New readers are the Stripe Reader S700. Stripe stopped selling the WisePOS E on 1 September 2026, and a WisePOS E you already own keeps working with Petboost. This guide covers ordering, setup and daily use.
What you need
Business Pro, Business Flex, Business Max or Enterprise plan. Calendar Lite does not include the card reader.
A Stripe Connect account connected to Petboost.
A Stripe card reader. Order a Stripe Reader S700 from Stripe. A WisePOS E you already own also works.
A Wi-Fi connection at your location.
Order your card reader
Stripe sells the reader, and the shop shows its price.
Open the hardware shop in your Stripe Dashboard.
Order a Stripe Reader S700.
Set up the reader
Setup runs in three parts, in this order: charge the reader, connect it to Wi-Fi, then connect it to Petboost with its pairing code. You do all three yourself, at the counter, in a few minutes.
Charge the reader
Connect the reader to power with the USB-C cable and power adapter that come with it.
Charge the reader fully before you turn it on for the first time.
Turn on the reader and connect it to Wi-Fi
Hold the power button until the screen turns on.
Swipe right from the left edge of the reader screen and tap Settings.
Enter the admin passcode. Stripe's default passcode is
07139.Select WiFi settings, then choose your business network and connect.
Connect the reader to Petboost
Petboost registers the reader to your Stripe account and connects it in one step. You do not need the Stripe Dashboard.
Open Connect your card reader in Petboost. It is also on Pricing & Payments under In-Person Payments (switch on Advanced options if the card is hidden).
Follow the four steps on screen: Turn the reader on, Put it on your Wi-Fi, Get the three words and Type the three words. Each one shows what the reader screen looks like at that moment. The words on the reader are your own, not the ones in the picture.
On the reader, swipe right from the left edge of the screen, tap Settings, enter the admin passcode and tap Generate pairing code. The reader shows three words.
Type the three words under The three words and select Connect reader.
When the reader is connected, Petboost says Your card reader is connected, and In-Person Payments shows Stripe card reader and a Reader ID.
If you already registered the reader in your Stripe Dashboard, select Find my reader on the first step instead of typing a code. Petboost connects the reader that is registered to your Stripe account.
If Petboost asks you to add your business address, add it on Business Details, then connect the reader again. Stripe needs the address of the place the reader is used.
Within about 10 minutes of connecting, the reader shows a welcome screen made in your branding: your logo at the top, your colours, and Powered by Petboost along the bottom. Petboost uses the logo, colours and hero image set on Branding. Anything not set there is taken from your website. The welcome screen appears under Splash Screen on In-Person Payments.
To swap to a new reader, select Connect a different reader under In-Person Payments and follow the same steps.
Stripe card reader is the label for any connected reader, including a Stripe Reader S700. When the reader is connected, Card Reader appears as a payment method. If the card shows Connect your card reader instead, no reader is connected yet. Order a reader from Stripe beside it opens Stripe's hardware shop.
The Online and Offline badge beside Stripe card reader shows whether in-person payments are switched on for your account. It does not show the reader's Wi-Fi status.
Take a payment on the card reader
A card reader payment can settle a booking, a quick sale or a package purchase.
From an appointment
Do this at checkout, with the customer at the counter.
Open the booking from Appointments.
Under Payment Method, select Card Reader.
Select Take in-person Payment. The button shows the amount due, and Petboost sends that amount to the reader.
Ask the customer to tap or insert their card on the reader.
Wait for Payment Complete. Petboost marks the appointment paid.
If the customer does not pay within 45 seconds, Petboost cancels the request. Select Resend to Reader to send it again. To stop a payment, select Cancel Reader Action.
From a quick sale
Do this for a sale with no appointment behind it, such as a product at the counter.
Open Mission Control and select Actions, then Quick Sale. Quick Sale is also under Quick Actions in the sidebar.
Select the pet, then select Continue to Sale.
Under Sale Items, select + Add Item and add a product, a service or a one-off item.
Select Card Reader as the payment method.
Select Record Sale on Card Reader and ask the customer to tap or insert their card.
Petboost records the sale on the customer's account and opens a receipt PDF.
When a customer buys a package
Do this when the customer pays for a package at the counter.
Open Customers & Pets and select Manage on the customer's pet.
Open the Wallet tab, then Packages, and select New. With no packages yet, the button reads Purchase Package.
Under Select Package, tick each pack the customer is buying. To sell more than one of the same pack, set Packs on its row under Selected packs.
Select Card Reader as the payment method.
Select the purchase button, such as Purchase on Card Reader, and ask the customer to tap or insert their card. With several packs, the reader takes one payment for all of them.
When the payment completes, Petboost adds each pack to the customer's account and opens one receipt PDF. Purchase Package is also on an appointment and under Quick Actions in the sidebar.
Daily operation
Leave the reader plugged in and switched on, overnight too, so it receives Stripe's software updates.
When the reader is not on power, its screen turns off after 1 hour by default. Touch the screen to wake it.
On a full charge, a Stripe Reader S700 runs for about 15 hours and a WisePOS E for about 8 hours.
To turn the reader off, hold the power button until the power off option appears, then select it.
Troubleshooting
The reader is offline
If Petboost says The card reader is offline, nothing was charged. To bring the reader back:
Check your business Wi-Fi is working.
On the reader, swipe right from the left edge of the screen, tap Settings, enter the admin passcode and select WiFi settings.
Reconnect the reader to your network.
Restart the reader and take the payment again.
The Online and Offline badge in In-Person Payments does not help here: it shows whether in-person payments are switched on for your account, not the reader's Wi-Fi status.
The pairing code did not work
Petboost shows Not connected yet with the reason. A pairing code works once. On the reader, tap Settings, enter the admin passcode and tap Generate pairing code, then type the new words in Petboost. The reader needs Wi-Fi to show a pairing code, so check it is connected first.
Payment declined
The card was declined by the bank, not Petboost. Ask the customer to try a different card, or take another payment method, such as the card on file or cash. If it keeps happening, the customer should contact their bank.
Card Reader is missing from the payment methods
Card Reader appears only on Business Pro, Business Flex, Business Max and Enterprise, and only after a reader is connected to your Petboost account. Check In-Person Payments with the steps in Connect the reader to Petboost.
If it shows Connect your card reader instead of a Reader ID, no reader is connected. Select it and follow Connect the reader to Petboost. Reconnecting Stripe removes the connected reader, so connect the reader again after you reconnect Stripe.
Payment status unconfirmed
If Petboost shows Payment status unconfirmed, the reader may have taken the payment before Petboost received the result. Look at the reader: if it says Approved, the payment went through, so do not take it again.
For an appointment balance, a sale or a package, the dialog keeps checking for about a minute and changes to Payment Complete when the payment is recorded. A deposit or a split part does not get that check. If it still shows Payment status unconfirmed after that, or for a deposit or a split part:
Select Close.
Refresh the page and check whether the payment shows before you take it again.
If you take the payment again while the first one is still being recorded, Petboost does not send a second charge to the reader. It asks you to refresh before charging again.
Payment taken, not recorded
If Petboost shows Payment taken, not recorded, the reader approved the payment but Petboost could not save it to the booking. Do not take the payment again: a second tap charges the card a second time.
Select Close.
Refresh the page. If the booking shows as paid, nothing more is needed.
If it still shows as unpaid, contact Petboost support with the booking and the time of the payment, and support records it against the booking.
The Take in-person button stays off on that booking. If the reader is sent again later for the same booking, Petboost records the earlier payment instead of charging the card again.
Transaction stuck
If a payment started but never completed:
Select Cancel Reader Action in the payment dialog, or open Manage on the invoice and select Cancel Reader Action.
Take the payment again.
Customer wants a receipt
Petboost does not email a receipt for a card reader payment. To give the customer one, open the booking and select Download Receipt.
Tips for smooth payments
Place the reader at a comfortable height for customers, with good lighting so they can see the screen. Keep the charging cable accessible but tidy.
Tell the customer "You can tap or insert your card" and "Just follow the prompts on the screen".
When a card fails, ask "That card didn't go through, would you like to try another?". Never state the specific decline reason, for the customer's privacy.
Security
Stripe card readers are pre-certified for PCI and EMV compliance.
Stripe encrypts every card reader payment end to end, and Petboost never receives the card number.
Stripe is certified as a PCI Service Provider Level 1.
Keep the reader in a visible, monitored location, and do not leave it unattended in public areas.
The reader's settings menu is protected by an admin passcode. Stripe recommends replacing the default passcode with your own.
Costs and fees
Stripe sets the reader price. It shows in the hardware shop in your Stripe Dashboard.
A card reader payment carries two separate fees:
Stripe's in-person processing fee, paid to Stripe.
The Petboost booking fee for your plan, the same booking fee as an online card payment.
For your rates, see Understanding Your Fees.
Common questions
Can I use my existing EFTPOS terminal instead?
Not connected to Petboost. Petboost connects to Stripe card readers only. You can keep another EFTPOS machine and record those payments as Other EFTPOS on the appointment.
What happens if my internet goes down?
The card reader requires an internet connection. Have a backup payment method ready, such as cash, or use a mobile hotspot for the time being.
Can I have multiple card readers?
No. Petboost sends every in-person charge to the one reader connected to your account.
Does the reader work with Apple Pay and Google Pay?
Yes. Stripe card readers accept contactless cards and NFC mobile wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Can customers add a tip?
Petboost does not add a tip step to card reader payments.
Related articles
Payment Settings: configure all payment methods
Payment Processing: processing payments for appointments
Sales & Payments: managing sales transactions
When to Contact Stripe Support: for Stripe-specific issues