Advanced Topics FAQ
Advanced topics include specialized functions and integrations, such as Saved Sales Sync and Apple Pay. Here are the most frequently asked questions about these types of features.
Table of Contents
Credit Card Processing
This section addresses common credit card processing questions. Need help getting set up? Visit our Credit Card Processing article.
What credit card readers work with the Retail POS (S-Series) app?
Visit our online store to view compatible card readers. All models must be purchased directly from Lightspeed Retail to work with the register.
Can I use an external credit card machine?
External terminals, such as those provided by credit card processors, do not integrate with the Retail POS (S-Series) app. If you have to use one, enable ‘External Credit’ and/or ‘External Debit’ as active tenders for cashiers to use at the register.
Can I run credit cards with no internet?
Lightspeed Retail can run cash sales without an internet connection, but an active internet connection is required to process credit cards and sync register data to BackOffice. If your internet connection goes down, you cannot run credit cards unless you are using a Clover device with offline payments enabled.
If you are unable to run credit cards due to internet issues, consider accepting only non-credit tenders or use a credit card imprinter so you can enter credit sales manually when the connection is restored. To run a manual credit transaction, the card number, expiration date, CVV code, and billing ZIP Code are required.
Can I accept debit cards?
Yes, as long as the card has a Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or Discover logo. Debit cards are processed as credit transactions and PIN entry is not supported.
Can I accept EMV chip cards?
The business must use ShopKeep Payments by Lightspeed and an eligible EMV card reader to be able to accept EMV chip cards. Visit our Lightspeed and EMV article to learn how to accept EMV payments.
Can I accept credit payments online?
Yes. Credit card payments can be accepted online for emailed invoices, orders placed through a Lightspeed eCom (E-series) webstore, and Pay by Link sales run in the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS. Visit our Online and Mobile Payments article for help setting up online payments on each of these platforms.
Can I accept credit payments on mobile devices?
Yes. Credit card payments can be accepted in the Lightspeed Pay (S) app on iOS by tendering an existing saved sale or entering a total sale amount. In the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS, the Pay by Link feature allows customers to pay for a sale rung up on the register from their own mobile device. Visit our Online and Mobile Payments article for help setting up mobile payments.
Can I use a credit card reader with the Lightspeed Pay (S) mobile app?
Yes, credit card readers compatible with the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS can be used to process EMV, contactless, and swiped credit transactions in Lightspeed Pay.
How do customers sign for credit card sales?
Customers can sign and tip on the register’s screen or a printed receipt. Visit our Tips and Gratuity article to learn how to change tip and signature settings.
Can I disable the customer copy or business copy of the credit card receipt?
No. When customers sign and tip on a paper receipt, the customer copy and business copy of the receipt always print automatically.
Can I add suggested tip options to paper receipts?
Yes. Visit our Tips and Gratuity article to learn how to enable tip suggestions on paper receipts.
Can I change suggested tip values?
Yes. Visit the Tips and Gratuity article to learn how to customize the suggested tips that appear on the register’s screen or on paper receipts.
Do I need to enter the tip right after processing a credit card?
No. If customers sign and tip on paper receipts, cashiers can use the Tip Later feature to enter gratuity from a receipt at any point after processing the credit card but before closing the sale.
What happens if a cashier forgets to enter a tip?
Cashiers must enter the tip before finalizing a sale. There is no way to add gratuity to a sale after it is closed.
Can I adjust a tip after entering it?
In most cases, gratuity cannot be changed after tapping ‘Charge’ at the register. However, merchants processing credit cards with ShopKeep Payments by Lightspeed can submit requests to adjust incorrectly entered tips. Learn more in our Tips and Gratuity article.
Can I automatically add tips to transactions?
No, gratuity must be manually added to sales after they are tendered. Learn how tipping works here.
How can I view gratuity reporting and pay out tips?
Visit our Tips and Gratuity article to learn how to perform these actions.
Do I need the customer’s credit card to process a return?
No. Returns processed for sales originally tendered to ‘Credit’ at the register will automatically refund back to the card used in the sale. Manual returns to a credit card are not allowed. Visit our Performing Returns support article to learn about the returns process.
Can I refund a tip without returning the sale?
No. A cashier must return at least 1 item from a sale to refund its gratuity.
Can I refund part of a tip?
No, the entire gratuity amount must be refunded.
How do I settle my batch when the business closes?
Lightspeed Retail sets up accounts for automatic batch closure at 12:00 am local time. Contact Customer Care if you are concerned batches are not closing or if the business does not receive funding.
Can I change credit card processors?
Yes. The steps to change credit card processors will vary based on your current account setup:
Is Lightspeed Retail PCI compliant?
Yes. Lightspeed Retail credit card readers instantly encrypt customer information when a cashier processes a card. This data travels through our payment gateway to your processor. Lightspeed Retail does not store sensitive credit card information on the register or in BackOffice.
Where can I find the Realm ID for my QuickBooks Payments account?
The Realm ID appears in BackOffice and is used to identify your QuickBooks Payments account when contacting Intuit support. To learn how to locate the Realm ID, visit our QuickBooks Card Reader Troubleshooting guide.
How can I get help with a credit card processing issue?
Visit our Credit Card Readers Troubleshooting page and select your credit card reader for help with most common problems and error messages.
Apple Pay
Look no further for answers to popular questions about using Apple Pay with the Retail POS (S-Series) app.
How do I set up Apple Pay?
To set up Apple Pay for use in the Retail POS (S-Series) app, the business must use a compatible processor, Apple Pay enabled card reader, and the latest version of the Retail POS (S-Series) app. To set up Apple Pay for use with invoices and Pay by Link sales, the business must sign up for online and mobile payments.
Visit our Lightspeed & Apple Pay article to learn how to set up and use Apple Pay.
What devices can customers pay with?
Customers can pay with any compatible iPhone or Apple Watch. Visit Apple Support to learn if a specific model is supported.
How do I accept Apple Pay on a sale?
Tender the sale as ‘Credit’ in the Retail POS (S-Series) app and have the customer hold their device within 1″ of the card reader. For a step-by-step walkthrough, visit our Lightspeed & Apple Pay article.
Can I accept Apple Pay for online and mobile payments?
Apple Pay can be accepted for invoices and Pay by Link sales but not for Lightspeed Pocket sales or orders placed via Lightspeed eCom (E-Series) webstores.
Lightspeed Pocket
This section covers frequently asked questions about downloading and using our mobile reporting app, Lightspeed Pocket. If you have questions about the reporting contained in Pocket, visit our Reporting FAQ.
What devices is Lightspeed Pocket available for?
Lightspeed Pocket (S) is available for iOS and Android devices.
Where do I download Pocket?
Depending on what kind of device you have, download Pocket from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Visit our Lightspeed Pocket for iOS & Android article for help downloading Pocket.
Is Pocket free to download?
Yes. However, only merchants on select pricing packages are able to view reporting for dates other than the current day.
How do I upgrade my subscription to use all features of Pocket?
In BackOffice, click ‘Upgrade’ to upgrade to a pricing package with full access to Lightspeed Pocket, including the ability to select a custom date range. For help upgrading, visit our Pocket Troubleshooting guide.
Can I check or adjust inventory in Pocket?
No. Lightspeed Pocket is primarily a mobile reporting app designed to show recent sales data for your stores.
Can I run sales in Pocket?
Merchants who signed up for Lightspeed Retail before February 8, 2021, can use the Pocket app to process basic cash and credit card sales. Learn how to run sales from your mobile device in our Running Sales in Lightspeed Pocket article.
If you signed up for Lightspeed Retail after February 8, 2021, and want to process transactions on a mobile device, use Lightspeed Pay instead.
Can I use a credit card reader or receipt printer with Pocket?
No. Manual entry must be used when processing credit cards in the Lightspeed Pocket (S) app and receipts must be emailed.
How do I refresh my sales in Pocket?
Swipe down from the top of the screen with one finger to update Pocket’s sales information.
Lightspeed Pocket automatically refreshes sales information after completing a cash or credit sale from the Pocket App. Learn more about running sales in Pocket here.
How can I get help if I have an issue with Pocket?
Visit our Lightspeed Pocket Troubleshooting guide for help solving most common problems.
Lightspeed Pay
The Lightspeed Pay app for iOS enables businesses to use iPhones to close saved sales started in the Retail POS (S-Series) app and eCommerce online orders, and to process new cash and credit sales by entering a total sale amount.
On what devices can I use Lightspeed Pay?
Lightspeed Pay is available for use on iPhones running a supported iOS version.
Where do I download Lightspeed Pay?
Download the Lightspeed Pay (S) app from the Apple App Store. For help with this process, visit our Lightspeed Pay article.
Who can log into Lightspeed Pay?
Any employee with a BackOffice login can log into Lightspeed Pay.
If an employee is a cashier or register manager, provide them with a BackOffice login to allow them to use Lightspeed Pay. To prevent employees from accessing most BackOffice features while still being able to use Lightspeed Pay, assign them the ‘Receive Inventory’ role or uncheck all boxes on the ‘Permission List’.
For help managing employee permissions, visit the Manage Staff article.
How do I view and close saved sales in Lightspeed Pay?
View and close saved sales from the ‘Saved Sales’ screen in Lightspeed Pay. Visit our Lightspeed Pay article to learn how to view and close saved sales in the app.
What tenders are available in Lightspeed Pay?
Cash and credit are the only tenders available for use in the Lightspeed Pay (S) app.
Can I split, merge, or transfer saved sales in Lightspeed Pay?
No, this feature is not available. To split, merge, or transfer a saved sale, use the Retail POS (S-Series) app.
How do I start new sales in Lightspeed Pay?
Start new sales from the ‘New Sale’ screen in Lightspeed Pay. Visit our Lightspeed Pay article to learn how to run new sales in the app.
Can I use a credit card reader or receipt printer with Lightspeed Pay?
Yes. Credit card readers and receipt printers compatible with the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS can be used in Lightspeed Pay to process EMV, contactless, and swiped credit transactions, print receipts, and print credit card signature slips.
Visit our Lightspeed Pay article to learn how to set up hardware for use in the Lightspeed Pay app.
How do Lightspeed Pay sales look in reporting?
New sales started in Lightspeed Pay use ‘Custom amount’ for the sold item name. This item is assigned to a department and category called ‘general’ and does not have a supplier or quantity on hand. New sales are also counted as non-taxable on the Sales by Tax Rate report, and tax figures on other reports do not include tax added to the sale total in Lightspeed Pay.
All sales and online orders closed in the Lightspeed Pay app do not appear on X and Z reports at the register or on the BackOffice Shifts Summary report or Dashboard ‘Register Summary’ tile as they do not belong to a register shift. On the BackOffice Transactions Report, the ‘Register’ column is left blank and the ‘Sales Channel’ column displays ‘In Store’.
Saved Sales Sync
Saved Sales Sync enables a business to view saved sales from any register activated on the same Lightspeed Retail store, even if those registers are not connected to the same Wi-Fi network. It also securely backs up saved sales (even if using a single device), enables BackOffice reporting on saved sales, and allows saved sales to be closed from the Lightspeed Pay mobile app.
How do I enable Saved Sales Sync?
Learn how to enable or disable Saved Sales Sync from the Retail POS (S-Series) app here.
What requirements must my network meet to use Saved Sales Sync?
Visit our Best Practices for Network Setup article for recommendations to ensure a seamless experience.
Why are saved sales not showing up on all registers?
Visit our Saved Sales Screen Troubleshooting guide for help resolving issues related to saved sales and registers staying in sync.
Can I disable Saved Sales Sync?
Yes, but we only recommend doing so if you plan to use registers without an internet connection. Visit our Saved Sales Sync article to learn how to disable this feature.
Serverless Sync™
Serverless Sync enables a business to view saved sales from any iOS register on the same WiFi network.
How do I enable Serverless Sync?
Turning on Serverless Sync is a multi-step process involving both the iPad and BackOffice. Visit our Serverless Sync support article to learn how to set up this feature.
If you have not yet enabled Serverless Sync™, we recommend using the Saved Sales Sync feature instead to sync sales between registers.
Is the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android compatible with Serverless Sync?
No. Instead, use Saved Sales Sync to sync open saved sales between registers using the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android.
What requirements must my network meet to use Serverless Sync?
Visit our Serverless Sync article for recommendations to ensure a seamless experience.
How can I see which registers are connected?
Visit the ‘Register List’ area of the register’s Main Menu to see which registers are connected and able to communicate via Serverless Sync.
Why are saved sales not showing up on all registers?
Visit our Saved Sales Screen Troubleshooting guide for help resolving issues related to saved sales and registers staying in sync.
Can I disable Serverless Sync?
Yes. However, do NOT disable Serverless Sync while register shifts are still open. After closing all saved sales and register shifts, Serverless Sync can be disabled in BackOffice by unchecking the ‘Enable’ box checked during setup.
Mailchimp Integration
This section answers common questions about using Mailchimp with Lightspeed Retail. If you need help setting up this integration, visit our Mailchimp Integration Setup article.
NOTE: This feature is only available for Lightspeed Retail merchants on select pricing packages.
What is Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is a service used to send mass emails to customers. Mailchimp integration allows you to automatically sync a Lightspeed Retail customer list to Mailchimp.
What customer information syncs to Mailchimp?
Customer names and email addresses sync from Lightspeed to Mailchimp.
Can I sync my Lightspeed Retail customer list to multiple Mailchimp audiences?
No. Lightspeed Retail customers can only be synced with one Mailchimp audience.
Where can I learn how to use Mailchimp?
Learn the basics of using Mailchimp directly from the source. Visit one of the Mailchimp links below for help getting started with the service.
How can I get help for an issue related to Mailchimp integration?
Visit our Mailchimp Integration Troubleshooting guide for help solving most common problems.
Can I unlink Mailchimp from Lightspeed Retail?
Yes, just visit our troubleshooting guide for the steps to do so.
QuickBooks® Integration
This section answers common questions about using QuickBooks with Lightspeed Retail. If you need help setting up this integration, visit our QuickBooks Integration Setup article.
NOTE: This feature is only available for Lightspeed Retail merchants on select pricing packages.
Can I sync information from QuickBooks to Lightspeed Retail?
No. Synchronization between Lightspeed Retail and QuickBooks is one-way and information only syncs from Lightspeed Retail to QuickBooks.
Can the integration sync previous days’ reporting to QuickBooks?
No. Information starts syncing on the day you enable QuickBooks integration.
Can I sync my Lightspeed Retail inventory, cost of goods sold (COGs), or time clock data?
No. QuickBooks integration only syncs register activity, such as sales, returns, and payouts.
Can I manually import data into QuickBooks?
QuickBooks allows certain types of information to be imported, but Lightspeed Retail cannot provide support to help with this. If you need help importing data to QuickBooks, visit QuickBooks Online Support.
How can I get help using QuickBooks?
Intuit offers a number of resources to help you hone your QuickBooks skills:
How can I get help with an issue related to QuickBooks integration?
Visit our QuickBooks Integration Troubleshooting guide for help solving most common problems.
How can I get help with a QuickBooks integration question not listed here?
Visit our QuickBooks Integration Setup article for answers to additional questions about setting up and using QuickBooks integration.
Lightspeed Loyalty
Lightspeed Loyalty, powered by AppCard, allows you to set up a points-based rewards program that enables frequent customers to earn in-store discounts. Visit this FAQ for answers to common questions about Lightspeed Loyalty.
Lightspeed Spotlight
Lightspeed Spotlight allows you to manage your business’s online visibility across multiple platforms to identify listing inconsistencies and update business information directly from BackOffice. Check out this FAQ for answers to common questions about Lightspeed Spotlight.