Guest Pay Reader Functionality With Toast Tap™

Last updated: Oct 22, 2025, 10:49 AM

Learn how you can configure your card readers to work with the Toast Tap™.

If you have two screens on your terminal—most commonly referred to as a guest-facing display or Toast Flex for Guest—you can have one or two card readers with the Toast Tap! Check out the article below to learn how this works.

 
Are you interested in adding a Toast Tap™ card reader to your restaurant?
  • Capture insights to understand your customers better
  • Machine-learning fraud monitoring to help prevent resulting chargebacks
  • Reliably accept credit card payments online or offline
  • Simple, transparent pricing with no hidden fees

 

In this Article: 

 

Configure Single Card Reader

You can configure a card reader to have the Guest Pay payment option with or without a guest-facing display and without needing a separate mag-strip reader.


To configure a single card reader, use the following steps:

  1. From the Toast main menu on the terminal, navigate to Setup > Device Setup
  2. Under Card Readers > select card reader > Payment Option > Guest Pay.

 

If a single card reader is enabled, and its Payment Option setting from the Device Setup on the Toast POS app is set to Guest Pay, you can add funds to gift cards, activate gift cards, and redeem them. 


Note: If you use a guest pay reader, you no longer see the Guest Pay button on the payment selection screen. The Guest Pay and Credit buttons have been consolidated into a single Card button. Manual card key entry is still available on the restaurant employee-facing payment terminal.


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Configure Dual Card Readers  

To configure both card readers, use the following steps: 
 

  1. From the Toast main menu on the terminal, navigate to Setup > Device Setup. Under Card Readers, you'll see two different readers. 
  2. The Toast Tap - which will appear as BBPOS Chipper 2X(USB) within Toast - should be set to Guest Pay when used with another card reader. 


     
  3. The MagTek DynaMag (USB) is your swipe-only reader on the terminal. This should be set to Employee Pay. 


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Guest Pay Functionality

After taking a guest's order and selecting Pay, you'll see a button for Card, (similar to the option for Cash or Gift Card). Once selected, the screen will prompt your guest with instructions to complete the payment. This will ensure that the order information is entered in entirely before the guest inputs their payment and eliminates early payments on the reader​​​​.


Card pay button on the employee's terminal for Guest Pay.

Note: If you use a guest pay reader, you no longer see the Guest Pay button on the payment selection screen. The Guest Pay and Credit buttons have been consolidated into a single Card button. Manual card key entry is still available on the restaurant employee-facing payment terminal.

 

It's important to note your Toast Tap™can only be paired up with a swipe-only reader (also known as an MSR reader). All other card readers cannot be used with the Toast Tap. 


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Frequently Asked Questions

Why isn't my reader taking payments?

You may have your reader set to the wrong Pay setting — see next question.
 

In Device Setup on my terminal, should I pick Employee Pay or Guest Pay?

If you only have the Toast Tap (On-Counter), it should be set to Employee Pay. We recognize this can be confusing if you're using it facing the guest. The Toast Tap (On-Counter) can only be set to Guest Pay when you have a Guest-Facing Display or Toast Flex for Guest. 
 

Can I have two EMV readers connected at the same time? 

No, you can never have an eDynamo (chip reader) and Toast Tap™ connected at the same time. If you have a secondary display on your terminal, you can keep an MSR card reader - the type of reader that only takes swipe payments - adhered to the employee-facing terminal. Your new Toast Tap will be set to Guest Pay

 

I set up dual card readers, but now I want to remove the MSR (swipe-only) and not have to select the Guest Pay button each time. What do I do?

Please follow the steps in this article: Unable to Remove Card Reader in Device Setup

 

Why did Guest Pay stop working?

If you no longer see the option for Guest Pay on your terminal, attempt card reader troubleshooting steps: Get Help With Your Card Reader.

 

My card reader isn’t responding when a guest inserts their card. The blue light is blinking, but it won’t read the card. How can I troubleshoot?

Try clearing your cache. To do this, navigate to Settings > Apps > Clear cache, then force-close and reopen Toast POS.


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