Backup When Broadband Fails — Still Taking Payments
Card terminals need IP reachability unless your acquirer explicitly supports store-and-forward offline with tight limits. Most UK SMEs solve resilience with 4G/5G failover, redundant circuits, or mobile readers — not hope.
Next step: Pair terminal strategy with connectivity quotes — we can help on both. Business broadband wizard for failover-focused designs.
Dual-path internet
A router that fails over to LTE when fibre drops keeps EPOS, VoIP and terminals alive. Configure IP stickiness if your acquirer expects consistent egress — details in our 4G/5G backup guide.
Mobile readers as break-glass
Keep a charged SIM-enabled terminal off the main LAN. Document which MID it uses and how refunds propagate — staff should practise once a quarter.
Offline mode caveats
Offline authorisations carry fraud risk; ceilings are low. Know your acquirer policy — do not train staff to rely on offline except true emergencies. Log transactions for later reconciliation in reporting.
VoIP and alarms on the same outage
When broadband dies, customers still expect phones to work — see VoIP resilience. Bundle planning avoids fixing card terminals while the help line is down.
Related guides
Ready to compare? Start the card machine quote path on our homepage or message the team.