Offline Transactions, Store and Forward

Offline Transactions/ Store & Forward

Transactions are stored in the terminal and do not reach the Host until there is a working connection (Ethernet/Dial). There is a risk associated with Offline transactions because it processes payments without the host verifying money is available in the bank.

  1. It is the ISO's responsibility to educate the merchant on the risks of running offline transactions.

Kinds of Store & Forward Mode

  • Stay Online - This mode will only process transactions while online, effectively disabling Store & Forward.
  • Stay Offline – In this mode, the terminal will stay offline and process all transactions offline.
  • Off Until Batch – This mode functions much like the stay offline except that the terminal will attempt to connect and upload all transactions whenever the batch is closed.
  • ​Offline On Demand – This mode will process transactions online. If the terminal loses connection and a transaction is attempted, the terminal will error and give the user the option to cancel the transaction, or process the transaction offline. The terminal will attempt to connect to the Processor every time a transaction is attempted. Once the connection is restored all new transactions will be processed online.

Enable/Disable Feature from the Terminal

Traditional Terminal
  1. Menu
  2. Operation Settings
  3. Store & Forward
Andriod Terminal
  1. Payment Application
  2. Func
  3. Settings
  4. Operation Settings
  5. Sore & Forward

Enable/Disable Feature from the Paxstore File 
  1. Industry Tab
  2. Allow Store & Forward



What are the Risks when using Store & Forward? Please be aware that there are risks associated with using Store & Forward those include accepting cards that may not be valid or processing transactions above the available balance on the card. This can cause those transactions to be rejected by the Processor and will be effectively a loss. There are systems in place to mitigate the risks, but the risks will always exist.


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