Written by Jason Feemster, POS specialist with 15+ years of experience helping restaurants and retailers troubleshoot POS systems, payments, and hardware issues.
Common Issue: Square receipt printer won’t print, prints blank, shows “Printer Offline,” or won’t connect to Square POS.
Fast Fixes: Check paper orientation, reconnect Bluetooth/Ethernet, restart the printer, confirm network settings, and change paper rolls.
Need official help? See our Square Customer Service Guide.
Want guided troubleshooting? Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant (Free).
Square receipt printer not printing? This is one of the most common Square hardware issues—especially for restaurants using Star Micronics or Epson printers. Symptoms include blank paper, no print output, “No Printer Connected,” or tickets not appearing at all.
This guide shows how to fix receipt printing problems for Square Stand, Square Register, Bluetooth, USB, and Ethernet printers.
Table of Contents
Common Reasons Square Receipt Printers Stop Printing
- Paper roll inserted upside down
- Printer offline due to network drop
- Bluetooth disconnected or paired wrong
- Cash drawer cable plugged into the wrong port
- Printer not selected inside Square POS settings
- Using an unsupported printer model
- Printer out of paper or jammed
- Ethernet cable not fully seated
How to Fix a Square Receipt Printer That Isn’t Printing
1. Check Paper Roll Orientation (Most Common Fix)
Thermal printers only print on one side of the paper. If it’s upside down, the printer will feed paper but print completely blank.
- Open the printer lid
- Remove the roll
- Reinsert with the paper feeding from the bottom
- Close lid firmly
Try a test print after reseating the paper.
2. Restart the Printer
Quick restarts fix most Bluetooth/Ethernet communication errors.
- Turn printer off
- Wait 5 seconds
- Turn back on
Watch for the blue/green status light. No light = power issue.
3. Confirm Printer is Turned On in Square POS
The printer must be manually selected inside the Square POS app.
- Open Square POS → ≡ → Settings
- Tap Hardware → Printers
- Select your printer name
- Enable Receipts and Order Tickets
If the printer doesn’t appear, continue below.
4. Fix Bluetooth Printer Not Connecting
Bluetooth pairing issues are extremely common, especially with Star mC-Print3 or Star TSP143IIIBI.
- Forget the printer in iPad Bluetooth settings
- Reconnect through Square POS → Hardware
- Restart both iPad and printer
If you paired through iPad settings first, Square may not detect the printer.
5. Fix Ethernet Printers on Square Stand & Register
Ethernet printers must be on the same network as Square Stand/Register.
- Ensure the Ethernet cable clicks into place
- Reconnect the router cable to a LAN port (not WAN)
- Restart the router and printer
- Check that your iPad/Register is on the same Wi-Fi network
If the printer IP changes, Square may temporarily lose connection.
6. Make Sure You’re Using a Supported Printer Model
Square only supports specific Star and Epson printers. Unsupported models may power on but will not print.
- Star TSP143
- Star mC-Print2 / mC-Print3
- Epson TM-U220 (kitchen impact printer)
If your printer isn’t on the list, Square POS will never detect it.
When to Contact Square Support
- Printer won’t power on or overheats
- Ethernet printer drops connection repeatedly
- Test prints work but Square POS won’t print orders
- Kitchen printer is loud but prints blank
Square Customer Service – Phone, Chat & Help Center
Square Printer Not Printing – FAQs
Why is my Square printer not printing receipts?
Why does my receipt printer feed but print blank?
Why does my printer show ‘Offline’ in Square?
Which printers work with Square POS?
Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant
Need help fixing Square printer issues?
- POSUSA POS Support Assistant
- Select Square POS
- Type: “printer not printing”
- Follow the guided troubleshooting steps
It’s fast, intuitive, and built for real restaurant & retail environments.
Thinking About Switching POS Systems?
If you’re dealing with repeated POS issues, it might be time to compare more reliable options built for restaurants and retail businesses.
Takes 30 seconds • No sales pressure
