Accept In-Person Card Payments

KeyBolt supports in-person card payments using a Stripe Terminal card reader. Customers can tap, insert, or swipe their card on a physical reader while you're on the job. In your browser this works with a WiFi reader.

What You Need

• Stripe connected, set up in Settings → Payments
• A WiFi card reader, such as the Stripe Reader S700, S710, or WisePOS E. See stripe.com/terminal for current models and pricing
• WiFi, the reader connects to your phone's hotspot or shop WiFi

Setting Up Your Reader

1. Purchase a reader from stripe.com/terminal
2. Power on the reader and connect it to your WiFi network (or your phone's mobile hotspot)
3. Register it in KeyBolt. Go to Settings > Payments > Card readers, tap Set Up Location (KeyBolt uses your shop address), then tap + Register Reader, give it a name and type the pairing code from the reader's screen. Only the shop owner or a manager can do this step
4. After that the reader shows up whenever you tap Get paid and choose Card reader

Collecting a Payment

1. Open the job, or open any bill (draft, sent, or overdue)
2. Tap Get paid
3. Choose Card reader
4. Your reader will appear in the list, tap it to connect
5. Turn the reader toward the customer, it will show the amount and prompt for their card
6. Customer taps, inserts, or swipes their card
7. Payment is processed and the invoice is marked as paid automatically

No Reader? Type In the Card

This option is for Stripe shops in the web app. See the full Type In a Customer's Card guide.

If the customer is on the phone, or you don't have a reader with you, you can type their card number instead. In your browser:

1. Tap Get paid and choose Type in card
2. Type the card number, expiry date, security code, and ZIP code the customer gives you
3. Tap Charge and wait for the payment result. Refresh the bill if its payment confirmation has not arrived yet

The card number goes straight to Stripe. KeyBolt never sees or stores it.

Good to know before you use it:

• Check the fees. Check your Stripe account's pricing for typed cards and in-person payments
• Disputes are harder to win. Without the chip or a tap, there is less proof the cardholder was there
• Some banks ask the cardholder to approve the charge themselves. Use a reader, or send a payment link only after checking its amount. After a manual partial payment, the old link can still charge the original total; collect the rest in person instead. See Record Partial Payments

Receipts

After payment, you can:

• Email a receipt, sends a professional receipt to any email address you type
• Text a receipt, sends a text message with payment confirmation to any number you type (needs KeyBolt Pro, since it sends from your own business line)

The address or number does not have to be saved on the customer, so you can send a receipt for a walk-in job or to whoever the customer asks you to.

If the customer has an email on file, Stripe will also automatically send them a receipt.

Important Notes

• WiFi readers in the browser, a Bluetooth reader like the Stripe M2 cannot connect to a web app, so on keybolt.tech you need a WiFi-connected reader. Buy a WiFi reader if you need to take cards today.
• Tap to Pay on iPhone is not available in the browser. It needs the KeyBolt app running on an iPhone. The app also runs on iPad and on Android, but Tap to Pay itself is an iPhone-only feature, so on those you send the bill instead.
• Processing fees depend on your Stripe account, payment method, and hardware. Check your agreement and current Stripe pricing.
• The reader works on your phone's mobile hotspot, great for van work when there's no WiFi available.

Last reviewed October 12, 2026.