Square outage? Use a checkout path that still works when readers, pairing, or the counter flow does not.
If Square is down or a reader will not connect, a hosted payment link lets the customer pay on their own phone, with no reader, pairing, or counter flow in the way. Set Flint up before the next outage, so you can send one when the reader fails.
When the reader fails
If Square is down, the operational answer is a second checkout path
Outages and connection failures are different symptoms, but they create the same business problem. You need a payment flow that does not depend on the same hardware chain to finish the sale.
Step 1
Stop retrying the reader
If Square is down, the reader is not connecting, or the register flow is hung, stop spending the customer's time on retries and switch to the backup you set up ahead of time.
Step 2
Send a payment link for the sale
Create a link for the sale's amount and text or email it, so the customer pays on their own phone instead of waiting for a paired device, local network, or counter workflow to recover.
Step 3
Keep the payment tied to an order
A payment link should still carry line items and totals, and leave a record you can reconcile later without rebuilding the transaction from memory.
Where Flint Fits
Flint is strongest when the business can route around hardware
If you run a hardware-heavy retail counter, Square may still be the better product. Flint fits when checkout can happen through payment links, hosted checkout pages, and structured orders.
Moving off Square entirely? The Square migration guide maps Square payment links, cards on file, subscriptions, invoices, refunds, and webhooks to their Flint equivalents.
What to set up first
Flint accounts open in batches after you request access, and live payments need a verified account. Do both while Square is working. When the counter flow fails, create a payment link for the sale in the dashboard and text it to the customer.
Mobile and field-service teams
If the sale happens in a driveway, at an event table, in a studio, or after a service call, a shareable checkout link is usually a better failure mode than a card reader dependency.
Remote and payment-link workflows
If you already send invoices, collect deposits, or take payments over text and email, Flint gives you a cleaner path than waiting on a POS-centered stack to recover.
Operators who need a backup path
When your primary flow breaks, you need a second collection path that is operationally simple, not another fragile chain of hardware, Wi-Fi, and device pairing.
Practical Comparison
What changes when your backup is link-based instead of hardware-based
FAQ
Common questions
Is Square down right now?
Flint does not report Square's status. Square publishes it at issquareup.com. Whether the problem is Square's or your own hardware, the next question is the same: how you keep taking payments while the card-present flow is failing.
What should I do if Square is not connecting?
If the problem blocks checkout, switch to a payment path that does not depend on the same hardware chain. For many service, event, and mobile businesses, that means sending a hosted payment link instead of continuing to troubleshoot a reader in front of the customer.
Which businesses can use a payment link as a backup?
Businesses where the customer can pay on their own phone: remote sales, field service, appointments, fundraisers, and events.
Is Flint a full replacement for Square?
Not always. If your business is built around a hardware-heavy retail counter, Square may still fit better. Flint is more compelling when the business can run on hosted checkout, payment links, remote collection, subscriptions, and structured orders.
Next Step
Give yourself a payment flow that does not die with the reader
If Square outages or reader failures keep stopping your checkout, and your sales can run on hosted checkout and payment links, set up Flint as your second path.