All transactions listed as awaiting capture until several days later, when they used to go instantly

[CCDistillery]

So we recently started having this issue where transactions will stay in limbo for two days before going through. Prior to this on square retail sales went through immediately and the report reflected that. Now checks won't close for until several days later, affecting our view of reports. When you view the transactions, it shows all as "awaiting capture." Struggling to figure out why this has happened and would like to return to the prior format when transactions go through instantly.

Appreciate any help or advice!

[TheRealChipA]

Hi @CCDistillery.  I’m guessing that you recently upgraded to a Square Restaurants subscription.  This is a “side effect” of that that is easily fixed, thankfully.    Here’s what’s going on.  

Square for Restaurants allows you to reopen checks without losing the payment method.  Unfortunately, this has the unadvertised side effect of delaying the posting of payments until they are settled — either manually of by default.  It sounds like you are not running the close of day function on your POS at night, so what is happening is that your transactions aren’t settling for 36 hours, I believe — or maybe 48.  

You have two choices here.

Choice 1 - Each night after you close, from your Restaurants POS select “Run Close of Day” and go through the process.  This will transfer those transactions to your balance.

Choice 2 -  Go to your Online Dashboard >  Device Management > Service Settings > Reopen Checks.  You’ll find the the “default” reopen method is to “reopen and keep payment method.”  Change it to “reopen and remove payment method.”  Then, click the Save button.  Now, all transactions once closed will immediately show up in your balance.  The one drawback to this is that if you do need to reopen a check, you’ll lose the payment information and have to get it from the customer again.  Most of us don’t need this, I don’t think, and it baffles me that Square engineers consider this the “default” setting.

I use Option 2, and always have.  Once I close a check I have never had a need to reopen it.  Hopefully this fixes your problem.