Resources for Sellers Affected by Wildfires in British Columbia

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The British Columbia government has declared a state of emergency (SOE) due to ongoing wildfires in the province. The declaration will be in effect beginning July 21, 2021, and will last for 14 days.

As the situation in B.C. continues to develop, we’re sharing resources to help business owners find local assistance. Please click Reply below to share any other resources that you’ve found helpful.

We hope that everybody is staying safe amid the ongoing situation. Our thoughts are with those who are impacted.

Staying Informed

Provincial and Local Resources

• Full list of local Evacuation Orders and Emergency Support Services Reception Centres
• British Columbia Recovery & Supports
• Direction on how to help people affected by the Wildfire
• Wildfire Preparedness Information
• Travel and tourism information

Social Media

During emergencies local government agencies frequently post updates on Twitter and Facebook:

• Government of British Columbia: https://www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/posts/4753870141297907
• PreparedBC: https://www.facebook.com/PreparedBC/
• https://twitter.com/PreparedBC?s=20
• Emergency Info BC: https://twitter.com/EmergencyInfoBC?s=20

 

Accepting payments and Square Support Resources

For additional Square Support and Response Resources visit our website. 

Take payments online	Continue to take payments online - create Online Checkout links to sell online without creating an eCommerce website, send Square Invoices by email or SMS, or use Virtual Terminal to take payments from a computer or laptop. Learn more about methods for touch-free and remote payments.
Donations	Accept donations with Square Online and offer eGift Cards - you can now add a donation item type to accept donations on your website, or set up and sell eGift Cards so that your customers can support your business.
Taking payments without internet access	If internet access is temporarily unavailable, accept card payments using  the Square reader for magstripe and a mobile hotspot device or use your mobile as a hotspot device. Alternatively, enable Offline Mode.  Note: Offline payments are processed automatically when your device regains connectivity, and will expire if not processed within 72 hours. Do not uninstall the app while in Offline Mode or pending payments will be lost. At this time it is not possible to use Offline Mode with the Contactless and Chip Card reader. Learn more here: Process Payments with Offline Mode.
Square hardware	The Contactless and Chip Reader, Square Stand, and Square Terminal can all last a business day without needing to be connected to a power source. Ensure you're getting the most out of your battery life by following these best practices: Charging and Battery Questions.
Hardware accessories	Depending on your accessory setup, the cash drawer, printer, and bar code scanner may not work during a power outage. As a backup, you can send Digital Receipts to customers. In addition, you may want to keep your cash drawer key handy or share it with an employee in the event that they need to make change. If you need a replacement key, locate the key code on the lock of your cash drawer then contact the manufacturer.
Your Square subscriptions	You have the option to pause your subscription to Square products. When you pause a subscription you will not be billed. You can restart your subscription at any time and pick up where you left off.