Square processing time & date info

[DaveH50]

I have a Square Terminal that I am forced to use frequently in Offline mode, due to issues with Comcast internet going out. So I have a couple questions:

1 - For credit card processing, does the Square time & date stamp on Square Reports show when the Terminal reads the card, or when the info is transmitted to Square once the Terminal is back online? I am trying to reconcile my offline declined transactions with the approved ones when connected, by comparing the date and time and amount charged. But this won't work if the offline time and date are from when Square receives the transmitted charges.

2 - I would prefer to use the Terminal ethernet connection since it is both more secure and has unlimited data, but if Comcast goes offline then I can use my phone's hotspot to connect the Terminal via wifi. But I don't want to have to be manually switching between one and the other. So, can I use both the ethernet and wifi connections on the Square Terminal at the same time, or are they exclusive?

TIA,

DaveH50

[Joe]

Hi there, @DaveH50 👋 Thanks for joining us here on the Seller Community! We are so happy to have you. Strong posts and questions like yours are what make this space helpful for other Sellers, and we hope the community can prove to be a valuable resource for you! 

I also appreciate how thorough your post is! Thanks for adding so much clarity and detail. It is so helpful for understanding your circumstances!

Any transactions taken while in Offline Mode will have a time stamp applied to them of the specific time in which they were uploaded to our server, not the actual time the transaction was taken. While this can cause some confusion from a reporting stand-point, it is an important distinction to be aware of. 

Your question concerning ethernet and WiFi connection is also a good one! Currently, the Terminal can support one network connection at a time. This of course would mean that you would need to choose between ethernet or WiFi respectively. 

Let me know if you have any clarifying questions! I will keep an eye out for your response.