Barclays uses cookies on this website. Some cookies are essential to provide our services to you. Other cookies help us to analyse how you use the site, so we can improve your experience on our site. Cookies are stored locally on your computer or mobile device. Please select 'Accept all' to consent to cookies, or select ‘Reject all’ to reject all but essential cookies’, or select 'Manage cookies' to change your preferences. For more information visit our cookie policy.

Portable swipe sales

Make a swipe sale on a portable card reader

A magnetic stripe sale, also called a swipe sale, means your customer needs to sign for their purchase instead of entering a PIN.

  • Step by step guide

    1. Key in the sale amount

    Key in sale amount screen message on card machine

    Key the sale amount into the card machine, and press ENTER.

    2. Swipe the stripe

    swipe payment card into card machine

    Swipe your customer’s payment card from top to bottom along the slot on the right side of your card machine. 

    3. Get a signature

    Print merchant receipt with signature line from card machine

    If your customer’s card is set up for signature sales, your card machine prints a receipt labelled MERCHANT COPY with a signature line.

    Tear it off and ask your customer to sign along the signature line.

    4. Compare signatures

    Signature OK screen message on card machine

    Compare your customer’s signature with the one on the back of their payment card.

    On screen, you’ll see Signature OK?

    If the signatures match, press ENTER.

    5. Wait for authorisation

    Print cardholder receipt on card machine

    Your card machine contacts Barclaycard to authorise the payment and prints a receipt labelled CARDHOLDER COPY. 

    6. Give your customer their receipt

    Tear off the cardholder receipt and give it to your customer, along with their payment card.  Then press ENTER.

    7. Keep your copy of the receipt

    Print merchant receipt on card machine

    Your card machine prints a receipt labelled MERCHANT COPY. Tear it off and keep it somewhere secure.

    And you’re done

    Return to ready screen on card machine

    Just press ENTER to get back to the READY screen.  

  • Signatures don’t match?

    Transaction not authorised on card machine

    If the signatures don’t match press CLEAR to decline the sale and ask your customer for another form of payment.