Clean a card terminal

During the everyday running of your business, your card terminal may get pretty handled so it’s important to regularly give it a clean. 

When cleaning your card terminal, make sure you’re using the right cleaning products and following the right procedures. We recommend using: 

• A microfibre cloth
• A dry cloth 
• pH-neutral soap or alcohol-based cleaner

To clean a terminal:

1. Turn off the terminal, and disconnect it from the power.
2. Dampen your clean microfibre cloth with water.
3. Use a few drops of pH-neutral soap or alcohol-based cleaner on the cloth. 
4. Wipe the damp cloth over the keypad and display screen.
5. Once cleaned, use a dry cloth to remove any excess liquid.
6. When the terminal is completely dry, reconnect it to power and turn it back ON to start taking payment.

When cleaning your card terminal, ensure you use the correct products and follow proper procedures.

When cleaning a card terminal, you should:

• Use microfibre cloths.
• Use alcohol-based disinfectant (70-90% isopropyl alcohol).
• Use pH-neutral non-scrubbing soap.

You should not do the following when cleaning a card terminal:

• Use bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or any cleaning products that contain harsh chemicals or solvents as some cleaning products can cause the rubber and plastic to deteriorate.
• Pour or spray any liquid, sanitiser, or disinfectant directly onto the card terminal.
• Shake the terminal or scrub it too hard.
• Rub the card terminal with a dry towel or similar as this can cause an electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can trigger the tamper alert.
• Clean the smart card reader as this could void any warranty.
• Touch the battery contact points as it could lead to corrosion or a faulty connection.