Hurricane Idalia: Resources to Support Your Business

[Hailey]

Today, Hurricane Idalia made landfall in Florida and has affected many people across the state. Our thoughts go out to everyone who is affected; we hope you are safe and well.

In this post, you’ll find support resources for local businesses during these challenging times. We’re also sharing some steps to help you manage your Square account if you have had to close your business, as well as alternative ways to accept payments if your business is still operating.

 

Staying Informed

Stay informed on Hurricane Idalia updates by following government agencies who frequently share updates on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms. 

• FEMA www.fema.gov, www.facebook.com/FEMA, twitter.com/fema, offers immediate support and funding to communities following a disaster.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance offers low-interest loans to business owners and homeowners who have been impacted by declared disasters. 

 

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.1 You can enable Offline Mode in your Square app settings.2 Offline payments are processed automatically when your device regains connectivity, but please note, offline payments will expire if not processed within 72 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 is damaged during the storm, 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:

• Create Online Checkout links to sell online.
• Use Square Invoices to accept card payments by email or by SMS.
• Use Virtual Terminal to take payments from a computer or laptop. 
• Accept donations with Square Online and offer eGift Cards so that your customers can support your business.

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.

Keep your Square account safe: Be careful when an email asks you for personal information. If you receive an email or text message from Square Account Services requesting information, please securely sign in to your Dashboard (https://squareup.com) or use your Square app to respond. We will never ask you for your Square account password or tell you to sign in to a site other than https://squareup.com.

Enhanced activity monitoring: We’re always monitoring your account activity to proactively protect your business, and we’ve temporarily updated our processes for businesses affected by Hurricane Idalia.

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. 

💛 Currently, we don't have a list of organizations that are accepting donations for hurricane relief. However, we will make sure to update this post as soon as we gather that information.

* 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.