Offline POS system: keep selling when the internet drops
An offline POS system keeps recording sales when your connection fails, then sends them once it is back. Here is how Epidom does it, and what still needs a signal.
Why a POS that works without internet matters
A router that restarts, a lunch rush that overloads the Wi-Fi, a cut on the street: the line in front of your counter does not wait for the network. If the register stops, orders end up on paper and get retyped at closing, which is where mistakes creep in.
A POS that works without internet does one thing: it stops an outage from becoming a service outage. It does not replace a good connection, and it is honest about the parts that still need one.
What Epidom does when the connection fails
Epidom's POS is a web app. The screens and the data you need at the counter (menu, categories, prices, tables, settings) are kept on the device. When the network disappears you keep selling: each sale is stored on the device and sent automatically when the connection returns.
- Sales made offline keep their own time. A sale rung up at 11:50 pm stays on that day's report even if it syncs the next morning.
- If the connection drops mid-send, the sale is queued instead of failing, and it is never recorded twice.
- The receipt shows a temporary number until the sale has synced.
- Connectivity is checked with a real round trip to our servers, not just the Wi-Fi icon, so Wi-Fi with no internet behind it still counts as offline.
How to use it, step by step
- Install the app and sign in once, online — The first launch needs internet to download the app and sign you in. It installs on a computer (Windows, macOS, Linux), on Android, or on an iPad or iPhone from the home screen.
- Let the POS prepare its data — Offline mode loads your menu, tables and settings onto the device and refreshes them whenever there is a connection.
- Sell as usual — If the connection drops, the POS tells you and you carry on taking orders and payments.
- Let it sync — When the network returns, sales are sent oldest first. You can also press Sync now to do it yourself.
Nothing is deleted behind your back
If the server keeps refusing a sale, it is not thrown away. It moves to Needs attention and stays on the device, where a person can retry it, download a copy, or discard it after a confirmation. Nothing is deleted unless someone chooses to.
The limits, stated plainly
Offline does not mean everything works. Know this before you rely on it.
- One device at a time: a queued sale lives on the device that took it. A second POS or the kitchen display only sees it after it syncs, so the kitchen display receives nothing during an outage.
- Kitchen and bar tickets can still print from the POS's own Bluetooth printers.
- You need a connection to open or close a shift, record cash in or out, issue refunds, save or resume a bill, and look up customers, coupons or points.
- Any payment confirmed online (QRIS, a card through the payment gateway) also needs a connection. Offline, take cash or use a separate card terminal and record the payment method.
- The first launch needs internet. A sign-in lasts about a week, after which queued sales wait for you to sign in again. They are not lost.
- On iPhone and iPad, iOS may clear a home-screen app's data if you do not open it for about a week.
Rule of thumb: offline mode is for riding out an outage of a few hours, not for working for days with no network. Sync as soon as you can.
Price
Offline mode is part of the POS plan: $14.99 per month ($12.49 per month on the annual plan), with a 14-day free trial. Your public storefront page stays free, but the POS is not part of it.
Questions
Can a POS work without internet?
Yes. Epidom stores each sale on the device and sends it when the connection returns, with the time it was actually rung up. Payments that are confirmed online, such as QRIS or a card through the gateway, still need a connection.
What happens if I close the app before it syncs?
Queued sales are kept in the app's storage on the device and are sent the next time you open it with a connection. Just avoid clearing the browser or app data in the meantime.
Does it work as an offline POS on Android and iPad?
Yes. The app installs on a computer, on Android, and on iPad or iPhone via Add to Home Screen. On iOS, open the app at least once a week so the system does not clear its data.
Can I open a shift or issue a refund offline?
No. Opening and closing shifts, cash in and out, refunds and saving a bill need a connection. Regular sales can be rung up offline.
How much does the offline POS cost?
It is included in the POS plan at $14.99 per month ($12.49 per month billed annually), with a 14-day free trial. There is no extra charge for offline mode.