Mastercard offline: what to ask your acquirer

On 8 October 2026, Mastercard announced European offline requirements: new Mastercard cards from February 2027; new and replacement terminals by May 2027. During connection loss, local chip-and-PIN approval uses a bank-set limit up to €200 per transaction, with submission for clearing after reconnection. The scope described is essential physical retail and transport terminals.

Primary source: Mastercard announcement, 8 October 2026. Checked 14 October 2026.

These are future scheme requirements, not legislation, online checkout, or confirmation that every existing terminal is ready.

What to ask your acquirer

The following questions are PayStar’s editorial checklist for an acquirer discussion. They are not additional Mastercard requirements.

• Applicability. Which terminal models and use cases at our premises are covered? What needs updating, and how will readiness be confirmed?
• Operating during an outage. How should we test backup power, applicable limits and cashier procedures? When should acceptance stop?
• Recovery and reconciliation. Where can we see accumulated transactions and their subsequent processing results? Who investigates discrepancies and prevents duplicate charges?
• Funds and liability. When will funds become available to the business? What charges, holds and liability terms apply if a transaction is subsequently unpaid?

Check the full path to available funds

For budgeting, “the terminal supports offline” is not enough. Ask the acquirer to document acceptance, subsequent processing and funding conditions together. Funds availability, pricing and risk allocation remain questions for the specific agreement; this news item does not establish those terms.