Why did my payment say "Collection timed out" or "Reading the card timed out"?

Short answer: the reader waited for a card and didn't get one in time, so it stopped. Nothing was charged. Start the payment again and have the card ready.

Why does it happen?

Once a payment starts, the reader (or your phone, with Tap to Pay) waits a limited time for the card. You'll see a timeout when:

• The customer took a while to get their card or phone out.
• The card moved away before the reader finished reading it.
• Your Bluetooth reader lost touch with your phone or tablet partway through. In that case the message may add "This may indicate a connectivity issue with your card reader."

What should I do?

1. Start the payment again once the customer has their card or phone in hand.
2. Ask them to hold it still against the reader until the payment finishes. With Tap to Pay, that's near the top of your phone.
3. If it keeps timing out on a Bluetooth reader, keep the reader close to your phone or tablet and make sure it's charged. Still stuck? Turn the reader off and on, reconnect it in the app, and try again.

New to Payment? Take in-person card payments with your Stripe account. Download the app