When You Reach This Stage

You arrive at checkout once the order is complete — all items are in the cart and any discounts, coupons, fees, or loyalty rewards have been applied. From here you confirm the amount due and take payment.

Use this guide whenever you need to:

• Take a single payment for an order (cash, card, or QR).
• Split a bill between several customers or several payment methods.
• Send or print a receipt after payment.
• Recover from a declined card, an expired QR code, or an unresponsive terminal.

Before You Begin

A few conditions should be in place before you start taking payment. If any are missing, the payment screen will block the transaction or show an error.

• The order is complete — You cannot pay for an empty order, and items cannot be added once payment has started. Finish building the order first.
• A shift is open — Orders and payments can only be processed while a shift is open.
• Terminals are connected — For card or terminal-based methods (Stripe, AXS or GDC), the payment terminal must be paired and reachable. If it is not, the method will report that the terminal is not connected.
• A connection is available for some methods — Card, QR, and server-driven payments need network access to start and to confirm. Cash works offline; the order syncs once you are back online.

Moving from the Order to Payment

When you proceed to checkout, IdePos validates the order before opening the payment screen. These checks protect against charging the wrong amount:

• The order is not empty — There must be at least one item to pay for.
• The total is locked — Once checkout begins, the order total is fixed so the amount on screen matches what is charged. Items cannot be changed during payment.
• Coupons and vouchers are re-checked — Any applied coupon or loyalty voucher is confirmed still valid; if not, the order is updated before you continue.
• Connectivity is checked — For online stores a quick connection check runs so the payment can be processed and synced.

The payment screen then shows the figures you need to confirm with the customer:

• Order total — The sum of items, before any final rounding.
• Discounts, fees, charge and tax — Listed separately so the breakdown is clear.

Discounts and Charges

Discounts reduce what the customer pays; charges add to it. Some are applied while the order is being built and carry through to payment automatically; others you can add at the till on the payment screen. This section covers both, and explains how each appears in the bill breakdown.

Adjustments You Make at the Payment Screen

The payment screen has two buttons for last-minute adjustments to the whole bill:

Whole-Order Discount (the “Discount” button)

Use this to discount the entire order at the point of payment — for example a goodwill gesture or a manager-approved reduction.

1. On the payment screen, tap Discount.
2. Choose Rate for a percentage, or Amount for a fixed value.
3. Optionally enter a name or reason for the discount (recommended for reporting).
4. Enter the value and tap Add. The amount due updates immediately.

• Percentage limit — A percentage discount can be up to 100%.
• Naming it — The optional reason is stored with the order, which makes reconciling discounts at shift close far easier.

Manual Charge (the “Charges” button)

Use this to add a one-off charge to the bill — for example a packaging or handling fee not configured as an automatic fee.

1. On the payment screen, tap Charges.
2. Choose Rate for a percentage, or Amount for a fixed value.
3. Optionally enter a name for the charge, then tap Add.
4. If you add a charge in error, remove it with the X next to it in the breakdown.

Discounts Carried Over from the Order

These are applied while building the order and are already reflected in the amount due when you reach payment. They are listed here so you can recognise them in the breakdown and answer customer questions.

• Item discount — A discount on a single line, applied in the cart as a percentage or a fixed amount. It cannot exceed that item's price, and is not available on reward items or items whose price was manually changed.
• Coupon — Applied in the order summary before payment, either by searching the coupon list or entering a code. A coupon is rejected if it does not exist or has expired, if its usage limit or quota is reached, or if the bill already has a partly-paid split. Coupons can be removed before payment.
• Promotion — Applied automatically to eligible products — no operator action is needed. It appears in the breakdown as a promotion.
• Loyalty voucher / points — When a member is attached to the order, eligible vouchers and redeemable points appear in the order summary to apply as a discount. The amount is capped by the member's or store's redemption limit.

Automatic Fees, Tax, and Service Charge

Charges configured by your store are applied automatically based on the order type (dine-in, takeaway, delivery), so the operator does not add them by hand. They fall into two kinds:

• Inclusive — Already built into the item price. In the breakdown these are shown in bold so you can tell them apart.
• Exclusive — Added on top of the subtotal as a separate line.

Tax behaves the same way — it can be inclusive or exclusive — and is shown as its own line in the breakdown.

Click here to learn how to configure Fees and Tax settings.

Reading the Bill Breakdown

The payment summary lists the bill from top to bottom so you and the customer can follow how the total is reached:

• Item discounts — reductions applied to individual lines.
• Whole-order (special) discount — any discount you applied at the payment screen.
• Coupon — the coupon discount, if one is applied.
• Promotions — automatic product promotions.
• Fees and tax — automatic charges; inclusive ones appear in bold, exclusive ones are added on top.
• Manual charges — any charge you added at the payment screen.
• Voucher / points — loyalty redemptions applied as a discount.
• Total — the final figure to collect.

Splitting the Bill

A single order can be paid in parts — useful when guests pay separately or want to combine payment methods. Each part is paid one at a time, and the order is only complete once every part is settled.

Choosing How to Split

• Split by items — Assign specific items to each part of the bill. Discounts and taxes are shared across the parts in proportion. Best when each guest pays for what they ordered.
• Split by amount — Divide the total into custom amounts (for example an even split). Best when guests simply want to share the total.

Paying Each Part

1. Create the splits — by items or by amount.
   
2. Check that the parts add up to the order total; the screen flags any part that does not balance.
   
3. Select a part, choose its payment method, and take payment as normal.
   
4. Repeat for each remaining part. Different parts may use different methods (for example one cash, one card).
5. When the last part is paid, the order is marked complete.

Choosing a Payment Method

Select a payment method from the options offered. The choice determines what happens next — entering cash, tapping a card on a terminal, or displaying a QR code. The main categories are described below.

Cash

Cash is the simplest method and the only one that works fully offline.

1. Select Cash.
2. Confirm the amount due (the final figure after rounding).
3. Enter the amount the customer hands over. Suggested quick amounts are offered to speed this up.
4. The app calculates the change to return.
5. Confirm to complete. The cash drawer opens and the receipt prints.

Card Terminals —

Card payments are processed on a connected terminal. The on-screen flow is similar for each provider:

1. Select the card method.
2. The amount due is sent to the terminal. The screen shows that the payment is processing.
3. Ask the customer to present their card (tap, insert, or swipe) on the terminal and follow its prompts.
4. The app waits for the terminal to confirm the result, updating the status as it goes.
5. On approval, the payment is marked as paid and the receipt prints. On decline or timeout, an error is shown and you can retry or choose another method.

Things to know about terminal payments:

• Cancelling — Some methods (such as NETS and KPay) allow a payment to be cancelled while it is in progress; others do not. If cancellation is not supported, let the terminal finish and reverse it afterwards per your policy.
• Decline — If the card is declined, the reason from the terminal is shown. Ask for another card or method.
• Timeout or no response — If the terminal does not respond in time, the payment fails safely and a Retry option appears.
• Terminal not connected — If the terminal cannot be reached, check its power and network, then retry.
• Server-driven mode — Some Stripe setups confirm payment via the server rather than a local prompt; the screen simply waits for the result. No extra action is needed.

QR —

QR payments display a code for the customer to scan with their phone or wallet app.

1. Select the QR name or bank name.
2. A QR code for the exact amount is generated and shown on screen.
3. Ask the customer to scan it and approve the payment in their app.
4. The app checks for confirmation and updates automatically when payment succeeds.
5. On success the payment is marked as paid and the receipt prints.

• Expiry — QR codes are valid for a limited time. If the code expires before it is scanned, an “expired” message appears — generate a new code with Retry.
• Waiting — While the code is shown, the screen waits for the customer to scan. No operator input is needed during this time.
• Cancelling — If you back out while a QR is displayed, you are asked to confirm before the payment is cancelled.

Other Methods

• Automated cash machine (Glory) — Where a Glory cash machine is connected, it accepts notes and dispenses change automatically. Follow the on-screen status; if the machine cannot give change (for example it is low on cash), a failure is shown and you can retry or settle the change manually.
• Employee credit — Charges the sale to a staff member's account. The operator selects the account, the employee confirms with a PIN, and the app checks the account is active and has enough balance before completing.
• Name on payment — Some methods prompt for a name to attach to the payment (useful for tracking). Enter the name when asked, then continue.

After Payment Completes

Once payment succeeds, IdePos finalises the sale automatically:

• The order is marked as paid and complete, and is locked against further edits.
• The payment method and reference details are recorded against the order.
• The receipt prints, and the cash drawer opens for cash payments.
• The cart, customer, coupon, and loyalty selections are cleared, ready for the next sale.
• For dine-in, the table is freed and becomes available for new guests.

On the success screen you can:

• Print the receipt — Print (or reprint) the receipt for the customer.
• Send an e-receipt — Enter the customer's email to send a digital receipt; a confirmation is shown when it is sent.
• Start the next order — Return to the sales screen with a fresh, empty cart.

Handling Errors and Recovery

Payment issues are common in day-to-day use. Most are quick to recover from:

• Card declined — The terminal shows the decline reason. Ask the customer for another card or a different method, then retry.
• Terminal offline / not connected — Check the terminal's power, network cable, or pairing, then use Retry. The amount and order are preserved.
• Network down — Card and QR payments need a connection to start and confirm. Restore the network and retry. Cash can still be taken offline.
• QR code expired — Generate a new code with Retry and ask the customer to scan again.
• Cancelling a payment — You can back out before a payment is confirmed; for QR you confirm the cancellation first. The order returns to its pre-payment state so you can try again or change the method. Note that not all terminal methods support mid-payment cancellation.
• Order changed elsewhere — If the order was modified on another device, the payment is rejected to prevent a mismatch. Reload the order and take payment again.

Limits and Important Notes

• Items cannot change during payment — The total is locked at checkout. To change items, cancel the payment and edit the order first.
• Cash tendered must cover the amount due — The confirm action stays disabled until the entered amount is enough.
• Split parts must balance to the total — You cannot finish a split until every part adds up to the order total and each is paid.
• Terminal and QR methods depend on connectivity and pairing — If the device is offline or unpaired, those methods are unavailable until restored.
• Available methods are configuration-driven — The methods shown depend on store settings, order type, and region.
• Some methods cannot be cancelled mid-payment — Where cancellation is unsupported, let the transaction finish and reverse it afterwards per policy.
• Discount limits apply — A whole-order percentage discount can be up to 100%; an item discount cannot exceed that item's price.
• Coupons can't be added to a partly-paid split — Apply coupons before any part of a split bill is paid.

Best Practices

• Confirm the amount Total aloud — State the final amount to the customer before taking payment to avoid disputes.
• Wait for a definitive result — Always let card and QR payments reach a clear approved or failed state before moving on or closing the screen.
• Keep terminals paired and charged — Check terminal connectivity at the start of each shift so payments are not interrupted at the counter.
• Use split-by-item for shared tables — It keeps each guest's payment tied to what they ordered and makes receipts clearer.
• Offer the e-receipt — Sending a digital receipt reduces paper use and gives the customer a record instantly.
• Recover, don't force — If a method fails, retry or switch methods rather than repeatedly re-tapping a card on a struggling terminal.
• Always name a manual discount or charge — Recording a reason makes discounts and charges easy to reconcile and audit at shift close.

Common Pitfalls

• Leaving the payment screen mid-transaction — This can leave a payment in an uncertain state. Wait for the result; if interrupted, check the order's status before retrying.
• Trying to edit items after checkout — The total is locked. Cancel the payment to return to the order if a change is needed.
• Confirming cash before entering the tendered amount — The confirm action is disabled until the amount entered covers the total — enter it first.
• Forgetting a split part — An order stays unpaid until every part is settled. Check the remaining balance before considering the sale done.
• Re-tapping a declined card repeatedly — Read the decline reason and switch card or method instead of retrying the same card.
• Assuming a method is broken when it is hidden — A missing method is usually a store, order-type, or region setting — not a fault.
• Trying to apply a coupon after a split is part-paid — Apply coupons and vouchers before taking any payment on a split bill.