This guide explains what "Release Terminal" does, when you need it, and how it affects your available terminal configurations. You can move your Softpay installation to another device, reinstall the app, switch stores, or free up a terminal configuration for reuse.
Basic principle: AppID and Terminal configuration (incl. TID)
After you log in with your username and password and select a store, the device receives two identifiers:
AppID: permanently tied to the app installation on the device. It only changes if the Softpay app is reinstalled or the apps storage is cleared. You can find it in Settings → App Info.
A terminal configuration which includes a Terminal ID (TID): assigned by the acquirer to identify the device. For all acquirers except Nets, TIDs come from a limited pool. So your merchant account has a fixed number available.
When a terminal configuration is released, either from the app ("Release Terminal") or via the Softpay Onboarding API (used by resellers), it becomes available again for other devices. The device's AppID remains unchanged.
After a release, the app has no active store and no terminal configuration. It is ready to be reconfigured or uninstalled.
When should you use Release Terminal?
Use Release Terminal in any of these situations:
You are moving your Softpay installation to a new device (device replacement, upgrade, swap to a different phone/tablet).
You need to reinstall the Softpay app on the same device.
You have switched stores in the app and one or more TIDs are now reserved unnecessarily.
The device is being returned, sold, or repurposed.
Always release the terminal before uninstalling the Softpay app. If you delete the app first, the AppID remains linked to the terminal configuration(s) and they stay reserved until the link is released on the back end.
How to Release a Terminal
Open the Softpay app.
Tap the menu icon in the top-left corner.
Select Settings.
Select Release Terminal from the list.
Tap Continue to confirm.
Once the terminal is released, the app returns to a state with no active store and no terminal configuration. This is expected. If you want to do a reinstallation or use another device, just swipe out of the Softpay app.
If you try to start a transaction after the terminal has been released through Softpay Onboarding API, the app will show:
"Terminal is released - Please select a store"
To resume taking payments on the same device, select a store (Settings → Active store → "+").
Licensing reminder: Every terminal installation that has been set up and has processed a transaction counts as an active terminal for the period. Softpay's licensing does not permit freely moving a terminal installation across multiple devices. For licensing questions, contact your reseller.
Changing store
If you change the active store directly via the app settings menu (Settings → Active store) without releasing first, the following happens:
The configuration for the previous store is still in use by this app is not available for other devices.
Another configuration for the new store is applied for this device so the current installation now holds 2 terminal configurations.
If you have a limited number of terminal configurations, this can prevent other devices from logging in.
Resolution: As soon as you perform a Release Terminal on the device, all terminal configurations associated with that AppID are released. This includes both the reserved one and the active one.
Release Terminal vs. Change Store — what's the difference?
Use Release Terminal when you are changing the device, doing a reinstallation, or when you want to free terminal configurations. Use Change Store only when you intentionally want to keep the previous terminal configuration reserved alongside the new one.
What if I already deleted the app without releasing?
If you uninstalled Softpay before releasing the terminal, the AppID from that installation is still linked to one or more terminal configurations (TIDs), and those configurations are not yet available for reuse.
To fix this:
Contact your reseller
The reseller can use the Softpay Onboarding API endpoint for releasing the AppID from the terminal configuration(s). This frees all terminal configurations tied to that AppID.
Provide your AppID if you still have it (it was visible in Settings → App Info before uninstalling, and is also accessible via AppSwitch/CloudSwitch if integrated). If you do not know the AppID, your reseller can typically look it up from your merchant record.
Once the release is completed on the back end, the terminal configurations become available and you can install Softpay again.
Troubleshooting
"Release Terminal" option is not visible in Settings. You are likely on an app version older than 3.0. Update Softpay from Google Play and try again.
Release appears to hang or fails. Check the device's internet connection and retry. If it continues to fail, collect the AppID (Settings → App Info) and contact your reseller.
Another device cannot log in — "no TID available". Usually caused by changing the store in the app without releasing, so multiple TIDs are reserved by one AppID. Perform a Release Terminal on the original device to free them all.
I'm using Nets and don't see why I'd need this. For Nets-only setups, a release is not required to free TIDs. You may still want to release the installation when retiring a device for cleanliness, but it is not functionally required.
Error code B.11400.1208. This error indicates the terminal must be released before it can continue. Follow the steps in the How to Release a Terminal section above. If the option is not available in the app (for example, the app is already uninstalled), contact your reseller to perform the release via the Softpay Onboarding API.
Where to get help
Support for Softpay terminals is handled by your reseller as first-level support. Please contact your reseller for:
Help releasing an AppID after the app was already uninstalled
Clearing TIDs that are stuck as reserved
Questions about licensing or terminal counts
Resellers have direct access to the Softpay Onboarding API release endpoint and can resolve most TID-reservation issues.