How Essential POS Point-of-Sale Systems Work Offline

by POSable Support Team | January 5, 2026 2:29 pm

Yes. POSable keeps working when your internet connection drops. Your Android tablet or Windows till switches into offline mode automatically, so staff can keep signing in, taking sales, printing receipts and sending kitchen tickets. Everything is saved on the device and syncs to your dashboard automatically as soon as the connection returns. There’s nothing to switch on and nothing to plan in advance.

Why offline mode matters

• No lost sales during outages. Broadband drops, mobile signal black spots and busy Wi-Fi at events won’t stop you trading.
• Ideal for markets, festivals and food trucks. Trade where connectivity is patchy and let POSable catch up later.
• No manual catch-up. Sales, refunds and till floats upload automatically when you’re back online.
  

How offline mode works

1. POSable constantly checks the device’s connection, whether it’s Wi-Fi, mobile data or wired Ethernet.
2. If the connection drops, the till switches to offline mode and shows: “Offline: POSable is functioning in offline mode.”
3. Sales, refunds, till floats and staff sessions are saved securely on the device.
4. When the connection returns, POSable automatically uploads everything it saved and downloads any product, price or settings changes made in the dashboard.
5. The status bar confirms the sync, for example “Sales uploaded.”

What you can do offline

Feature	Offline?	Notes
Staff sign-in with PIN	Yes	For up to 5 days after the device last synced
Cash sales	Yes	Uploaded automatically when you reconnect
Card sales	Depends on provider	See “Card payments offline” below
Split payments (cash and card)	Yes, for the cash part	The card part follows your card provider’s rules
Printing receipts	Yes	USB and Bluetooth printers are connected directly to the till
Kitchen tickets	Yes	Printed on your local kitchen printer
Holding and recalling orders	Yes	Always available
Cash refunds	Yes	Saved and synced when you reconnect
Card refunds	No	Need a connection to your card provider
Till floats	Yes	Saved and synced when you reconnect
Loyalty: look up a customer and redeem points	Yes	For customers previously scanned on that till
Loyalty: apply offers	No	Offers are checked live so they can’t be used twice
Product and price changes from the dashboard	After reconnecting	Downloaded on the next sync
Live sales and reports in the dashboard	After reconnecting	Updated when the till uploads its sales
Allergen Information	Yes	Products hold the allergen information so is always available.

Card payments offline

Card payments always need the card terminal to reach your bank to be authorised. What happens offline depends on your provider:

• myPOS: the terminal connects directly to the till and uses its own mobile data or Wi-Fi connection to authorise payments. If the till’s internet drops but the terminal still has signal, you can keep taking card payments.
• Dojo, Teya and Gravity: the till sends payments to the terminal through the provider’s online service, so the till needs an internet connection to take card payments.

Tip: a 4G backup router or a mobile hotspot keeps card payments running during a broadband outage.

Offline sign-in: the 5-day limit

Staff can sign in with their usual PIN while offline for up to 5 days after the device last synced with POSable. This protects your account if a device is lost or stolen. After 5 days offline, the till shows:

“Offline sign-in has expired. Connect to the internet and sign in again.”

Connecting to the internet once resets the 5 days. A brand-new or replacement device must be online the first time you sign in so it can download your products, settings and staff.

Status messages you might see

Message	What it means
Offline: POSable is functioning in offline mode.	No connection. Keep trading as normal.
Syncing…	POSable is uploading and downloading data.
Sales uploaded.	Offline sales have reached your dashboard.
Sales sync failed. POSable has stored the sale and will sync when it reconnects.	The sale is safe on the device and will upload automatically.
Refund saved. POSable will sync when it reconnects.	A refund was recorded offline.
Till float saved. POSable will sync when it reconnects.	A till float was recorded offline.
Catalog updated.	New products, prices or settings have been downloaded.
Offline sign-in has expired. Connect to the internet and sign in again.	The device has been offline for more than 5 days.

The Shop Floor app works offline too

In the Shop Floor stock app, stock adjustments and counts made without signal are queued on the phone or tablet. They’re sent automatically when the connection returns, which helps in stockrooms and cellars with poor signal.

Best practice when working offline

• Reconnect before closing. If you’ve traded offline, get back online and tap Sync Data so all sales reach your dashboard before you cash up.
• Don’t leave sales on the device for long. Offline sales are stored only on that device until they upload. If the device is damaged before it reconnects, those sales can’t be recovered.
• Check Last seen in App Devices to confirm each till has synced recently.
• Have a backup connection, such as a 4G router or mobile hotspot, especially if you take card payments through Dojo, Teya or Gravity.

Frequently asked questions

Does POSable work without internet?

Yes. Tills switch to offline mode automatically and keep taking sales, printing receipts and signing staff in.

Can I take card payments offline with POSable?

With myPOS, yes, as long as the terminal has its own signal. Dojo, Teya and Gravity need the till to be online.

Will I lose sales taken offline?

No. They’re stored on the device and upload automatically when you reconnect. Reconnect as soon as you can so they’re backed up in the cloud.

How long can POSable stay offline?

Staff can sign in offline for up to 5 days after the device last synced. Connect once to reset it.

Do product and price changes reach the till while it’s offline?

They download automatically the next time the till connects.

Can I use loyalty offline?

You can look up customers previously scanned on that till and redeem their points. Applying offers needs a connection.

Does a new POSable device need internet?

Yes. A new or replacement device needs to be online the first time you sign in.

Related Guides

• What if my tablet breaks?[1] (unsynced offline sales)
• Kitchen printing[2]
• What hardware do I need?[3] (myPOS 4G SIM, Dojo Go Max, Teya Pro and related equipment)
• Are there any transaction fees?[4]

Source URL: https://posable.co.uk/posable-docs/does-posable-work-offline/

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