> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.vori.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Offline payments and store outages

> Why offline payments cover an internet outage but not an in-store network problem, and which cards can run offline.

When a lane stops taking card payments during an outage, one question usually explains what is happening: is this an internet outage, or a network problem inside the store? Only one of them is something offline payments can cover.

### Which kind of outage is this?

These two situations look the same at the register, but they are not, and offline payments only help with one of them.

| | The internet is down | The network is down |
| - | - | - |
| **What happened** | Your modem stopped receiving a signal from your internet provider. The equipment inside your store is still healthy. | A piece of in-store network equipment (a switch, router, or cable) that lets the register and terminal talk to each other is off or failing. |
| **What the terminal can do** | The register and payment terminal still communicate normally. | The terminal cannot reach the register or the card processor at all. |
| **Offline payments** | Available. Credit and most debit cards are queued and sent once the internet returns. | Unavailable. There is no path to store a card for later, so nothing goes through. Restore the network first. |

⚠️ **Caution:** Offline payments are not a backup for a broken network. They cover a missing internet signal while your own equipment keeps running. If the hardware that carries a payment from the register to the terminal is down, there is nothing for offline mode to hold onto.

### Which cards can run offline

During an internet outage, offline mode handles standard card payments only.

* **Works offline:** credit cards, and most debit cards.
* **Cannot run offline:** EBT SNAP, EBT Cash, eWIC, and gift cards.

✏️ **Note:** Some banks do not allow their debit cards to process offline. Those cards may decline even when offline mode is working.

### Before you rely on offline payments

* **Turn it on ahead of time.** Offline payments must be enabled and set up on every terminal while the internet is working. You cannot switch it on for the first time during an outage. To get set up, contact Vori Support.
* **The first card may pause.** The system tries to reconnect before it switches to offline mode, so the first transaction can take a moment. This is intentional, and it prevents dropping offline during a brief hiccup.
* **There is a 48 hour window.** Queued cards must reach the processor within 48 hours. Once the internet returns, process them from the **Orders** tab or the End-of-Day workflow.
* **Approval is not guaranteed.** A queued card can still decline after the shopper leaves. Use offline mode only when you need it.
* **Power still matters.** Offline mode covers an internet outage, not a power outage. Your router, modem, and lane equipment all still need power.

For the full walkthrough, see [Process offline payments in Vori POS](https://help.vori.com/point-of-sale-pos/basic-cashier-functions/process-offline-payments-in-vori-pos.md).

### If payments stop during an outage

1. Tap the **gear icon** on the cashier screen and check the **Payment Terminal** and **Internet** connection lights.
2. Restart the POS app from the gear menu.
3. If the lights are still red, power-cycle the lane by turning its Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) off for 10 seconds, then back on. If more than one lane is red, restart your network switch and modem.
4. If the lights are still red after that, stop here and contact Vori Support with your **lane number** and the exact error on screen. Reconfiguring a terminal is handled by Vori Support.

For the full connection checklist, see [Fix your POS payment terminal](https://help.vori.com/hardware-and-integrations/payment-terminals/fix-your-pos-payment-terminal.md).


## Related topics

- [What to Do During an Internet Outage](https://help.vori.com/vori-setup-and-troubleshooting/what-to-do-during-an-internet-outage.md)
- [Finalize Terminal Setup for Offline Payments](https://help.vori.com/point-of-sale-pos/pos-customization-and-setup/how-to-finalize-terminal-setup-for-offline-payments.md)
- [Process Offline Payments in Vori POS](https://help.vori.com/point-of-sale-pos/basic-cashier-functions/process-offline-payments-in-vori-pos.md)