Otter POS Hardware Setup Guide

Overview

Use this guide to set up Otter POS hardware.

This walkthrough connects various pieces of hardware to the Otter POS Terminal:

• Terminal
• Printer
• Card Reader
• Cash Drawer

For Otter POS hardware troubleshooting, refer to this article's Troubleshooting section.

What’s in the Box?

Hardware included in the standard Otter POS hardware bundle includes various items depending on your purchase. You have the choice to purchase dual-screen terminals, single-screen terminals, or different printer types, like Bluetooth or cloud.

 

Hardware	What does it do?	Photo
POS Terminal	Main POS Order Processing terminal, this is the primary device.
Card Reader	Contactless payment reader able to process Chip Cards, Apple Pay, Google Play, Magstripe, and more! Otter offers different card reader types by region, one for USA and one for Canada.
Card Reader Dock	Mount with rubber bottom for the card reader to keep it in place on a hard surface. Aluminum-casted.
Front-of-House Printer	Otter offers a variety of printers to meet customers needs. Included is a Bluetooth printer.* Bluetooth Connected by USB Despite being a bluetooth printer, this bluetooth printer is connected to the terminal by a USB cable.

Otter POS Terminals

Currently, Otter POS offers a few different POS terminals to provide the best flexibility to our customers.

Otter POS Hardware Setup

Devices such as card readers and printers are connected directly within the POS Terminal by accessing [Settings]. Log in to the Point-of-Sale to begin connecting hardware.

1. Assemble and Power on the Terminal

Follow these steps to ensure the hardware is set up properly and power is flowing to the terminal.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Unbox your POS What’s in the box 1 power brick 1 power cable 1 POS terminal base plate 1 POS terminal
2	Installing base plate Open the bag to find 1 allen wrench 3 hex socket cap screws With the terminal on its side, attach the base plate with rubber feet facing outward towards you. After the base plate is fully attached, stand the terminal up on its feet.
3	Power up your POS Connect the power cable to the power brick. Then, plug the power cable into the bottom of the client screen.
4	Connect the Screens (Dual Screen Only) Unbox the customer screen and mounting bracket from separate boxes. 1 customer screen 1 mounting bracket
5	Use the shorter screws for the mounting bracket. Tilt the client screen up for easier access to the stand. Locate the opening in the stand to attach the customer screen. Use the longer screws to mount the customer screen to the stand through the opening.
6	Plug in the client screen. Then, secure the plug with small screws. Thread cable through the stand opening and plug the other end into the customer screen.
7	Plug the power brick into a nearby power outlet.
8	Setup complete Power on your device by pressing the power button on the back of the display.

2. Connect the Terminal to Wi-Fi

Connect the device to your local Wi-Fi, or directly connect the terminal to a nearby ethernet port.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Select [Settings] from the home screen.
2	Select [Network & Internet].
3	Connect to your local Wi-Fi. Internet speed recommendation Otter recommends running any point-of-sale device with an internet connection speed that is at least 15 megabits per second for optimal speed.

3. Pair the Device in Otter Dashboard

All point-of-sale terminals must be paired. When you pair a device, you assign the device to your store’s physical location. To pair your device, you will need administrative access to the Otter Dashboard.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Open the Otter app on your POS terminal and select [Pair device] to access the pairing code.
2	Log in to the Otter Dashboard on a browser, or by scanning the QR code on screen.
3	Click on the Profile icon and select [Settings].
4	Select the [Devices] tab.
5	Select [New Device]. Otter will prompt you to add the pairing code displayed on the terminal.
6	Enter the code from your terminal into the Otter Dashboard.
7	Select the location of the device to pair it to the correct location.
8	Pairing Complete Once a device is paired, the Otter home screen will convert to a new interface! This is the pin code interface where employees will access the POS by using their four-digit pin. Learn more: Otter POS: How to manage logins

4. Set the date and time on the device

Ensure the date and time settings of your device are accurate by making changes in device settings.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	On your device, navigate to the [Settings] app.
2	Select [System].
3	Navigate to the [Date and Time] setting.
4	Select the [Time zone].
5	Once saved, the date and time will reflect accurately on the POS transactions.

5. Printer Setup

Connect your front-of-house printer to Otter POS by using the provided USB cable. Multiple printers can be connected to Otter, like a Cloud Printer via Ethernet or cloud printer using a TP-Link setup.

Front-of-House Printer

The printer included in the bundle is technically a Bluetooth printer, but will always be connected to the terminal using a hardwired connection. This is the printer that's located near the terminal and will print customer receipts.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Connect the printer to the terminal using the accompanying USB-B printer cable.
2	On your terminal, tap the Profile icon and select [Settings].
3	Select [Add Otter provided printer] and select the printer brand and model using the prompts on-screen.
4	Select [Connect using USB] as your connection method.
5	Load printer paper into your printer, following the prompts on-screen.
6	Plug the power cable into the backside of the printer and then plug the power cord into a nearby outlet.
7	Printer Connected A green light on the front of the printer signals that power is flowing. Complete the prompts on the screen to finalize your printer connectivity. Successfully connected printers always result in an initial test print.

Connect Additional Printers

Additional printers can be connected to Otter. See these guides for connecting printers of other types.

Otter POS Printer Setup

Connect a standard Bluetooth printer to the device.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Log in to the POS interface using an employee pin code. Learn more: Otter POS: How to manage logins
2	Tap the Profile icon and click [Settings].
3	Click [Hardware] tab and select [New printer].	New printer.png"
4	There are two ways you can select a printer: By clicking [Add my own printer], you can choose the model manually. By clicking [Add otter provided printer], you will be directed to scan the printer QR code located at the bottom of the printer (requires camera on your device). POS Terminals and Cameras Not all of the POS terminals offered by Otter include cameras, manual hardware setup may be required.
5	Manual Hardware Setup… Choose printer brand Select printer model Skip to step 6 for QR code process.
6	Scan printer QR code: Grant camera access. Allow camera permission. Start to scan or select the model manually.
7	Once your printer model is selected, you can choose your connection method (Bluetooth, USB, or Ethernet). USB Connection: The required cable for the USB connection is a USB-B cable. USB connection only compatible with single-screen and dual-screen terminals. Tablets are not compatible at this time. Ethernet  Network printing is currently only possible with Epson Tm30-ii and Tm30 -iii printers PLEASE NOTE: When switching a printer between Bluetooth and Ethernet, it may not be discoverable. To fix this, go to Android settings Connected devices, select "Forget printer," and restart the setup from the beginning via Bluetooth.	USB Connection Bluetooth Connection Ethernet Connection
8	Install the printer paper.
9	Plug in the printer and select [Connect].
10	Select the correct printer. Printer Serial Number To connect the correct printer to the terminal, the serial number must be identified. Printer serial numbers can be found on the back of the printer by removing the metal cover.
11	Success! “Printer connected” screen connected!

Adding Additional Printers

To add additional printers to the device, it’s imperative that the same printer is not selected at the time the device is paired. To add additional printers, select a different serial number.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Begin by connecting your wired printer following the provided instructions above.
2	Note down the last four digits of the serial number of the connected printer from the [Hardware] tab in the [Settings]. The serial number is located on the back of the printer, you will need to remove the back cover to access.
3	Ensure that your second printer is powered on and ready for connection.
4	Proceed to add a new printer.  Choose the Bluetooth option from the available connection types.
5	Select the Bluetooth printer from the list, ensuring it does not match the serial number noted in step 2.
6	Find both printers connected under the [Hardware] tab in the [Settings].
7	Take note that the checkbox on the printer list determines which printer is designated for printing customer receipts.

6. Card Reader Setup

Connect the card reader to the terminal to accept credit card payments.

Card readers may require a few minutes to update when once connected to the device.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Click the Profile Icon and select [Settings].
2	Click the [Hardware] tab and select [Add a card reader].
3	Similar to a printer, you can select to pair a card reader using Bluetooth, USB-C connection or Internet: If you’re using a terminal, we recommend connecting via a USB-C cable. If you using a tablet, we recommend connecting via Bluetooth. The default option is to set up with Bluetooth. To set up using USB, click the word [Bluetooth] to switch the connection method.
4	Bluetooth Once selected the POS terminal will begin scanning for a bluetooth connection to the card reader.  Ensure the card reader is turned on before connecting by tapping the button on the side and ensure it's on at least 75% charge (showing 3 green lights when the button is pressed). USB connection To connect via wired USB connection, click on the button highlighted in the image. A USB-C cable is required. USB-C Compatibility USB connection is only compatible with single-screen and dual-screen terminals. Tablets are not compatible at this time. Internet To connect via the Internet, select the link new reader and then select "How do I find the code" and follow the connection steps. Internet Feature At this time network card reading is only supported by Stripe s700 and Wise POS E card readers. NOTE: If this is the first time you're powering on the card reader, it will need to update (should only take a few minutes).	Bluetooth Connection USB Connection Internet Connection
5	Select the correct Stripe card reader by locating the serial number. Serial number is located on the back of the card reader.
6	Reader connected Once a card reader is connected, status icon will turn green!

7. Cash Drawer

Follow the instructions below to connect a cash box to the POS Terminal. Once connected, cash boxes can be enabled by toggling on the [Cash Management] feature in the Otter Dashboard POS App.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Connect your cashbox to Otter POS by using a RJ-12 or RJ-11 cable (standard phone jack).
2	Plug the other end of the cable into the bottom of the connected printer.
3	If you experience any issues, reference Otter POS: Cash Drawers Troubleshooting for assistance.

Troubleshooting

Settings app is missing on the terminal

The terminal is missing the Compliance Policy. To restore the Settings app, our Support team will need to remotely install the Compliance Policy.

The terminal is not powering on

In the event that a terminal is not loading, locked up, or shows a blank screen, please contact Support for assistance.

The printer is disconnected or not printing receipts

In the event that a printer is disconnected or firing other errors, disconnect the printer and attempt to re-pair the device.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Unpair the printer from the Bluetooth settings on the device.
2	Disconnect the printer from its power source, and then reconnect it.
3	Access the [Settings] menu via the Otter homepage, identifiable by the profile icon.
4	Navigate to the [Hardware] section located on the left-hand side of the screen.
5	Identify the printer within the list of hardware devices and select it for disconnection.	Printers.png"
6	Navigate to [Diagnostics] under [Settings]. Select [Restart] to restart the Otter App.	Restart.png"
7	Proceed to reestablish the printer connection by following the procedure above in section 5. Printer Setup. If Bluetooth connectivity issues persist, attempt to establish a connection with your device via USB instead.

The card reader is not pairing

In order to connect a card reader to Otter POS to process transactions, the stripe account must be connected to the Otter Dashboard, and the card reader needs to be fully charged.

The card reader is disconnected

In the event that the Card Reader is disconnected, unpair and reset the device, then re-pair the Card Reader.

 

Step	Process	Additional Information
1	Unpair the card reader from the bluetooth settings on the tablet.
2	Connect the card reader to a power source. Ensure that all four green lights are illuminated to verify the charge status.
3	Reset the card reader by inserting a paper clip into the small hole near the charging port and pressing down. This action will initiate a reset of the card reader.
4	Proceed to reestablish the card reader connection by following the procedure above in section 6. Card Reader Setup. If Bluetooth connectivity persists as an issue, attempt to establish a connection with your device via USB instead.

Otter app is not installed on the device when it arrived

The new Otter device is missing the Otter app. Reach out to Support for assistance installing the Otter app.

Still need help? Reach out to our team:

Live Chat		Text/SMS Message		Email
Chat with support by clicking the chat icon in the bottom right corner of the Otter Dashboard.		+1 (888) 681-8837 Send us a text to the number above for assistance over text message.		Send us an email at otterpossupport@tryotter.com.

Updated January 31, 2025 04:21