# Square card payments Connect your Square account, pair a Square reader to a register, and take a card payment Source: https://getolet.com/resources/help/payments/square-terminal/ Updated: 2026-10-15 Square takes card payments on a reader paired to the register. Setting it up is three things: connect your Square account once for the store, pick the Square location the money settles to, and pair a reader on each register that takes cards. ## Connect your Square account 1. In the back office, go to [**Settings > Payment settings**](/resources/help/payments/payment-types-overview/). 2. On the Square tile, select **Connect**. You are sent to Square to sign in and approve the connection, then returned to OLET. 3. If your Square account has more than one location, or OLET could not pick one for you, a **Choose your Square location** window opens. It says "Card payments start once a location is chosen." Pick your location under **Square location** and select **Save**. Select **Later** to skip it and choose on the tile instead. 4. The tile reads **Connected** and shows a location picker. Card payments will not run until a location is selected, and every outlet takes card payments against it. If your Square account has no active location, OLET shows "No Square location" and says "Your Square account has no active location. Add one in Square, then reconnect." If the saved location is not an active location in this Square account, the tile shows **Location unavailable**: "The saved location isn't an active location in this account. Pick one to take card payments." Pick another location to fix it. Once a location is set, OLET creates the Square payment method for you, or switches the existing one back on, so the register has a card tender to show. If another payment method is already called Square, OLET does not create a second one and tells you to rename it and reconnect. See [Payment methods overview](/resources/help/payments/payment-types-overview/). ## Pair a reader to a register Do this on each register that takes cards, on the device itself. 1. Put the reader into pairing mode, following Square's own instructions for your model. A reader that is merely switched on, or that the device has already bonded with in its own Bluetooth settings, will not be found. 2. In the register app, open **Settings**, then **Square card reader**. 3. Select **Pair new reader**. The app searches for about a minute and lists the reader once it pairs, with its status beside the name. Stay on this screen while it searches. Leaving cancels the attempt. ### Permissions Pairing and card payments need Location and Bluetooth switched on for OLET. On Android the Bluetooth permission is called Nearby devices. Square requires a location fix to pair a reader and to take a payment, and on Android it must be precise Location. - On Android the app first shows **Location for card payments**, which explains the request. Select **Continue** to go on to the system prompt, or **Not now** to stop. - If a permission is off, the dialog names only the ones that are, for example "Location is off for OLET. Turn it on in Settings to pair a card reader." Select **Open settings** to fix it. - If Location is on but not precise, the message tells you to open the app's permissions and choose "Precise". Magstripe readers do not pair at all: Square detects those on their own. ### If Square is not ready for this store When you select **Pair new reader**, OLET checks the store's Square connection. If it is not ready you see one of these, with a **Check again** button: - **Square not connected.** An admin can connect it in your OLET account (Settings > More settings > Payment settings). - **Square needs a location.** An admin can choose one in your OLET account (Settings > More settings > Payment settings). An admin fixes it in the back office. Then select **Check again** on the register. ## Take a card payment 1. On **Collect payment**, select the card method. 2. The dialog shows the amount and says to follow the prompts on the reader. Hand the reader to the customer. 3. When the payment lands, the register moves on to the confirmation panel, the same as any other method. If the payment does not go through, the register shows **Card error** with the reason the terminal gave, and offers **Retry** and **Cancel**. Nothing is recorded against the sale, so the amount is still owed and you can try again or take it another way. Read the reason back to the customer as it appears, because that is what their bank told the reader. ### Tap to Pay readers If every ready reader on the register is a Tap to Pay reader, OLET records the payment as Tap to Pay. OLET can switch Tap to Pay off for all stores. While it is off the register says "Tap to Pay is currently unavailable. Pair a Square reader, or choose another payment method." Pair a physical reader or take the payment another way. ## Stop taking Square payments **Disconnect** on the Square tile stops card payments at every register as soon as it is done, and switches the Square payment method off. Sales you have already taken are not affected. Reconnecting means signing in to Square again and, if needed, choosing a location again, so it is not a switch to flip casually. To stop offering the button without touching the connection, switch the payment method off instead. ## If it goes wrong - **The card button is missing on the register.** There is no active Square payment method, or it is unchecked for this outlet. Both are in **Settings > Payment settings**. - **Square needs a location.** The account is connected but no Square location is chosen, so card payments will not run. Choose one on the tile. - **Square not connected.** The store's connection was disconnected. An admin reconnects it on the Square tile. - **Location unavailable.** The saved location is not active in this Square account. Pick another on the tile. - **Location or Nearby devices is off for OLET.** Select **Open settings** and turn it on. - **Pairing failed.** The reader was not in pairing mode, it was out of range, or the search timed out. Put it back into pairing mode and try again. - **Square is already pairing a reader.** A previous attempt is still running and the app cannot reach it. Close the app, reopen it, and pair again. ## Where to go next - [Take payment](/resources/help/selling/take-payment/) - [Refunds and returns](/resources/help/selling/refunds-and-returns/), for putting a card payment back - [Zettle card reader](/resources/help/payments/zettle-card-reader/)