TLDR

Running a restaurant comes with its fair share of challenges, but keeping sales flowing shouldn't be one of them. That's why Square's new offline payments feature is a game changer for small business owners like you. With offline payments, you can keep accepting debit and credit transactions even when your internet goes down. Customers can pay quickly and seamlessly with a tap or dip of their cards while you avoid losing those precious sales. Square's system will securely store the information and process the payments when you're back online. As a restaurant app developer integrated with Square, we know how critical it is for you to provide uninterrupted service. This new capability makes your restaurant more resilient to tech hiccups that could otherwise cost you money and customers. By leveraging Square's offline payments, you can confidently run your restaurant without worrying about losing business when your connection falters. Your customers will appreciate the convenience while you keep your sales on track.

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How Square's New Offline Payments Feature Benefits Restaurants

Square's recent launch of offline payments allows restaurants to provide customers with a seamless payment experience even when Wi-Fi or connectivity is disrupted.

Accept Payments Anytime

With Square's offline payments, you can accept magstripe and EMV chip card payments even when offline. Transactions are stored locally and processed automatically once connectivity is restored. This means your customers can pay whenever they're ready, keeping your operations running smoothly.

Easily Activate Offline Payments

You can activate offline payments directly in your Square Dashboard in just a few taps. Simply go to Settings > Offline Payments to turn on the feature. Your payment terminals will then detect connectivity issues and prompt you to accept offline payments.

Stay Informed About Service Disruptions

Sign up through your Square Dashboard to receive real-time emails and texts alerting you about any service disruptions. The redesigned incidents.squareup.com website also provides clear updates about ongoing issues so you know exactly what's happening and when service will be restored.

Purpose-Built Software for Restaurants

Square offers an integrated suite of business software tailored to restaurants' needs. Features like item library, floor layout, and kitchen display system streamline operations, while payroll, employee management, and customer engagement tools help save time and boost revenue. Combined with offline payments, Square provides a complete solution for running your restaurant.

Integrating a white-label mobile app with your Square account, such as Per Diem, further enhances the customer experience by facilitating mobile ordering, payments, and loyalty programs. Offline payments through the app allow busy customers to pay even when connectivity is disrupted, with transactions syncing automatically once service is restored. For you, this means more flexibility, transparency, and efficiency.

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Activating Offline Payments on Your POS

To ensure your business operations continue uninterrupted during internet outages, activate offline payments in your Square Dashboard. This feature allows you to accept card payments even when connectivity is down for up to 24 hours.

Enable Offline Payments in Settings

Log into your Square Dashboard and navigate to Settings. Under the Payments tab, toggle on "Enable Offline Payments" and set a maximum transaction amount for offline payments.

Process Offline Payments During Outages

If connectivity goes down while running transactions, your Square terminal will automatically prompt you to switch to offline mode. Process payments as usual by swiping or dipping cards. Square will queue the transactions to process once internet access has been restored.

Reconnect Within 24 Hours

It's critical to reconnect your Square terminal to the internet within one day of processing your first offline payment. When connectivity returns, Square will automatically send queued offline transactions for processing and funds will be deposited into your linked bank account, typically within 1 to 2 business days.

Added Protection and Transparency

By enabling offline payments, you'll have the flexibility and security to continue operating even when internet access is disrupted. Square also provides real-time alerts and notifications about system issues so you know when offline payments may be needed and can set proper staffing levels and transaction limits.

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Leveraging Offline Payments With a Custom Mobile App

Square's mobile app, Per Diem, allows businesses to continue accepting contactless payments while also enhancing convenience for customers.

Enable Offline Payments

Sellers can activate offline payments directly through the Square Dashboard or when connectivity issues are detected. By toggling a switch within the Square Point of Sale app, offline payments are enabled, allowing transactions to be completed and receipts issued. Once connectivity is restored, offline payment transactions will sync automatically with Square’s systems.

Set Custom Transaction Limits

Merchants have full control over offline payment transaction limits, determining maximum amounts on a seller-by-seller basis. When connectivity is disrupted, transaction details are stored locally on the merchant’s iPad or other Square hardware device until internet access is restored. At that point, funds are deposited into the merchant’s linked bank account, and transaction details become available in Square reports and analytics tools.

Receive Notifications

To stay informed about service disruptions, merchants can sign up through Square Dashboard to receive real-time email and SMS alerts. Notification options include connectivity status changes, offline payment limits reached, and when normal operations have resumed.

By leveraging Square’s offline payments with the Per Diem app, merchants can gain a comprehensive solution to maintain business continuity even when technical challenges arise. Customers can continue making purchases, staff stay efficient, and revenue keeps flowing. With a user-friendly mobile app, sellers will have access to a robust ecosystem for managing operations, serving customers, and driving growth.

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Final Thoughts

With offline payments, you can keep serving guests even when your internet goes down. Before, network outages meant turning customers away or tracking orders manually. Now, your point of sale will detect connectivity issues and seamlessly switch to offline mode. Transactions will sync once you're back online. You already rely on Square for fast, secure payments. Offline payments take that reliability to the next level. So don't let spotty WiFi slow you down. With Square and Per Diem app, you've got a smooth, uninterrupted guest experience. Your restaurant is ready for anything.

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