This section contains the options for tailoring the transaction process to your needs. Most of these options can be changed from this screen with keyboard shortcuts by holding Alt and pressing a key corresponding to the underlined character for each option (usually appearing before the option itself). The shortcut key is listed after each item in this section in parenthesis. 

Figure 3-5

Save Customer Check Information (1)
If checked, the system will prompt you to enter information such as check information and forms of customer identification and will save this information for review. If you accept a lot of checks and get some that bounce regularly, you may wish to use this.

Ask For Clerk At Time Of Invoice (2)
Checking this box allows the clerk to enter his or her ID at the tender screen (F9). This is used to help track commissions.

Force New Clerk/Password After Each Sale (3)
Each time a sale is completed, the user will have to enter in a name and password before anything else can be done. This is a security feature to make certain that every employee is using their own initials when they ring a sale or make changes. If you have clerks sharing a workstation, you may want this.

Force New Clerk/Password After Each IIP, WIP Or Layaway (O)
You can extend the previous security feature to also apply to IIP/WIPs and Layaways by checking this box.

Ask For Quantity When Loading SKUs On Invoice (4)
As you sell items or services, the system can "prompt" you for the Quantity. When it prompts, the default will be a quantity of one. If you use a bar code reader and scan all of your saleable items, then you should uncheck this box. When scanning with a bar code reader, it will be time consuming to touch the keyboard in between each item.

Transaction Settings: "Transactions" Tab (continued)
Give Warning When Selling Quantity Not On Hand (5)
This is usually turned off. Mail order businesses who may not see the merchandise at the time they are selling it may want it on. If you have a retail counter and the customer brings the merchandise to the counter to be rung up, this feature is obviously not needed.

Display Price Levels On Explode (6)
From the F3 Product Lookup Screen, the Explode button will give you details about a product or service, including price levels A through E. If you do not want your clerks to see the different price levels, leave this unchecked. For more information, see Chapter 6 - Inventory.

Get Item Cost On Blank Line Sale (7)
If you sell a "one-time" item, do you want to enter the cost as you sell it? If you do not enter the cost, your profit margins will be too high! From the Work Screen, the F10 key allows you to create a blank line sale. It is suggested that you leave this feature enabled and enter a cost when adding F10 items. For more information, see Chapter 5 - The Daily Menu.
Show Matrix Quantities When Loading (items to the Work Screen) (8)
When you sell a matrix item, a point and select window appears that allows you to choose the particular item you are selling. If this is checked, the window will show you how many of each type you have in stock. For information about matrix items, see Chapter 5 - The Daily Menu.

Show Item Script When Loading (items to the Work Screen) (9)
If you have entered information in the "Item Script" area, this feature will automatically pop it up as the item is scanned. For example, if you were selling printer paper, you might want to put "Ask the customer if he needs ribbons!" in the Item Script, so as to remind the operator to look for the "add-on sale". Or, you might put additional information in the script, that operators can look at if the customer asks for more detailed information.

Require Customer For Credit Card Transactions (A)
If checked, this will force the operator to have a customer loaded to the Work Screen in order to ring a credit card sale.

Require Customer For Debit Card Transactions (B)
If checked, this will force the operator to have a customer loaded to the Work Screen in order to ring a debit card sale.

Hide Profit / Margin Data On Work Screen (0)
If checked, the profit/margin data will not be displayed on the Work Screen. If unchecked, when doing a receipt process, as each item is brought to the Work Screen the total invoice amount will display the profit that is being made on this particular sale.

Hide Profit Margin Data On Today's Sales (D)
If turned off, you can view Cost, Profit, and Margin by going to the DAILY menu, selecting "TODAY'S SALES", then "SALES FIGURES". If you want your employees to be able to see sales totals for the day, but not the profit or margin, then check this item.

Use Point & Select For Serial Number Entry (E)
If you are selling "serialized" items, you will need this feature. You may enter serial numbers as you receive the products from your vendor if this box is checked. For more information on serialized items, see Chapter 6 - Inventory.

Number Order (N) / Oldest First (O)
When you sell a serial item, a list of all serial numbers will appear. You may choose whether the serial numbers on the list appear in the order they were received, or in numeric order by entering "N" for numeric order or "O" for chronological order (oldest first).

Always Make Change In Cash (N)
This will make it impossible to give change in any tender other than cash.

Allow Adding New Serial Number At Time Of Sale (F)
When viewing the list of available serial numbers for a selected serial item at the Work Screen, you can add a serial number by clicking the Add button if this option is checked. If unchecked, the Add button will not be enabled from the Work Screen, but will still be available under Add/Edit Inventory.

Seconds To Pause When Opening Cash Drawer Before Clearing Change Display
When the cash drawer opens at the completion of a sale, the final sale screen, which displays the change due, will remain visible for the number of seconds entered here. Regardless of this setting, the display can always be cleared by pressing any key on the keyboard.

Minimum Markup Allowed For Discounts At Work Screen
If you give percent discounts at the Work Screen, either by typing 'D' for Discount or by using the F6 Edit function to enter a discount, you may want to use this feature. The feature will prevent you from losing money by alerting you when the discount you are trying to give would make your markup on this item lower than the markup that you indicate in this box.

Use Customizable Product Browse At F3 (G)
This feature allows you to determine what information appears in the Add/Edit Inventory window. This is a handy feature for many retailers who prefer different information to appear when they are editing their inventory records. Unchecking this box will remove the drop-down menu from the Product Lookup screen (accessible by clicking Inventory | Add/Edit Inventory).

Show Costs At F3 (Product Lookup) (H)
When this box is checked, the cost of each item will be shown in the product lookup screen. If this box is not checked, that field will not be shown. If your customers can see your Work Screen, leave this box unchecked. This, of course, is up to how you run your business.

<QTY> X <SKU> May Be Used At Work Screen (I)
If you unchecked "Ask for Quantity when Loading SKUs on Invoice?" you may want to use this feature. This will allow you to type a quantity, then type 'X', and then scan a bar code. You may also type in a quantity, then type x, and then enter a SKU. If you use this feature,

Transaction Settings: "Transactions" Tab (continued)
you can set a maximum number of digits in <QTY> X <SKU>. For example, if you enter '4', then the maximum quantity you could enter would be 9,999.
Check Vendor Inventory At Start Up (J)
This will allow you to set up the system to automatically e-mail selected vendors a purchase order based on your re-order levels. The system provides a function for ordering inventory under Inventory, Purchase Orders. For more information on Vendor Inventory, see Chapter 7 - Vendors.

Use Flexible Form When Editing Product (K)
This allows you to specify which fields are visible when you edit an inventory item, instead of using the standard inventory edit screen.

Enable Entry Of Clerk During Invoicing (L)
This will allow you to have multiple sales people earning commission on a single invoice. When you sell an item at the Work Screen, at the time that you are prompted for quantity, you will also be prompted for clerk initials. If using this option, make sure "Ask for Quantity when Loading SKUs on Invoice?" is also enabled.

Allow Edit Of Cost At F6 For Inventory Items (M)
Allows for editing inventory item cost while at the Work Screen. As a store proprietor you may want to leave this item unchecked as it may allow employees to change your cost factor, which will affect your profit margin.

In Work Screen, Show Buttons With Pictures (W)
Unchecking this option will remove the small images from the various buttons at the bottom of the Work Screen. This makes the buttons slightly smaller and doesn't give you any more space in the Work Screen, but is a preference of some users.