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Steps for Applying Discounts in the Register

1. Click the Register icon in the upper left of the blue Admin toolbar.
2. Add a product or class to the Register.
3. To apply a discount to an individual line item, click the blue pencil on the right side. You can enter either a Percentage Discount or a Dollar Amount Discount.
4. To apply a discount to an entire transaction, in the gray box on the right, click the % button next to Discount and enter either a percentage or dollar amount. Only items eligible for discounts will receive the discount.
5. The discounts will show for each line item on the receipt and the total discounted amount will also be on the receipt.

Steps for Completing a Layaway in the Register

Please note that you can also access any Layaway from Modules > Layaways.

1. Go to the Register, you can click the Register Button in the upper left.
2. Search for the Customer.
3. Click any of the icons in the upper right, the Customer Actions panel will open. NOTE: If the customer has an active layaway, the open box icon will be highlighted in gold.

1. Scroll down to Layaways in the left column and find the one the customer is picking up.
2. Click the Pick Up button.
3. The payment will load as a line item in the register. Fees, such as a late fee, will display as separate line items. Adjust fees and amounts as needed.
4. Complete your transaction in the normal way.

Click here for more detail on working with layaways: Layaways.

Steps for Completing a Special Order in the Register

1. Go to the Register, you can click the Register icon in the upper left.
2. Search for the Customer.
3. Click any of the icons in the upper right, the Customer Actions panel will open. NOTE: If the customer has an active special order, the ticket icon will be highlighted in gold.
   
   
   
   
4. Scroll down to Special Orders in the left column.
5. Find the Special Order the customer is picking up.
   
   
   
   
6. Click the Pick Up button, your special order will load as a line item.
7. Complete your transaction in the normal way.

Click here for more detail on working with Special Orders: Working with Special Orders.

Steps for Completing a Work Order from the Register

1. Click the Register icon in the upper left.
2. Search for the Customer and click the name to add the Customer to the Register.
3. If the Customer has active Work Orders in the system, you will see the Wrench icon highlighted in gold in the upper right, with the other Customer Action icons.
4. Click any of the Customer Action icons in the upper right of the Register.

5. The Customer Actions panel will open, and the Work Order(s) are listed at the bottom of the left column. Click the Work Order to load it into the Register.

6. You will see line items for each service and part, and you can apply any discounts you might need.
7. Complete the transaction in the normal way.

Click here for more detail on processing your Work Orders: New Version of Work Orders.

Offer your customers the best possible savings with the Coupon & Discount Stacking feature while you maintain control over the way your discounts work! This feature lets you manage how multiple coupons and discounts can be applied when selling face to face in the Register and when selling through your website. Take a look!

Stacking Coupons and Discounts in the Register

To begin configuring how you want your coupons and discounts to work in the Register, click the Admin Button in the upper right that has your username and go to Settings > POS Settings. The General tab will open for you and you can find the Coupons & Discounts section near the bottom.

You have a several options for how multiple discounts and/or coupons can be applied in the Register.

• The primary setting for Coupon & Discount Stacking will apply by default to individual line-item discounts, transaction-based discounts that cover all eligible items in the transaction, and coupon codes used in the Register that can be applied to individual products or entire departments, or to all items, depending on how the coupon is configured. Here are the options for Stacking:
  • Apply Highest Saving - This setting is the default and will apply only one discount: whichever one offers the greatest discounted amount.
  • Apply All - This will combine all added discounts and coupons and can result in very large (up to 100% off) discounts, depending on how many are added.

• You can turn off the Line Item Discounts if you don't want to allow specific discounts on individual line items. By default this is on.

• For the Discount Override for Non-Discountable Items setting, it applies to line-items in the Register. If you check the box for this setting, it will not allow items to be discounted if they are set to not allow discounts in the Product, Service, or Class, or at the Department level. Normally in the Register users can override such settings if needed. If the above setting for Line Item Discounts is disabled, this option is grayed out.

• If you sell services through your Register, you can choose to Apply Transaction Discounts to Services if you wish for those to be discountable. This applies only to line-item services added manually to the Register.

• You can Apply Transaction Discounts to Purchased Gift Cards if you wish. Be aware, discounting the original card purchase might be 'double-dipping' by also allowing items purchased with the Gift Card to be discounted as well. Most stores leave this setting off.

• The Disable Coupons & Discounts for Sale Price Items is a setting for which many of our clients have asked. If you check the box for this setting, items with an active Sale Price will not be discounted, even if they would normally be eligible.

When working with discounts and coupons in the Register, you can see a breakdown of all that have been applied or you can manually adjust discounts by clicking on the Discount link in the register sidebar, as pictured here:

Stacking Coupons on Your Website

For your website, your customers can get discounts via coupons you offer, and there is a settings area that allows you to configure how that works. Click on the Admin Button with your username in the upper left of the system and go to Settings > Website Settings > Shopping Cart. Scroll down the page until you see the section for Coupons like the one pictured below.

You have a couple of options for how multiple coupons can be applied in the website for your customers:

• The primary setting for Coupon Stacking will apply to all active coupon codes that might be added at checkout by a customer. Here are the options for Stacking:
  • Apply Highest Saving - This setting is the default and will apply only one coupon code discount: whichever one offers the greatest discounted amount.
  • Apply All - This will combine all added coupons and can result in very large (up to 100% off) discounts, depending on how many are added.

• The Disable Coupons Sale Price Items is a setting for which many of our clients have asked. If you check the box for this setting, items with an active Sale Price will not be discounted, even if they would normally be eligible.

If you have a service package that includes the Point of Sale, you can have up to two Tills set up for your system. These will be set up for you by your Customer Success Manager, and that person can do so at any time for you. If they have not yet set them up for you, reach out through the contact information they provided you during your initial consultation, this will include their direct phone line and email address, and they can set your Tills up for you.

If you are already live and using your Point of Sale system and just need another Till added, there is an additional cost for that for each Till over your initial two, and we can enable that for you if you call our Support team at 385-404-6200.

If you just need to see the different types of tender and amounts you took in throughout your day, the End of Day report is perfect for counting your tender by till for the day so you can justify your cash drawers.

If you need more robust features for ending shifts and changing out cash drawers or just having a dedicated shift report and drawer counting tools, the Shift Management feature allows you to do this. You can also do Pay In and Pay Out from your drawer as needed. Click here to learn more about this feature: Shift Management

For Class purchases done through your website, there is a setting you can enable that will allow the customer to enter names for each seat they are reserving for the class. To enable this function, in the upper right of the system, click on the Admin Button with your username and go to Settings > Website Settings. The first tab that opens is for Calendar & Classes and at the bottom, you will find the option to Require Attendee Names. Those names will display on your Classes Report.

For Class purchases done through your point of sale Register, the name of the customer will automatically be recorded. If the customer is purchasing extra seats, you can enter the names in the Notes area for all attendees, and in your Classes Report those notes will be visible.

After logging into the system, in the upper right click on the Admin Button with your username and go to Settings > Website Settings > Website Settings > Email, and you will see a field to enter your From Email Address. Please note the warning on the page about not using an email address provided by one of the big free email providers, such as AOL, Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo, etc. The reason such email addresses will not work for this system is because that spammers use email addresses like that to send bulk emails out at little risk to themselves. So bulk email provider services have trouble sending messages with From email addresses like that, so in the system, we do not allow them.

We do not have a way to set a specific amount to charge for shipping per product, but you can have the product's weight determine how much is charged. Start by looking at your shipping settings. After logging into Rain POS, in the upper right click on the Admin Button with your username and go to Settings > Website Settings > Shipping, and click to Configure your shipping methods. Check the box for the method you want to work with and click to Edit, or if you don't yet have a shipping method, click the green +Add Domestic Shipping Method button to create a new one. After you set the Region, currency, method name, and delivery time, in the 'Based On' area, you will need to select Weight. Each of your products can be set to have whatever weight it might need in order to charge enough shipping to cover the item. If you don't have weight values in place for your products, you will need to enter them, and they go in as decimal values of pounds (or kilograms, if that is the system you use), so an item that weighs 24-ounces will go in as 1.5 in the weight field for the product. Be sure to click Save at the bottom after you're finished adjusting your rates.

Here are some great things to do to improve your use of the Point of Sale system:

• Utilize User PIN Codes - While it may be a slight annoyance to have to enter your PIN code for each new transaction, the benefits far outweigh the inconvenience. With this feature on, clerk names are logged on all transactions, and that puts accountability in place for you. Train your team to practice security: if you step away, click the Clerk name locking the screen. If you use this feature, make sure to create good PIN codes: nobody, including you or your managers, should use codes such as 0000 or 1234, or similar, intuitive numbers. Make codes for your employees, and make them random. To activate this feature, go to Settings > POS Settings, and in the left column, you will see where you can activate User PINs. Save at the bottom when done.
• Use Rewards - Are you using the Rewards program? If so, do you feel like you're getting the most out of it? All by itself, the Rewards program is pretty good, but if you put effort into it and train your team to do so as well, you can start building serious loyalty. Train your clerks to talk about it, have them focus on customer experience and always be asking themselves, "If I was shopping here, what would make my experience better?" You can also offer bonus rewards as a marketing strategy, for example, if you have some items you need to sell, offer double reward points, and manually give customers extra rewards after purchasing. You can activate and configure your Rewards by going to Settings > POS Settings > Customer. After you're finished with the settings, scroll to the bottom and click Save.
• Use Customer Notes / Transaction Notes - Are you noting everything properly? Sometimes taking a few seconds to note something can save hours of frustration later if you forget the details. Train your team to note everything: Use Customer notes to details special situations or circumstances, family members, etc. Use Transaction notes to record circumstances your accountant will need to understand at the end of the month. Adopting this as your regular process will help with special situations so everyone will know what is needed. Customer notes can be added by clicking to view the customer details and scrolling down to the Other section and entering notes in the Till Alert area. You can add notes to a transaction by clicking the Notes link to the right of the main item search field.
• Make the Best Use of Coupons- If you are not already using coupons for promotions, you should take advantage. They are flexible and can add tremendous value to sale events you run. For more information on how to set up your Coupons, click here: Coupons. Maximize the effectiveness of your coupons by sending out email blasts with the coupon code, feature the code in Facebook and other social media posts, and instruct your team to offer the code to everyone so they won't miss out! To create a Coupon, go to Products > Coupons and once you're finished, click Save at the bottom.
• Work in Multiple Browser Tabs - Ever feel like you're having to do way too many clicks just to get information when you're in the middle of something? You should be working in multiple browser tabs! It's much easier to click an open tab that's already got your Customers or your Products or whatever it is you find yourself looking up throughout your day. Keep several tabs open at once; one for your Register, and others for the parts of the system you need most, and that way you don't have to leave your transaction and possibly have to recreate it after you look up that critical piece of information. To open a system link in at new tab, hold down Ctrl and click on the link, or right-click and choose Open in New Tab from the popup menu.

Steps for Removing or Adding Tax in the Register

1. In your transaction in the Register, find the Tax area in the gray box to the right and click the - button.
2. If you accidentally removed tax, the same button becomes a +, and you can click it to add the tax back again. If you don't see the proper tax, check your tax settings: Point of Sale Settings: Taxes.
3. If you remove tax from a transaction, be sure to click the Notes link above the line items and enter a note for the transaction about why the tax was removed, so your accountant can properly account for the missing tax.
4. Complete your transaction in the normal way.

Please Note: If you need to remove tax from a completed transaction, you will need to open the transaction from the End of Day report and click the Edit Transaction button.

If you need to add tax to a completed transaction, you will need to Void the original and run the transaction again using the steps above to make sure tax is properly added.

Show Previous Transaction Details in Your Register

Sometimes things move quickly as you're wrapping up a transaction and you might lose track of important details, like the exact amount of change you need to give the customer. Turning on this feature will show you those details so you won't have to scramble for them, and also allows you to reprint the receipt if needed.

Steps for Setting Your Register to Show Previous Transaction Details

1. Click the Admin Button with your username in the upper right and go to Settings > POS Settings.
2. In the General settings area, scroll down until you see Show the previous transaction in the till and check the box for that setting.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Save.
4. After you have completed a transaction, and before you start a new one, you will see the Customer, Transaction ID, Total, and Change Due from the previous transaction, and you will be able to click the Receipt button to reprint the receipt, if needed.

How to 'Sell' Products for Free

Your Rain POS Point of Sale system allows you to offer items for free in Register and in online transactions.

Steps for Selling Free Products in the Point of Sale

1. Search for your product and add it as a line item to the Register.
2. In the line item for the product, click the blue pencil.
3. Enter 100 into the Percentile Discount area, and click Save
4. Add whatever other items the customer is purchasing and complete checkout in the normal way.

Steps for Selling Free Products Online

1. Click the Admin Button with your username in the upper right and go to Settings >Website Settings > Products.
2. Scroll down until you see Allow Purchase of Free Products and set it to Yes.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save. You're all set!

The area of the system where you'll create your Rentals is the Register. Begin by logging into the system and then on the left side of our blue Admin Toolbar, click the Register Button.

Entering a rental is very similar to completing a normal transaction. Rentals can be initiated in two ways. In both cases the customer's name must be entered first.

Please Note: The system will not allow a rental without customer information.

The first method of entering a rental item is to press the blue Rental link in the register. The second option is entering a unique rental item in the Item Search area as shown below. Please note, that a rental item will be displayed with two horizontal arrows next to it identifying the item as something that is available to rent. Clicking on an item from the search will load it in the Rental Panel.

When the rental panel appears, you’ll see the customer is added to the rental already and additional renters can be added for families or groups. If the customer is picking the item up now, click on the calendar icon and choose the return date and time from the available slots. If the customer is picking up the rental at a later date, press the blue Change to Reservation button and select the Pick Up and Return date(s) and time ranges.

Items can be added by using the search box below the Renter’s name or by scanning/entering the item number, or by pressing the white Browse button. Once an item is entered to rent, you’ll see the calendar appear with the available days and inventory counts. If there are any accessories attached to the item you’ll see a small window appear. If any of the accessories are needed, click on them to add them to the rental item then press the white Close button at the bottom or click on the main screen to exit. The rental item and its accessories will have their available dates shown to the right.

Additional renter's orders can be added at any time by pressing either of the white buttons below the search box and subsequently their name(s) can be edited by pressing the blue Pencil icon next to their name.

If renter information is required for any of the items there will be a green Renter Info button at the bottom of the page that is required before the rental can be saved. These are configured in the Rental Settings Tab. If a waiver/agreement is required, you can print that off at any time by pressing the white Print Waiver/Agreement button, which will open the waiver up in a new printable tab.

You can also configure some options for this Rental window by clicking the gear-shaped button in the upper right of the window. Try different settings to see which configuration will work best for you:

Once the rental has been completed, the details of the rental will be displayed in the Register and can be checked out. To submit a deposit, click the four small purple buttons next to the rental item and choose either cash or card.

Please Note: The deposit is done separately in the line item and then the main rental payment is done the normal way for a transaction.

Deposit Method (Rental Pickup)

Deposit Payment Panel

You can edit the rentals prior to checkout by clicking the orange Edit button in the Rental line-item.

Returning/Exchanging Rental Items

You can run returns on Rental transactions by scanning the receipt barcode or by pulling the customer’s name up in the register and clicking on the rental icon in the top right to find their rental transaction. Next to each rental transaction will have a Return button. Click on that to begin the return process. Upon return of Rental items, any late fees are automatically calculated. The sales clerk may edit the pricing. Any late fees and/or additional purchases, are subtracted from the rental deposit.

Additionally, details of any rental may be found in the Rental Status or Rental Calendar items under the Modules menu as pictured below.

Clicking on any rental item will pull up its full details, including renter contact information, dates/times, price, and item details.

In addition to viewing rental statuses, you can also return or exchange items by pressing either the white Open in Till button (for exchanges or edits) or the blue Return button (for full or specific item returns).

Overview of the Special Order Placeholder Feature

The Special Order Placeholder is designed to streamline the process of handling special orders when the exact product details are not immediately available. This feature is particularly useful for users who lack the necessary permissions to create products in the store's system but need to take down notes of what the customer is ordering.

Create a Special Order Placeholder Item

1. Go to the Register by clicking the Register Button in the upper left. This is where you'll start the Special Order.
2. Search for the Customer you want.
3. Click on any of the Customer Actions icons in the upper right to open the Customer Actions panel. Please note: If the customer has any Special Orders, the Ticket icon will be highlighted in gold, as pictured here.

4. In the Customer Actions panel, find the section for Special Orders and click the + button to start a new Special Order.

5. In the New Special Order panel, next to the item search, click the New button and in the drop-list, click New Placeholder.

6. In the Create Placeholder window that opens, enter the Placeholder item details:

   • Enter a Product Title.

   • Enter an Estimated Price and a Quantity of at least 1 (quantity is required).

   • It is optional for you to set a Department, Vendor, and Product Type.

   • Add any relevant notes and media, if available.

     

7. Save the Placeholder item.

   • Click Save to return to the Special Order.

   • If you need to create additional Placeholders for the Special Order, click Save and New.

     

8. Once you have created the Placeholder items you need, click the Add to Register button and finalize the Special Order by completing the initial transaction.

9. Once you know the actual products the Placeholder items represent, you will need to change each Placeholder item into a real product:

   • Go to Modules > Special Orders and find the Special Order you want in the list. You will see each item in the Special Order as a separate line item.
   • Click on a Placeholder item to open it in the Special Order details panel.
   • Notice that a placeholder has a status of Incomplete. Click the Finish Creating Product link.

10. After you click to Finish Creating Product, the item will open in an Edit Product window. Add all necessary product details in the product page and then Save and Close the product window.
11. Notice that the product no longer has the Finish Creating Product link and the status has changed to Created. Now you can add the product to Purchase Orders or directly to the Register and it will function like any other standard product.

Fulfilling a Special Order with Placeholder Items

Placeholder items cannot be fulfilled. If you click the Fulfill Order button at the bottom of the Special Order, any Placeholders in the SO will not load into the fulfillment window. The example Special Order above has two Placeholders and one item that was converted into a standard Product. If a standard product and a Placeholder are in the same Special Order and click the Fulfill Order button, only the created product will show in the Manual Fulfillment window, as pictured below.

Creating a Product from a Placeholder in a Purchase Order

You can also view and create a product from a Placeholder item in a Purchase Order. Here is how to work with Placeholders in a PO:

• Create a new Purchase Order by clicking the +Create New button in the upper right and clicking Purchase Order in the drop-list.
• Click the Vendor drop-list and click on the vendor you want.
• Click the Purchase Queue button on the right, and the Purchase Queue panel will open.
• Find the section titled Incomplete Special Orders.
• Click the View button next to the Placeholder you want to convert to a product.
• The Special Order will open and you'll be able to click to Finish Creating Product as described above in steps 10-11.
• Once the product has been created it will move from the Incomplete Special Order section to the Special Orders section where it can be added to the Purchase Order.

Please Note: For staff members who do not have the User Group permission to create new products but but who need to create special orders, this functionality will not allow them to convert Placeholders to products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit a placeholder after saving it? 

Yes, placeholders can be edited by accessing them through the special order's list page or through the purchase order queue.

What happens if I don't complete the product creation?

The placeholder will remain with an Incomplete status and cannot be fulfilled until you convert it to a product.

Is it mandatory to add media to a placeholder?

No, adding media is optional but can be helpful for reference.

Steps for Using On Account as a Payment Method

1. Click the Register Button in the upper left.

2. Search for the Customer and click the name to add the Customer to the Register. (You must have a customer loaded to use the On Account payment method in the Register.)

3. You will see Balance Owed and/or Store Credit in the upper middle of the Register screen, if any.

4. Add the items for the transaction into the Register in the normal way.
5. When the Customer is ready to check out, click the Other Payment Methods button in the lower right.

6. In the panel that pops up, click Account.

7. Using the Account method of payment will create an Invoice in the system the customer can pay at a later date. Once you click Account, the Add On-Account Payment panel will open, loading the full amount of the transaction in the Amount to Invoice field. If you wish to give the Invoice a PO Number, you can do so, and you can also set the Term in Days the customer will have to pay the balance. Please note that if the customer has a Store Credit balance, as pictured below, you can check the box to apply however much is available.

8. Once you have set the options the way you want, click Save.
9. Complete the transaction in the normal way.

Steps for Using Gift Cards as Payment in the Register

1. Go to the Register and enter the items for sale in the normal way.
2. When you begin entering payment methods, click on the Other Payment Options button in the lower right of the Register.

3. In the Other Payment Methods panel that opens, Click on Gift Card.

4. You can either scan in the barcode of the Gift Card, OR you can manually enter the Gift Card Code. You can see all active Gift Cards by going to Inventory > Gift Cards if you need to look one up.

5. Gift Cards matching the code will appear in a drop list under the code, click on the appropriate card.
6. You can choose whatever amount is appropriate. Any amount left on the card will be usable for later purchases.

7. Once you have the payment configured, click Save.
8. Complete the transaction in the normal way.

Steps for Using Coupon Codes in the Register

1. Go to the Register, you can click the Register Button in the upper left.
2. Add the items for the transaction in the normal way.
3. In the item search area, enter the Code for the Coupon (you can find this under Marketing > Coupons), and you will see the coupon in the drop list under the search, as pictured below.

4. Click on the Coupon to add the discount to the transaction, it will be evenly applied across all eligible items.
5. Complete your transaction in the normal way.

Steps for Using Reward Coupons in the Register

1. Go to the Register. You can click the Register Button in the upper left.
2. Search for the Customer. If they have a Reward Coupon, you will see the starburst icon in the upper right highlighted in gold.

3. Click any of the icons in the upper right (see above), the Customer Actions panel will open.
4. Find the Reward Coupons on the left and click on one (if you have an expiration date set for your coupons, click on the last coupon in the list; it will be the oldest one).

5. You have the option to Apply All if you have set your Coupons to do so in Settings > POS Settings > General. (The setting is in the Coupons & Discounts section and is name Coupon & Discount Stacking. Set it to Apply All, then Save.)
6. The coupon discount will be applied evenly across all items in the transaction that are eligible for discounts.
7. Complete your transaction in the normal way.

If you use the Trade-Ins tool in the Register to accept traded inventory on purchases, your state might offer tax credits on that expense, meaning the item being traded for would have its tax reduced based on the item being traded. Please read further to find out more.

Three States Do Not Allow Trade-In Tax Credit

The situation is getting better: just four years ago, there were 7 states on this list. The following 3 states, as of 6/2024, do not offer tax credit on trades*:

• California
• Hawaii
• Virginia

*Source: Bankrate.com article on Does a Trade-In Reduce Sales Tax?

In the following 3 states, it is not an issue, as they do not charge sales tax:

• Montana
• New Hampshire
• Oregon

In the following states, limited Tax Credits are offered:

• Michigan only allows tax credit on the first $10,000 in a large purchase, as with an automobile.
• Ohio only offers the tax credit for new car sales: for used car sales, you must pay the full tax value.

So if your state is not listed above, you are able to get the taxable amount in a transaction reduced by the amount of the trade-in item. The system has been coded already for states that allow this tax reduction, so it will already be there for you and functioning if your state offers the tax credit.

If you have questions please give us a call at 385-404-6200.