Offline Credit Card Processing: The Complete Guide to Accepting Payments Offline

We rely on internet connections for almost everything. We use it to check out emails, run our small business website, manage bookings, and even take payments. 

In fact, a lot of the modern point of sale systems we use today actually depend on a stable internet connection to work properly. Without it, business owners like yourself, simply cannot serve their customers or process sales. 

The problem is, as a recent study shows 94% of small businesses experience poor internet connections and 91% face complete internet outages on occasion. Even more concerning, one in four businesses have no backup plan for if their internet goes down.

So what would happen to you if that internet connection you depend on so much went down? Would you turn your customers away? Lose out on sales? Apologise for something that’s completely out of your control?

Luckily, there’s a really simple solution to this conundrum. That solution is offline credit card processing, and today, we’re going to walk you through exactly how it works. Let’s get started. 

What is offline credit card processing (and how does it actually work?)

Offline credit card processing is when you accept a card payment without being connected to the internet (via WiFi or 4G network). Instead of processing the payment instantly, your card machine stores the transaction securely and sends it later, when you're back online.

This is often referred to as ‘store and forward credit card processing.’ It means your POS system or your credit card terminal stores the payment details temporarily, then forwards them for approval once your internet connection is restored.

If you’re wondering “What is an offline payment?”, it simply means the payment is accepted without an internet connection at the time. The offline payment meaning is that the payment info is stored locally first, then processed later so you don’t miss any sales.

Here’s what actually happens:

• Your customer taps or inserts their card like normal.
• Your terminal saves the offline transaction, fully encrypted and locked down.
• As soon as you're reconnected, the machine sends the data through for authorisation.
• If it’s approved, the payment goes through like nothing ever happened.

When is offline processing a lifesaver for your business?

If your business ever deals with patchy Wi-Fi, remote locations, or big crowds, going offline can keep things running smoothly. Here are some common scenarios where no internet card processing is essential:

• Mobile businesses: Think food trucks, market stalls, or on-the-go service providers like plumbers and electricians. These setups often use mobile credit card processing offline when Wi-Fi isn’t guaranteed. You can use a mobile device like a tablet POS system here.
• Festivals, fairs, and pop-up events: Artists, crafters, or indie brands working outdoor events or temporary setups can’t always rely on strong internet connectivity. Offline mode lets them keep taking payments without a hitch.
• Stadium and event vendors: At large venues with overloaded networks, even strong connections can drop. Vendors use offline transactions to keep the queue moving and the sales flowing.
• Shops or restaurants during a network issue: A credit card processing outage can happen at any time. With offline mode, you won’t need to turn away customers or delay service while you wait for the internet to come back.

The numbers speak for themselves. Offline payments made with Epos Now process up to seven times faster, help you avoid missing sales, and support 99.9% uptime, keeping your business operating even when the internet isn’t.

How to accept offline credit card transactions

Let’s get to the heart of it, how you actually accept offline payments. It’s easier than you might think. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to get you started:

Choose your tools

The first step is having the right equipment. You need two things:

1. A POS app (that’s the software you use to manage sales, like EposNow POS offline mode).
2. A card reader (the device customers use to pay with their card, an offline card payment machine).

However, it’s important to note that not all POS systems and card readers work offline. Some credit card machines need internet constantly to approve payments right away. So, before you buy or sign up, make sure your tools specifically say they support offline mode and offline credit card processing.

2. Enable the feature

Once you have the right tools in your tech stack, you usually just need to enable offline mode.

This is oftentimes just a simple setting inside your POS.

It might say “enable offline processing” or something similar.

Once that’s turned on, your device is smart enough to detect when the internet is down. When that happens, it will automatically save payments for you to process later. You don’t have to do anything extra.

3. Take the payment

When a customer is ready to pay, just use your card reader like you usually would. They can tap, swipe, or insert their card and your device will capture all that payment information securely. 

Even if you’re not connected to the internet, the transaction is stored safely. That way, you don’t lose the sale. The customer gets served, and you get paid.

4. Sync your device

This last step is very important. Once you have internet access again, you need to connect your device and sync it. Syncing means your device sends all the saved transactions to your payment processor for approval.

The critical risks of offline payments (and how to prevent them)

Offline payments are great when the internet goes down, but there are some important risks of offline credit card processing you should know about.

Risk: The card gets declined later

When you process an offline credit card transaction, the payment isn’t approved right away. Sometimes, when your device finally connects and sends the transaction for offline credit card transaction approval, the card can be declined. This can happen if the card has insufficient funds or other issues.

Prevention: Set a maximum dollar limit for offline transactions to reduce your exposure. At Epos Now, our transaction limit is set by default, your account is set up with the following limits:

• Maximum transaction amount: £20 per purchase
• Maximum offline transactions stored: 10 transactions

Risk: The card is expired or fake

You can’t always verify the card fully without online checks.

Prevention: Always check the card’s expiration date and look for signs it might be fake before accepting payment.

Risk: Card offline by vendor error

Sometimes, you might see a message like “card offline by vendor.” This means the payment terminal has held the transaction without approval due to a communication error or security flag. It’s basically the system putting the transaction on hold.

Prevention: If this happens, make sure to sync your device as soon as possible so the transaction can be sent for approval.

Is offline processing secure? (PCI compliance explained)

It’s normal to wonder if offline processing is safe. After all, you’re handling sensitive card details. The good news is that modern payment systems are built with security in mind.

With secure offline payments, your customer’s card data is protected through end-to-end encryption. This means the information is scrambled the moment it’s captured and stays that way while stored on the device. At no point is the card data stored as readable text on your terminal.

This strong encryption is a key part of PCI compliance that offline payments must follow. PCI (Payment Card Industry) standards require businesses to handle card data securely, whether online payments or offline. Meeting these standards means your offline payments meet the same safety requirements as online ones, keeping your customers’ card information safe.

So yes, offline processing can be just as secure as online, thanks to encryption and strict PCI compliance offline credit card payments rules, you’re protected every step of the way.

Final Thoughts

That’s it from us. Offline payment methods might sound a bit technical, but they’re real lifesavers when the internet’s acting up. Just remember the key tips to stay on top of things and you’ll keep your business running smoothly no matter what.