Choose a Card Reader for Each Front Desk Station

How to Choose a Card Reader for Each Front Desk Station

If your park has more than one card reader, each front desk computer (each "station") can now pick the reader it uses. Two desks can take card payments at the same time, each on its own reader, and a payment never shows up on the reader at the other counter. You choose once per station, and RoverPass remembers it.

Before you start

  • This only applies if your park has two or more card readers connected. With a single reader nothing changes: it connects on its own, as before.
  • Your readers need to be connected to RoverPass first. See How to Set Up Your Credit Card Terminal. Each reader is listed under Your connected readers on the Point of Sale Hardware page, with a name like YOUR PARK READER 1, YOUR PARK READER 2. Those are the names you'll pick from.
  • Staff need the same access they already use to take card payments with the reader.
  • Tip: put a small label with the reader's name on each physical reader, so staff can tell them apart at a glance.

How to choose a station's reader

  1. On the computer at the desk, start a card payment the usual way: check out a sale in the General Store, or click Pay Now on a reservation's invoice, and pick Credit Card.
  2. In the card reader box (the one with the Stripe logo and the Pay with Terminal button), you'll see a Reader: dropdown. The first time, it says Choose this station's reader and has a highlighted border. Until you choose, the station doesn't connect to any reader and you can't use Pay with Terminal.
  3. Open the dropdown and pick the reader at this desk, for example YOUR PARK READER 1.
  4. Wait a moment while it says Connecting.... When it shows Connected, the reader is ready. Click Pay with Terminal to take the payment.
  5. Repeat on each of your other front desk computers, choosing the reader that sits at that desk.

That's it. The next time this station takes a card payment, it connects to the same reader automatically.

Switching to a different reader

Pick another reader in the Reader: dropdown at any time before you start the payment. RoverPass disconnects the current reader, saves the new choice for this station and connects to it.

You can't switch while a payment is in progress. The dropdown is locked while the payment is being sent to the reader and while the guest pays.

Good to know

  • The choice is saved in the browser. Each computer remembers its own reader. If staff use a different browser on the same computer, clear the browser's data, or use a private or incognito window, they'll be asked to choose again. In a private window the choice only lasts until the payment panel closes.
  • Adding a reader doesn't move anyone. Stations that already chose keep their reader when you connect a new one. To use the new reader at a desk, pick it in that station's dropdown.
  • Removing a reader. If you remove the reader a station was using, that station asks you to choose again. If only one reader is left, it simply connects to that one.
  • "If another station is using this reader, choose a different one." You'll see this if the reader couldn't connect, most often because another computer is already connected to it. Pick the reader that belongs to your desk, or ask the other station to switch.
  • Single-reader parks don't see the dropdown at all. The payment panel shows Reader Status and connects as before.