Troubleshooting The Helcim Card Reader
The information in this article pertains to merchants who have signed up for Helcim from June 1, 2020, onward. If you are using Helcim's Legacy system, please click here.
On occasion, the Helcim Card Reader might not be performing as expected. If this occurs there are a few tips you can try to remedy the issue.
Restarting the Helcim Card Reader
If you need to reboot the Helcim Card Reader, you can hold down the #
and Yellow
keys on the keypad to restart the device.
Pressing these keys will restart the device if it is plugged in, if the device is not plugged in this will turn off the device.
Checking the Connection
If you are having difficulties getting the Helcim Card Reader to connect to the Helcim Payments app, try following these steps:
- Close the app completely or re-download the app if necessary
- If you are connecting the device through the USB cord, disconnect the USB from the device
- Next, restart the Helcim Card Reader by holding down the
#
key and theYellow
key for a few seconds
Next, you will want to verify the communication type:
- Press the
Green Button
to power on the device again - The screen should display the message, “This Lane is Closed” which means the terminal is not connected to any device
- Press
0
0
0
1
to navigate to the Admin Menu - Press
1
for Communications - Check which communication type is highlighted on the device
- If it needs to be changed to USB for example press
2
for USB_CDD or use theF keys
to scroll
- If it needs to be changed to USB for example press
Note that default communication for the app has to be USB (computer) or Bluetooth (tablet or phone) to start.
- Once connected and synced , you can change the connection type to WiFi using the setup option in the app
- Once the desired communication type is selected, press the
Yellow
key twice - The terminal will now prompt for you to
Save and Reboot?
Press1
forYes
If this communication type has already been selected the Helcim Card Reader will not prompt for a reboot, but you can force the card reader to reboot by pressing the
#
andYellow
key.
Waiting for USB Connection
If the Helcim Payments App displays Waiting for USB Connection this usually means the Helcim Payments App hasn't been able to discover the Helcim Card Reader yet. If this happens you can try two things:
- Confirm the Helcim Card Reader's communication type is set to USB, please reference the steps in the section above to do this.
- Confirm that the device is discoverable on your laptop or computer. For macOS users, select
About this Mac
in the Apple icon in the top left, then selectSystem Report
andUSB
to confirm that the Link2500 is displayed. For Windows users, open the Device Manager and confirm you can see Ingenico Link2500 or similar displayed.
Connecting the Helcim Card Reader with the Helcim Payments app
Now that you have successfully selected the communication type and rebooted the Helcim Card Reader, the card reader will still display the message This Lane is Closed
. You are now ready to connect the card reader with the Helcim Payments app.
- Open the app on your device (smartphone, tablet, or workstation) and plug in the USB cord if you're using USB as the connection type.
- After opening the app, click on the
Card Reader Icon
, if it showsNot Connected
in red, click onSetup Wizard
and review the steps in the Syncing a Device Support Articles: - If the Helcim Card Reader shows
Connected
in green, click onSync Device
and follow the steps.
Deleting or Forgetting a Device
If you have completed the steps from the top two sections to check the connection and connect the Helcim Card Reader with the Helcim Payments app but you're still running into issues, you may need to delete or forget the device.
Delete the Device
- Login to the App or login to your Helcim account through a Chrome web browser
- Click on
App
andDevices
then select the device you want to remove and clickDelete
- The next time you login to the app on that device you will be asked to create a new nickname for the device to re-add it to your account
Forgetting the Device - Bluetooth Connections
- Navigate to the Bluetooth settings on your iPhone or Android Device and select the device, then select
Forget this Device
- Next, on the Helcim Card Reader, double check that the Helcim Card Reader displays the
This Lane is Closed
message - Press
0
0
0
1
- Press
3
to select Bluetooth Parameters - Press
4
to select Paired Devices - Selected the paired device and press the
Green
button - Select
Dissociate
by pressing theGreen
button
There should no be no paired devices listed on the Helcim Card Reader. After you have completed deleting and forgetting the devices, start from the beginning steps of connecting the devices.
Unable to Connect with Bluetooth or Configure the Device
If you have previously connected the Helcim Card Reader to other devices by Bluetooth or there are other paired devices nearby the card reader, the device may struggle to connect if the signals are competing. To resolve the issue you need to delete the devices you're no longer using from the card reader. Follow the steps from the section above for Forgetting the Device - Bluetooth Connections to remove previously paired devices.