What Happens If You Can’t Take Payments in Your Pub, Hotel or Restaurant?

Imagine it’s a busy Friday evening. Your tables are full, the kitchen is firing on all cylinders, and there’s a queue at the bar. Then, suddenly, your payment system goes down. No card transactions, no mobile payments, and most customers don’t have cash. For businesses like yours in the hospitality sector, the impact can be immediate and severe.

You Lose Revenue Instantly

If you run a pub or restaurant, you’re often taking hundreds of small payments in a day. Gone are the days when most people carry enough cash to pay for more than a couple of drinks. With growing numbers of bars moving to being cashless, the importance of your systems increases.

If you manage a hotel, even a single lost payment could represent hundreds—if not thousands—of pounds. When customers can’t pay, they can’t complete their purchase. Some may wait, but many will simply walk away. In just a few hours, you could see a significant drop in income.

You Damage Customer Confidence

Your customers expect service and convenience. When your payment system fails, their experience suffers. People may be understanding in the moment, but it only takes one bad experience for them to choose a competitor next time. For hotel guests, payment issues at check-in or check-out create unnecessary friction, undermining the overall experience. In pubs and restaurants, your staff are left apologising instead of upselling, which erodes customer confidence in your reliability.

You Put Additional Pressure on Staff

In the face of a payment outage, your team suddenly has to manage an awkward situation. They’re trying to calm frustrated customers, manually record orders, and explain what’s going on—all while keeping service flowing. This adds stress, increases the risk of errors, and reduces the time they can spend providing quality service. A payment failure turns a busy shift into a crisis management exercise.

You Risk Your Reputation—Both On and Offline

People talk. If you can’t take payments, word spreads fast—especially on social media and review platforms. One Instagram or Facebook post about your payment problems can be seen by thousands. Even if the issue isn’t your fault, your reputation takes the hit. Future customers searching for a reliable venue may decide to book or dine elsewhere. In hospitality, perception is everything, and a single payment failure can leave a long shadow.

You Could Lose Future Bookings

For hotels and venues that take deposits or prepayments for events, a payment issue doesn’t just impact today’s business—it disrupts your pipeline. If you can’t confirm a booking because you can’t take a deposit, you risk losing that customer entirely. The same goes for loyalty schemes and promotions tied to digital payments. Every missed transaction is a missed opportunity to build long-term relationships.

What Can You Do?

It really does depend on what is causing the problem.

Is it that your internet is down?

If your internet is down, seek advice from your IT support company, but a simple router reboot may be all that is necessary.

POS hardware or payment provider?

If your IT support provider is a hospitality specialist, they will almost certainly be able to deal with most 1st line issues and help you get up and running again. One of our hotel clients lost payment ability at 6pm on a Friday recently. We had them working again in 20 minutes.

If that hasn't got your POS working again, your IT support provider should then liaise with your systems provider to identify a solution. Whilst you're still down, here's our suggestions...

1. Whilst many people no longer carry cash, some will and will have enough to pay their bill. Having to deal with cash, even when you're a cashless venue, is better than having no payments. For your regulars, you may be able to simply take payment next time they're in.
2. Does your payment provider have an app that can be used on your phones? If it is a hardware of WiFi issue, using your phones and data allowance is a good workaround.
3. Remember the old manual card swipe machines? Having one of those and a pack of the necessary paper will allow you to collect payments, but with a small risk that you have no way of knowing if the card is declined.
4. If your guests will be with you for some time (especially relevant for hotels), take payment before they leave rather than as they arrive. The issue should be resolved by then.

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To protect your business, you need to plan for the worst. Train your team to respond calmly and clearly if things go wrong. Because in hospitality, it’s not just about good food, a clean room, or great service—it’s about making it easy for people to pay for them.