Credit card reader problems

[JIMT]

We have 4 credit card readers on Hamilton ACWs and customers are having a lot of problems with "card unreadable". Is there a way to test the readers or to adjust them to get them to be better at reading the cards. We have one reader that you put the card in and slide it out and the rest are the slide down type.
Thanks, JIMT

 

[cwguy.com]

This is how you test the cc acceptor with a meter. http://cwguy.com/?p=4496

Besides cleaning the acceptor there are no serviceable parts.

If the acceptor is good tested on another acw it is probably your harness.

If your harness is good it's your computer. I could probably fix the computer for you BTW. I just fixed mine.

 

[JIMT]

JIMT
Can RDM Electronics in North Carolina. 800-282-5183 fix card readers?
Is there anyone else that can repair card readers?
Are there better cc readers that will work consistantly on Hamilton ACWs

 

[cwguy.com]

I would think in theory it would just be the cc read head? But there is no incentive for the manufacturer or Hamilton to fix them.

 

[Randy]

I don’t know of anyone who repairs the card readers. Try these guy’s http://brushindustries.com/ I know guy who has Gin-san card readers and he buys his readers from them. The last time I talked to the nice lady at Brush Industries she was working on other readers.

 

[cwguy.com]

I don’t know of anyone who repairs the card readers. Try these guy’s http://brushindustries.com/ I know guy who has Gin-san card readers and he buys his readers from them. The last time I talked to the nice lady at Brush Industries she was working on other readers.

I was going to mention Brush.... but I know they don't repair there readers. (Or at least they didn't in the past.) I also know unless you purchase in bulk your not going to save any money purchasing from Brush instead of Hamilton (assuming you are using the push and pull acceptors). But Hamilton's swipe reader is made by Brush. I believe it's a ps2 version? I guess you could get it to work on an acw5 push and pull acceptor setup?

 

[mjwalsh]

Addressing the Testing Ability Question

We have 4 credit card readers on Hamilton ACWs and customers are having a lot of problems with "card unreadable". Is there a way to test the readers or to adjust them to get them to be better at reading the cards. We have one reader that you put the card in and slide it out and the rest are the slide down type.
Thanks, JIMT

JimT,

When you call Brush, they may refer you to their sister company http://www.q-card.com/about.asp for the ability to diagnose more specifically the specific hardware. Thanks to Randy's link, I just learned of that there is a whole industry dedicated to the intricacies of payment hardware. There does honestly look like there may be or may not be some learning curves. At the q-card site, it appears that they even provide transitional training for EMV & NFC.

mike walsh http://kingkoin.com/USA_Deficit_Reduction.html

 

[cwguy.com]

Could you imagine if you searched on Google? Or search brand names used at retail outlets? Brush also goes to trade shows so I'm not sure how you missed them?

 

[carwash11147]

I don't have any experience with the slide down type card reader but I do have two of the push-pull type. I fought with these for years. I called Hamilton numerous times and they would tell me the reader was dirty(even though it did this from day one) or there was nothing wrong with it. The original push-pull readers where single side readers. After 7 or 8 years I discovered Hamilton came out with a double sided reader so I installed one of those and it solved 90% of the problem. For some reason they are not as sensitive as the single sided and it can read the card in either direction. The problem with the single sided is not only the sensitivity level but once the card comes back as "unreadable" then the customer flips it over in the other direction only to get the same error, then they flip it upside down, then right side up, etc., etc., etc. After about 6 or 8 swipes they just drive away or yell at you that your card reader isn't working. Very, very frustrating.

 

[JIMT]

Thanks for all of the information that everyone supplied. Brush Industries has a lot of information about readers and how they wear out or if they are made of some of the higher grade metals they don't wear out. I think our problem is probably worn out readers.
Thanks again.
JIMT

 

[cwguy.com]

The neuron reader is waterproof and rated to 500k passes.... but if you have to swipe an average of twice? I guess that is 250k?

carwash11147 you wouldn't happen to know the dual sided cc acceptor model number would you? That is funny they switched to dual sided.... I wonder who was first Unitec or Hamilton?

BTW if you hold a Brush acceptor and a neuron acceptor in your hand.... Brush screams quality without a doubt. It also looks the part.... almost worth the $300+. If you talk to the people at Brush or email them they are really great. Neuron well I think I am waiting for a return email and call back?

 

[carwash11147]

The neuron reader is waterproof and rated to 500k passes.... but if you have to swipe an average of twice? I guess that is 250k?

carwash11147 you wouldn't happen to know the dual sided cc acceptor model number would you? That is funny they switched to dual sided.... I wonder who was first Unitec or Hamilton?

BTW if you hold a Brush acceptor and a neuron acceptor in your hand.... Brush screams quality without a doubt. It also looks the part.... almost worth the $300+. If you talk to the people at Brush or email them they are really great. Neuron well I think I am waiting for a return email and call back?

I don't remember the model number but I think it is the only reader Hamilton sells now. I don't know why they would when they said there was nothing wrong with the single sided reader. Just like their validators, no problems they work perfectly fine. Right?

 

[Kevin James]

Credit card readers aren’t Waterproof, there Water-resistant. There’s a big difference in Waterproof and Water-resistant. Does Hamilton make the card reader they, NO they buy them from someone else just like Brush industries and everyone else does. They might be rated at 500K passes in a perfect environment but a car wash is long way from being a perfect environment. You’ve got over spray, customers shooting water into the card reader and then you get idiot customer who think it’s a coin acceptor and shove coins into it.

 

[cwguy.com]

http://www.neuron.co.jp/indexE.html

The manufacturer actually claims they are waterproof not me.... But I really don't care either way. My reader starts with a scr.