---
title: "Offline Payments on Your SpotOn A800"
canonical: "https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/4658331708/Offline%20Payments%20on%20Your%20SpotOn%20A800"
format: markdown
---
Offline payments help you keep accepting card payments during short internet outages, temporarily storing payments until a secure internet connection is restored. This article explains how Offline Mode works, when to use it, and what to expect.

> Macro (toc)

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## What Are Offline Payments?

Offline payments allow your SpotOn A800 terminal to temporarily store card transactions when your internet connection is unavailable.

Once your internet connection is restored, the terminal automatically sends those stored payments for processing.

![image (7).png](media://ecbbc652-669b-49b7-a99a-3d5ddff0d5cb)

> ℹ️ Offline payments are designed as a backup for short outages, not as a replacement for being online.


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## When Offline Payments Happen

Offline payments may occur during:

- Brief internet interruptions
- Router or modem restarts
- Temporary service outages

If your terminal loses connection, it will automatically switch to Offline Mode.

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## How Offline Payments Work

Once the terminal reconnects, stored payments are automatically sent for processing.

> ⚠️ Offline payments may still be declined later when they are processed online.

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## What Works Differently Offline

While in Offline Mode, the terminal cannot:

- Check if a card has sufficient funds
- Confirm card validity
- Receive immediate approval or decline responses

Because of this, offline payments carry more risk than online payments.

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## Offline Payment Limits

> ℹ️ Offline limits help reduce risk while you’re offline. Because payments can’t be authorized in real time, limits help prevent large losses if a transaction is later declined or can’t be processed once the terminal is back online and syncs.

If a limit is reached, new offline payments will be declined until the device gets back online, transactions sync, and the batch is closed.

Need help setting these limits? Check out this article: [Enable Offline Payments on Your SpotOn A800](https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/3189932037/Settings+%7C+SpotOn+Lite#Offline-Mode)

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## What *Not* to Do While Offline

To avoid losing offline payments, do *not*:

![offline .png](media://1245625a-9e98-4004-982c-7b89c3c2444b)

- Turn off the terminal
- Let the battery die
- Uninstall or close the SpotOn app
- Reset or clear data on the device

> ⚠️ If the terminal powers off before reconnecting, stored offline payments cannot be recovered.

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## Features Not Available Offline

Some features work differently or are unavailable while offline:

- PIN Debit is not available. The card MUST be processed as a credit.
- Reporting does not update
- Surcharging is not supported
- Final payment status is delayed

All features return to normal after the terminal reconnects and syncs.

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## Best Practices for Using Offline Payments

To reduce risk:

- Restore your internet connection as soon as possible
- Keep the terminal powered on and plugged in
- Allow time for payments to sync after reconnecting

> 📝 Short offline periods reduce the chance of declined or unpaid transactions.

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## Frequently Asked Questions

***Will I get paid for offline payments?***  
Yes. As long as the terminal reconnects and the payments are successfully processed, you will receive funds. Payments are not guaranteed until they are submitted online.

***Can I stay in Offline Mode all day?***  
Offline Mode is intended for short outages only. Staying offline longer increases the risk of declined or unpaid transactions.

***Do customers still get receipts?***  
Yes. Receipts are available at the terminal, but final payment confirmation happens after reconnection.

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## Make Sure Offline Payments Are Enabled

Offline payments only work if Offline Mode is enabled on your terminal ahead of time.

We recommend confirming this setting during setup, *before* an internet issue occurs.

> 📝 Offline Mode cannot be enabled while the terminal is already offline.

You can review or update this setting in your terminal settings.

[Enable Offline Payments on Your SpotOn A800](https://help.spoton.com/space/SK/3189932037/Settings+%7C+SpotOn+Lite#Offline-Mode)