Dry value Washer readers give out when participating in a Free Dry Promotion.
This setting only has an effect on Washer readers, as those are the only reader types that can be programmed to give out Free Dry value.

Card Readers will only give out Free Dry value IF their Free Balance Configuration setting is set to the "Free Dry" option.

Application Version (click to expand)

This is a view-only setting, and it will display the Card Reader firmware version that is currently installed on the Card Reader.

Pricing Mode, Price Adjustment Value, Price Adjustment Rounding (click to expand)

The Pricing Mode, Price Adjustment Value and Price Adjustment Rounding settings

These settings are used by the Time of Day/Week pricing menu, in order to set a card reader to participate in an automated discount, or enforce a last wash time.

These settings should NOT be adjusted via the Card Reader's individual settings page, as they are adjusted automatically by the system whenever it sets a Time of Day/Week pricing rule to active.

In rare cases, if a Card Reader gets stuck using old Time of Day/Week pricing settings, the settings can be reset manually via the Card Reader's settings page; however in most cases, rebooting/power cycling the Card Reader will automatically reset readers back to their normal price settings.

Out of Service Mode (click to expand)

The Out of Service Mode setting drop-down with a list of out-of-service reasons

This setting can be used to set a Card Reader to Out of Service.

While in Out of Service mode, the Card Reader will not accept payment from any regular user Laundry Cards or LaundryCat App accounts, so this prevents customers from accidentally attempting to start a machine that is currently out of order.

While in Out of Service mode, the Card Reader will still accept payment from Management Cards/WashLynx App accounts, so Card Readers can be set to Out of Service to prevent customers from attempting to start machines, but technicians can still operate the machines with a Management Card/WashLynx App account for testing purposes.

When Card Readers are set to any Out of Service mode, you will see the following symbol in the Machines list next to that specific Card Reader:

Additional Settings (Adjusted by Support)

A few Card Reader settings can currently only be accessed by Laundroworks Support, and can be adjusted on request to change certain Card Reader behavior. In most cases, these settings are specific to the type of machine the Card Reader is controlling, and will already be configured correctly for that machine by default. However, below are the additional settings that aren't machine-specific and can be adjusted on request:

Regular user cards only: Restrict Card Readers to only work with regular user Laundry Cards/LaundryCat App accounts. Management Cards/WashLynx App accounts will be completely ignored by Card Readers with this setting enabled.
Management cards only: Restrict Card Readers to only work with Management Cards/WashLynx App accounts. Regular user Laundry Cards/LaundryCat App accounts will be completely ignored by Card Readers with this setting enabled.
Device Type: Change a Card Reader's Device Type (depending on the board type). This is sometimes required when replacing a Card Reader's reader board, since new reader boards ship with a default configuration that may not match the board you're replacing.
Some Card Reader board types are used for different purposes. For example, Generic Serial Card Reader board types can be programmed to operate as Laundry Machine Readers (for specific machine types) or as POS Card Readers, while Generic Relay and Voltage Relay Card Reader board types can be programmed to operate as Laundry Machine Readers (for specific machine types) or as Door Access Readers (in specific circumstances).

To request a change to any of these settings, contact the Laundroworks Support team.

Card Reader Configuration Settings