PayPal 'Here' card reader battery life

[vikingtone]

hi.  I have had one experiment with the card reader, at a craft sale yesterday.  So far I have had a few issues with the reader, which I will investigate further via these pages.  My first queston is:  does anyone have any experience with the card reader battery life?  I charged the thing fully, but it went totally flat and turned off after three hours.  I feel this is quite poor. After all, I suppose a number of people will want to use this thing the way I have, at a craft fair where access to power was very limited.  I need the card reader to be alive a heck of a lot longer thatn 3 hours.  I could conceivably re-charge overnight, but 3 hours is just not enough.  Any other experiences would be very valuable, thanks

I do find it frustrating. The 'rules' about where to post are not accurate. This post has nothing to do with selling on eBay, selling from my website, or reversals.   OK, there has to be structure, but if there is to be structure it needs to encompass all the possibilities

[PayPal_Siobhán]

Hi AllBright, 

We are sorry to hear you have had this experience.  It sounds like it could be a problem with the charging of the reader. If the power cable is attached and you see no lights on your reader, there might be a problem with the charging cable.  Please try using a different cable (any standard micro USB charging cable should work)

Here are some tips on how to save/preserve your battery life:

•          If the card reader is turned on and continuously connected to the PayPal Here app, the battery gets drained quicker. When the card reader is not needed for a little while, close the app and the card reader will go into standby. The reader can always be revived by pressing any button on the card reader, reopen the app and it should reconnect within seconds.
•          When the card reader is in standby mode it still uses a bit of battery and a full battery will run empty in 6 days when in standby.  If the card reader is not being used it is best to switch it off completely by holding the on/off button got 5 seconds.  The card reader is completely off if it does not turn on again after you press any of the keys on the keypad. 

Please let us know how you get on,

Siobhan

[callum114]

I'm the same my machine flat everytime I go to use it and when i go to charge it starts up and doesn't charge?

[THORG]

We've been having problems with our PayPal Here device so a quick google found this forum. I am now pretty unimpressed but I might as well add to this growing list. We recently purchased the "updated" HERE device and this also fails to hold charge. We keep in in our van along with the wire it came with and its battery my simply won't hold charge for more than 24 hrs, this is while the devise is OFF. A previous poster(window cleaning business) used the perfect word for it. Embarrassing. It's embarrassing to tell a customer you can take card payments then only to make excuses on behalf of paypals bad product.

[PayPal_Siobhán]

Hi THORG,

We are sorry to hear you are experiencing issues with the reader. 

Can we check when you say you keep the reader in your vehicle, would you have charged this the night previous and would the battery show 100% that morning. How do you charge the reader?

Would the reader be on standby rather than completely switched off? If the card reader is turned on and continuously connected to the PayPal Here app, the battery gets drained quicker. When the card reader is not needed for a little while, close the app and the card reader will go into standby. If the card reader is not being used it is best to switch it off completely by holding the on/off button for 5 seconds.  The card reader is completely off if it does not turn on again after you press any of the keys on the keypad.

Siobhan 

[AJLA1]

Clearly the new device is not adequate to do the job either.  Absolutely shocking  that Paypal are still offering it!!!!  I have been let down on so many occasions, if you cannot produce a device to do a job which it is designed for why not at least offer us lower rates with just using the app alone??

Maybe because Paypal are so big that us little guys just spend our money with you on a dreadful product and we cannot do anything about it??????

[AJLA1]

Oh and how embarrassing for Siobhan to have to keep repeating the same old instructions to no end and without a result.  Like a stuck record.  Not a personal dig of course.

[Tbolton10]

I have a problem with my PayPal reader I fully charge it overnight but when I come to use it a sometime later the battery is dead ,I have not used the machine much so surely it doesn't need a new battery and to be honest this problem has always been there it just that sometimes I can keep it plugged in but when I am out I site I am looking at problem any help please fix 

[AJLA1]

Don't bother with it,..... it's a complete waste of time and never ending charging.

I end up using just the app on it's own although we are charged a higher rate this way.  Very unfair as it is because of the Paypal here device not working in the first place.

I had 5 readers in just over 12 months, not one of them would hold the battery charge.

Shame on Paypal.

[cord60]

Yes, I had a disaster with the reader as i had charged it the night before a market, turned it off, then I when I turned it on again the next day.I lost an important sale as it had no power left. THe next time I used it it couldnt connect to internet despite my having a strong 4g signal. It is losing me a lot of money. Im so frustrated.

[vikingtone]

Hi guys,  I have just sent another communication to PP saying I am disappointed with the card reader, and that I feel it is not fit for purpose. I have asked for an indication of how many happy buyers and users there are.   I really like the concept of having a dedicated reader, but I want a propoer on/off switch, unambiguous battery level indicator, and a battery which will hold a charge.  If I can't get a refund I will crack the case and look at the cell inside  -  I can't believe it will be LiON, and if it isn't I would want to know why not.  I think the makers have sold PP a pup, and it doesn't do PP's reputation any good at all to have a bad product out there with their name on it.