Written by Jason Feemster, POS specialist with 15+ years of experience helping restaurants and retailers troubleshoot POS systems, payments, and hardware issues.
Common Issue: Square payments failing, declining, or not processing.
Fast Fixes: Check your internet connection, restart the Square app, verify card details, update the POS app, and make sure your Square account isn’t restricted.
Need official help? See our Square Customer Service Guide.
Want instant troubleshooting? Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant (Free).
If Square payments aren’t going through, here’s a fast troubleshooting guide based on real merchant issues. Failed transactions usually happen because of connection problems, card errors, account restrictions, or issues inside the Square POS app. Follow the steps below to quickly diagnose and fix it.
Table of Contents
- 1 Common Causes of Square Payments Not Going Through
- 2 How to Fix Square Payments That Won’t Process
- 2.1 1. Check Your Internet or Data Connection
- 2.2 2. Restart the Square Point of Sale App
- 2.3 3. Ensure the Card Reader Is Working Properly
- 2.4 4. Verify the Customer’s Card Details
- 2.5 5. Check for Account Holds or Verification Issues
- 2.6 6. Update the Square POS App
- 2.7 7. Try Manual Card Entry
- 2.8 8. Check Square’s Status Page (Rare, but Possible)
- 3 When to Contact Square Support
- 4 Square Payment Not Going Through – FAQs
- 5 Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant
- 6 Thinking About Switching POS Systems?
Common Causes of Square Payments Not Going Through
- Poor Wi-Fi or mobile data connection
- Weak Bluetooth connection (if using a Square reader)
- Expired card, incorrect card entry, or insufficient funds
- Outdated Square POS app or outdated device software
- Square server issues or temporary outages
- Square fraud prevention flags or account holds
- Incorrect payment settings or offline mode issues
- Damaged or dirty card reader hardware
- Customer bank declines (most common cause)
If your reader won’t charge, that can also cause payment failures. See Square Reader Not Charging.
How to Fix Square Payments That Won’t Process
1. Check Your Internet or Data Connection
Square requires a stable connection for most transactions. Even minor drops in Wi-Fi can cause declines.
- Switch to a stronger Wi-Fi network
- Turn Wi-Fi off/on to reconnect
- Try mobile hotspot or mobile data
- Move away from metal, concrete, or equipment that blocks signal
If you’re offline, Square can take payments only if Offline Mode is enabled — and not all cards are supported.
2. Restart the Square Point of Sale App
Software glitches can quickly cause card declines.
- Force-close the Square POS app
- Reopen it and try the transaction again
- Restart your phone, iPad, or Android device if needed
3. Ensure the Card Reader Is Working Properly
Sometimes the problem isn’t Square itself—it’s the reader dropping out in the middle of a sale.
- Check if the reader is charged (blinking orange or solid green)
- Reconnect the reader inside the Square POS app
- Try a different USB cable if the reader seems unstable
- Try tap instead of insert, or vice versa
If the reader struggles to read cards or keeps dropping connection during checkout, it can show up as a “payment not going through” error. In that case, follow the steps in our Square Reader Not Connecting guide.
4. Verify the Customer’s Card Details
- Check card expiration date
- Ensure the card number is correct
- Ask the customer if the card was recently replaced
- Try a different card if possible
Most failed transactions come from bank declines, not Square itself.
5. Check for Account Holds or Verification Issues
Square may block transactions if:
- Your identity verification or business verification is incomplete
- Square flagged unusual activity
- Your dispute or chargeback rate is high
- Your account has a payout or deposit hold
Open the Square Dashboard and check for alerts or messages under Account & Settings → Notifications.
6. Update the Square POS App
- Go to App Store or Google Play
- Search “Square Point of Sale”
- Tap Update if available
- Restart your device
Updates often fix crash bugs, connection issues, and payment errors.
7. Try Manual Card Entry
If the reader isn’t working or the chip is damaged, you can enter the card number manually.
Note: Manual entries have higher processing fees and may be flagged for fraud more often.
8. Check Square’s Status Page (Rare, but Possible)
Square sometimes has partial outages that affect payments. Check here:
If Square is down, the issue will resolve once their systems recover.
When to Contact Square Support
If payments are consistently failing after trying the steps above, you may have:
- A flagged or restricted Square account
- Reader hardware failure
- Device software incompatibility
- Merchant settings that are blocking transactions
Get official guidance here:
Square Customer Service – Phone, Chat & Help Center
Square Payment Not Going Through – FAQs
Why won’t Square process my customer’s payment?
Does Square ever decline cards for security reasons?
Can a bad card reader cause payment errors?
What if Square shows the payment as pending or delayed?
Why does Square say the bank declined the card?
Try the POSUSA POS Support Assistant
For guided help, try our free support assistant:
- POSUSA POS Support Assistant
- Select Square
- Type: “Square payment not going through”
- Follow the guided troubleshooting steps
It’s free, fast, and designed for real restaurant and retail environments.
Thinking About Switching POS Systems?
If you’re dealing with repeated POS issues, it might be time to compare more reliable options built for restaurants and retail businesses.
Takes 30 seconds • No sales pressure
