Troubleshoot Send & Stay order issues
When using Send & Stay with Square Point of Sale, you may experience issues such as the Stay button not appearing, items not reaching the kitchen or orders not closing properly. Error messages or workflow disruptions can impact service efficiency during busy periods.
This article provides troubleshooting steps for account owners and team members with restaurant permissions to resolve Send & Stay workflow issues in food and beverage operations.
Before you begin
If you are new to using Send & Stay features, learn how to set up Send & Stay for your restaurant.
If possible, troubleshoot Send & Stay during off-peak hours to minimise service disruptions. If you must troubleshoot during service, communicate with kitchen staff about potential delays.
Step 1: Verify Send & Stay setup and permissions
Open your Square Point of Sale app.
Tap Settings > Restaurant.
Confirm Send & Stay is toggled on.
Verify you’re using Full Service, Quick Service or Bar mode.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Settings > Subscriptions.
Confirm you have Square Plus or Premium subscription. If Send & Stay is not available, you may need to upgrade your subscription or enable the correct POS mode.
Step 2: Check hardware and software compatibility
Verify your device is on the supported hardware list.
Confirm you’re not using consumer iPhones or Android POS (not supported).
Check that your device software is up to date.
Restart your Square Point of Sale app.
Sign out and sign back into your POS app.
Step 3: Test kitchen connectivity and routing
Check your KDS or printer connectivity by placing a regular test order (not using Stay).
Verify the test order appears on your kitchen display or printer.
Sign in to Square Dashboard and go to Items & services > Items.
Confirm items are assigned to correct kitchen categories.
In your KDS app, go to Settings > Routing > Item & Categories.
Verify categories are configured to route to the correct KDS stations.
If regular orders aren’t reaching the kitchen, resolve connectivity issues before testing Send & Stay.
Step 4: Restart devices and update software
Close the Square Point of Sale app completely.
Restart your POS device.
Restart your KDS or printer devices.
Reopen the Square Point of Sale app.
Update to the latest app version if available.
Test connectivity with a regular order first.
Step 5: Test Send & Stay functionality
Create a test order with multiple items.
Add the first item to cart and tap Stay.
Verify the item appears on your KDS or printer.
Add additional items to the same order.
Tap Send or Pay to complete the order.
Confirm all items processed correctly and the order closed properly.