Connecting to a reader
Learn what it means to connect your app to a reader.
With the SDK initialized in your app, the next step is connecting your app to a reader.
Connecting is important. Readers have some basic functionality on their own, but the connection to the Stripe SDK in your app is what enables readers to accept payments for your business.
The way you handle the connection workflow in your app is also important. Users of your point of sale (e.g., your onsite employees or connected accounts) must be able to connect to a reader from your app easily. For example, if you ship two readers directly to a store location, your app’s UI should include options to discover readers nearby, select the one they want to use, and connect to it.
How connecting works
Connecting your app to the reader takes two steps: discovery and connection.
Discovery
First, your app calls the discoverReaders function and, depending on your reader type, searches for:
- readers over Bluetooth (BBPOS)
- readers registered to your Stripe account (Verifone P400)
It’s up to you to handle the returned list of readers in your application’s UI. Your in-store employees should be able to use your application to discover and select the correct reader easily (e.g., by its serial number or label).
Connection
After receiving user input, your app calls the connectReader function with the selected reader. This establishes the reader-to-app communication necessary for taking in-person payments. If necessary, connectReader also fetches a connection token to connect to Stripe and enable payment collection.
Connect your reader now
See the guide for your reader type to get connected.