Offline checkout on Shopify POS

Offline checkout lets you accept cash and any custom payment methods that you've set up for manual payments, such as checks or third-party terminals. If you lose your internet connection, then Shopify POS might prompt you to turn on offline checkout. You can also manually turn on offline checkout from your POS device settings if you have the required permissions.

If you want to accept credit and debit card payments when offline, then you need to activate offline payments in your Shopify admin. If you have a POS Terminal Reader, you might still be able to authorize card-present payments in real time using offline checkout. Learn more about Always-on card authorization.

Some Shopify POS features work differently when you're offline. Learn more about Shopify POS offline features compatibility.

Set up staff permissions for offline checkout

Steps:

1. In your Shopify admin, click Settings > Users.

2. Click Roles.

3. Click the POS role that you want to assign permissions to.

4. In the Settings section, activate Switch device to offline checkout.

5. Optional: Activate Approval required to require a manager to enter their PIN before staff can turn on offline checkout.

6. Click Save.

Activate offline checkout

Before you can sell offline, you need to turn on offline checkout from the Shopify POS app. If offline checkout is turned on with manager approval, then the action is recorded in your store activity log. You can review the log in your Shopify admin by going to Settings > Store activity log.

Steps:

1. From Shopify POS, tap the icon.
2. Activate Force offline checkout.
3. If your role requires manager approval, then a manager must enter their PIN to approve turning on offline checkout.

Process cash and manual payments offline

When offline checkout is turned on, you can accept cash and any custom payment methods that you have set up for manual payments that aren't processed by Shopify.

You need to collect either a phone number or an email from your customer when making a sale offline. If you chose to send a receipt by text or email in the Shopify POS cart, then when Shopify POS reconnects to the internet, the customer is sent a receipt automatically.

After you reconnect to the internet, your orders and inventory sync automatically. If they don't sync, then you can manually sync your data.

Steps:

1. From Shopify POS, add items to the cart.
2. If offline checkout isn't turned on automatically, then tap Offline checkout.
3. Enter your customer's information.
4. Complete the payment using cash or a custom payment method.
5. Tap Done.
6. In the Order created screen, select either Email receipt or Text receipt to send a sales receipt to your customer after Shopify POS regains connection to the internet.

When you reconnect to the internet after being offline, your orders and inventory should sync automatically between Shopify POS and your Shopify admin. If your POS and Shopify admin don't sync automatically, then you can manually sync Shopify POS with your Shopify admin.

Deactivate offline checkout

You can turn off offline checkout in one of the following ways:

• From the POS app, tap the icon, and then deactivate Force offline checkout.
• From the cart, tap Go online in the offline checkout banner.

Reconnecting Shopify POS to the internet

After you reconnect to the internet, your orders and inventory sync automatically between Shopify POS and your Shopify admin. If you accepted card payments when offline, then those payments are processed automatically after reconnecting.

Manually sync Shopify POS with your Shopify admin

If your data doesn't sync automatically, then you can force a sync.

Steps:

1. From the Shopify POS app, tap Orders.
2. Swipe the orders list down to refresh it.

Troubleshoot sync issues

If the Shopify POS app still doesn't sync or freezes after refreshing, then restart Shopify POS.

Steps:

1. Press your device's home button twice to display the running applications.
2. Find the Shopify POS window and swipe it upwards to close the app.
3. Press your device's home button again.
4. From the home screen, tap Shopify POS to reopen the app.

Always-on card authorization with POS Terminal

If you activate offline checkout in Shopify POS, then POS Terminal can authorize card-present payments with the payment processor in real time.

Always-on card authorization automatically applies when you meet the following requirements:

• You have activated offline checkout in Shopify POS.
• You use Shopify Payments on your store.
• You use a POS Terminal card reader.
• Your device is connected to the internet and can reach the payment processor to authorize the payment.

To accept credit and debit card payments when your device has no internet connection, or when real-time authorization through the payment processor isn't available, you can activate offline payments in your Shopify admin.