Hardware and devices
Keep taking orders when the internet wobbles
Orders are saved on the device first and sent when the connection returns. Payments need a connection, and the till says so.
Updated
What you get
Saved on the device first
Every action writes to a local queue and the screen never waits for the network, so a tap is never lost to a bad signal.
Sent in order
Queued changes are sent when the connection returns, in order, with a key that stops an order being created twice.
Honest about money
Offline, the till shows that payments need a connection and that nothing was charged. Offline card acceptance is not switched on.
Visible in reports
Reports show how many orders are queued offline and how many are at risk, so nothing waits unseen.
Failed changes stay in view
A change that cannot be sent is shown to a person, never dropped silently.
On this page
What it does
A restaurant cannot stop service because the internet dropped for ten minutes. The DineHarbor till, waiter app and other staff apps are built around that: every change is written on the device first, in a durable queue, and then sent. The screen reads only local data, so the network never blocks a tap.
How it works
- A waiter or cashier takes an order. The app saves it on the device and adds it to the outbox in the same step.
- If the connection is fine, the outbox sends it at once.
- If it is not, the order waits in the queue. The app keeps working.
- When the connection returns, queued changes are sent in order. Each carries a key, so a retry never makes a second order.
- If a change is refused, for example because the record is gone, it is shown to a person instead of vanishing.
What does not work offline
Taking a payment needs a connection. The till shows that payments need one and that nothing was charged. Offline card acceptance exists only as groundwork behind a platform switch and a per restaurant opt in, and it is off, so do not count on it. The kitchen screen needs its own connection to receive orders.
Planning for an outage
A queue is a safety net, not a plan. Keep a second connection ready, such as a phone hotspot, so the till can send its queue and take card payments quickly. Print kitchen tickets on a printer as a backup if the kitchen screen is essential to your service.
Checking it afterwards
Reports include how many orders are queued offline and how many are at risk, and payments that are not yet reconciled. Nothing waits where nobody can see it.
What it replaces
It replaces the sinking feeling when a cloud till shows a spinner at the busiest moment. See POS and card readers for payments.
Questions and answers
Can I take card payments offline?
No. Card payments need a connection, and the till says so. Offline card acceptance is built as a schema but is switched off, and there is no replay queue for it.
Will orders reach the kitchen offline?
Orders are queued on the device and sent when it reconnects. The kitchen screen needs a connection to show them.
Can an order be created twice when the signal returns?
No. Each order carries a unique local id and each write an idempotency key, so a retry does not create a second order.
What do I do during a long outage?
Keep a paper process for payments, then enter them when you are back online. Plan for a backup connection such as a phone hotspot.
Related features
- Restaurant POS SystemA fast till for restaurants on tablets: search first ordering, card payments, split bills, shifts and cash up, linked to your kitchen and online orders.
- Kitchen Display System for RestaurantsEvery order from the till, website, waiter and kiosk shows on the kitchen screen with timers, stations, holds and a recall list for tickets bumped by mistake.
- Waiter Handheld App for RestaurantsWaiters take orders at the table on a phone, see which tables are seated, waiting or ready, and send every order to the kitchen the moment it is placed.
- Card Reader for Restaurants With StripeTake card payments at the till with a Stripe smart reader linked to your own Stripe account. The till sends the amount and the payment records itself.
For your kind of business
- Food Truck POS and OrderingRun a food truck from a tablet and a phone: a quick till, a card reader, a QR code for your menu and orders that wait for a signal at the pitch.
- Cafe POS and Online OrderingA fast cafe till with search first ordering, stamp cards that guests keep, QR ordering at the table and orders that survive a patchy connection.
Comparisons
Read more
- Restaurant Technology Checklist for Opening DayPlan the till, kitchen, printers, card reader, menu, ordering, delivery and reports your new restaurant needs, with important UK setup duties kept in view.
- Set Up Restaurant Kitchen and Receipt PrintersSet up Bluetooth, network and USB restaurant printers, route kitchen tickets, prepare failover, format receipts and test the cash drawer before service.