Quick items and promotions
Quick buttons cut selling time for items without a barcode, and promotions apply discounts without the cashier lifting a finger. The article covers setting both up on the web and what happens on the device.
Two items in the Point of sale menu change the cashier's experience without them touching a setting: Quick items put the most requested items in front of them as buttons, and Promotions apply discounts automatically by rules you set.
Quick items
An ordered list per cashier shown as a grid of buttons on the sale screen. Useful for items without a barcode such as bread, coffee and services, and for items sold dozens of times a day.
Steps
- Open Point of sale, Quick items.
- In the Cashier field pick the user; only enabled cashiers are listed.
- Add items by search and order them the way you want them on the screen.
- Click Save list.
Each cashier has their own list; the drinks cashier does not need the produce buttons. With no list set, the message "No quick items for this cashier" appears and the screen still works with search and barcodes.
Barcodes first
Quick buttons complement, they do not replace. An item with a barcode scans faster than any button. See Barcodes and units.
Promotions
A promotion is a rule applied to the invoice in the app automatically and recomputed on the server at sync. Three types:
| Type | Meaning | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage discount on items | A % taken off the line price before tax | Discount % and the included items, or "All items" |
| Bundle: X pieces for Y | Every X pieces of the included items sell for Y | Pieces per bundle and bundle price |
| Discount when the invoice total falls in a range | If the invoice total lies between two bounds a % is taken off | Total from, total to, discount % |
Steps
- Open Point of sale, Promotions and click New promotion.
- Enter the Promotion name, choose the Type and enter its terms.
- Pick the Included items or switch on All items.
- Set Validity: from and to dates, or Always.
- Set the options, switch on Active and save.
The fine options
- Priority: lower runs first when promotions compete on the same line.
- A consumed line joins no other promotion: stops two promotions stacking on one line.
- Once per invoice: never repeats however large the quantity.
- Max times per invoice: a cap on repetition; blank means no limit.
- Card payments only: never applied to cash.
A promotion used by posted invoices cannot be deleted; the message "This promotion is used by posted invoices, deactivate it instead of deleting" appears. Clear the Active flag and it stops from that moment while its invoices stay intact.
What happens on the device
The app downloads active promotions with the catalog. While selling it computes the discount on the included lines, shows it to the cashier, and sends with the invoice the promotion id and discount per line. The server recomputes with the same rules and rejects the invoice if the total differs, as in Rejected items and resending. See also The sale screen.
What happens in the books
A promotion discount is treated as a line discount: it reduces the line net before tax, so sales (4100) and output VAT (2300) are posted directly at the discounted value, with no separate line for the promotion or the discount. What the accountant sees is lower revenue, not a marketing expense.
The date on the device
Validity is evaluated by the invoice date. A device with a wrong date applies an expired promotion or withholds a running one, and the total is then rejected at sync. Make sure device clocks are set automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Can the cashier override or remove a promotion on an invoice?
A promotion applies automatically by its rules. What the cashier controls is the manual discount limit set for them, which is separate from promotions.
Two promotions apply to the same item. Which one wins?
The one with the lower priority runs first. If it has "A consumed line joins no other promotion" switched on, the second stops on that line.
Do quick items work offline?
Yes. The list is downloaded with the catalog and stays on the device, refreshing at the first connection after it is changed.