The Stripe Reader M2 is the mobile card reader used with TowPay for chip, contactless, and swipe payments.
What's in the box?
1 M2 reader device
1 USB-A to USB-C charging cable
How do I set up my reader for the first time?
Connect the charging cable to the reader and charge it for two hours before first use. Use only the cable provided in the box.
Power on the reader and enable Bluetooth on your phone or tablet.
Connect the reader to your phone or tablet through your point-of-sale app — not through your device's Bluetooth settings.
How do I take a payment with the reader?
Tap (contactless): hold the card or phone within about 4cm (1.5 inches) of the contactless logo on the reader.
Swipe: slide the card through the magstripe slot with the stripe facing the correct direction.
Chip insert: insert the card into the EMV slot at the bottom of the reader, oriented as shown on the card.
What do the reader's lights and beeps mean?
During a payment:
One light on: reader is ready for payment
Lights turning on in sequence: reader is reading the card
All 4 lights on + one beep: card read successfully
One beep: transaction completed
One light flashing: reader is in standby mode
Two beeps: remove the card after a successful payment, or an error occurred — please retry
Pairing and connection:
Lights turning on and off in sequence: waiting for Bluetooth pairing
4 lights flash 3 times: Bluetooth connected
4 lights flash 3 times (different pattern): USB connected
Device status:
Lights 1 and 4 flashing: device has been tampered with
Lights 1 and 4 solid on: device integrity check failed
How do I check the battery/charging status?
All 4 lights green: full charge
3 lights green: 75% charge
2 lights green: 50% charge
1 light green: 25% charge
1 light flashing: currently charging
Troubleshooting
Device won't pair:
Press the power button to restart the device.
Check the device's serial number (on the back of the reader) against the "scanned device list" on your phone or tablet.
Device lost connection / disconnects automatically:
Press the power button to turn the device back on — it should reconnect automatically.
The battery may be low; recharge via USB-C and try again.
Make sure the reader and your phone/tablet are within Bluetooth range of each other.
Device won't connect to your phone or tablet at all:
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on.
Check that your device's operating system is supported (Android 5.0+ or iOS 6.0+).
Reader won't read a card:
Restart the reader and reconnect.
Recharge the device if the battery is low.
Make sure the reader and your phone/tablet are in range of each other.
For swipe/insert: confirm the app is prompting for that payment method, check for anything blocking the card slot, and make sure the chip/stripe is facing the right direction. Try swiping or inserting at a more consistent speed.
For tap: confirm the card supports NFC/contactless payments and is held within 4cm of the contactless logo. Remove the card from a wallet or purse before tapping to avoid interference from other cards.
Device isn't responding:
Use a paperclip to press the reset button on the bottom of the device.
Device shows "tampered":
This means the device's self-protection mechanism was triggered and it has stopped operating for security reasons. Contact TowPay support for next steps.
Device integrity check failed:
Try resetting the device with a paperclip via the reset button. If it still doesn't work after resetting, contact TowPay support.
Reader specs at a glance
Card reading: EMV chip (ISO 7816), magstripe (tracks 1, 2 & 3), and NFC/contactless (ISO 14443A/B)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 (BLE) and USB-C
Battery: 520mAh rechargeable lithium polymer
Swipe speed: 15–100 cm/sec
Supported OS: Android 5.0+ or iOS 6.0+
Operating temperature: 0°C–45°C (32°F–113°F)