Enable POS payments
Accept in-person payments through an Airwallex POS terminal connected to your WooCommerce store.
To accept in-person payments at a physical location using an Airwallex POS terminal, enable the POS payment method in the WooCommerce plugin and bind it to your terminal device.
Beta feature
Airwallex POS Payments is currently in beta and available for merchants in Hong Kong and Singapore. Features and availability may change. Contact your Airwallex Account Manager for access and the latest information.
When a POS order is placed through WooCommerce, the payment is routed to your bound POS terminal for the shopper to complete in person using tap, chip, or swipe.
Before you begin
- You have installed and connected the Airwallex plugin to your Airwallex account.
- You have an active Airwallex POS terminal registered and activated in your Airwallex account. Contact your Airwallex Account Manager to request a POS terminal and complete POS onboarding (KYB approval with POS enabled).
- POS Payments is enabled on your Airwallex account. The POS Terminals tab is visible under Payments in the Airwallex WebApp after POS is configured for your account.
- "Connected mode" must be enabled on your Airwallex account. Please contact your Airwallex Account Manager to enable this feature.
Enable POS payments
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In the WordPress Admin, go to WooCommerce > Settings > Payments > Airwallex.
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Select the POS tab.
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Check Enable Airwallex POS.
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Optionally, customize the following settings:
Setting Description Default Title The payment method name displayed during checkout. POS Description The description displayed during checkout. Pay with POS
Bind a POS terminal
To process payments, you must bind the plugin to a specific POS terminal device.
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In the POS tab, find the Bind POS device section.
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The plugin lists active terminals registered in your Airwallex account. Select the terminal you want to bind by its ID, nickname, or serial number.
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Click Save changes.
After binding, the currently bound device details (ID, nickname, serial number, and model) are displayed on the settings page.
One terminal per store
Each WooCommerce store can be bound to one POS terminal at a time. To switch terminals, select a different device in the Bind POS device section and save.
Process a POS payment
When POS is enabled and a terminal is bound, the POS payment option appears at checkout. The payment flow works as follows:
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The store operator creates an order in WooCommerce (either through the storefront checkout or by creating a new order in the WooCommerce Admin).
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The operator selects POS as the payment method and places the order.
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The plugin creates a Payment Intent and sends it to the bound POS terminal.
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The shopper completes the payment on the physical terminal (tap, chip, or swipe).
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After successful payment, the order is automatically updated to the completed status.
Control POS visibility at checkout
The POS payment option appears to all shoppers by default, including online-only customers. To restrict POS to in-store checkouts only, use a WooCommerce conditional logic plugin or custom PHP code to hide the POS payment method for non-local orders.
Refunds
POS transactions support refunds. Merchants can initiate refunds through the WooCommerce Admin order detail page or through the Airwallex WebApp. Refund records are visible on the POS terminal regardless of where the refund was initiated.
Troubleshoot common issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "No POS devices available" when binding | Verify your POS terminal is registered and has an Active status in your Airwallex account. Contact your Account Manager if the terminal is not visible. |
| "POS device id is required" error at checkout | No terminal is bound to the plugin. Go to the POS tab and bind a device. |
| "The terminal is temporarily unavailable" | The terminal may be offline or in use. Check the terminal's power and network connection, then retry. |
| "The terminal is busy" | Another transaction is being processed on the terminal. Wait for it to complete and try again. |
| POS tab not visible in plugin settings | POS Payments may not be enabled on your Airwallex account. Contact your Account Manager to enable POS and complete the required configuration. |