This guide is for box office users taking payments on Ticketsolve Pay integrated card terminals. We'll walk you through taking a chip and pin payment, processing a refund, checking your transactions, running terminal reports, and resolving the most common issues.
The guide assumes your terminals are already installed and paired. If they're not set up yet, see Integrating Ticketsolve Pay card terminals. The basics of creating an order (adding a customer and tickets to the cart) are covered in How to process an Order. This guide picks up at the payment stage, once you're ready to take a card payment.
Taking a chip and pin payment
Create your order as usual, then take the card payment as follows.
1. Go to the Payment Options screen.
2. Select the Chip and pin payment method.
3. You'll be prompted to select a terminal. Choose the terminal you want to send the payment to. Your selection is remembered for the next transaction.
4. Click Proceed.
5. The payment is sent to the terminal you selected. Ask the customer to complete the payment on the device (insert, tap or swipe their card, and enter their PIN if prompted).
6. The payment status updates on Ticketsolve as it progresses, ending in Approved when the payment succeeds.
7. Once the payment is approved, Confirm the order (click Confirm Order, or Confirm Order & Print if you're printing tickets).
The first attempt can occasionally fail
If the first payment to a terminal doesn't go through, this is normal. The initial call to a terminal can occasionally fail, usually because of a brief, temporary connection disruption. Try the payment again and it should work. If the connection issue lasts a little longer, the transaction status on Ticketsolve may show as Lost Connection. When that happens, you'll be prompted to retry, so go ahead and send the payment again.
Processing a refund
Refunds go through the terminal the same way as payments. Start the refund against the order in Ticketsolve (see How to amend and refund orders for the order steps). When you reach the payment stage:
- Select the Chip and pin payment method.
- The refund can only be sent to the same terminal the original payment was made on, so you cannot select another terminal. A notice will read "Refunds must be processed on the same terminal as the original payment."
- Click Proceed.
- Ask the customer to present their card on the terminal to receive the refund.
The refund status shows on Ticketsolve just like a sale, and the refund is recorded in the Card Reader tab (see below).
Checking your transactions
Every payment and refund sent to a terminal is recorded in Ticketsolve. If you have Super user access, go to Reports > Transactions and open the Card Reader tab. Each row shows the type (sale or refund), the amount, the order, and a status.
Transaction status guide
The status column tells you what happened with each transaction. Here's what each one means.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Approved | The payment or refund completed successfully. |
| Pending | The transaction has started but hasn't been sent to the terminal yet. |
| InProgress | The transaction has been sent to the terminal and is being processed. |
| Refunded | Applies to a sale, and means the value of the transaction has been refunded. |
| FailedTerminalNotConnected | The terminal isn't connected to your account, so the transaction couldn't be sent. |
| FailedTerminalBusy | The terminal was already handling another transaction, so this one couldn't be sent. |
| Declined | The card issuer declined the transaction. |
| CardNotSupported | The card issuer has indicated the card doesn't support this type of transaction. |
| Aborted | The transaction was cancelled. |
| Terminated | The transaction was terminated. |
| TransactionNotSupported | Similar to CardNotSupported. The transaction type isn't supported. |
| FailedTerminalNotAuthenticated | The terminal paired to the system is reporting a terminal ID we don't recognise. |
| Error | The transaction and/or the connection failed. |
| Lost Connection | The connection with the terminal was lost. You'll be prompted to retry. |
Troubleshooting
If a terminal stops responding, or a payment won't send, it usually comes down to one of a few things. Work through the checks below in order. Retrying the payment is the quickest fix, so always start there.
- Try the payment again
- Check whether the terminal is already in use
- Check which terminal you've selected
- Check the Wi-Fi connection
- Make sure the TP Integrated app is open
- Check the terminal is responding
- If the terminal shows a spinning circle
- Check the connection settings
Try the payment again
The first call to a terminal can occasionally fail because of a brief connection hiccup, and a status of Lost Connection means exactly that. In both cases, retry the payment before doing anything else. It will often go through on the second attempt.
Check whether the terminal is already in use
A terminal can only handle one transaction at a time. If your venue has more than one computer or box office station sending payments to the same terminal, a payment can't be sent while that terminal is already busy with another transaction.
If your payment won't send, check that another workstation isn't part-way through a transaction on the same terminal. Wait for that transaction to finish, then try yours again.
Check which terminal you've selected
If your venue has more than one terminal, check which one the payment is going to. A payment sent to a terminal at another station can look as though nothing was sent at all.
When you select the Chip and pin payment method, the terminal prompt defaults to the last one selected on that station. If it was changed at any point, it stays on that one until you change it back, so confirm the right terminal is selected before you click Proceed.
Check the Wi-Fi connection
The terminal needs a strong, stable Wi-Fi connection to work. If the network goes down, is changed, or the terminal drops off it, payments will be interrupted.
The quickest way to check is to look for the Wi-Fi wedge icon in the status bar at the top of the terminal screen. If the wedge is showing, the terminal is connected to Wi-Fi. If it's missing, the terminal has dropped off the network and you'll need to reconnect it.
See Updating the Wi-Fi network below if you need to reconnect it, or page 12 of the PAX A920 terminal manual.
Make sure the TP Integrated app is open
For payments to reach the terminal, the TP Integrated app needs to be open. When it is, the terminal shows the splash screen with the TakePayments logo. If the terminal is on another screen, or in the standalone Payments app, Ticketsolve can't send payments to it. Re-open the TP Integrated app to restore the connection.
If you see a 'WELCOME, Enter User Credentials' screen
A screen headed WELCOME asking you to Enter User Credentials, with User ID and Password fields, is the login screen for the standalone Payments app. The terminal isn't in the TP Integrated app, so re-launch it from the home screen.
- Tap the burger menu (top right) and select Exit to leave the standalone app and return to the home screen.
- Tap TP Integrated to launch the TP Integrated app.
- Wait for the splash screen to load, then retry the transaction.
If you see a Global Payments screen with floating bubbles
A Global Payments screen with floating bubbles is the terminal's sleep mode. Sleep mode shouldn't be enabled on an integrated terminal, as it can disrupt the integration. If you see it, get in touch with our Support team and we'll get it turned off.
Check the terminal is responding
Occasionally the payments app crashes. Sometimes it shows an error message, and sometimes it crashes silently, looking fine on the splash screen but not responding when you send a payment. How you recover depends on which one you're seeing.
If the 'Take Payments isn't responding' message appears
The message gives you two options, Close app and Wait.
Important
Always select Close app, not Wait. Selecting Wait clears the message but leaves the app in an unusable state, and you'll then have to restart the whole device to recover.
- Select Close app. This closes the app and returns you to the home screen, where you'll see the Payments and TP Integrated buttons.
- Tap TP Integrated to re-open the app.
- Wait for the splash screen to load. The app has now reloaded afresh.
- Retry the transaction. It should go through.
Already selected Wait?
You'll need to restart the device. Press and hold the power button on the side of the terminal and select Restart. Once it returns to the home screen, tap TP Integrated to re-open the app, then retry the transaction.
If no error message appears
If the terminal looks fine on the splash screen but payments still aren't going through, the app may have crashed silently. You can test whether it's responding:
- Tap the TakePayments logo 6 to 8 times in quick succession.
- If the app is responding, a prompt to enter the Supervisor Code appears. The app is working, so move on to Check the connection settings below.
- If the app isn't responding, no prompt appears. Press and hold the power button on the side of the terminal to restart it, then tap TP Integrated to re-open the app and retry the transaction.
If the terminal shows a spinning circle
A spinning circle on the terminal usually means it's been left waiting for a response to a prompt, such as Print cardholder copy? Yes/No. If the terminal is left at that prompt and a new transaction is started, it will crash and show a spinning circle. The terminal needs a restart to clear it.
Press and hold the power button on the side of the terminal and select Restart. Once it returns to the home screen, tap TP Integrated to re-open the app, then retry the transaction.
Ticketsolve Tip
Always complete any prompt on the terminal, such as Print cardholder copy? Yes/No, before starting a new transaction. This stops the terminal being left mid-prompt and crashing.
Check the connection settings
Before opening any menus, take a quick look at the splash screen. Below the top bar of icons there's a thin coloured band that gives you an at-a-glance read on the terminal's connection.
- Green band - the connection looks healthy, so the issue is most likely elsewhere. It's still worth a quick look at the Wi-Fi (see Check the Wi-Fi connection above), as the terminal can be connected to the network but have no working internet.
- Orange or red band - this points to a connection issue. Check the Wi-Fi wedge first (see Check the Wi-Fi connection above). If the Wi-Fi is fine, work through the integration settings below.
This check confirms the terminal is still paired with Ticketsolve. The terminal talks to Ticketsolve over an ECR connection, and if that drops, payments can't reach it even when the app is open and responding.
1. Tap the TakePayments logo 6 to 8 times in quick succession, and enter the Supervisor Code when prompted, to open the Supervisor Menu.
2. Select Settings.
3. Check the connection status at the top of the screen:
- ECR Connected with a green circle - the terminal is connected to Ticketsolve, so the problem lies elsewhere.
- Disconnected with a red circle - the terminal has lost its connection to Ticketsolve. Reconnect it using the steps below.
3. If it shows Disconnected, how you reconnect depends on whether the connection details are still in place:
- The IP Address, Port Number and Path fields have values - tap Connect. The status should change to ECR Connected.
- The IP Address, Port Number and Path fields are empty - you'll need to re-pair the terminal (see below).
Re-pairing the terminal
In Ticketsolve, go to Settings > Card Readers and select the affected card reader. A QR code loads.
On the terminal, still within Settings, tap Scan and scan the QR code shown in Ticketsolve.
Once the IP Address, Port Number and Path fields populate, tap Connect. The status should change to ECR Connected.
Tap the back button to return to the splash screen, then retry the transaction.
If you've worked through these checks and the terminal still isn't responding, get in touch with our Support team.
Managing your terminal
A few tasks are carried out on the terminal itself, starting from the Supervisor Menu.
Important
Exiting the TP Integrated app pauses integrated payments. Some of these tasks ask you to exit to the terminal's home screen. While you're out of the app, Ticketsolve can't send payments to the terminal, so re-open the TP Integrated app as soon as you're finished.
Accessing the Supervisor Menu
Several of the tasks below start from the Supervisor Menu. To open it:
- From the splash screen, tap the TakePayments logo 5 or more times.
- Enter the Supervisor Code when prompted. This is the last four digits of the Terminal ID (also known as the Serial Number), found on the back of the device, unless you've changed it.
The Supervisor Menu will open.
Running an X or Z report
X and Z reports summarise the transactions processed on the terminal. An X report shows a running total without clearing it, so you can read it any time during the day. A Z report is an end-of-day report that totals the day's transactions.
- Access the Supervisor Menu.
- Select Reports.
- Select either the X report or the Z report.
- Return to the splash screen once you're done.
Updating the Wi-Fi network
If your venue changes its Wi-Fi, or you need to connect the terminal to a different network, update the connection from the home screen.
- Access the Supervisor Menu.
- Select Exit Application to return to the home screen.
- Tap the burger menu in the top right and select Wi-Fi Settings.
- Update the network.
- Re-open the TP Integrated app to resume integrated payments.
Changing the Supervisor Code
You can overwrite the terminal's Supervisor Code from the Settings menu.
- Access the Supervisor Menu.
- Select Settings.
- Scroll to the bottom, where you'll be able to set a new code.
Ticketsolve Tip
Once you change the Supervisor Code it's no longer the last four digits of the Serial Number, so make a note of the new code somewhere safe.
Setting receipts to ask the cardholder
You can set the terminal to ask the cardholder whether they want a printed receipt. This is managed in the Payments app.
- Access the Supervisor Menu.
- Open Settings, scroll down and make sure Printing is toggled on under Receipts.
- Go back to the menu, scroll down and select Exit Application to return to the home screen.
- On the home screen, tap Payments.
- Enter the username (1234) and password (usually 1234 or 0000).
- Open the burger menu in the top right and select App Settings.
- Toggle on Print: Ask Cardholder.
- Tap the back button at the bottom of the terminal.
- Open the burger menu in the top right and select Exit to return to the home screen.
- Re-open the TP Integrated app to resume integrated payments.
Standalone payments
You can also process standalone payments on the card terminals by exiting the TP Integrated app and opening the Payments app instead.
To access the Payments app, enter the username (1234) and password (usually 1234 or 0000) when prompted.
Important: Standalone payments are not part of the Ticketsolve integration, so they will not sync or reconcile with Ticketsolve directly.
For guidance on processing standalone payments, see pages 14–19 of the PAX A920 terminal manual.
Merchant queries
For queries about your merchant account, such as billing, statements or remittance, contact Global Payments directly.
-
Phone - +44 (0) 345 702 3344
- Monday to Sunday: 08:00 to 23:00
- Public holidays: 10:00 to 17:00 (closed on Christmas Day)
- Email - customer.services@globalpay.com
- Online help centre - help.globalpay.com/en-gb
Frequently asked questions
The first call to a terminal can occasionally fail, usually a brief connection hiccup. Try the payment again and it should go through. If the status shows Lost Connection, retry the payment.
A terminal can only handle one transaction at a time. If another workstation has sent a payment to the same terminal, yours can't go through until that one finishes or is cancelled on the terminal. Wait for the terminal to be free, then try again. You may also notice Error rows in the Card Reader tab when this happens.
Check the terminal is on the TP Integrated splash screen and connected to Wi-Fi, then retry the payment. If it keeps happening, get in touch with our Support team.
Yes. You can take a standalone payment by exiting the TP Integrated app and opening the Payments app on the terminal instead. Standalone payments are not part of the Ticketsolve integration, so they won't sync or reconcile with Ticketsolve. Use this only as a fallback. For guidance, see pages 14 to 19 of the PAX A920 terminal manual.
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