When technology doesn’t work the way it should, it can get in the way of running your business. Don't worry, we're here to help.
This article will walk you through the most common troubleshooting steps for our legacy Helcim Card Reader (1st generation).
Is this the right article for your device?
First things first, let's make sure you're troubleshooting the right device. This article is for the legacy Helcim Card Reader (1st Gen). If you have our newer, 2nd generation card reader, the steps will be different.
| If you have the newer version, you’ll want to head over to our How to troubleshoot the Helcim Card Reader (2nd Gen) guide. |
Restarting the card reader
Often, the quickest and easiest fix for any electronic device is a simple restart.
Press and hold the # key and the yellow < key at the same time for a few seconds.
If the card reader is plugged in, it will restart. If it's running on battery, it will power off. Simply press the green O key to turn it back on.
Checking your connection type
If a restart didn't solve the problem, the next step is to check that your card reader is set to the correct communication type for your setup (USB or Bluetooth).
Make sure the card reader’s screen says This Lane is Closed. This means it isn't actively connected to a device.
On the keypad, press 0001 to open the Admin Menu.
Press 1 for Communications.
The screen will show a list of communication types. The active one will be highlighted.
To change the connection type, use the F2 and F3 keys to scroll through the options. For a computer, select 2 for USB_CDC. For a mobile device or tablet, you'll want to select the Bluetooth option.
Once you've selected the correct type, press the yellow < key twice to go back.
The terminal will ask you to Save and Reboot? Press 1 for Yes.
Fixing specific connection problems
Sometimes you might run into a specific error message or issue, especially with USB or Bluetooth connections.
What to do if the app says "Waiting for USB Connection"
This message usually means the Helcim Payments App can't find your card reader. Here are two things to check:
Confirm the connection type: Follow the steps in the section above to make sure the card reader's communication type is set to USB_CDC.
Check if your computer sees the device:
macOS: Click the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen, then About this Mac > System Report > USB. You should see Link/2500 in the list.
Windows: Open your Device Manager and look for Ingenico Link2500 or a similar name.
What to do if you can't connect via Bluetooth
If you've used your card reader with multiple phones or tablets, their Bluetooth signals can sometimes compete, making it hard to establish a new connection. The best way to fix this is to remove any old or unused device pairings directly from the card reader. You can find instructions for this in the next section.
Forgetting and re-pairing your device
If you're still running into connection issues, the final step is to completely remove the device from both the Helcim Payments App and your phone or tablet's Bluetooth settings. This clears out any old settings and lets you start fresh.
Delete the device from the Helcim POS App
Log in to your Helcim account
Open the All Tools menu and navigate to App Devices.
Select the device you want to remove.
Click Delete.
Forget the device from your phone/tablet and the card reader
On your phone or tablet
Go to your device's Bluetooth Settings. Find the card reader in your list of paired devices and select the option to Forget this Device.
On your card reader
Ensure the screen says This Lane is Closed.
Press 0001 to open the Admin Menu.
Press 3 for Bluetooth Parameters.
Press 4 for Paired Devices.
Select the device you want to remove and press the green O key.
Select Dissociate by pressing the green O key again.
Repeat until there are no paired devices left in the list.
Once you have removed the device from all locations, you can walk through the original setup process to connect your card reader again.
Next steps
After trying these troubleshooting steps, you should attempt to connect your device by following our setup guides.
If you’ve gone through all these steps and are still having trouble, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Merchant Experience team for more help.