The short answer
A cloud POS keeps your records on the internet, so it needs a connection to record sales. Growth Informer Business is cloud-based and does not have an offline mode, so when the power or the internet drops, the till cannot save new sales until the connection is back. The honest fix is a plan, not a promise: a paper sales sheet for the gap, a phone hotspot (your phone sharing its mobile data with the till) as the first backup, a small UPS (a battery box that keeps devices on after the power goes) or power bank for the till and the router, and one rule that every sheet sale is entered as soon as you are online.
Done well, a power cut costs you a few minutes of typing, not lost sales. Choose your POS system knowing this trade-off, check what POS hardware costs in Uganda so you can budget for backup power, and compare the options in our guide to the best POS system in Uganda.
What really happens to your sales when the power or internet drops
Power cuts are a fact of life for many Ugandan shops. The national distributor, UEDCL, took over from Umeme on 1 April 2025 and has itself said that fixing the outages will take time. So plan for cuts, do not hope they stop. Two different things can go wrong, and the fix is different for each. Name the problem first, then act.
Power is off
The till computer or tablet may keep running on its own battery, but the router, the receipt printer and the barcode scanner often stop. If the router is off, you have no internet even though the device is still on.
Power is on, internet is down
The lights are on and the screen looks normal, but a new sale will not save. A cloud system keeps your records on a server, so it must reach that server. Do not keep tapping the pay button: you may end up not knowing whether a sale went through. Check the sales list once you are back online before you enter it again.
What still works and what stops
- Still works: your stock on the shelf, your cash drawer, your pen and paper, and Mobile Money messages arriving on your phone if the mobile network is up.
- Stops: saving new sales in the system, checking live stock levels and looking up customer balances. Receipts for those sales have to be written by hand until you are connected.
The customer is still standing at the counter. That is why the next step is a written fallback you can start in seconds.
Your paper sales sheet: the written fallback
Keep a pad of ruled sheets or a hardcover book under the till, ready before you need it. Do not look for paper in the middle of a rush. Rule the columns once and photocopy the page if you like.
What to write for every sale
- A running line number, then the time.
- The item and the quantity. For phones and similar items, write the IMEI (the phone's own long number) or the serial number.
- The unit price and the line total.
- How it was paid: cash, card or Mobile Money. For Mobile Money, copy the transaction ID from the confirmation message. For card, note the slip number.
- For a credit sale, the customer name and phone number.
- The cashier's initials, and a small box to tick once the sale has been entered.
Give the customer something in writing
If you have a duplicate receipt book, use it during the cut so the customer leaves with proof of purchase. If your business is VAT-registered and has EFRIS e-receipts switched on, remember that the e-receipt also needs a connection to reach URA. URA's own EFRIS tools allow a limited offline period, but that does not change how our cloud system works, so read the current guidance on ura.go.ug or ask your tax adviser before you set your own rule.
Enter the sheet as soon as you are back online
Pick one person, ideally a manager, to enter the sheet in line order. Enter each sale with the same items, quantities, prices and payment method you wrote down, then tick the box. Look at the date and time on each sale before you save it, so your day's reports read correctly. Keep the paper until the register is closed and the cash matches.
Backup internet and backup power for the till
A phone hotspot is your first backup
When the shop broadband or Wi-Fi fails, turn on the hotspot on a smartphone and connect the till to it. Keep a data bundle just for this, and test it once a month so you are not learning how it works during a rush. A hotspot drains the phone quickly, so keep it plugged in. If you can, use a SIM from a different network from your broadband provider, because networks do not always fail together.
Growth Informer Business also has Android and iOS apps, so the phone itself can serve a customer on mobile data when the shop Wi-Fi is down. If you already run parts of your shop from a phone, see how that works in running your business from your phone.
A UPS or power bank for the till and the router
Put the till computer and the router on a UPS, and the receipt printer if you can. Power cuts are often short, so even a small UPS can mean you never notice them. Be realistic: a UPS buys you minutes or a few hours depending on its size and what you plug in, not a whole day. Ask the seller to confirm that it suits your router and till before you buy.
A laptop or tablet has its own battery, which is why many owners prefer them to a desktop at the counter. A power bank can keep a phone or a small router going, but only if the power bank and the router's power adaptor match, so check with the seller. Also remember that the broadband equipment outside your shop may lose power too, which is another reason to keep the hotspot.
Which fix for which problem
Use this table as a quick card on the wall by the till. The middle column is what we suggest you do first.
| What has failed | Do this first | What it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Power is off for a few minutes | Keep the till and router on a UPS, and serve the customer from the UPS | You may never notice the cut |
| Power is off for a long time | Move to the paper sales sheet and use a power bank for the phone | Every sale is written down |
| Power is on, shop internet is down | Switch the till or phone to the hotspot | Sales keep saving in the system |
| Hotspot also fails | Use the paper sheet and the duplicate receipt book | Proof of purchase for the customer |
| Back online after a gap | Enter the sheet in order, then tick each line | Stock and cash match again |
How to avoid selling the same stock twice
The real danger of a power cut is not the delay. It is that the stock count in the system is out of date while sales sit on paper, so someone sells the last piece again. These habits prevent that.
- Use one sheet per till, and never let two people write on the same sheet.
- For single or last-piece items, such as a phone or the last box of a medicine, check the paper sheet before you sell it again.
- Enter the sheet in time order before you start taking new sales on the till if you can.
- If you have more than one branch, WhatsApp the other branch about any last-piece item sold on paper. Stock is kept per location in the system, so the other branch's screen will not show your paper sales yet.
- After you catch up, count the fast-moving items on the shelf against the system, and fix any difference the same day.
This is also the habit that protects you from loss through staff. If you want the wider picture, read how to stop stock theft in your shop.
When a cloud POS is not the right fit
We would rather tell you now than after you have set it up. If your shop loses power or internet for several hours every day, the paper sheet stops being a backup and becomes a second job. In that case, a system that works fully offline may suit you better, and Growth Informer Business is not one. We say this even though it is used by 6,500+ businesses, because the difference between a cloud and an offline system is the one that decides whether you are happy in month three.
A cloud POS is a good fit when your outages are short and not daily, when you can afford a hotspot and a small UPS, and when you want to see sales, stock and reports from any branch or from your phone. It helps if you run several branches, because everything sits in one place once you are online.
If you are unsure, bring your honest numbers: how often it goes off, for how long, and what you sell. We will tell you whether the plan above is enough for your shop, or whether you should look elsewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Does Growth Informer Business work offline?
No. Growth Informer Business is a cloud-based system, so it needs internet to save sales. When the connection drops, use a paper sales sheet, a phone hotspot or both, and enter the sheet sales once you are back online.
What should I do first when the internet goes down in my shop?
Check whether the power is also off, then switch the till or a phone to a hotspot. If that fails, write each sale on a paper sheet with the item, quantity, price and payment method, and enter it later in time order.
Do I need a UPS for my POS?
It is strongly recommended for the till and the router. A UPS keeps them on for a short time after a power cut, which is often enough to ride through brief outages. It will not cover a long outage, so keep the paper sheet and hotspot too.
How do I stop selling the same item twice after a cut?
Keep one sheet per till, check the sheet before selling last-piece items, enter the sheet in order as soon as you are online, and tell your other branches by WhatsApp about any last item sold on paper.
What does Growth Informer Business cost?
The cost depends on your business, such as how many branches and users you have, so we do not quote a figure on this page. Ask for a demo on WhatsApp or the form and we will give you a quote based on your shop.
Is there shop software that works with no internet?
Growth Informer Business is cloud-based and needs an internet connection to save sales, so we do not claim it works without one. In a load shedding cut, keep selling with a paper sales sheet, a phone hotspot and a power bank or UPS for the till, router, phone and printer, then enter the sheet sales as soon as you are online.
What do I do in my shop when there is load shedding or no internet?
Check whether the power is also off, then switch to a phone hotspot. If that fails, write each sale on a paper sheet with the item, quantity, price and payment method, and enter it later in time order. A power bank for your phone and printer keeps you going through a short cut.