Payment Processing Trouble when Offline

[VailDaily]

Hello!

We use Square for card payments at our local farmers market every Sunday, and have faced issues each week. Initially, we thought we had solved the problem of the app not processing our payments by "re-logging in" after it seemed as though the app updated. However, a new problem fronted when making a sale. I was able to complete all the steps necessary until it came to charging the customer (which is the farthest I have gotten since fixing the original issue). When a card was swiped, a red notification came up that the system was having trouble and to contact support. This is the first time I have seen this alert. It wasn’t an issue with the transaction process, but the system/app itself. I tested the WIFI as well as the reader connectivity and the notification did not budge. I also tried using the “offline payments” option in settings, but that didn’t work either. What is strange is that if it was truly a network issue, I feel as though it would have displayed earlier in the transaction process, as it has in the past. I have searched the posts and have yet to see one detailing the same issue. 

If you have any suggestions, please let us know!

Thank you!

[Sammie_C]

Hi @VailDaily, thank you for your post!

I am sorry to hear you have been dealing this, I can imagine it is a bit frustrating.

I have a few questions on this:

1. Do you by chance have the exact message that populates? Or if you have a screenshot, that would be super helpful.
2. As well as, did this happen for every transaction, or was it intermittent? 
3. What device are you using?

Once I know this information, I can definitely look into this further.

[VailDaily]

Thank you for the reply, I hope we can work to get this issue resolved!

I do not have the exact message nor a screenshot, but it was a red box that filled the screen with a "!" icon that detailed something along the lines of "Square can not process your request at this point, please contact support". I tried to work past this notification in various ways, but it would not let me proceed past the transaction point in the sales process. After this, I gave up using the Square for the day and resorted to other, less convenient sale methods, as we have faced other issues in past weeks and did not want to hold up our sales any longer. We are running on an iPad OS 18.5 with the Magstripe Reader. 

I know the internet connection that day was weak, but connected. I tried switching the device into offline mode, but the notification continued to block the transaction process. Our device has worked before in the same location, so I am unsure if the network connection has anything to do with this new problem. 

[Sammie_C · Accepted solution]

I understand, @VailDaily. Thank you for those details!

Could you try these few troubleshooting steps and see if this fixes the issue?:

1. Unplug your Square Reader for magstripe from your mobile device and plug it back in.

2. Temporarily disable Bluetooth on your mobile device:

   • Open the Settings app on your device.

   • Tap Bluetooth and toggle it OFF then back ON.

3. When plugging the reader into your Apple device, you may be asked to identify the reader by choosing either Headphones or Other device.

   • Select Headphones to allow the reader to connect.

   • If you selected Other device, unplug the reader from your device and navigate to your iOS Settings app and tap Sounds > Headphone Safety > USB Audio Accessories > Forget All USB Audio Accessories.

   • Navigate back to the Square POS app and plug your reader into your mobile device.

   • When you see the pop-up again, select Headphones.

4. Delete and reinstall the Square POS app on your device. See Apple support or Google support for instructions.

As well as, could you try these few steps:

1. Open your Square POS app.

2. Tap ≡ More > Settings > Checkout.

3. Tap Swipe chip cards and toggle ON Swipe Chip Cards.

4. Review the liability warning and tap Allow Chip Cards to Be Swiped.

Please give these steps a try and hopefully this can resolve your issue. If not, please let me know and I can take another look for you!

[Libertyheavy1]

Subject presumes, that a data signal is available. I’ve collected the customer’s card information and signature on an invoice.