We have been following the news of the devastating fires in Hawai’i and we hope everyone there is safe and well. All of us at Square are thinking of you and your community amid the wildfires.
Below, we are sharing support resources for local businesses. We’re also sharing some steps to help you to manage your Square account if you have had to close your business and some alternative ways to accept payments if your business is still operating.
Staying Informed
Stay informed online by following government agencies who frequently share updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms.
Square Resources
Accept Payments without Internet Access or Power
- Offline Mode: If you’re still able to safely operate your business but are without a stable internet connection, you can still take payments in Offline Mode. *You can enable Offline Mode in your Square app settings.**Offline payments are processed automatically when your device regains connectivity, but please note, offline payments will expire if not processed within 24 hours. More information here.
- Power: The Contactless and Chip Reader, Square Stand, and Square Terminal can all last a business day without needing to be connected to a power source. Ensure you're getting the most out of your battery life by following these best practices: Charging and Battery Questions.
- Accessories: Depending on your accessory setup, the cash drawer, printer, and bar code scanner may not work during a power outage. As a backup, you can send Digital Receipts to customers. You may also want to keep your cash drawer key handy or share it with an employee in case they need to make change. If you need a replacement key, locate the key code on the lock of your cash drawer then contact the manufacturer: APG or StarMicronics.
If your hardware has been damaged by the fires, you can contact support to receive a discount on a replacement device.
Accept online payments without POS
If you’re unable to accept payments with your point of sale device, here are some alternatives:
Learn more about methods for touch-free and remote payments.
Managing Your Square Account if Your Business is Closed
- Temporarily pause your subscriptions: If you need time to reopen your business, you can temporarily pause some of your software subscriptions like Square Marketing or Square Loyalty until your business is operational again. Learn more here.
- Square Loans minimum payment delay and hold rate relief: If you have an active loan and anticipate needing additional time to make your next minimum payment, we may be able to extend your due date by up to 30 days. For businesses that are still operating but need some additional support, we also may be able to temporarily reduce the repayment rate that is applied to your business' daily card sales through Square for the repayment of your Square Loan by up to 31 days. To take advantage of either of these offers please reach out directly here.
- Pause active Square Marketing campaigns:You can easily cancel any automated marketing campaigns and blast campaigns with a coupon. Learn more here.
- Contact Square Support for additional help: If you have additional questions or need support as your business gets back online, please reach out to us here. Resources, support, and advice from other sellers is also available through the Seller Community.
*Offline Mode for tap, dip, and swipe transactions is available on Square Terminal. Offline Mode for swipe transactions is available for Square Reader for contactless and chip, Square Stand, and Square Register.
**By enabling Offline Mode, you’re responsible for any expired, declined, or disputed payments accepted while offline. To set a limit for card transactions taken offline, enter an amount next to Per Transaction Limit. This limit automatically defaults to $100 when Offline Mode is enabled and the maximum per transaction limit is $50,000.
