The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only. You should always obtain independent business, tax, financial, and legal advice before making any business decision.
An ‘old school’ cash register used to help businesses accept and store cash payments, and that was pretty much it. A modern cash register – or point-of-sale (POS) system – accepts all kinds of mobile and card payments, gathers and analyzes customer data, manages inventory, automatically calculates tax, and stores everything safely in the cloud.
If your business is setting up a cash register for the first time, or adopting new POS technology, this is how to get it ready for action and start accepting fast and easy payments from your customers.
Once you’ve chosen the perfect spot for your cash register, it’s time for cash register set-up. You’ll need to connect it to your power supply, configure it, and then connect it to other POS devices.
You’ll need to place your POS System or cash register in a convenient place in your premises. It should be on a flat surface where you and your staff can operate it on one side and customers can pay on the other.
When it comes to positioning, think about where and how you want your customers to move through your business’s space. Depending on the kind of business you operate, the ideal POS counter space could be close to the entrance to greet customers, at the back of the store, or in a comfy consultation space with seating.
Your cash register needs power, so make sure it’s connected to the power outlet safely without trailing wires. Your cash register might have a battery too, which will provide backup energy in case there’s a power outage. You’ll be able to keep taking payments while the battery has charge. This is made even easier if your cash register comes with a portable card reader.
Your cash register needs to be configured next. This means setting the date and time, adding your inventory and pricing, and specifying which items include sales tax and which don’t. You should be able to access this from your laptop or mobile because your data is stored in the cloud.
Once the details are configured, your POS will start saving time and energy for you and your staff by automatically tracking inventory and calculating totals and tax.
Your cash register works with all kinds of other devices, from card readers and barcode scanners to cash drawers and receipt printers. They can be synced remotely with Bluetooth technology or connected manually with a USB cable.
Connect everything you’re going to need and make sure they’re all working together. Try to keep wires and cables hidden from customers, as well as out of the way of staff, to prevent accidents and to keep it tidy.
Touchscreen cash registers and POS systems are designed to be simple and easy to use. A quick training session will be enough to teach you and your staff how to use a cash register, take payments, issue refunds, add discounts, and more.
Before you open for business, or a team member starts their shift, they should turn the register on, log in with their employee ID and PIN, and check everything’s working well. The cash drawer should open and close effectively and the receipt printer should contain paper.
This is the first thing you’ll want to learn – how to use a cash register to make a sale. Depending on the cash register settings, staff might need to log in every time they need to make a sale. Alternatively, the POS could be automatically logged in.
The second step is to select the items the customer wants to buy. If the cash register has been configured correctly, these should be available to tap on the POS system. The POS will add up the total for you and add any relevant taxes.
Next, ask the customer how they would like to pay. If they choose cash, the register can automatically calculate the change, and the cash drawer will open so cash can be safely stored and accessed.
If the customer wants to pay by card, the synced card reader will fire into action and be ready to take either a contactless, a chip and pin, or a chip and sign payment. Customers can add a tip here too by following the instructions on the screen. When the payment is complete, the customer can get a receipt if they need one.
It’s important to know how to void a transaction in case an order is canceled, duplicated, or a customer asks for a refund. Each POS will work slightly differently, but there should be a button that says ‘VOID’ or ‘CANCEL’. Press this to cancel a transaction and remove it from your POS.
If you’re giving a cash refund, choose this option on the screen, enter the pricing information, and the cash drawer will kick open so you can give the customer their money back. A card refund will usually be given through the card machine. Choose the option on screen, enter the amount that needs to be refunded, and the customer can use their card as normal to receive the refund.
Your cash register will automatically calculate discounts when they need to be applied. This could be a percentage or a specific amount.
It’s up to you as the merchant whether you make this function available to all staff, or if each discount requires manager approval. You can also specify why the discount was applied, which is essential for your own record keeping. When a discount is added, the customer will be prompted to pay the reduced amount.
Like all technology, cash registers can go wrong. Regular maintenance can make this less likely and keep your POS running smoothly.
Keep the touchscreen clean by wiping it down daily with antibacterial spray. This is essential especially if there are lots of people touching it every day. Dust, old receipts, and even dollar bills can jam your cash drawer too. Keep it clean with regular dusting, check everything is in the correct place, and don’t let the cash register to get too full. This can make it hard for the drawer to close and may cause damage.
Just like any other electrical equipment, check the wires aren’t worn or unsafe, and that the power outlet is undamaged.
Your card reader and receipt printer contain a paper roll which prints the receipts. You’ll know when this runs out because they’ll stop printing and alert you.
Open them up, unwrap a new roll, remove the empty cardboard roll, and insert the new roll. Next, pull a section of the roll out of the machine through the serrated slot, close the flap, and print a test receipt to check it’s working. If nothing prints, you might need to turn the roll around so it can print on the other side of the paper.
Common cash register errors include cloud sync errors, information not being displayed properly, connected devices failing, and the cash drawer not opening. If all your cash register troubleshooting comes to nothing, calling tech support will help you get things working again. Contact the company that makes and maintains your cash register, tell them what the issue is, and they’ll be able to help. They can even access your POS remotely (with your permission, of course) to troubleshoot for you.
Troubleshooting during a busy shift is no fun, so it’s important you identify issues out of hours, if possible. This should help you avoid that awful moment when the POS goes down and you have a line of customers standing in front of you.
Outages are sometimes unavoidable, however. If you can’t fix the issue immediately and need to get on with your day, remember that some of the individual components connected to your cash register can work independently. The card terminal will still be able to take card and contactless payments, but it won’t sync up to your POS.
A cash register or POS is essential for in-person businesses taking cash and card payments.
Troubleshooting and regular maintenance will help you keep your cash register working well and serving your customers quickly and easily. When things do go wrong, there’s someone on hand remotely to help you fix it.
Modern cash registers are designed to be simple and intuitive to use but they can also perform a huge range of complex functions, from accounting to inventory management. Soon, you’ll be calling up customers faster than ever before, and you’ll have tons of customer data to explore too. Find out about PayPal Zettle, our modern point of sale solution.
In partnership with three expert business owners, the PayPal Bootcamp includes practical checklists and a short video loaded with tips to help take your business to the next level.
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