Short answer: The reader is signed in to, or registered with, a different Stripe account than the one you're using now. Register it again with the same account that owns the reader, and it'll stick. This is about Payment for Stripe running on the reader itself (a Stripe Reader S700 or S710).
Why it happens
Stripe restarts the reader every night and installs updates when it comes back up. A reader that was only half set up, or signed in with a different account than the one it's registered to, tends to show its problem after one of those restarts. That's why it can work on day one and fail the next morning. You'll see one of two things:
- The reader shows this error. The app is signed in to an account the reader isn't registered to.
This reader is not registered to your account.
- Only the Stripe logo (the splash screen), and the app never opens. Stripe hasn't put the app on the reader, or the reader isn't registered where Stripe expects it.
How to fix it
- Find the account that owns the reader. In your Stripe Dashboard, open Terminal Readers and check which account lists your reader's serial number. Many businesses have two Stripe accounts, and signing in to the wrong one is the most common cause.
- Sign in to the app on the reader with that same account.
- If the app shows the registration box, tap Get a code. The reader shows a three-word pairing code. Type it into the box and tap Register. The code works once.
- If you only see the Stripe splash screen, check the account first. The Payment app only installs on a Stripe account that was created through Payment for Stripe, or that Stripe has moved under it. The S700 install guide has the details. An account that fails this check can't get the app, no matter how many times the reader restarts.
- Restart the reader (hold the power button, choose power off, then turn it on) and give it a few minutes on Wi-Fi, since it downloads the app when it starts.
Keep it from happening again
- Leave the reader plugged in and on. Stripe's updates run overnight.
- Use one Stripe account for the reader, the Dashboard, and the app. Register the reader to a location under that account.
Still stuck?
Contact us from the app: open the menu, tap Help, then tap the mail icon in the top right. Tell us the reader's serial number and which Stripe account it's registered to.