Payments
External Card Payments
Last updated 22 May 2026
External Card Payments
TL;DR
- External card records card takings from a separate EFTPOS or card provider.
- It does not process a payment, create a Stripe charge, or affect your Stripe payout.
- Use Terminal or Tap to Pay when OpenChair is processing the card payment.
- Use Close till later to compare external card totals against your provider's batch or settlement report.
External card payments are for card payments taken outside OpenChair. If a customer taps a Square, Tyro, Zeller, Smartpay, bank EFTPOS, or other separate card terminal, record the payment as External card so the order is paid in OpenChair without mixing it into Stripe Terminal totals.
What is an External card payment?
An External card payment is a record of a card payment that was processed by another provider. OpenChair marks the order as paid and includes the amount in reports and till close totals, but the card charge itself is handled by your external provider.
Use External card when the payment has already succeeded on another card machine. Do not use External card for failed, pending, or not-yet-presented card payments.
| Tender | What it means | Where the money settles |
|---|---|---|
| External card | Card payment taken on another provider's device or app | Your external provider |
| Terminal | Card payment processed through a Stripe Terminal reader | Stripe payout |
| Tap to Pay | Card payment processed through Stripe on a supported phone | Stripe payout |
| Online | Card-on-file, deposit, payment link, or web payment through Stripe | Stripe payout |
| Cash | Physical cash taken by the venue | Cash drawer |
How do I record an External card payment?
Record External card after the customer has paid on the separate card terminal.
Web checkout
- Open the booking checkout or Take payment sale.
- Confirm the customer has paid on your separate card terminal.
- Click External or External card in the payment buttons.
- Enter the receipt, batch, or terminal reference if the checkout shows reference fields and you have it.
- Complete the order once the balance is paid.
Mobile checkout
- Open checkout from a booking or Take Payment sale.
- Confirm the customer has paid on your separate card terminal.
- Tap External in the payment buttons.
- Enter the provider and receipt or batch reference if the checkout shows those fields and you have them.
- Complete the order once the balance is paid.
Warning
External card is record-only. OpenChair cannot confirm, reverse, refund, or settle a payment that was processed by another provider.
How do split payments work with External card?
Split payments can include External card and cash. The split payment panel records each portion against the order until the balance reaches zero.
- Click or tap Split between methods.
- Enter the first amount.
- Choose Cash or External card.
- Record that portion.
- Repeat until the remaining balance is paid.
On web, split payments now show External card and Cash for manually recorded split portions. Stripe Terminal and Tap to Pay payments still use their own processing flows.
How does External card affect till close?
External card totals are counted separately from Stripe card totals in Close till. This keeps external provider takings separate from OpenChair's Stripe Terminal, Tap to Pay, online, and wallet payment totals.
At till close, OpenChair shows:
| Close till total | Source |
|---|---|
| Cash tender | Cash payments minus cash refunds |
| External card | External card payments minus external card refunds |
| Stripe card | Stripe Terminal and Tap to Pay payments |
| Online | Stripe online and card-on-file payments |
When closing the till, enter the amount shown on your external provider's batch report in Counted external card. You can also record External provider and Settlement reference for audit context. The close workflow is available on web and mobile.
Settings
External card has no separate setup screen. The tender appears in checkout as a manual payment option, and the close workflow lets you record external provider details at the end of the period.
| Setting | Options | Default |
|---|---|---|
| External card tender | Available in checkout | On |
| External provider | Optional free text at payment time or till close | Blank |
| Payment reference | Optional receipt, terminal, batch, or settlement reference | Blank |
Who can use this
| Role | Access |
|---|---|
| Owner | Record External card payments, split payments, close the till, and review till history |
| Manager | Record External card payments, split payments, close the till, and review till history |
| Team | Record External card payments during checkout if they can access checkout |
Common mistakes
Using External card for Stripe reader payments. If the customer is paying through an OpenChair-linked Stripe reader, use Terminal, not External card.
Expecting External card to appear in Stripe payouts. External card payments are not processed by Stripe through OpenChair. Reconcile them against your external provider.
Recording the payment before the external terminal approves it. Wait until the external terminal says the payment is approved, then record it in OpenChair.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| External card does not appear in my Stripe payout | Check your separate card provider. External card is record-only in OpenChair and does not settle through Stripe. |
| The customer paid partly in cash and partly on my EFTPOS terminal | Use Split between methods, record the cash amount, then record the remaining amount as External card. |
| I accidentally recorded Terminal instead of External card | Void or correct the order using your normal manager workflow, then record the payment with the correct tender. |
| The till close external card variance is wrong | Compare Counted external card with your provider's batch report and check whether a refund or split payment was recorded under the wrong tender. |
FAQ
What is an external card payment?
An external card payment records a card payment taken outside OpenChair, such as through Square, Tyro, Zeller, Smartpay, bank EFTPOS, or another provider. OpenChair records the tender, but the external provider processes and settles the money.
When should I use External card instead of Terminal?
Use External card when the customer has paid on a separate card machine. Use Terminal or Tap to Pay when OpenChair is processing the payment through Stripe.
Does External card send money to my Stripe payout?
No. External card is a record-only tender in OpenChair. The money is settled by your separate card provider.
Can I split a payment between cash and External card?
Yes. Use Split between methods, record the cash portion, then record the External card portion until the order balance is paid.