Over the past few weeks, we've been speaking with a lot of merchants who rely on mobile EFTPOS.
Market stalls, food trucks, trade exhibitors, on-site service providers.
And the conversation has been pretty consistent:
"It was working perfectly before... now it's patchy, slow, or dropping out."
If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. More importantly, you haven't done anything wrong, and it's affecting terminals across the country from all different providers.
At the end of March 2026, One NZ, 2degrees, and Spark switched off their 3G networks across New Zealand.
For most people, that change happened quietly in the background.
But for businesses using mobile EFTPOS, especially in locations without fibre or fixed internet, it's been a lot more noticeable.
The easiest way to understand what's going on is to think of mobile coverage like roads.
3G was like a network of backroads. They weren't the fastest, but they went almost everywhere. Rural areas, behind buildings, inside venues, they filled in the gaps and made sure you could still get through.
4G (and now 5G) is more like a motorway. It's faster, more efficient, and designed for higher volumes, but it doesn't yet reach every corner in quite the same way.
Up until recently, EFTPOS terminals were using both. They would connect over 4G most of the time, but if the signal dropped or became unstable, it would quietly switch over to 3G. You never saw it happen; it just kept working. Now, that backup route is gone.
So in places like:
- Markets and outdoor events
- Pop-up locations
- Trade shows and venues
- Rural or semi-rural sites
Where 3G used to quietly carry the load, you may now find:
- Slower connections
- More retries
- Occasional dropouts
It's frustrating, but what you're experiencing isn't a fault with your terminal or the mobile networks. It's the result of that 3G safety net disappearing.
The good news is, this isn't where things settle.
The mobile network operators have been clear that this is part of a wider upgrade. As 3G equipment is removed, it's being replaced with stronger 4G and 5G infrastructure. Areas where coverage is currently patchy are being identified and improved over time, with more capacity and reach being built out.
So while things may feel a bit inconsistent right now in certain locations, the long-term direction is better coverage and more reliable performance.
In the meantime, there are a few practical ways merchants are working around it:
Hotspotting off a modern 4G or 5G phone can often provide a stronger, more stable connection than the terminal's built-in SIM.
Using Wi-Fi when it's available, even temporarily at venues or events, can also make a noticeable difference.
And for some, having a simple backup option (like taking payments on a phone using Worldline Tap on Mobile) adds a layer of resilience when signal conditions aren't ideal.
If you rely on mobile EFTPOS, this transition is going to be more noticeable for you than most. But you're not alone in it.
We're working with merchants across the country in exactly these scenarios, testing locations, trying different setups, and helping find what works best in the real world.
Because at the end of the day, whether you're at a market, on-site, or at an event, payments just need to work.
And while the network underneath is changing, there are still ways to make sure your business doesn't miss a beat.
If your terminal's behaviour has changed recently, there's a reason for it.
And while it might take a bit of time for the networks to fully catch up, things are moving in the right direction.
