How can I collect offline credit card payments

[DAG]

I have the system on Offline mode. I was told to swipe cards to process offline payments but it doesn't work, it tells the customer to insert the chip.  How can I collect credit card payments in offline mode when my internet goes down? 

I am using Square for Retail & the Square register. 

[Lovewell]

We have the Square register and on occasion it will glitch into offline mode. When that happens I have never had an issue with someone swiping their card. 
You could try going into settings and toggling your network setting off, then back on and see if it will reconnect to the network. That has worked for us. 

The other thing we have done is use a chip reader connected to the square POS app on one of our phones and ring customers through that way. 

Lastly, you are still able to enter a customers card information in manually and that has worked every time we have had to do it. (Which has not been very many times thankfully)

hope this helps you!!!! 

[DAG]

Hi, thanks for your reply but I want it to be in offline mode. My internet went down and it's supposed to kick in and accept credit card payments while not connected to the internet. I was told that when in offline mode, customers have to swipe their card and the payment will go through. But it doesn't. They swipe and it tells them to insert the chip.  Once the internet came back I was connected back to my network and everything worked fine. 3 times now the internet has gone down and swiping the card hasn't worked any of the times so the being connected and then not connected and then connected again doesn't seem to help either. 

I can't enter it manually b/c it requires the internet to be processed when you do that. 

I can do it through the app but it's a tedious process to type in each item, search to find the right one, etc when normally we just scan everything. And then I'm the only person able to ring with my phone. That will be very difficult when tourist season is in full swing so I'm trying to get it figured out to work the way it's supposed to before the internet goes down again. 

Thanks!

[Lovewell]

That does sound frustrating! I thought I got an email about Square updating to allow chip and tap payments in offline mode. I will see if I can find that thread. It may only be for square terminal not square register. So I will take a look.

If you haven't already I would recommend filing a bug through the seller community so hopefully the right team member can see this and get it resolved for you!

[DAG]

Thank you so much for continuing to try to find ways to help! I really appreciate it. I will look into filing a bug. I'm not sure where to do that but I'll search around. Homeprogreen did respond and I had tried their suggestion already but did not have success connecting to a hotspot. 

Fingers crossed I can figure this out before the next time the internet goes down! 

Thanks again. 

[Lovewell]

@isabelle 

Hey Olive! Do you know who we could tag to see this and help out @DAG 

[isabelle]

@homeprogreen uses a Square Register and Square for Retail ⭐️

[homeprogreen]

Next time it happens try having them insert the chip card anyway. It’s going to say that chip can’t be read. Unfortunately it’s going to take them making 3 attempts before it will allow a chip card to be swiped. The other thing you can do is set up a hotspot with your phone or an internet enabled tablet then connect the Register to the hotspot when your internet goes down. If you set it up once before hand then the register will remember the connection and it’s very quick to switch over so you’re down less then a minute 

[DAG]

Hi Homeprogreen,

Thanks for your response. We did try the chip but I don't think we tried it 3 times. I also did try to connect the register to the hotspot on my phone but it wouldn't let me connect it. It also wouldn't let me connect to the open xfinity (internet company) hotspot so I thought maybe it wouldn't allow it because it was an "open" network. I was able to click on my store network and it went to the next step to ask for password. But of course since the internet was down, I didn't want to connect to my store network. But it wouldn't let me select any of the other available networks like my phone hotspot. 

Have you had credit cards work in offline mode? When I most recently called Square they told me the banks weren't allowing the swiping for chip cards so the only cards that would work offline were those that had no chip. This doesn't make sense to me since 99% of cards have chips now so Square saying they allow offline credit card payments for 1% of cards would hardly be something to promote. I have a very difficult time getting past the first level of help to find anyone who really knows anything. And every time I tell them I'm using a register and Square for retail and they tell me to select X and my screen doesn't have it. It's been extremely frustrating. 

Thank you! 

[homeprogreen]

Make sure your phone is configured to broadcast a Wifi hotspot and not a Bluetooth hotspot. From the register search for available networks and connect to the phone wifi hotspot just like you would to a new network. I know it works because my register does it. I haven’t had to take cards in offline mode because I have both a Verizon jetpack and my ATT phone hotspot setup as networks on the register. If the internet goes down I very quickly fire 1 of them up and in less then a minute I am back in business 

[DAG]

My phone hotspot is wifi but even though the register sees it, it won't allow me to connect to it. What Verizon jetpack do you have? I went to Verizon today to look into jetpacks but they weren't very helpful. It'll be worth it to know I can connect and not rely on the Square offline mode. 

Thanks! 

[homeprogreen · Accepted solution]

The one that I have is the Verizon Jetpack model MiFi 8800L. My square register definitely connects to it. Unfortunately I am in California so we have to endure PGE shutting the power off for days at a time during fire season. I fire up lanterns in the shop, fire up the jetpack and keep selling 

[DAG]

Thanks! That's the one I was looking at a little earlier. So helpful to know it's what you use and works for you. I appreciate it. 

Really appreciate your help. 

[homeprogreen]

You’re welcome, glad I was able to help