Offline mode must be enabled on the Stripe Terminal reader via the reader settings or the Stripe Dashboard; it is not on by default
When the reader loses network connectivity, it can continue to collect card present payments up to configured offline limits; the PaymentIntent is stored on the device
When connectivity is restored, the reader automatically syncs stored offline payments; listen to the terminal.reader.action_succeeded event or use GET /v1/terminal/readers/<reader_id> to confirm sync
Offline payments carry risk: if a card is declined when the offline payment is submitted online, there is no real-time decline at the point of sale; configure per-card offline spend limits to reduce this risk
Retrieve offline payment details after sync via GET /v1/payment_intents with the terminal reader filter; check the payment_method_details.card_present.offline field to identify which payments were collected offline
Known gotchas
Offline mode is only available on certain Stripe Terminal readers and in supported countries; check the Stripe Terminal documentation for the current compatibility matrix
Offline payments that fail when synced result in a declined PaymentIntent; you cannot retry the card offline; you must collect payment again online
Offline mode does not support all payment methods; only chip and contactless EMV card present payments are eligible; fallback swipe is not supported offline
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