Taking a payment at Checkout

Sidebar: Checkout. The page is titled Point of Sale. Use it for quick walk-in sales, like a bag of food, a nail trim or a toy.

To charge for a client's appointments or stays, use Collect Payment on the client's profile instead. See Checking out multiple pets on one ticket.

Who can use it

You need the Register & account credit permission. Owners, managers and the Front Desk role have it by default. The Employee role does not. If your business limits off-site access, Checkout is also hidden on devices that are not at your shop. See Restricting what employees can do outside the office.

1. Build the cart

The left side has three tabs:

• Products. Your active retail products. You can't add more than you have in stock. A Low stock line shows when a product is running low.
• Services. Your active services, with time and price.
• Custom. Type an Amount and an optional Description, then click Add Custom Item. With no description, it is saved as "Custom Item".

You can also search at the top, or scan a barcode to add a product.

The cart on the right shows each item with plus, minus and delete buttons. If a product has quantity price breaks (for example, bows are cheaper when you buy two), the price changes on its own as you add more.

If more than one person works at your business, pick who made the sale under Sold by.

2. Attach a client (optional)

Under the cart is a Client (optional) box that says "Attach a client for promos & points...".

• Leave it blank and the sale stays anonymous.
• Attach a client to record the sale against them. You also need a client to use a promo code, use loyalty rewards, earn points, or spend the client's account credit.

If the client has a staff warning on file (like "PREPAY REQUIRED"), it shows here.

3. Add a discount (optional)

Once a client is attached:

• Promo code. Type the code and click Apply. A cart with only products or only services takes codes made for that kind of sale. A mixed cart only takes codes set to All.
• Loyalty. Shows the client's points. Tap a reward they have enough points for.

The discount shows as its own line above tax. If you change the cart after applying a discount, Alaga removes it and asks you to apply it again.

Promo codes need the Professional plan or higher. Loyalty only shows when the loyalty program is turned on. See Promo codes and discounts and Running a loyalty program.

Tax

Tax is set under Business Settings → Payment Settings, in the Tax Settings card. Alaga uses your custom rate if you set one, then your state's rate, then zero.

The What Gets Taxed switches decide what is taxed. At Checkout, products follow Retail products, and services and custom items follow Grooming & services. When part of the cart is not taxed, the tax line says "on taxable items".

Tax is worked out after any discount.

4. Take the payment

1. Click Pay $X.XX.
2. Under How will the customer pay?, pick one:

• Card. Shows when your card processor is connected. With a Square Reader it says Charge on Square. See Connecting Square.
• Card on terminal. Shows instead of Card when no card processor is connected. Run the card on your own machine, then record it here.
• Cash. Enter the Amount Tendered to see the change due.
• Check. A check number is required.
• Credit. Shows when the attached client has account credit. It spends that credit.

1. Add a tip if there is one (see below), then finish the payment.

If the attached client has prepaid credit, a Prepaid balance box appears above the buttons. Tap Use prepaid balance to apply it. It never applies on its own. On a walk-in sale, credit must cover the whole total. To mix credit with another payment, charge the client through Collect Payment instead.

If you passed on a card processing fee, it is added to Card on terminal payments only. See Card processing fee below.

Tips

Alaga asks about the tip after you pick how the customer pays.

• Card: an Add a Tip step opens. Pick None, 15%, 18%, 20%, 25% or a custom amount. Choose On the card or Cash tip.
• Cash, Check or Card on terminal: the tip box is on the same screen.
• Choose who gets it under Tip goes to…. Click Split between two people to share it, for example between a groomer and a bather.

On a Square, Paygistix or Valor card reader, the customer adds a card tip on the reader. You still choose who the tip goes to. You can record a cash tip here too.

See Tips: how they are captured and paid out.

Receipts

Checkout does not print or email a receipt. If the customer needs one, charge them through Collect Payment on their profile, which makes an invoice you can email or download.

The cash drawer

The cash drawer button is in the Checkout header.

1. Click Open Drawer and enter the Opening Balance at the start of the day.
2. Click Drop to record cash moved to the safe.
3. Click Close at the end of the day and enter the Actual Cash Count. Alaga tells you if the drawer is balanced, over or short.

Cash sales only count toward the drawer while it is open. If you choose Cash with no drawer open, Alaga shows No cash drawer is open with an Open drawer button. You can still take the payment.

An owner or manager can turn on Remind staff to open the drawer under Business Settings → Payment Settings (the Cash Drawer Reminder card).

Card processing fee

Owners and managers can pass card costs on to the customer. Go to Business Settings → Payment Settings, find Card Processing Fee, switch on Add a fee to card payments, set the Fee (%) (up to 10%) and click Save Fee Settings.

The fee only applies to Card on terminal payments. It also covers a tip put on the card. Check your card processor's rules before you turn it on.

Refunds

Refunds are not done from Checkout. See Refunds, voids and adjustments. Owners, and managers with the refund permission, can refund. When a walk-in sale is fully refunded, its products go back into stock.

Station Mode

If staff share one device at the front desk, use Station Mode so each sale is credited to the right person by PIN. See Setting up Station Mode.