Short answer
If your POS goes down during service: keep taking orders (offline mode or paper), work out what failed (internet, power, a device, printer or card terminal), switch to a backup connection such as a phone hotspot, and once things are back, check that every offline sale has synced and every paper ticket has been entered.
The 60-second check
- Is it the internet? Check whether other devices can load a website. If not, it's the connection.
- Is it one device or all of them? If one tablet has frozen, restart it and keep going on another.
- Is it the printer? If orders are reaching the kitchen screen but not printing, the POS is fine; check paper, power and the printer's connection.
- Is it the card terminal? If the POS works but cards are declining, the terminal or its connection is the problem.
- Is it the power? If the router and printers are dead but tablets still work, run on battery.
If it's the internet
- With offline mode (like EvronDesk): carry on. You'll see an "Offline" banner and a count of sales waiting to sync. Online orders and delivery apps pause, so let those platforms know if the outage lasts.
- Turn on a hotspot from a phone, or switch on your backup 4G/5G router. Connect the main register and kitchen screen first.
- Restart the router once, and only once. Then call your provider.
If the POS stops completely
Switch to paper immediately:
- Number every ticket and write the table, items and time.
- Keep the kitchen's copy and the server's copy.
- Take payments by card on the terminal (if it has its own connection) or cash, and write the amount on the ticket.
- When the POS is back, enter every ticket and its payment, then check the totals.
If it's the card terminal
Many terminals have their own SIM or an offline mode for small amounts. If they don't, take cash, offer a bank transfer or wallet payment, or as a last resort take details to collect later. Never write down full card numbers.
After the outage
- Check that the offline outbox has emptied on every device
- Enter any paper tickets
- Compare the day's totals with your card terminal batch and cash count
- Note what failed and fix it before next service
Prepare so it never stops service again
| Risk | Preparation |
|---|---|
| Broadband outage | A POS with real offline mode, plus a phone hotspot or 4G/5G backup router |
| Power cut | Tablets and laptops with batteries; router on a UPS |
| Device failure | A charged spare tablet with the POS installed |
| Printer failure | Kitchen screens as primary, printer as backup (or the other way round) |
| Card terminal outage | A terminal with its own SIM, and a wallet or transfer option |
| Nobody knows what to do | Print this checklist and stick it by the main terminal |
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first when my POS goes down?
Find out what actually failed: the internet, the power, one device, the printer or the card terminal. If you have a POS with offline mode, keep taking orders while you check. Otherwise switch to your paper backup straight away and keep every ticket.
Can I run my POS on a mobile hotspot?
Yes. A phone hotspot or 4G/5G router keeps a cloud POS online during a broadband outage. Restaurant POS data use is low, so a modest data plan is usually enough for a service.
What happens to orders taken offline?
With EvronDesk, they're stored on the device and sent automatically, in order, when the connection returns. Duplicates are detected so nothing is counted twice.