My POS system went down during lunch rush yesterday

I run a small coffee shop in Portland and our card reader froze right at 12:15 PM when the line was out the door. Had to switch to cash only for about 30 minutes while I rebooted the whole system twice. Anyone else have a backup plan for payment failures that actually works?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettymurphy2d agoTop Commenter

After running my own shop for years, I keep a small petty cash box with about $200 in assorted bills hidden under the register for exactly this reason. It's not pretty but it gets you through the worst of it. Also picked up a cheap manual credit card imprinter from eBay years ago, the old-school kind that takes an imprint and you process later. It looks ancient but customers actually think it's charming when you pull it out, and you don't lose those card sales. Make sure you have a laminated sign that says "Cash Only, Sorry for the Delay" ready to tape up too, saves fumbling for words when you're already stressed.

amy6922d ago

The manual credit card imprinter is what got me. I remember those things from when I was a kid at the grocery store with my mom, hearing that crunching sound. Had no idea people still used them in 2024, that is wild. Does your bank even still accept those paper slips? I would be nervous about getting it processed right or having to explain to a customer why their card got charged three weeks later. That old school charm might wear off fast if someone's statement shows up weird.