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Processing Transactions

15 minutes

Tutorial 2.4: Processing Transactions

Introduction

The Point of Sale (POS) system lets you process payments for services and products. This tutorial covers creating transactions from appointments, processing walk-in sales, accepting different payment methods, and completing transactions.

Who this is for: Owner, Admin, Manager, Staff, Receptionist What you'll learn:

  • Access the Point of Sale
  • Create transactions from appointments
  • Add services and products to a sale
  • Apply discounts and tips
  • Process payments (cash, card, gift voucher)
  • Handle split payments
  • Select the correct till for cash payments

Time to complete: 15 minutes

Note: Transactions are created and edited in Quick POS only (no separate create/edit screen).

Prerequisites

  • Services configured in the system
  • Products configured (if selling retail)
  • Cash drawer opened (if accepting cash payments - see Tutorial 2.5)
  • Staff assigned to the transaction items

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Access the Point of Sale

From the navigation:

  1. Click POS in the sidebar
  2. The transaction list appears
  3. Click New Sale in the top-right corner
  4. The Quick POS interface opens

From a completed appointment:

  1. Click on an appointment in the calendar
  2. Click Open Quick POS
  3. Quick POS opens with the customer and service pre-filled

Step 2: Select a Customer

  1. Click the Customer search field at the top of the POS
  2. Start typing the customer's name
  3. Select from the dropdown results
  4. Their name appears in the customer field

What happens when you select a customer:

  • Their unbilled appointments appear in the Unbilled Appointments panel above the item tabs
  • You can click an appointment to add it to the cart, or click Add All to Cart to add all unbilled appointments at once
  • You can click Take Deposit on an appointment to process a deposit payment
  • Their contact details are available for receipts

Step 3: Add Items to the Cart

The POS has four tabs for adding items:

Services Tab:

  • Services are organised by tag (e.g., Color, Haircut, Styling, Treatment)
  • Click a tag to expand and see services in that category
  • Use the search field to find specific services
  • Click a service to add it to the cart

Products Tab:

  • Products are organised by brand
  • Each product shows the available stock count
  • Use the search field to find specific products
  • Click a product to add it (quantity 1)
  • Use + and - buttons to adjust quantity

Misc Tab:

  • Add miscellaneous products with custom names and prices
  • Useful for one-off items not in the system

Gift Vouchers Tab:

  • Sell gift vouchers to customers
  • Choose from preset amounts (£25, £50, £100, £150, £200, £250) or enter a custom amount
  • The valid value range is displayed (e.g., £5 - £500)
  • Enter recipient details (if required by your settings)

Adding from Unbilled Appointments: When a customer has unbilled appointments:

  1. Select the customer
  2. Their unbilled appointments appear in the Unbilled Appointments panel above the tabs
  3. Click an appointment to add it to the cart, or click Add All to Cart
  4. The service and staff are automatically assigned

Step 4: Review the Cart

The cart panel on the right shows:

  • All items added to the sale
  • Staff assignment for each service
  • Quantities for products
  • Line item prices

For each item you can:

  • Adjust quantity (products)
  • Assign/change staff member (services)
  • Remove the item (click the trash icon)

Totals displayed:

  • Subtotal
  • Deposit Credit (if appointments had deposits paid)
  • Discount (if applied)
  • Tip (if added)
  • Total

Step 5: Apply Discounts

To apply a discount:

  1. Click the discount amount (shows £0.00 by default) in the totals section
  2. A discount modal opens with two tabs:
    • Percentage (%) - Enter a percentage discount (e.g., 10% off)
    • Fixed (£) - Enter a fixed amount discount (e.g., £5 off)
  3. Enter the value and click Apply Discount
  4. The cart total recalculates automatically

Discount is applied to the entire transaction, not individual items.

Step 6: Add a Tip

If the customer wants to add a tip:

  1. Click the tip amount (shows £0.00 with a heart icon) in the totals section
  2. A tip modal opens with:
    • Quick percentage buttons: 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%
    • A field to enter a custom amount
  3. Select a quick percentage or enter a custom amount, then click Add Tip
  4. The tip appears in the cart totals

Tips are tracked separately from service revenue and attributed to the staff member(s) on the transaction.

Step 7: Add Notes

To add notes to the transaction:

  1. Click the Add note button below the totals
  2. Enter any relevant information in the Add Note modal
  3. Click Save Note
  4. Notes appear on the transaction record

Step 8: Select Your Till (If Applicable)

If your salon has multiple cash drawers with open sessions:

  1. A modal appears asking "Which till are you using?" when you open the POS
  2. Click the button for the till you're working at
  3. Your selection is remembered for the session

The till selector shows:

  • Till name as a button
  • Click to select

If only one till is open, it's selected automatically.

Step 9: Process Payment

When ready to take payment:

Single Payment Method:

  1. View the total amount due
  2. Click the payment method button:
    • Cash - Opens cash tendering
    • Card - Records card payment
    • Voucher - Redeem a gift voucher
    • Other - For alternative payment methods
  3. Enter the amount (defaults to amount due)
  4. Click to confirm the payment

Cash Payments:

  1. Click Cash
  2. Enter the amount the customer gives you
  3. If they give more than due, change is calculated
  4. Record the payment
  5. Give the customer their change

Voucher Payments:

  1. Click Voucher
  2. Enter the voucher code
  3. Click to check the balance
  4. If valid, the voucher balance appears
  5. Confirm to apply the voucher amount

Step 10: Split Payments

When a customer pays with multiple methods:

  1. Accept the first payment (e.g., £50 cash)
  2. The Amount Due updates to show remaining balance
  3. Accept the second payment (e.g., £30 card)
  4. Continue until the balance is zero

Example: £80 total

  • Pay £50 cash → Amount due shows £30
  • Pay £30 card → Amount due shows £0
  • Transaction is fully paid

Step 11: Complete the Transaction

Once fully paid:

  1. Review the transaction summary
  2. The transaction is automatically saved and completed when fully paid
  3. For unpaid transactions, click Save (Unpaid) to save without payment
  4. Receipt options appear on the transaction detail page

Transaction Status:

  • Completed - Transaction finished (auto-completes when fully paid)
  • Paid - Full payment received
  • Linked appointments marked as "Billed"

Note: Transactions are auto-saved as drafts while you work, so you won't lose your progress.

Step 12: Generate Receipt

After completing the transaction, view it from the POS list:

Download Receipt:

  1. Click the Download button on the transaction detail page
  2. Choose Receipt or Invoice format
  3. The PDF opens in a new tab or downloads

Print Receipt:

  1. Click the Print button on the transaction detail page
  2. Choose Receipt or Invoice format
  3. Print from your browser's print dialog

Email Receipt:

  1. Click Email Receipt (if the customer has an email address)
  2. Customer's email is pre-filled
  3. Send the receipt

Understanding Transaction Status

Status Description
Draft Transaction being created in Quick POS (auto-saved)
Pending Transaction saved but not completed
Completed Transaction finished
Refunded Transaction was refunded
Cancelled Transaction was cancelled
Payment Status Description
Unpaid No payment recorded
Partial Some payment received, balance outstanding
Paid Fully paid
Overpaid More than the total amount was paid

Common Pitfalls

"I can't find the customer's appointment"

Make sure you've selected the customer first. Unbilled appointments only appear after a customer is selected.

"The service shows a different price than expected"

Staff members can have different pricing levels. The price adjusts based on who is assigned to perform the service.

"I processed the wrong payment method"

Contact an Admin or Owner who can help process a refund and create a new transaction with the correct method.

"The cash drawer didn't open"

Cash drawers require a hardware connection. Check that your drawer is connected and the session is open.

"Gift voucher shows as invalid"

Check that the voucher code is entered correctly and hasn't expired. The voucher must have a positive balance.

Tips and Best Practices

  1. Confirm the total with the customer before processing payment
  2. Check staff assignment to ensure commission is recorded correctly
  3. Add products before checkout - "Would you like any products to take home?"
  4. Use barcode scanning if available for faster product entry - the scanner status indicator shows Ready or Scanning
  5. Select the correct till if your salon has multiple cash drawers
  6. Review the cart before completing to avoid errors
  7. Use quick tip percentages (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%) for faster tip entry

Related Tutorials

  • Tutorial 2.5: Using the Cash Drawer - Managing cash sessions and reconciliation
  • Tutorial 2.2: Booking and Managing Appointments - Appointments link to transactions

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a transaction after completing it?

Some transactions can be edited. From the transaction list, click the transaction and look for an Edit option. Major changes may require refunding and re-creating.

How do refunds work?

Refunds require Owner or Admin permission. Open the transaction and click Refund to process.

Can I take partial payment?

Yes, accept the amount the customer pays. The transaction will show "Partial" payment status with an outstanding balance.

What if the card machine fails?

Don't complete the transaction. Wait for successful payment confirmation, or select a different payment method.

How are tips handled?

Tips are added to the transaction total and attributed to the staff member(s). They're tracked separately in reporting.

Can I scan barcodes?

Yes, if your products have barcodes set up. Use a barcode scanner and scan directly - products are added automatically.

What's the difference between "Other" payment and "Card"?

"Card" is for standard card payments. "Other" is for alternative methods like bank transfer, account credit, or payment apps.

Last Updated: January 2026