How does square work at outdoor farmers markets with no access to wifi?

[#1]

Yes, if you have a celluar connection. I use Verizon Wireless with our iPad for Square Register.

[HeyItsMuff · Accepted solution]

Without wifi your options are to use a data enabled device, the easiest being a phone running IOS or Android(?) (Kindle is not compatible). Or, you can use Square in Offline Mode. The Register app says, "Accept swiped card payment when your internet service is temorparily unavailable."  To turn on Offline Mode in the app, touch the menu bar in the upper left screen. Choose Settings and there you will find the option to turn on Offline Mode.

If you are using a wifi enabled device that does not have a data plan and you are frequently going to sell at venues without wifi, you might invest in a mobile hotspot.  On average you can get one for $200 with no contract (90 bucks at the PX if you are military) or $50 with a 2 year contract. 3gb a month will cost $30 and 5gb $50.

Another alternative is if you have home internet service, many come with wifi in the package and you just enable that company on your mobile devices and as you tootle around town you can pick their wifi in the mutliple businesses and households that use that service.  If your market is way out in the country and not near any hotspots it wont work.

[Ron]

Yes, if you have a celluar connection. I use Verizon Wireless with our iPad for Square Register.

[HeyItsMuff · Accepted solution]

Without wifi your options are to use a data enabled device, the easiest being a phone running IOS or Android(?) (Kindle is not compatible). Or, you can use Square in Offline Mode. The Register app says, "Accept swiped card payment when your internet service is temorparily unavailable."  To turn on Offline Mode in the app, touch the menu bar in the upper left screen. Choose Settings and there you will find the option to turn on Offline Mode.

If you are using a wifi enabled device that does not have a data plan and you are frequently going to sell at venues without wifi, you might invest in a mobile hotspot.  On average you can get one for $200 with no contract (90 bucks at the PX if you are military) or $50 with a 2 year contract. 3gb a month will cost $30 and 5gb $50.

Another alternative is if you have home internet service, many come with wifi in the package and you just enable that company on your mobile devices and as you tootle around town you can pick their wifi in the mutliple businesses and households that use that service.  If your market is way out in the country and not near any hotspots it wont work.

[George]

Don't have much more to add, @Supersales. @HeyItsMuff is right on!

And, yes, most iOS and Android devices are compatible. (See http://square.com/compatibility)

If you collect payment in Offline Mode, just remember you'll need to return to somewhere with Internet within 72 hours to process your payments. You can read more details here.

[COLESCOMICS]

THANKS

[MAXSDELI · Accepted solution]

Remember, when swiping in offline mode you run the risk of a sale being declined once you connect to wifi, you are responsible for the loss at that point, not Square.

If you are a merchant that sells larger ticket items such as Art or Jewelry at outdoor events or festivals, it'd be wise to do so with a connected device, you wouldn't want to sell a $300 piece only to find that the card has been declined when you connect to wifi later that evening.

[George]

Absolutely, thanks for chiming in, @MAXSDELI. Being connected to Internet while running transactions is optimal. We don't want sellers to be on the hook unnecessarily.

[COLESCOMICS]

THANKS

[Jankat]

So, please tell me if I'm wrong.  I'll be selling at a venue with no wifi- I have an iphone that I can turn on my personal hotspot.  Is this the best way?  I don't know how to use square in the offline manner suggested.

Thanks!

[Sean]

@Jankat - That should do the trick! It might be worth testing out offline mode, just in case. I know that sometimes cell reception can be spotty in areas with tons of people (and tons of phones). You can check out those details here. 

[Jankat]

Thanks Sean!

[cbenson]

If you have a location with 2 Square stands (1 with LTE/cellular) and the Internet goes down, will CC processing work on the non-LTE Square stand (with wifi obviously working).  My guess would be no, but I am curious...

[kellyj]

@cbenson

If you have one stand with WiFi and the other that does not, the one that does not has the option to take payments in Offline Mode. 

Offline mode gives you the option to swipe your payments (Contactless and Chip reader needs WiFi in order to connect to your stand), and when the WiFi access comes back up, it will run your payments.

It is important to know that you will not have real time authorizations for these transactions. All payments will process when connectivity is restored.

[cbenson]

Not exactly my question, but thanks for the answer nonetheless!

I'm talking about a situation where you have LTE/Cell in one stand (using it as a backup if "regular" Internet goes down).  In this situation wifi is working on all Stands.  Basically I'm asking if the non-cellular Stand uses the other stands Internet connectivity (through LTE/Cellular) to authorize in real time.

[kellyj]

@cbenson

Sorry to misunderstand here- your data package, should in most cases - be able to sustain the stand with the data enabled.

The other would not be able to tether to it unless you have an active data plan with a hotspot option. In that case, you can use the hotspot functionality to tether the other stand.