The ePOS (Electronic Point of Sale) module allows your staff to process in-person transactions at physical retail locations. This article covers the daily operations for taking in-store sales, managing the cash register, and handling walk-in customers.
Before your staff can process in-store sales, the ePOS manager must open the register each day. Unlike online order processing which operates 24/7, the ePOS register follows a daily open-and-close cycle for cash drawer management.
Steps to Open the Register
1The ePOS manager unlocks the cash drawer with the physical key.
2Log into the admin panel and navigate to Point of Sale > click Open Register.
3Count the starting cash in the drawer (bills and coins).
4Enter the cash amounts in the corresponding fields on screen:
- $100 bills
- $50 bills
- $20 bills
- $10 bills
- $5 bills
- $1 bills
- Half dollars, quarters, dimes, nickels, pennies
5Review the Starting Drawer total displayed on the right side of the screen.
6Click Save Starting Drawer Balance.
7Close the cash drawer and log out.
The register is now open and staff can begin taking in-store sales. The system displays the register status and IP address at the bottom of the screen.
Once the register is open, cashiers can process in-person sales. This workflow is designed for face-to-face transactions at your retail terminal, not for online orders placed through your website.
Step-by-Step Sales Process
1Navigate to Point of Sale > Place New Order.
2Confirm or change the customer:
- By default, the system uses your walk-in customer record (for anonymous shoppers)
- If the customer has an existing account, click Change Customer to search by name, email, or phone
- You can also create a new customer account by clicking Change Customer
3Add products to the order:
- Scan barcodes: Use your barcode scanner to scan each item
- Manual entry: Enter the SKU or barcode in the product field and click Add New Item
- Search by keyword: Type a product name or description to find items
4Adjust quantities or customizations as needed for each line item.
5Apply discounts if applicable (see Pricing and Discounts section below).
6Review the order total on the right side of the screen. The system automatically calculates:
- Product Subtotal
- Order Discounts
- Shipping (In Store Pick Up): Typically $0.00 for in-store sales
- Tax: Based on your store location (not the customer's home address)
- Total
- Balance Due
7Click Checkout to accept payment (see Payment Processing section below).
8Once the Balance Due shows $0.00, the Checkout button turns green and changes to Place New Order.
9Click Place New Order to finalize the sale.
10The system automatically:
- Prints the customer receipt
- Prints signature receipts for each card payment
- Opens the cash drawer (if cash was tendered)
- Displays change due to the customer
- Updates inventory in real time
11Either click Done to stay logged in for the next sale, or Logout to end your session.
ePOS supports both anonymous walk-in shoppers and registered customer accounts, allowing you to track purchase history and loyalty points across in-store and online sales.
Walk-In Customers (Default)
The walk-in customer is a default customer record used for anonymous shoppers who don't want to create an account. All walk-in sales are tied to this single record.
Important for tax calculations: The walk-in customer's address determines your in-store tax rate. If your retail location changes (e.g., you move stores or operate a mobile pop-up), you must update this address:
1Navigate to Customers Search Customers.
2Find your walk-in customer record (often labeled "Walk-in Customer" or similar).
3Click Edit and update the address to reflect your current store location.
4Click Save.
Registered Customer Accounts
For customers who have existing accounts or want to create one, you can link the in-store sale to their profile:
Finding an existing customer:
1On the Place New Order screen, click Change Customer.
2Search by name, email, or phone number.
3Select the customer from the results.
Creating a new customer at checkout:
1Click Change Customer.
2Click Create New Customer.
3Enter their details (name, email, address, phone).
4Click Save.
The sale will now be linked to their account, giving you visibility into their purchase history across both online and in-store transactions.
Taxable In Store Checkbox
When a customer with an existing account walks into your store, you may notice a checkbox labeled Taxable In Store. This option ensures the customer is charged sales tax based on your store location (not their home address), even if they're from a state where you don't normally collect tax for online orders.
ePOS allows flexible pricing and discounts for in-store sales while maintaining accurate audit trails. All price changes apply only to the current transaction—they do not affect your catalog pricing.
Unit Price Changes
You can change the price for individual line items directly on the order screen:
1Click on the Unit Price field for the line item.
2Enter the new price.
3Press Enter to save.
The new price applies only to this sale—your catalog pricing remains unchanged.
Unit Discounts
Some businesses need to apply discounts without changing the displayed unit price (for reporting purposes). Use the Unit Discount field:
1Click on the Unit Discount field for the line item.
2Enter the discount amount (e.g., 5.00 for $5 off).
3Press Enter to save.
The unit price remains visible, but the discount is applied to the line total.
Order-Level Discounts
To apply a discount to the entire order:
1Click the Discounts tab.
2Enter a discount amount or percentage.
3Optionally, add a coupon code if applicable.
ePOS supports multiple payment methods for in-store transactions. Unlike online payments processed through your website, ePOS handles card-present transactions, cash, and split payments.
Accepting Cash Payments
1On the Place New Order screen, click the Payment History tab.
2Click Cash from the payment type options.
3Enter the amount tendered by the customer (e.g., if the total is $29.99 and they hand you $30, enter 30.00).
4The system automatically calculates the change due.
5Click Accept Payment.
When you finalize the order, the cash drawer will open automatically and the screen will display the change amount.
Accepting Card Payments
1Click the Payment History tab.
2Select the appropriate card payment type:
- Credit Card
- (Offline) Credit Card Payment (for manual entry if the terminal is down)
- PayPal Express Checkout
3The connected card terminal handles the authorization.
4The system records the transaction and displays the payment in the Payment History.
When you finalize the order, the system will print both a customer receipt and a signature receipt for card-present transactions.
Split Payments
ePOS allows customers to pay with multiple tender types (e.g., partial cash, partial card):
1Accept the first payment method (e.g., $20 cash).
2The Balance Due updates to reflect the remaining amount.
3Accept the second payment method for the remaining balance.
4Once Balance Due reaches $0.00, finalize the order.
Other Payment Types
ePOS also supports:
- Check
- Service Payment
- Exchange
- Corporate Merchandise
- Net payment terms (Net 15, Net 30, 2%/15 Net 20 Premier, etc.)
Sometimes you need to pause a sale (e.g., customer forgot their wallet) or cancel it entirely. ePOS allows you to park or void transactions before finalizing.
Parking a Sale (Incomplete Order)
If a customer needs to step away or isn't ready to complete the purchase, you can save the order as incomplete and resume it later:
1Add all items to the order as usual.
2Instead of accepting payment, navigate away from the order.
3The order is saved as an Incomplete Order.
To resume a parked sale:
1Navigate to Point of Sale > Search Incomplete Orders.
2Find the order and click to reopen it.
3Accept payment and finalize when the customer is ready.
Voiding a Sale
Under the Payment History Tab click Void next to the payment transaction.
To cancel an order entirely before finalizing:
1Navigate to the incomplete order.
2Click Delete Order.
3Confirm the deletion.
The order is removed from the system and no transaction is recorded.
At the end of each day, the ePOS manager must close the register to reconcile cash and transactions. This process generates a Z-Report (end-of-day summary) for your records.
Steps to Close the Register
1The ePOS manager unlocks the cash drawer with the physical key.
2Log into the admin panel and navigate to Point of Sale > click Close Register.
3Count the ending cash in the drawer (bills and coins).
4Enter the cash amounts in the corresponding fields on screen.
5Review the reconciliation summary on the right side of the screen:
- Starting Drawer: The cash you started with
- Ending Drawer: The cash you counted just now
- Expected Cash Amount: What should be in the drawer based on transactions
- Cash Differences: Any discrepancy between expected and actual
6Add any Comments to explain cash differences or unusual situations.
7Click Save Ending Drawer Balance & Print Z Report.
8The system prints the Z-Report, which includes:
- All sales transactions for the day
- Cash, card, and value card totals
- Opening and closing balances
- Cash differences
- Audit trail by user
9Verify the Z-Report against your payment processor records and receipts.
10Lock the drawer and log out.
The register is now closed. Staff cannot process sales until it's reopened the next day.
What if I forget to open the register?
Staff won't be able to process sales. The system will display an error or prevent access to Place New Order. Only a manager with "Open Register" permission can open it.
Can I email receipts to customers?
Yes, if emailed receipts are enabled in your ePOS settings. After finalizing the sale, you can email a copy of the receipt directly from the ePOS screen by clicking Email Receipt to Customer.
What happens if the receipt printer jams during checkout?
The sale is still recorded in the system. You can reprint the receipt by navigating to the order in Orders Search Orders and clicking Print Receipt. Always keep spare thermal paper and test your printer at the start of each day.
Can I apply loyalty points or store credit to ePOS sales?
Yes. If the customer has an account with loyalty points or store value cards, you can apply them as payment during checkout. Search for the customer's value card and select it as a payment method.
How do I look up a product's price without starting a sale?
Navigate to Point of Sale Item Lookup and Price Check. Search by product name, SKU, barcode, or UPC to view pricing without creating an order.
What if a customer wants to return an item later?
Process a return/RMA through the ePOS module. See the next article (ePOS: Managing Returns, Value Cards, and Special Transactions) for detailed return instructions.
How do ePOS sales appear in my reporting?
ePOS sales are recorded in your Pulse Commerce system just like online orders, but they're tagged with the ePOS sales channel. You can filter reports by sales channel to see in-store vs online performance separately.