HiLite vs PAX — Capability Comparison

Handpoint integrations run on two hardware families:

Hardware	Connection	Form factor	Integration paths
PAX SmartPOS (A920, A77, etc.)	Network / Cloud	All-in-one Android terminal	Cloud REST API, Android PAX SDK, JavaScript SDK, Windows SDK, Cordova (PAX mode)
HiLite (DATECS Bluetooth reader)	Bluetooth / Lightning	Compact Bluetooth/dock reader paired to a phone or tablet	Android HiLite SDK, iOS HiLite SDK, Cordova (HiLite mode), Windows SDK (BT mode)

HiLite is a subset of PAX capabilities. Every operation available on HiLite is also available on PAX, but not the reverse.

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Capability matrix

Legend: ✅ Supported  ·  ❌ Not supported  ·  ✅* See note

Operation	PAX (all paths)	Android HiLite	iOS HiLite	Cordova (HiLite mode)	Notes
Sale	✅	✅	✅	✅
Refund	✅	✅	✅	✅
Reversal	✅	✅	✅	✅	Prefer POST /reversal (Back Office, no reader) for all reversals
Tokenization	✅	✅	✅	✅
Sale and Tokenize	✅	✅	✅	✅
Tip Adjustment	✅	✅	✅*	❌	*iOS: via HapiRemoteService.tipAdjustment() with sharedSecret. Cordova: unimplemented stub — use Back Office REST API. Remote HTTPS call, not a device command
Multi-MID (MerchantAuth)	✅	❌	✅	❌	Android HiLite: silently ignored (MerchantAuth never serialized to EFT frames). iOS HiLite: supported. Windows SDK: not implemented (null hardcoded). Cordova: not implemented
Partial Reversal	✅*	❌	❌	❌	*EPI only. Available via Back Office REST API regardless of integration path
Pre-Authorization	✅	❌	❌	❌	Initial pre-auth requires PAX terminal. Capture/increase/reversal available via Back Office
MOTO on-terminal (keyed entry)	✅	❌	❌	❌	HiLite has no keypad. Remote card-token MOTO available via Back Office (EPI/EMP)
stopCurrentTransaction	✅	❌	❌	❌	Android HiLite: returns false (BluetoothConnection is not AndroidPaymentConnection). iOS: no public cancel method. Cordova HiLite (iOS bridge): empty stub
getTransactionStatus	✅	❌	❌	✅*	Android HiLite: not in EFT frame protocol. iOS: not in public API. *Cordova PAX mode only
Batch Close	✅*	❌	❌	❌	*Cloud API / Back Office only (EPI). Not available in any SDK
Money Remittance	✅	✅	✅	✅	EmerchantPay only
Void (Interac)	✅	✅	✅	✅	PAYSAFE with Interac enabled only

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What Back Office operations can fill the HiLite gaps

Operations missing from HiLite SDKs can often be performed server-side via the Back Office integration guide with no terminal required:

HiLite gap	Back Office solution
No partial reversal on HiLite	POST /reversal with amount + currency (EPI only)
No pre-auth capture on HiLite	POST /preauthorization/capture
No pre-auth increase on HiLite	POST /preauthorization/increase
No Remote Sale on HiLite	POST /moto/sale with card token (EPI, EmerchantPay)
No batch close on HiLite	POST /batch/close
Tip adjustment on iOS (SDK method requires sharedSecret)	POST /transactions/{id}/tip-adjustment with ApiKeyCloud

Handpoint recommends using Back Office operations whenever possible — they reduce terminal dependency, eliminate reader failure as a point of failure, and work regardless of which SDK path you are on.

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HiLite-specific notes

Android HiLite

• Connection: Bluetooth (auto-reconnect) or direct USB
• Partial reversal: Not available in SDK — use POST /reversal (Back Office)
• Pre-auth: Not available at all on HiLite
• Multi-MID: Supported via MerchantAuth + SaleOptions
• Tip adjustment: Supported (EPI, PAYSAFE — non-Interac cards only)
• stopCurrentTransaction: Not supported — ConnectionManager.stopCurrentTransaction() returns false immediately for Bluetooth connections (source-verified in Android SDK ConnectionManager.kt). Do not call it on Android HiLite

iOS HiLite

• Connection: Bluetooth or Lightning dock
• Tip adjustment: Available via HapiRemoteService.tipAdjustment() — calls Handpoint cloud API, not the device. Requires setupHandpointApiConnection(sharedSecret:). Alternatively use Back Office REST API with ApiKeyCloud.
• Pre-auth: Not in SDK at all — not a stub, not a no-op, simply absent
• stopCurrentTransaction: Not in the public HeftClient protocol. Use financeStartOfDay to recover a stuck terminal if needed
• Multi-MID: Fully supported via MerchantAuth with Credential(acquirer:mid:tid:)
• Acquirer enum values: UNDEFINED, AMEX, BORGUN, EVO, OMNIPAY, POSTBRIDGE, INTERAC, TSYS, VANTIV, SANDBOX

Cordova HiLite mode

• Connection: Bluetooth (same as Android HiLite under the hood)
• Tip adjustment: Supported (EPI, PAYSAFE — non-Interac cards only)
• Pre-auth: Not supported in HiLite mode — Cordova pre-auth requires PAX mode
• Multi-MID: Not documented / not confirmed for Cordova HiLite mode

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Acquirer-specific HiLite support

Acquirer	Sale/Refund/Reversal	Tip Adj	Pre-Auth	Partial Rev	MOTO (card token)
EPI	✅	✅	❌	❌ (Back Office ✅)	❌ (Back Office ✅)
PAYSAFE	✅	✅ non-Interac only	❌	❌	❌
EmerchantPay	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌ (Back Office ✅)
Paystrax	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

For the full multi-path, multi-acquirer matrix see the Acquirer capabilities matrix.

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Related pages

• Acquirer capabilities matrix — full per-acquirer, per-path support table
• Back Office integration guide — server-side operations that complement HiLite gaps
• Android HiLite integration guide
• iOS HiLite integration guide
• Multi-MID — MerchantAuth on Android and iOS