The BBPOS WisePad 3 connects to your iPad or iPhone over Bluetooth. Most WisePad 3 connection problems come from the reader being paired in the wrong place, or from more than one reader being paired with the same iPad. These checks also apply to the Stripe Reader M2.
Checks to try, in order
Update your iPad or iPhone. Vintner needs iOS 26 or later on iPhone, or iPadOS 26 or later on iPad. Open the Settings app, tap General > Software Update, and install any update. If your device can't update to version 26, it's too old to use with Vintner.
Update the Vintner app. Open the App Store, tap your profile picture, and update Vintner if an update is listed.
Charge the WisePad 3. Plug it in for at least 30 minutes. A WisePad 3 with a flat or low battery won't connect or update.
Turn Bluetooth on. On the iPad or iPhone, open Settings > Bluetooth and check Bluetooth is on.
Check Vintner's permissions. Open the Settings app, scroll down and tap Vintner. Check that Bluetooth is on and Location is set to While Using the App. Without Bluetooth access, Vintner can't see the WisePad 3. Without location access, Vintner can't connect to any card reader.
Remove extra readers from Bluetooth. In Settings > Bluetooth, look under My Devices. Only one card reader should be listed. For any other card reader, tap the i next to it, then tap Forget This Device.
Forget the WisePad 3 in Bluetooth settings too. If the WisePad 3 itself is listed in Settings > Bluetooth, tap the i next to it and tap Forget This Device. The WisePad 3 must be paired from inside Vintner, not from the iPad's Settings app.
Restart the WisePad 3. Hold the power button at the top right of the PIN pad until the reader turns off. Wait 10 seconds, then hold the power button again to turn it on.
Pair the WisePad 3 from inside Vintner. Open Vintner, connect to the reader from Vintner's card reader settings, and keep the reader close to the iPad while it connects.
Let the reader update. If Vintner says the reader needs a software update, keep the reader charged, close to the iPad and turned on until the update finishes. Don't turn the reader off during an update.
Restart the iPad or iPhone. Turn it off and on again, then try pairing from Vintner again.
Why each iPad and reader should be paired one-to-one
When an iPad is paired with more than one card reader, Vintner bounces between the readers, which causes dropouts. When one card reader is paired with more than one iPad, the reader can drop its connection whenever another iPad connects to it. Keep one reader with one iPad, and label each reader and iPad so staff keep them together.
If the WisePad 3 still won't connect
See What to try if your card reader won't connect to Vintner, or contact WithWine support with the reader's serial number. Stripe's setup guide is here: Set up BBPOS WisePad 3 (Stripe).