Add a "Pause Until I Resume" Option for Online Orders

[GONZALEZ502]

Hello Square Team,

Currently, Square POS only allows restaurants to pause incoming online orders for a maximum of two hours.

I would like Square to add a "Pause Until I Resume" option.

This feature would allow restaurant owners and managers to pause incoming orders indefinitely and resume accepting orders manually whenever they are ready.

This is especially important when:

• The restaurant is temporarily closed.

• The kitchen is overloaded.

• There is a staff shortage.

• The restaurant needs to stop accepting orders for the rest of the day.

Currently, having to extend the pause every two hours is inconvenient and unnecessary.

Please add an option to pause online ordering until manually resumed, without a time limit.

Thank you!

[Manny_SelSq]

@GONZALEZ502 

You can turn off online ordering indefinitely from your Square Dashboard. Just go to Online > Ordering profile and switch off the Ordering toggle. It'll stay off until you manually turn it back on.

[tulanejeff]

Square previously offered a pause until (end of date), (future date), etc.

This was great during the days when we sold out early -- or for a short-term holiday without having to adjust your fulfillment hours via the Dashboard.

It is burdensome to have to go back to pause again when the 2 hour window expires.

I believe they implemented this to ensure there are not unnecessary long-term closures by accident or staff who want to reduce workload.

[GONZALEZ502]

@Manny_SelSq 

@tulanejeff 

Thank you for the suggestions.

I understand that online ordering can be turned off indefinitely through the Square Dashboard. However, this is not the same functionality I am requesting.

The main issue is convenience and accessibility directly from Square POS. Restaurant employees and managers should be able to pause incoming online orders immediately from the POS without having to access the Dashboard or change the restaurant's online ordering settings.

For example, if the kitchen becomes overwhelmed, we run out of food, experience a staff shortage, or need to stop accepting orders for the rest of the day, we need a quick and simple way to pause orders.

The current two-hour limit creates an unnecessary burden because someone must remember to extend the pause every two hours.

I also agree with tulanejeff. The previous option to pause ordering until the end of the day or a selected future date was extremely useful. It would be great to bring that functionality back.

Ideally, Square POS should offer these options:

• Pause for 2 hours.

• Pause until the end of the business day.

• Pause until a selected date and time.

• Pause indefinitely until manually resumed.

Another important improvement would be a clear visual indicator when online ordering is paused.

Platforms such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub display a prominent red status indicator, such as "CLOSED" or "PAUSED," when a restaurant stops accepting orders.

Square should implement something similar directly in the POS, using a highly visible red indicator that says "ONLINE ORDERS PAUSED" or "CLOSED."

This status should remain clearly visible to all employees and managers until online ordering is manually resumed. This would prevent confusion and help ensure that staff immediately know the restaurant is not accepting online orders.

Turning off online ordering through the Dashboard and pausing incoming orders directly from the POS are two different operational needs.

These improvements would give restaurants much better control over online orders, reduce unnecessary steps, and make daily operations easier and more efficient.

I hope Square will consider restoring the previous scheduling options and introducing a permanent pause feature with a clear visual status indicator.