Stripe Terminal is only available for organizations using a stand-alone Stripe account as their PatronManager payment processor. Stand-alone Stripe is our payment processing option for clients outside the US and Canada.
If you're looking for information about the terminals you use with Leap Merchant Services, that's a little bit different - head over here instead.
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All About Stripe Terminal: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1588069
Stripe Terminal allows Stripe-based organizations to use PCI-compliant credit card terminals to process transactions securely. It also lets you accept contactless payments (including tapping a phone to pay with Apple/Google Wallet), and the terminals can even connect to PatronManager over Wi-Fi!
Stripe Terminal is only for in-person transactions - there is no difference for online transactions on your Public Ticketing Site or Donation Forms, or orders you take over the phone.
In this article, we'll cover:
- Hardware - which terminal is compatible and how to buy them
- Terminal registration - connecting your new terminal to your Stripe account
- Binding - connecting your registered terminal to PatronManager
- Transactions - processing transactions with the terminal or over the phone
- FAQs
Ready? Let's jump in!
PatronManager does not charge an additional fee for the use of Stripe Terminal, though you will need to purchase the terminals yourself.
Hardware
Meet the BBPOS WisePOS E
Which terminal is compatible with PatronManager?
You'll need the BBPOS WisePOS E - the only Stripe Terminal currently approved for use with PatronManager. This is a smart reader with a 5” touchscreen display ideal for hybrid countertop and handheld use.
This terminal is PCI compliant (end-to-end encryption is the default and point-to-point encryption is available from Stripe for an additional fee), helping ensure maximum security when you process transactions. You can tap, swipe, or insert a chip card to pay. Because it supports contactless payments, your patrons can tap to pay with a digital wallet on their phone or watch in addition to tapping a contactless-enabled card!
The terminal can connect to PatronManager via Wi-Fi (you'll need to be on the same network as the computer using PatronManager) or connect via an Ethernet cable if you purchase the optional dock. It can remain plugged in during use, or run for up to 8 hours on battery -- though we always recommend keeping it well charged.
Picing is set by Stripe, varies by country, and is subject to change. You can see current pricing and order terminals via your Stripe dashboard in your stand-alone Stripe account.
For information about nonprofit discounts, Stripe says to contact their support team.
You'll order terminals directly from Stripe via your Stripe Dashboard. Here are their purchase instructions.
Note that if you want the optional dock for Ethernet connectivity, you'll need to order that as well.
You'll need a terminal for each workstation where you process concurrent card-present transactions. For example, if you have two windows at your box office, you'll need two terminals. Stripe also recommends having a backup terminal available just in case you encounter any issues.
It is possible to move a terminal from one computer workstation to another, but you'll need a terminal bound to your workstation to take payments. A terminal can only connect to one workstation at a time.
You don't need a terminal connected if you're taking only non-credit card payments (e.g. cash and check), or if you only process card-not-present transactions (e.g. phone orders).
Stripe says that the terminal battery can last about 8 hours on a full charge. Stripe recommends keeping terminals plugged in and powered on, even when not in use, to ensure they receive automatic software updates.
Software updates can only happen if your battery is above a certain level (that seems to be 20% minimum), and may be required upon powering up the device.
We strongly recommend keeping your terminals well charged, and if a terminal is off, always be sure to power it on with sufficient time to apply any necessary updates before you need to start processing transactions. A required software update can block you from using the device.
Registering your new terminal with Stripe
When you receive your new BBPOS WisePOS E, the first thing to do is register it to your Stripe account.
These instructions are only for organizations using their own stand-alone Stripe account. If you're using Leap Merchant Services, head over here instead!
1. Log in to your Stripe dashboard, then head to the Terminal page
Log in at https://dashboard.stripe.com/ then click "More" in the header, then "Terminal"
2. Create a new location (or choose your existing one)
Each reader will be registered to one location. For most organizations, one location with your primary business address will be sufficient. If you operate in multiple regions, ensure you have a location for each region so that the corresponding terminals receive the right region-specific updates.
Stripe's documentation says to "create a Location for each physical location that your readers operate at. If your business requires you to move your readers frequently, your locations may use addresses that represent a primary place of business."
Be sure to set the right country and region for your location - terminal configuration differs by region, and the location you choose will ensure your terminals receive the correct software updates.
3. Generate a pairing code on the terminal
When you first turn on the device, it may display a pairing code for you; otherwise you can always generate one from the Settings menu on the device. See "Access Settings" in Stripe's documentation here.
4. Register the terminal to the location
Click into your new location, then click "New" in the "Readers" section:
On the resulting pop-up, you'll enter the registration code you generated on your BBPOS WisePOS E, give the device a label to help you identify it later, and save.
Got a label maker and more than one terminal? Label your terminal with the name you give it here, so you can easily tell which is which later!
The serial number will be visible for identification as well, but labels are faster.
Binding your terminal with PatronManager
This part will only work once you've registered the terminal to your Stripe account.
1. Start a new Ticket Order in PatronManager Box Office
Log in to PatronManager and head to the PatronTicket Hub, then click "Sell Tickets"
2. Select your terminal on the binding pop-up that appears
That's it! You've bound the device and it'll be ready to accept payments generated from PatronManager on this computer.
Did you accidentally bind the wrong terminal, or need to switch it for another? Don't worry - you'll find a "Reconfigure Device" button on the credit card payment pop-up that appears when you're ready to process a card, and you can use that to bind a different device.
Processing transactions on the terminal
Once you've bound a terminal, processing transactions is easy!
1. On the payment screen, click "Capture Card Swipe"
The button is the same for box office transactions and credit card donations.
2. A pop-up will appear, and the bound terminal will be ready to accept payment
If you need to switch to a different terminal than the one currently bound, click the "Reconfigure Device" button to bring up the binding screen. Once you've bound the new terminal, click "Capture Card Swipe" again.
3. Follow instructions on the terminal to tap/insert the card
The payment will process on the terminal, and the pop-up on your screen will close automatically.
3.1. Alternatively, if the patron and their card are not physically present, click the "Keyed Entry" button
You can then enter the card info manually, and click "Confirm Payment" to process the transaction.
If you clicked the button by accident, click "Reader Entry" to process the card on the terminal instead.
Stripe is very clear that you can only key in credit cards "when exceptional circumstances prevent you entering the transaction via the terminal".
Phone or mail-in orders/donations are the normal reason to key a transaction. If the card is present, use the terminal.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find Stripe's troubleshooting steps for the BBPOS WisePOS E here. If you're still experiencing issues, contact Stripe Support.
Yes! Stripe Terminal provides PCI compliant end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default. You should have access to a pre-filled SAQ C document, for those transactions processed through terminal, in your Stripe Dashboard under Compliance Settings.
If you need point-to-point-encryption (P2PE) to meet specific compliance requirements for your organization, Stripe can enable that for your terminals for an additional fee. Learn more from Stripe here, and contact Stripe Support for assistance.
The short answer is: only when absolutely necessary. Keyed Entry is available to help you process phone or mail order transactions. Stripe notes that it must never be used as your primary method of processing transactions, and should only be used when exceptional circumstances prevent you entering the transaction via the terminal. Read more from Stripe here.
You'll also use Keyed Entry to create recurring credit card donations inside PatronManager, even if the card is present.
The Stripe Terminal integration does not currently allow you to save a credit card for future use in PatronManager, except for when creating a recurring credit card donation. That means:
- The option to save a card for future use will not appear in PatronManager Box Office
- You cannot update the stored payment method on an existing recurring credit card donation; instead, cancel the recurring donation and create a new one
- You cannot create a new recurring credit card donation with a future start date - it must start with a first payment at the time it's created
In the US: in most cases yes! See the link below for more info from Stripe.
In Canada: see the next item below for more detail.
Elsewhere: maybe. Read more from Stripe here.
Canadian debit cards use the Interac network, which has special requirements for processing refunds that are not currently built into PatronManager's Stripe Terminal integration.
You can process in-person payments with Interac debit cards and Stripe Terminal, but you would need to refund payments made with these kinds of cards back to cash or check instead.
Interac debit card refunds are not currently scheduled for development. If you're in Canada and this is a need for your organization, please suggest a Product Idea to let us know.
Not at the same time, no - but you can easily move a terminal from one computer to another. To bind a new terminal to your computer, click the "Reconfigure Device" button on the payment pop-up that appears when you go to charge a credit card.
Yes! The BBPOS WisePOS E accepts contactless payments, so cards saved in a patron's digital wallet should work just fine (assuming the card saved is valid for use).
Yes: to process payments, the terminal must be connected to the internet, and it must be on the same network as the computer it's bound to.
If the terminal loses its connection to PatronManager, the terminal will attempt to reconnect when you're ready to process a payment.
No, but if there are other things you'd like to see, suggest a Product Idea to let us know! The PatronManager Stripe Terminal integration is built into PatronManager directly, and is not customizable.