Chip Cards and Contactless Payments FAQ
With Square in Canada, you can accept chip cards and contactless payments with the Square contactless and chip card reader. Below are some common questions asked about these EMV readers in Canada:
The contactless and chip reader accepts chip credit and debit cards (EMV) and contactless (NFC) payments and contactless debit transactions with a few limitations.
Credit tap payments over $100 will require extra authentication, like thumbprint or signature.
Your customer may be prompted to enter their PIN. Debit payments over $100 will require your customer to insert their debit card and enter their PIN.
For more information, check out these resources:
Square’s guide to accepting Debit.
Square’s comprehensive guide to NFC.
Interac FAQ.
It’s easy! Watch this video to learn how.
Contactless payments describe the act of paying without touching anything. NFC (Near-Field Communications) is a technology that allows for contactless payments. Using radio frequency, NFC allows payment cards and devices (e.g. smartphones) to wirelessly communicate at close range to do things like process payments. Apple Pay and Android Pay are both forms of NFC and types of contactless payments.
Yes, they’re just as secure as accepting chip cards. In some cases because of additional verification methods (like Touch ID or Face ID with Apple Pay), contactless payments can be even more secure. Learn more in
Square’s comprehensive guide to Apple Pay.
Yes, you’ll need to leave the chip card in the reader until the transaction is complete. You’ll get a confirmation message in the app and see 4 green lights on your reader when it’s time to remove the card. If your customer’s card requires a PIN, they’ll need to enter their PIN directly on your screen to complete the transaction.
Not currently, but you can practice taking contactless payments by completing a $1 sale and immediately processing a refund.