Choosing POS software: what to check on returns, shifts, stock and VAT

Start by describing your own process

Before comparing products, write down how your shop actually works. In practice, most problems come not from the software itself but from a mismatch between the software and the real process. Answering these questions gives you the list of features that genuinely matter to you.

• How many points of sale and warehouses do you have, and which warehouse does each till sell from?
• Do you sell retail only, or do some customers get wholesale prices?
• Do your products have barcodes, or do cashiers search by name? Do you sell items tracked by serial number or IMEI?
• Do you sell services as well as goods (delivery, installation, repairs)?
• Which system is used for accounting, and how should sales data get there?
• Do several cashiers share one till in shifts, or does each cashier have their own?

The checkout screen: speed and accuracy

Every extra second at the till is noticeable in a busy shop. When you test a system, run a real scenario: scan several items, change a quantity, take part of the payment in cash and part by card, and print the receipt.

If you plan to use a touchscreen, make sure buttons and product tiles are easy to tap. If you use a thermal printer, check that receipts print directly, without a print dialog popping up every time.

• A scanned barcode should add the item to the cart without pressing another button.
• Scanning the same item again should increase the quantity, not create a new line.
• Mixed payment (cash plus card) and change calculation should be automatic.
• It should be quick to find items by name, code and product group.
• Receipt width should match your printer's paper roll (usually 58 or 80 mm).

Shifts and cash control

Cash shortages rarely start with theft; they start with an uncontrolled process. The opening float is not recorded, cashiers swap tills, and the cash counted at the end of the day is never compared with the system figure. Good POS software makes these steps mandatory.

• Opening a shift should record the opening cash in the drawer.
• An X report should show running totals without closing the shift.
• On the Z report the cashier should enter the cash actually counted, and the system should show the difference.
• Each till should be assignable to specific cashiers, so nobody can sell on someone else's till.
• Cashiers should only see the sections they need; sensitive actions like returns should require a separate permission.

Returns: the transaction that needs the most care

Returns are a sensitive point for both customer service and internal control. With weak rules it becomes easy to take cash out of the till through fake returns. Ask in detail how the software records a return.

Another key point: a sales receipt should never be deleted or edited. A wrong sale is corrected with a return, and the correct receipt is then issued again. A system that lets users delete receipts is risky for both control and accounting.

• A return should be linked to the original receipt, and the returned quantity should not exceed what was sold.
• Returned goods should go back to stock automatically and a return slip should be printed.
• If the cashier lacks the permission, a manager should be able to approve on the spot with their own login.
• Returns without a receipt should require a reason, and it should be possible to switch them off entirely.
• The return period should be configurable, with only authorised staff able to process returns after it expires.

Stock and pricing: the till should not live apart from the warehouse

When the till and the warehouse run in separate programs, month-end stocktakes bring surprises. Goods sold should be deducted immediately from the warehouse linked to that till, and returned goods should go back there. A system that does not allow negative stock protects accounting discipline, but it also requires goods receipts to be entered on time.

• Each till should be tied to a specific warehouse, and items with no stock should not be sellable.
• There should be minimum stock levels and low-stock alerts.
• Retail and wholesale prices should be stored separately, with a minimum quantity for wholesale pricing.
• Services should be sold without touching stock.
• All stock movements (sales, returns, transfers, counts) should be traceable in a log.

VAT and fiscal requirements

In Azerbaijan, fiscal receipts for retail sales are issued through an online cash register (NKA). POS software and the NKA are not the same thing: the software manages sales, stock and reports, while the device produces the fiscal receipt. So ask whether the software integrates directly with your device or whether the fiscal receipt number is entered manually.

For VAT, each item's rate (standard, zero-rated or exempt) should be stored on the item card, prices should be shown VAT-inclusive, and the VAT amount should appear separately on the receipt and the end-of-day report. Confirm the specific tax requirements and rates with your accountant or official sources; this article is not legal advice.

The POS section in SBT CRM

The “POS” section of SBT CRM runs in the same system as stock, orders and customers, and is available on the Business and Enterprise plans. Each till sells only from its linked warehouse; sold items are deducted from that warehouse automatically and returned items go back to it.

On the fiscal side, we are upfront: the POS currently works with the NKA in “manual mode”. The cashier enters the device's receipt number at payment or later in the receipt window, and the CRM's own receipt is printed marked “not a fiscal receipt”. Direct device integration is the next stage.

The SBT Consulting & Solutions team helps analyse and set up your till, warehouse and accounting processes together. You can find more at crm.sbt.az.

• Search by barcode, name, code or IMEI, an item panel with product groups and a touchscreen mode.
• Cash, card and mixed payments, change calculation, and direct printing to a thermal printer without preview.
• Shift opening, X reports and Z reports with counted cash, and assigning tills to cashiers.
• Returns with or without a receipt, on-the-spot manager approval and a configurable return period; receipts cannot be deleted.
• VAT rate on the item card, VAT amounts on receipts and X and Z reports, wholesale prices and minimums, and transfer to 1C.

Frequently asked questions

Is POS software the same as a fiscal cash register (NKA)?

No. The NKA is a registered device that produces the fiscal receipt, while POS software manages sales, stock, shifts and reports. When choosing software, always ask how it works with your device.

Can a wrongly rung-up receipt be deleted?

Good practice is never to delete or edit a sales receipt. The error is corrected with a return and the correct receipt is issued again, so every movement stays in the log.

Should we allow returns without a receipt?

It depends on your policy. If you allow them, make a written reason and approval by an authorised person mandatory; if you do not need them, it is safer to switch them off completely.

Can the POS and inventory system be separate?

They can, but then you constantly have to reconcile stock and stocktakes show more discrepancies. A single system where till sales are deducted from stock immediately makes accounting simpler.