Terminal & Device Management
Manage payment terminals and devices via the Surfboard API. Register in-store and online terminals, configure settings, and handle device operations.
Overview
Once merchants are onboarded and stores are created, the next step is registering and managing terminals. Surfboard supports both physical in-store devices and online payment terminals. This guide covers registration, configuration, and ongoing operations like moving or rebooting terminals.
Terminal Types
| Type | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|
| EMV | In-Store | Traditional card-present terminals (countertop, mobile POS, kiosk) |
| SoftPOS | In-Store | Tap-to-pay on Android smartphones or tablets |
| PaymentPage | Online | Surfboard-hosted checkout page with a payment link |
| SelfHostedPage | Online | Surfboard renders card fields on your own web page via the Online SDK |
| iFrame | Online | Embedded payment frame within your site |
| MerchantInitiated | Online | Server-to-server payments using stored card tokens (subscriptions, recurring) |
Registering In-Store Terminals
Register physical terminals by providing the device’s registration code and the store it belongs to.
POST /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/devices{
"registrationIdentifier": "250901",
"terminalName": "Checkout 1"
}The registrationIdentifier is a 6-digit code displayed when you power on the terminal. For SurfPad and Printer devices, use the serial number printed on the back instead.
Response:
{
"status": "SUCCESS",
"data": {
"terminalId": "trm_abc123",
"registrationStatus": "REGISTERED"
},
"message": "Terminal registered successfully"
}The registrationStatus will be either REGISTERED (new device) or ALREADY_REGISTERED (device was previously linked).
Registering Online Terminals
Online terminals are registered per store, specifying the terminal mode.
POST /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/online-terminals{
"onlineTerminalMode": "SelfHostedPage"
}Note: When a merchant completes onboarding, the
PaymentPageandMerchantInitiatedmodes are registered automatically. You only need to registerSelfHostedPageexplicitly.
Response:
{
"status": "SUCCESS",
"data": {
"terminalId": "trm_xyz789",
"publicKey": "pk_live_...",
"registrationStatus": "REGISTERED"
},
"message": "Terminal registered successfully"
}For SelfHostedPage terminals, the response includes a publicKey used to initialize the Online SDK on your checkout page.
Terminal Configuration
Terminal settings follow a hierarchy: merchant-level defaults cascade down to store-level, which cascade down to terminal-level. Terminal-level settings always take precedence.
Setting Terminal Config
PATCH /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/terminals/{terminalId}{
"wifiSsid": "StoreNetwork",
"wifiPassword": "securepass",
"preferredNetwork": "WIFI",
"preferredRestartTime": "03:00",
"language": "en",
"showReceipt": true,
"alwaysShowMinorUnits": 1
}Key configuration options:
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
preferredRestartTime | Scheduled restart in HH:MM format (default 02:00). Terminals restart within a 1-hour window. |
preferredNetwork | WIFI or GSM |
language | ISO language code: en, fi, da, se |
autoSleep | Sleep timeout in seconds (battery-powered devices only) |
showStatusBar | Show/hide the status bar (SurfPad only) |
openPosOnReboot | enabled or disabled — auto-launch POS after restart |
enableRefundLock | Require PIN for refunds (Android terminals only) |
Fetching Terminal Config
GET /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/terminals/{terminalId}/configReturns all active configuration values for the terminal, including inherited settings from merchant and store levels.
Device Operations
Change Store
Move a terminal between stores under the same merchant. The terminal ID stays the same.
POST /terminals/change{
"terminal$id": "trm_abc123",
"storeId": "str_newstore456"
}Terminals can only be moved between stores belonging to the same merchant. To reassign across merchants, use the Move Terminal endpoint.
Move Terminal (Cross-Merchant)
Partners who manage terminal inventory in bulk can reassign a hardware terminal to a different merchant entirely.
PUT /partners/{partnerId}/terminals/{terminalSerialNo}/move{
"targetMerchantId": "mrc_target789"
}This endpoint uses the terminal’s serial number rather than its terminal ID.
Reboot Terminal
Remotely restart a terminal for troubleshooting or to apply firmware updates.
POST /terminals/{terminalId}/reboot{}Response:
{
"status": "SUCCESS",
"message": "Reboot command published successfully"
}A SUCCESS status means the reboot command was sent. It does not guarantee the terminal has rebooted — the device must be connected to the network and not processing another command.
API Quick Reference
| Operation | Method | Endpoint |
|---|---|---|
| Register in-store device | POST | /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/devices |
| Register online terminal | POST | /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/online-terminals |
| Set terminal config | PATCH | /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/terminals/{terminalId} |
| Fetch terminal config | GET | /merchants/{merchantId}/stores/{storeId}/terminals/{terminalId}/config |
| Change store | POST | /terminals/change |
| Move terminal | PUT | /partners/{partnerId}/terminals/{terminalSerialNo}/move |
| Reboot terminal | POST | /terminals/{terminalId}/reboot |
For full endpoint details, see the Terminals API and Stores API reference documentation.
Other Guides
Tap to Pay on iPhone SDK
Accept contactless payments directly on iPhone. Complete integration guide for Surfboard's iOS SoftPOS SDK -- from setup to production.
Android SoftPOS SDK
Turn Android devices into payment terminals with the Surfboard Android SoftPOS SDK. Complete integration guide from setup to production.
EMV Terminal Integration
Integrate traditional card-present terminals through Surfboard's unified API. From account setup to live payments in one guide.
Payment Page
Redirect customers to a Surfboard-hosted checkout page. The fastest way to accept online payments with minimal integration effort.
Inter-App Integration
Integrate your POS app with CheckoutX using native app switch. Register terminals, process payments, and scan NFC tags through a bi-directional deep link flow.
Self-Hosted Checkout
Embed a payment form directly in your web app with the Surfboard Online SDK. Full UI control with Surfboard handling PCI compliance.
Server-to-Server API
Process online payments entirely from your backend with Merchant Initiated Transactions. Full control over recurring payments, subscriptions, and tokenized card flows.
Create an Order
Learn how to create orders with line items, tax, customer details, and control functions. The starting point for accepting payments with the Surfboard API.
Merchant Onboarding
Set up merchants and stores on the Surfboard platform. Walk through the full onboarding flow from merchant creation to KYB completion and store setup.
Payment Lifecycle
Manage the full payment lifecycle from order creation through capture, void, cancel, and refund operations using the Surfboard Payments API.
Capture a Payment
Finalize a previously authorized payment by capturing funds. Covers delay capture and pre-authorization flows with step-by-step API examples.
Cancel a Payment
Stop an in-progress payment before it completes. Use cancellation when a customer abandons checkout or a payment needs to be halted mid-process.
Webhooks & Notifications
Receive real-time event notifications via webhooks, email, Slack, and SFTP. Subscribe to payment events and settlement reports for merchants and partners.
Recurring Payments
Implement subscription billing and recurring charges using tokenization, recurring payment configuration, and Merchant Initiated Transactions.
Void a Payment
Reverse a completed payment before settlement. Voiding stops funds from transferring to the merchant's account, avoiding incorrect transactions.
Receipts
Generate, email, print, and customise receipts for in-store transactions using the Surfboard Receipts API.
Refund an Order
Process a full refund by creating a return order with negative quantities. Covers the complete refund flow with API examples and payment method requirements.
Partial Refund
Refund specific items or a reduced amount from a completed order. Process partial returns by creating a return order with only the items to be refunded.
Tips Configuration
Configure tipping on Surfboard payment terminals at the merchant, store, or terminal level using a hierarchical override model.
NFC Tag Reading
Use the NFC Reading API to create tag-reading sessions on payment terminals, scan NFC/RFID-tagged products, and retrieve scanned tag data.
Partial Payments
Split an order across multiple payment methods or transactions. Accept card, cash, and Swish in any combination to settle a single order.
Multi-Merchant Terminals
Set up shared payment terminals for multiple merchants using the Multi-Merchant Group API. Ideal for food courts, events, and co-located businesses.
Store Management
Create, update, verify, and manage in-store and online stores using the Surfboard Payments Store APIs.
Gift Cards & Promotions
Issue and manage gift cards, track transactions, and create marketing promotions using the Surfboard Payments APIs.
Product Catalog
Create and manage product catalogs, products, variants, inventory levels, and analytics through the Catalog API.
Settlements & Reporting
Retrieve settlement reports, view adjustments, manage merchant charges, and register customer profiles for reconciliation and billing.
Account & Service Provider Management
Create merchant and partner accounts, manage user roles, register service providers, and configure external notifications via the Surfboard API.
Payment Methods
Activate, deactivate, and list payment methods for a merchant. Manage card, Swish, Klarna, AMEX, Vipps, MobilePay, and more via the API or Partner Portal.
Client Auth Tokens
Generate client-side authentication tokens for secure API access from browsers and mobile apps without exposing your API key or secret.
Partner Branding
Configure white-label branding for terminals and payment pages. Set colors, fonts, logos, and cover images at the partner level via API or Partner Portal.
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