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NYC1 card reader user guide

Set up and use the NYC1 card reader for contactless, chip, and swipe payments.

With our card reader solution for iOS or Android you start a payment from a mobile POS app on your phone or other mobile device, and use the secure card reader to accept the payment. On the card reader, the customer can tap, insert, or swipe their card, or use a digital wallet like Apple Pay. The mobile device and the card reader communicate with each other through Bluetooth.

To indicate the progress of the payment and other events, the reader has indicator LEDs, an illuminating contactless logo, and a buzzer. Transaction screens appear on the mobile device that is paired with the reader.

Supplied components

  • NYC1 card reader.
  • USB cable.
  • Adhesive metal plate for card reader magnet.
    To attach the card reader to the back of a phone, stick the metal plate to the back of the phone, and place the card reader on the plate.

A charger is not included.
Use a 5V DC, 1A charger to recharge the battery. The battery cannot be replaced.

Get started

  1. Inspect the card reader.
  2. Connect the card reader to a power source using the supplied USB cable.
    Let the battery charge for at least an hour and a half while you continue with the next steps.
  3. Use Bluetooth pairing to connect the card reader with a phone or other mobile device.

When you have completed these steps, you are ready to make transactions.

Inspect the card reader

Because card readers process sensitive card data, you must verify that the reader you received is the correct one, supplied by Adyen, and hasn't been tampered with.

  1. Verify that the box containing the reader hasn't been opened and that the security seal is intact.
    The security seal is a red label with a bar code and a number, stuck across the lid of the box.

  2. If you have access to the Adyen Customer Area, log in and under In-person payments > Orders and returns find the order for your reader. Then:

    • Verify that the serial number (S/N) on the box is the same as in the Customer Area.
    • Verify that the security seal number on the box is the same as in the Customer Area.

    • Using the track & trace link, track the order with the carrier to verify that they confirm having delivered the payment terminal.

  3. Break the security seal, take the reader out of the box, and verify that the serial number (S/N) on the reader is the same as the serial number on the box.

  4. Inspect the reader for tampering. Check for missing seals or screws, additional wires or labels, holes in the device, and anything inserted in or attached to any part of the reader.

If any of the above checks fails, contact our Support Team immediately.

Pair the reader

To process transactions, the card reader uses Bluetooth technology to communicate with a POS app that is installed on your mobile device. First, you have to set up a Bluetooth pairing between the card reader and your mobile device, as described below. After that, whenever you start a transaction, the two paired devices automatically establish a Bluetooth connection that allows them to communicate directly.

To pair the card reader with your mobile device:

  1. On the mobile device, make sure Bluetooth is turned on.

  2. Open the POS app.

  3. Select the option to pair a card reader.
    For example, the app may show Settings > Card readers > Set up reader, or No card reader connected > Set up reader.

  4. Select the card reader. The way to do that differs between iOS devices and Android devices.

    iOS—option 1: select from a list

    1. Select Nearby readers.
      The list shows the card readers that are within range of the mobile device, sorted by proximity: the reader that is nearest to the mobile device is shown first.
    2. From the list, select the card reader you want to use.
      You can recognize card readers by their serial number, which is shown on the back of the reader and in the list.

    iOS—option 2: scan the barcode of the reader

    1. Select Scan barcode.
    2. If prompted, select the option to allow the app to use the camera of your mobile device.
    3. Point the camera of your mobile device at the barcode on the back of the card reader.

    Android: select from a list

    • From the list, select the card reader you want to use.
      You can recognize card readers by their serial number, which is shown on the back of the reader and in the list.

    Example screens

    The next images show example reader selection screens on iOS and on Android. Your POS app may show a different screen.

  5. When a pairing dialog appears, select the option to pair the devices.

  6. If a prompt appears to check the pairing code, you can disregard that because the card reader doesn't have a display showing a pairing code.

  7. On the side of the card reader, press the power button two times.

  8. On an iOS mobile device: when the device shows Pairing successful, select Continue.
    On an Android mobile device: select the option to pair and connect.

The mobile device and the card reader now connect. If you do not use the devices for a while, they disconnect but they remain paired. When you start a payment, the mobile device automatically re-connects to the card reader it was most recently paired with.

Pair more card readers

It is possible to pair several card readers to the same mobile device. The steps are the same as for pairing the first card reader. When the maximum number of paired readers has been reached, a new pair replaces the first pair.

To switch between paired readers, go to the list of readers and select one from the list.

The next images show example reader selection screens on iOS and on Android after a reader has been paired. Your POS app may show a different screen.

Unpair a card reader

To unpair a card reader, go to the Bluetooth settings of the phone or other mobile device you are using, and select Forget this device.

Make a payment

After the mobile device and the card reader have been paired, the process to make a payment is as follows:

If you do not use the devices for a while, they disconnect but remain paired. When you start a payment, the mobile device automatically re-connects to the card reader it was most recently paired with.

  1. On the mobile device, start the transaction from your POS app.
    Screens related to the transaction appear on the mobile device.

  2. Present the card reader to the customer, to complete the transaction.
    The customer can tap, insert, or swipe their card, or use a digital wallet like Apple Pay.

  3. When the transaction is completed, use the receipt data in the Terminal API response to send the receipt to the customer, or to print the receipt on an external printer.

Manage battery power

The card reader runs on a rechargeable battery. Bluetooth is on continuously, so the reader is never completely turned off. After ten minutes a beep sounds and the card reader goes into sleep mode.

When you start a transaction, the card reader is activated automatically, but this takes a bit longer than usual because the reader has to "wake up" first. You can also activate the reader by pressing the power button on the side of the reader two times.

Check the charge level

To view the battery charge level on the card reader itself:

  • Press the power button on the side of the card reader, and check the LEDs.
    Each green LED represents 25% of the battery capacity. For example, if two of the four LEDs are on and green, the card reader has 50% charge left.

To use your mobile device to view the battery charge level of a card reader:

  1. On the mobile device, go to the list of readers.
    For example, your POS app may show the list under Settings > Card readers.

  2. From the list, select the card reader to see its details, including the charge level.

    The next images show example details screens on iOS and on Android. Your POS app may show a different screen.

Charge the battery

A charger is not included.
Use a 5V DC, 1A charger to recharge the battery. The battery cannot be replaced.

The NYC1 card reader is supplied with a USB-C charging cable. This cable is compliant with the USB industry and UL standards.

Always use the charging cable provided by Adyen.

To prevent damage to the USB-C charging cable and the USB-C socket on the card reader, follow these guidelines:

  • Insert and remove the USB-C charging cable by holding the end that connects to the terminal or the power plug.
  • Do not insert or remove the USB-C charging cable in an upward, downward, left, or right direction.
  • Do not bend or fold the USB-C charging cable.
  • Do not use excessive force to insert or remove the USB-C charging cable.
  • Always inspect the USB-C charging cable and the USB-C socket on the payment terminal for foreign objects.
  • If the terminal operates in areas of high humidity, dust, or food residue, consider getting a charging station.

Update the firmware

From time to time, the manufacturer of the NYC1 releases a new firmware version.

Due to the Bluetooth connection speed, a firmware update can take up to 10 minutes. During this time you cannot use your mobile device, because the POS app must remain open.

To know if you need to update the firmware of a reader:

  • In the list of card readers, there is a red dot next to the reader.
  • The Device info screen with the details of the reader shows an Update available section.

The next images show example screens on iOS. Your POS app may show different screens.

To update the firmware:

  1. Pick a moment when you do not need to use the mobile device for about 10 minutes.
  2. On the mobile device, go to the list of card readers.
  3. From the list, select the reader to see its Device info.
  4. In the Update available section, select Update.

  5. In the next dialog, select Update again.

    Keep the POS app open and do not switch to another app until the update has finished.

Bluetooth update failed

It is possible that a firmware update failed because it required a Bluetooth connection and the card reader didn't have an active Bluetooth connection. When this happens, you need to reset the reader before you can try updating again. A screen appears with instructions on how to reset the reader.

The next image shows an example of those instructions on iOS. Your POS app may show a different screen.

Understand the LEDs

Connecting the card reader

LEDs Description

LEDs turn on and off sequentially.		 Power on.

All LEDs turn on and off simultaneously until pairing is complete.		 Reader is in pairing mode.

All LEDs remain on for four seconds.		 Pairing was successful.
Pairing failed.

Taking a payment

LEDs Description
Ready to take a payment.
Reading a card.
Transaction is approved.
Transaction failed.

Battery

LEDs Description

LEDs turn on and off sequentially.		 Battery is charging. When the reader is fully charged, the LEDs turn off.
Press the power button on the side of the card reader for battery charge information.
Each LED represents 25% charge. If all four LEDs are green, the battery is fully charged.

Other events

LEDs Description
Reader is tampered. Stop using the card reader and contact Adyen immediately.

Troubleshooting

When there is an issue with the card reader, check the following general causes and solutions.

Reader doesn't pair

Cause Solution
Low battery Try again with one of the other card readers that are paired with the mobile device.
In the meantime, recharge the card reader where the issue occurred.
Bluetooth issue On the mobile device, ensure Bluetooth permissions are enabled. Turn Bluetooth on and try again.
Mobile device and reader are already paired Check if the devices are already paired: compare the serial number on the back of the reader with the serial numbers in the list of card readers on the mobile device.
Reader is paired with different device To unpair the reader from nearby devices, turn the reader off by pressing the power button for three seconds. Then turn the reader on again by pressing the power button once.
Out of range Bring the mobile device and the card reader closer together.
Wrong pairing method Pair the reader using the POS app on your mobile device. Do not use the system settings for pairing.

If pairing still doesn't work, reset the reader by pressing the power button for 10 seconds until the reader beeps. Then try pairing again.

Reader doesn't take payments

Cause Solution
No network connection Make sure that the mobile device is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.
Low battery Try again with one of the other card readers that are paired with the mobile device.
In the meantime, recharge the card reader where the issue occurred.
Card entry failed Help the customer to correctly tap, insert, or swipe their card, or tap their digital wallet device.

Reader is inactive

The reader times out after ten minutes of inactivity, to preserve battery charge. The reader 'wakes up' again when you start a new transaction or press the power button.

Reader is tampered

If the first and last LED turn white, the reader is tampered. Stop using the card reader and contact Adyen immediately.

See also