Feature Request: Pause orders via my Square Online website using the Square Point of Sale app

[habe1984]

The title of this post has been edited from the original: I'm getting orders in my online store after changing hours to closed.

I often have to temporarily close my food cart or change hours.  For now, I am doing this through: Settings > Pickup & Delivery > Hours.   However, I am still receiving orders after changing my hours to "closed" (my poor customers are actually coming to visit my cart and finding out that the cart is closed.  Which does not look good on us at all.....)

Is there a better way to change hours for the day?

Temporary closure function would be very helpful.

[#2]

Hi there, @greenecanteen - so sorry for the confusion here. I am referring to the Online Dashboard. Here are the direct steps:

1. Log into the Square Dashboard

2. Go to Online Store (this took me to weebly)

3. Click "Settings", then "Checkout". 

4. Toggle switch at top of that page that says "Accept online orders"

I hope this helps!

[AmansAIC]

Hi All,

Is there a way to turn the online ordering on or off right from the app on the iPad? Right now if I want to turn the store off for the night if we are closing early, I have to log into the squareup.com website then click online store and toggle the switch that says accepting orders? Is there a way to do this from within the Square POS app?

Thank you

[VanKalkerFarms]

I do not believe that it can be done from the app, but I don't have a lot of experience with Square's online store.  @Tom is there a way?

[ryanwanner]

Hi @AmansAIC ! Unfortunately @VanKalkerFarms is correct. There isn't a way for the online store to be disabled from the app.

Quite a few of us have been campaigning for this ability over the years, though. Maybe someday...? 

[AmansAIC]

Thanks, Ryan, one thing I have noted with Square they are very slow to implement common sense features. You would think that it should be as easy as a toggle button in the square app. Hopefully, they can act on it soon.

[ryanwanner]

Right now Square is working on integrating the weebly platform for all online stores. I'm hoping that when they move the pickup stores over--which will probably be the last just because of the physical point of sale interfaces--they bring on some more tools for us to use, including this "kill switch" idea...

[TGath]

How can I prevent customers from ordering on our online restaurant when we are closed? As it is, the customer 'checks out' and the available 'pick up time' is the next time we are open which could be days away... mI'd like to know how to easily prevent ordering on our site while we are closed. Anyone? thanks!

[RumiPersianCafe]

We have a restaurant too and love getting orders in advance. Sometimes we make a few hundred dollars days before the order is due, not sure why that would be an issue. To get around it you have to change your location setting to closed everyday of the week every-time you close and then reset when you open (Online Store, Settings, Pick up & Delivery, Edit Location). If it is just a matter of making sure the customer is aware that the order won't be available until next time open, its pretty clear both the cart and the checkout process, but additional steps would be a pop-up on your site alerting customers that orders while closed can be scheduled for later dates (enable pop-ups through online store, website, pop-ups) and communicating with customers through the marketing options (at least those on email). Never hurts to have one more excuse to send your customers something of value (in this case information) to keep them thinking about you, especially these days. Would love to know if there are any easier ways to accomplish what you are looking for instead of the workaround. Best of Luck!

[PreOrder_Apps]

We deal with this issue all the time for Square businesses that we've made custom Square Apps for. We usually do a couple of things: 

1) We can easily limit the Time Picker to be any time THAT day (AFTER the current time)

2) We trigger a popup message if a Customer tries to choose a time you aren't open and we don't let them choose that time

3) We also have multi-location Cut-off times (by location) so you can't even get into the part where the items are to buy them. You can see a screenshot below of the message Customers see in the App when they're trying to view the Menu of a location that's closed. We also give our Clients control over their Order Cutoff Start and End time (see screenshot below). It's by day. Once you set it, it stays and you can easily adjust it any time.

4) One of our clients wanted future pickup for Farmer's Boxes, so she just created a new location in her Square Account called "Farmers Boxes Pickup" and all those orders went to a special queue so they could deal with them whenever they wanted.

Note: We're an official Square Partner Company and help businesses who use Square create quick, affordable features, tools and apps that do all kinds of cool stuff!

- Ken

[PreOrder_Apps]

Great suggestions and ideas. We love seeing sellers who are creative, make work-arounds and get things done!!

Kudos!

[PerkyCup]

@TGath  Have you set your hours?  If your hours aren't set or are not accurate (COVID) then orders will continue to come in when closed.