Terminal-2 icon

Ask to select one or more answers from a list

Use an input request to ask a multiple-choice question and allow more than one answer.

We describe here how you can use an InputRequest to ask the shopper a question and allow them to select more than one answer. You can use this, for example, to create a customer survey. You can show a header (your question) and up to 15 scrollable option buttons. Each option button can contain one text line.

To allow users to only select one option, you can use a single-answer question.

This example shows a list where the shopper can select more than one of the answers on a portrait, small portrait (e285p), and landscape display


The terminal continues to show your input request until one of these events occurs:

  • The user has provided input.
  • The maximum input time expires. You can set this time in the request.
  • On the terminal, Cancel is selected.
  • The terminal receives a request to cancel collecting input or any other request from the POS app.

We support two MenuButtons input requests:

To enable the selection of multiple answers, your request needs to include the MinLength or MaxLength parameters.

To use the payment terminal to show a menu that allows the user to select more than one option:

  1. Make a POST request to a Terminal API endpoint, specifying:

    • MessageHeader: the standard SaleToPOIRequest.MessageHeader object. Specify:

      Parameter Required Description
      ProtocolVersion -white_check_mark- 3.0
      MessageClass -white_check_mark- Device
      MessageCategory -white_check_mark- Input
      MessageType -white_check_mark- Request
      ServiceID -white_check_mark- Your unique ID for this request, consisting of 1-10 alphanumeric characters. Must be unique within the last 48 hours for the terminal (POIID) being used.
      SaleID -white_check_mark- Your unique ID for the system where you send this request from.
      POIID -white_check_mark- The unique ID of the terminal to send this request to. Format: [device model]-[serial number].

    • InputRequest.DisplayOutput: this part of the request body defines what is shown on the terminal.

      Parameter Description
      Device CustomerDisplay
      InfoQualify Display
      OutputContent.OutputFormat Text
      OutputContent.PredefinedContent.ReferenceID MenuButtons
      OutputContent.OutputText An array of one Text field to specify the header. For example, to ask a multiple-choice question.}

    • InputRequest.MenuEntry: the terminal shows these items as a scrollable list of buttons that the user can tap to select. Each item in the array has:

      Parameter Description
      OutputFormat Text
      OutputText An array of one Text field to specify the answer or menu button.

    • InputRequest.InputData: this part of the request body handles the user input.

      Parameter Description
      Device CustomerInput
      InfoQualify Input
      InputCommand GetMenuEntry
      MaxInputTime (Integer) Time-out in seconds. This is the time that the user gets to finish their input.
      MinLength The minimum number of answers the user must select.
      MaxLength The maximum number of answers the user is allowed to select.

To allow selecting multiple answers, you must include the MinLength or MaxLength parameters in the request body.

The following example asks the shopper to select options from a list.

  1. Wait for the user to supply the requested input.

    If there is input provided to the terminal, the InputResponse has an InputResult with:

    • Input.MenuEntryNumber: an array that indicates the options that the user selected. For example, if the shopper selects the first and third options, the first and third items in the array are 1 and all other array items are 0.

    • If the user selects fewer than the minimum number of answers specified in the MinLength parameter or more than the maximum number of answers specified in the MaxLength parameter, the response contains:

      • InputResult.Response.Result: Failure
      • Response.ErrorCondition: NotAllowed

      • AdditionalResponse: contains the message The number of selections are below the MinLength or The number of selections are above the MaxLength.

    • If the input request times out, you receive an EventNotification with EventDetails: message=Did+not+receive+a+response+from+the+POI.

    • If you make a payment request while the input request is waiting for input on the terminal, the payment request overrides the input request. The InputResult has Response.Result: Failure, Response.ErrorCondition: Busy, and an AdditionalResponse containing the message A higher priority request has been received.

    • If the user declined to respond (selected the Cancel key ), the InputResult has Response.Result: Failure and Response.ErrorCondition: Cancel.

  2. Pass the relevant data from InputResult.Input to your system for validation and further use.

See also