Taking a payment is four steps: enter the amount, present the machine, let the customer tap or insert and verify, then hand over or send the receipt. Everything else a card machine does, refunds, end of day reports, reprints, sits in a menu behind a supervisor code. Most of learning how to use card payment machine menus is knowing where that code lives before a busy service.
How to use chip and pin machine prompts when taking the payment
Enter the amount and check it on the customer facing display before presenting the machine, because a mistyped total is the commonest cause of a refund. Let the customer complete the verification themselves rather than taking the machine back; a PIN entered by staff is a security breach and, in a dispute, weakens your position. Wait for the approval message before handing anything over.
How to use credit card machine menus for a refund, and why it is slower
A refund is a separate transaction against the original, usually reached through a supervisor menu and requiring the original receipt or transaction reference. It settles on the same cycle as a payment but takes longer to appear on the customer's statement because their bank posts it separately. Several providers charge a refund fee, so check your fee schedule before promising same day money back.
When a payment fails
A declined contactless payment usually means the ceiling was reached, so ask the customer to insert instead. A declined chip payment is between the customer and their bank and you should not retry more than once. A payment that times out is a connection problem, not a card problem: check the terminal's signal before assuming the card is at fault, and never assume a timed out sale did not go through until the report says so.
Other questions people ask
How do I set up a new card reader?
Charge it, pair it to the provider's app or connect it to the network, sign in to the account, and run a small test transaction that you then refund. Do the test before your first customer, not during.
Can staff enter a customer's PIN?
No. The customer must enter their own PIN. Handing the machine over is part of the verification, and staff entering a PIN undermines any dispute you later raise.
How to refund on a card machine: what do I need?
Through the refund option in the terminal or app, against the original transaction, usually behind a supervisor code. Keep the reference; some providers charge a fee per refund and all of them will ask for it in a dispute.