IN BRIEF
This article explains how to make a Point of Sale purchase in the Office Portal. Staff members can launch the Point of Sale from either the FAMILIES or STUDENTS page, select products, apply discounts or promo codes, take payment, and automatically generate charges and payments on the family ledger.
Overview
The Point of Sale feature allows staff to sell items through the Office Portal and automatically create corresponding ledger charges and payments. Purchases can be tied to a specific family or completed using a special “Point of Sale” family created by the System for walk-in customers who do not have an account.
Accessing the Feature
- From the main navigation menu, go to the Families or Students page.
- Select the Point of Sale icon located to the left of the family name.
Additional Details
- Launching the Point of Sale from the Students page associates the sale with the family the student is connected to.
- When the Point of Sale feature is enabled, the System creates a family named "--, Point of Sale" for staff to use when recording purchases from customers without an existing family account.
- To prevent potential load time issues, the System blocks the current “--, Point of Sale” family from being included in any family merge process.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Locate and Select Products
- Browse items by navigating the Product List.
- Use Category and Subcategory menus on the left to filter results.
- Products will be displayed alphabetically under the Category/Subcategory view unless staff have saved them in a custom order.
- Use the search box to look up products by name.
- Products assigned to a category or subcategory appear both in the main list and in the assigned category/subcategory.
- Optionally scan a product's UPC:
- Scan with a USB barcode scanner in the Enter UPC field.
- Select Start Camera Scanning to scan using a webcam.
- Enter UPC manually if no scanner or camera is available.
Add Items to the Cart
- Select the product, then choose Add to Cart.
- If the product has variations, select the appropriate options before the Add to Cart button becomes available.
Add Additional Items
- Repeat the selection and Add to Cart process for all items being purchased.
Adjust Quantities
- In the shopping cart, adjust item quantities using the + or – buttons as needed.
Proceed to Checkout
- When ready, select Checkout to prepare for payment and ledger creation.
Enter Payment and Optional Promo Codes
- Select or enter the desired Payment Method.
- Enter any Promo Codes if applicable.
- Select Process Payment to finalize the sale.
NOTE: The "New Credit Card" option may display as "Manual Payment" based on your payment gateway.
Discounts and Staff Permissions
- Staff can manually assign a discount using Add Discount.
- This option is only available if the staff member has either:
- The Point of Sale Price Override permission, or
- Admin Access.
Promo Code Behavior
- Promo Codes are inherited from the Program assigned to the product.
- Promo Codes apply to all products, classes, and camps assigned to that Program.
- There is currently no option to assign a promo code only to selected products.
- For set-up guidance, see Promotional Codes (link in original document).
Split Payments (Optional)
- Enter the amount tendered for the first payment method.
- Select Add Split Payment.
- Submit the first payment.
- Repeat the entry process for the next payment method.
- Only one payment per payment method is allowed, with the exception of Checks, which can be entered multiple times.
Ledger Charges and Payments
- The System automatically creates separate ledger charges for each item.
- If payment was taken, a matching payment is created and applied automatically.
Special Payment Behaviors
-
Cash:
- Displays change due if the Cash Tendered amount exceeds the amount owed.
- Disable Give Change to leave extra funds as credit on the ledger.
- If Give Change remains enabled, the System creates a payment only for the exact total and assumes correct change was provided.
-
Email Receipt:
- When a receipt is emailed, the System uses the Point of Sale Receipt email template by default.
- This template can be customized under Settings > Setup > General Settings > Communication Templates > Point of Sale Receipt.
-
Charge to Account:
- Creates a charge on the ledger without requiring immediate payment.
- Useful when the family has other outstanding charges so all charges can be paid together.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
-
Why is the “Add Discount” button not visible?
- The staff member must have either the “Point of Sale Price Override” permission or Admin Access.
-
Why do Promo Codes apply to items I did not intend?
- Promo Codes are inherited from the Program assigned to each product. They apply to all products/classes/camps tied to that Program. Promo Codes cannot be restricted to only selected products.
-
Why can I only enter one payment for each payment type?
- The System allows only one payment per payment method during checkout, except for checks, which can be entered multiple times.