Instead of typing a PIN, your staff can swipe a card to log in to the workstation. It's quicker behind a busy bar, and it stops PINs getting passed around the pass.
What you need
Any card with a magnetic stripe will work — an old gift card, a loyalty card, even a hotel key card. There's nothing to buy from us. You'll also need a card reader on the workstation.
1. Decide if the card is optional or required
Open the POS role your staff are assigned to and set Login Method:
Card or PIN — they can swipe their card or type their PIN. A good place to start.
Card only — they have to swipe.
⚠️ Hand out the cards before you set a role to Card only. Anyone in that role without a card won't be able to get in on their own, and you'll need a manager to let them in every single time.
2. Give each person a card
Open the employee in the back office — save them first if they're new — and find Login card. Then either type the card number in, or click Swipe card and swipe it on the reader.
You'll see Card assigned once it's saved. Replace swaps it for a different card, Remove clears it.
A few things worth knowing:
One card per person. Nothing stops you assigning the same card to two people, but then the POS can't tell them apart. Keep them one-to-one.
Cards are per restaurant. If someone works at two of your locations, give them a card at each one.
The card number is stored securely and isn't shown again afterwards, so write on the cards or keep your own list if you need to track who has what.
3. Swiping in
Your staff swipe at the login screen and they're straight in — no PIN needed.
If a swipe seems to do nothing, check whether a pop-up is open on top of the login screen. Close it and swipe again.
Reader not working? A manager can let someone in
On the login screen, open Manager override. A manager types their own PIN in Manager PIN, and then the employee types theirs.
It lasts 30 seconds and covers one login, so it has to be repeated for each person each time.
The manager's role needs permission for this. Worth setting that up on your manager roles now rather than discovering it's missing at 7pm on a Friday.
Why is the login screen making everyone wait?
After five wrong attempts you'll see Too many failed attempts. Try again in 5s. The wait gets longer with each further wrong try, up to five minutes. It clears on its own after 15 minutes, or as soon as somebody logs in successfully.
Worth knowing: the wait applies to the whole workstation, not just the person who got it wrong. If someone is fumbling their PIN in the middle of service, send them to another station instead of letting them keep trying.
If you see one of these messages
Card swipe required — that role is set to Card only, so a PIN won't work. Swipe the card, or get a manager to do an override.
Could not read the card. Please try again. — the reader didn't get a clean read. Swipe again, a little slower and steadier.
Employee not found — that card isn't assigned to anyone at this restaurant. Check Login card on their employee record, and remember cards are set up per location.
Invalid login — the card or the PIN wasn't recognised.
Manager not found or missing permission — either that wasn't a manager's PIN, or their role doesn't have permission to do overrides.
Cards that suddenly stop working right after an update — contact support. Don't start reassigning everyone's cards.