POS promotions, coupons, price lists, loyalty points, gift cards and store credit
Run deals the billing counter applies on its own — percentage and amount off, fixed price, buy-X-get-Y, bundles — with coupon codes, customer groups, schedules and limits; quantity-break price lists per group or terminal; a loyalty points programme; and gift cards and store credit that post to a liability account, never to revenue.
POS promotions, coupons, price lists, loyalty points, gift cards and store credit
Everything in this guide is managed under POS → Promotions and applies at the counter instantly — no export, no re-sync. The discount the cashier sees is re-checked by the server when the sale posts, so a modified device cannot invent one.
1. Promotions
| Kind | Example |
|---|---|
| Percentage off | 10 % off all drinks |
| Amount off | 5 off any cart over 50 |
| Fixed price | Any T-shirt at 29 |
| Buy X get Y | Buy 2 get 1 free · buy 3 get 1 at 50 % off · mix-and-match within a set, or buy this, get that |
| Bundle price | 3 for 10 |
A promotion defines:
- How it applies — automatically, or only when the cashier enters a coupon code.
- Applies to — the whole cart, or chosen products and categories, with never applies to exclusions.
- Who — everyone, one or more customer groups, or named customers.
- When — start and end dates, days of the week, a daily time window (happy hour).
- Limits — minimum cart value, minimum items, maximum discount, maximum times per sale, total uses, uses per customer.
- Priority and an on/off switch. The list shows On · Off · Expired · Used up.
At the billing counter the cart lists each promotion that applied with the amount it took; a coupon that does not apply says why (not started yet, not for this customer, minimum order not reached, already used up …).
Accounting: the invoice keeps the gross revenue and posts the discount to Sales discounts given, so margin reports and promotion cost are visible instead of buried in a lower price.
2. Customer groups
Named sets of customers — VIP, staff, trade, members. Promotions and price lists can be limited to a group; a customer picked at the counter gets their group's deals automatically.
3. Price lists
A price list holds per-item prices with quantity breaks (from 1, from 6, from 12 …). Attach it to customer groups and / or terminals (a warehouse counter, an outlet with different pricing). At the billing counter the customer's group list wins, then the terminal's list, then the shelf price; the cart shows the list price under the line. Everything not on the list still sells at the shelf price.
4. Loyalty points
Switch the programme on under POS settings with three numbers: points per 1 spent, value of one point, minimum points to redeem — the settings card shows a worked example. Points are earned on the goods total of a sale (never on tips, gift-card purchases or the points tender itself), printed on the receipt as Points earned and Points balance, and redeemed as a tender at checkout. Staff with the right permission can adjust a customer's points with a note; every movement is in the customer's history.
Accounting: earning debits Loyalty programme expense and credits Loyalty points liability; redeeming debits the liability. The liability on your balance sheet is exactly the points outstanding.
5. Gift cards
Sell a gift card from the cart (Gift card button: value, optional code, recipient, expiry). The sale line posts to the Gift cards & store credit liability, not to revenue — revenue is recognised when the card is spent. Cards can be issued, reloaded and voided from the Gift cards tab; the receipt prints the code and the remaining balance. At checkout, enter the code and the balance is checked live (unknown, used up, voided, expired).
6. Store credit
A return can be refunded as store credit: a card in the customer's name for the amount, on the same liability account, printed with its code and spent like a gift card.
7. What is not included yet
Punch cards and loyalty tiers are on the roadmap; today's programme is points only. Promotions are evaluated per line with one promotion per line (the best one wins), which is what most tax authorities expect on a receipt.