Offline Mode: What Happens When Your Internet Drops Mid-Sale
AskBiz POS is a PWA that can handle brief connectivity loss. Here is what works offline, what does not, and how to recover gracefully.
Key Takeaways
- AskBiz POS caches your product catalogue locally so you can continue adding items to the cart during brief outages.
- Transactions queue locally and sync automatically when connectivity returns.
- Extended outages (over 30 minutes) require manual reconciliation — always restore connectivity as quickly as possible.
How offline mode works
AskBiz POS runs as a Progressive Web App, which means the application code and your product catalogue are cached on the device after first load. If your internet connection drops during a sale, the app remains functional — you can continue scanning products, adding items to the cart, adjusting quantities, and completing the checkout flow. The transaction is saved locally on the device and placed in a sync queue. When connectivity returns, the queue processes automatically and all pending transactions are uploaded to the server. You will see a small banner at the top of the screen indicating offline status, and another confirmation when sync completes.
What works and what does not
**Works offline:** browsing your product catalogue, adding items to cart, processing sales (cash only — card readers need connectivity), generating a local receipt. **Does not work offline:** camera scanning for new products not already in your catalogue (the recognition API requires a server connection), real-time inventory level checks, sending WhatsApp receipts, staff login via magic link, and syncing with dashboards. Card payments require an active connection to the payment processor — if you are offline, you can only accept cash. This limitation comes from the card network, not AskBiz.
Recovering from an extended outage
Brief outages of a few minutes are handled seamlessly — the sync queue processes and everything reconciles automatically. Extended outages of 30 minutes or more create a longer queue that may take a minute to sync when connectivity returns. During this time, dashboard data and inventory levels will be temporarily out of date. If the device loses power or the browser crashes while offline transactions are queued, the PWA service worker preserves the queue in local storage. When you reopen the app, it will attempt to sync any pending transactions. In the rare case that a transaction is lost, you can manually reconcile using the paper or local receipts you issued during the outage.
Best practices for connectivity
Prevention is better than recovery. Use a dedicated broadband connection for your POS device rather than relying on public Wi-Fi. Keep a 4G/5G mobile hotspot as a backup — a simple £10/month SIM can save you from lost sales during a broadband outage. Position your POS device within strong Wi-Fi range — thick walls and metal shelving can degrade signal. If you operate at markets, pop-ups, or outdoor events where connectivity is unreliable, pre-load your full product catalogue before leaving and carry a mobile hotspot. Test your offline capability before you need it — put your device in aeroplane mode and run a practice transaction to confirm everything works.