---
title: "Web terminals and app terminals"
description: "Learn the difference between card readers that register with a code and readers that connect through the Jovvie app."
url: https://docs.jovvie.com/hardware/web-and-app-terminals/
section: "Card readers and hardware"
last_updated: 2026-10-26
---

# Web terminals and app terminals

Section: Card readers and hardware

> Learn the difference between card readers that register with a code and readers that connect through the Jovvie app.

Jovvie groups Stripe card readers into two types: web terminals and app terminals. The type decides how you set up the reader and where your staff use it.

This page explains the two types, so you know which setup steps apply to your reader. For the devices and browsers that run Jovvie itself, see [Devices and browsers that run Jovvie](https://docs.jovvie.com/hardware/devices-and-browsers/).

> **Note: Using NMI?**
>
> This page covers Stripe readers. NMI terminals work differently. See [Stripe and NMI: what’s different](https://docs.jovvie.com/payments/stripe-vs-nmi/).

## The two types

|                        | Web terminal                                                                                                                                              | App terminal                                         |
| ---------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| **How it connects**    | Directly over the internet.                                                                                                                               | Through the Jovvie app on your phone or tablet.      |
| **How you set it up**  | Enter the reader’s **Registration Code** in your Jovvie Point of Sale dashboard or, for a ready-made Jovvie Checkout integration, in the plugin settings. | The Jovvie app registers it for you. No code needed. |
| **Where staff use it** | In a browser, on the Jovvie payment page or in the Point of Sale register.                                                                                | In the Jovvie app on iOS or Android.                 |

### Web terminals

A web terminal is a reader that connects to the internet by itself. You register it once by entering a [registration code](https://docs.jovvie.com/start-here/glossary/#registration-code), which is a short code the reader shows on its screen. After that, staff pick the reader from a list when they take a payment in a browser.

In the settings of the ready-made Checkout integrations, readers listed as web terminals include, for example, Stripe Reader S700 and Wise POS E.

To register a web terminal:

- For Point of Sale, see [Set up card readers for a station](https://docs.jovvie.com/point-of-sale/set-up/card-readers/).
- For Checkout, see [Set up a location and readers in WordPress](https://docs.jovvie.com/checkout/locations-and-readers/).

### App terminals

An app terminal is a reader, or a phone feature, that connects through the Jovvie app. You do not enter a registration code, because the app registers the reader for you.

In the settings of the ready-made Checkout integrations, readers listed as app terminals include, for example, M2, WisePad 3, and Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android. Tap to Pay turns a supported phone into a card reader, so you do not need to buy extra hardware.

The Jovvie app is available from the Apple App Store and Google Play. See [Devices and browsers that run Jovvie](https://docs.jovvie.com/hardware/devices-and-browsers/).

## Choose which type staff can use

In Point of Sale, you can allow web terminals, app terminals, or both for a Stripe payment method:

- **Terminal Types** on **Swipe/Insert/Tap** can be **Web terminal**, **iOS/Android app terminal**, or **iOS/Android app and Web terminal**. If staff use the register in a browser, make sure web terminals are allowed.
- When **Terminal Types** allows both, staff who use the register inside the Jovvie app see **Android/iOS App Terminal** in the reader list, along with the web readers.

## Which readers are supported

The reader models shown in the plugin settings are examples, not a complete list. Before you buy a reader, contact [Jovvie support](https://jovvie.com/support/) to confirm that it works with your setup.

## Related pages

- [Reader not showing on the payment page](https://docs.jovvie.com/troubleshooting/reader-connection/)
- [Card reader payment problems](https://docs.jovvie.com/point-of-sale/troubleshooting/card-readers/)

## Still need help?

Contact [Jovvie support](https://jovvie.com/support/).