Lightspeed Retail POS FAQ

Login and Access

What is my register code or manager code?

If you forget your unique register code, visit the BackOffice Staff List to look it up.

Can I change my register code?

Sure. Edit employee information, including register codes, from the BackOffice Staff List. Don’t forget to get updates on the register after changing anything in BackOffice.

How do I sign in to the Retail POS (S-Series) app?

Sign in to the register by entering your unique register code and tapping ‘Sign In’. Signing in is only necessary if more than 1 employee is set up in BackOffice.

How do I clock in or out for my shift?

Clock in and out by entering your register code on the register sign in screen and tapping either ‘Clock In’ or ‘Clock Out’. The register sign in screen is only accessible if more than 1 employee is set up in BackOffice.

Do employees need to clock in and out for breaks?

If a specific break is unpaid (e.g. lunch), employees must clock out when going on break and clock back in when returning to work to ensure the break is not included in their total hours worked in BackOffice.

How do I switch my register from one device to another?

Switching the iPad or Android tablet used as your register requires deactivating the Retail POS (S-Series) app on the existing device and then downloading and activating it on the new device. Learn more in our troubleshooting guide here.

How can I get help with time clock or sign-in issues?

Visit our Login / Access Troubleshooting guide for solutions to some common problems.

Register Functions

How do I activate my register?

Activate your register by downloading the Retail POS (S-Series) app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and following the on-screen prompts.

Does the Retail POS (S-Series) app have a training mode?

No. Visit our Cashier Training Index to learn about basic register cashier functions or visit our Manager Training Index to learn about manager functions.

Why is my register asking to send notifications?

Notifications alert you with updates on matters affecting your Lightspeed Retail account, such as when there is a service disruption. To send notifications, the Retail POS (S-Series) app must be given permission via a screen that appears during register activation or on the sign in screen after a register shift is closed.

This feature is only available on the Retail POS (S-Series) app. If the prompt to enable notifications does not appear, stay tuned as we roll out this new feature to everyone.

Can I disable register notifications?

Yes. After being enabled, notifications can be disabled at any time from the Settings app on the iPad.

Can I search for items?

Yes, you can search for items by name, SKU, or UPC. Visit our Running Sales at the Register article for help ringing up items.

Can I check an item’s quantity on hand from the register?

Yes. Visit our Using the Register article to learn how to view an item’s quantity at the register.

Is there a way to quickly repeat a sale or order?

Yes. Visit our Saved Sales article to learn how to reorder items from saved sales at the register.

This feature is only available on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS.

Can I sell an item that is not listed in my inventory?

No, only items created in inventory can be sold at the register. Items can be created from the Item List in BackOffice or at the register or by using Bulk Management.

What types of receipts are available?

At the register, receipts can be printed to a connected receipt printer, texted (SMS) to a mobile phone number, and emailed to customers for transactions run at the register. Gift receipts can also be printed at the register.

Learn how to print or send a receipt during a sale here.

Can I assign orders to specific tables in my business?

Yes. With the Table Layout feature, you can add the tables in your restaurant or bar to the register, view open and seated tables, and start new orders by tapping a table.

Visit our Table Layout article to learn how to enable, set up, and use this feature.

How do I perform an exchange?

Exchanges must be done in two separate transactions. First return the original sale item, then sell the new item to the customer. If you have Integrated Gift Cards, process the return and sale with a gift card so the customer receives store credit if the first item is more expensive.

If you cannot return the original transaction to a credit card, perform a manual return to a non-credit tender, such as “other” or “external credit”.

How can I return items?

Returns can be processed from the ‘Sales History’ screen either by searching the current register shift or previous shifts for the original sale transaction or by performing a manual return. Visit our Performing Returns article for step-by-step help.

Can I do a partial return or refund?

Returns are based on whole inventory items. If a sale contains 3 items, you can return 1, 2, or all 3 of the items. You cannot return part of an item and cannot specify a dollar amount to refund.

How do I return a sale to a credit card?

Only sales paid for at the register using the ‘Credit’ tender can be returned to a credit card. After looking up the original credit sale at the register, the cashier can complete the return as usual. Credit card returns automatically refund to the card used in the sale. Visit our Performing Returns article to learn more.

How long does it take for a credit refund to reach a customer’s bank account?

Credit refunds typically take 5-7 business days to process. If a refund occurs within the same credit card batch as the original sale, the sale will only reach the authorization stage and will typically drop off the customer’s bank statement within a few days.

Can I return a sale to a gift card?

Yes. Returning a sale to a gift card can be used to issue store credit to a customer instead of refunding their original payment tender. Sales can also be returned back to a gift card if the customer used a gift card for their initial purchase. Learn more in our Integrated Gift Cards article.

NOTE: Gift Cards are only available for Lightspeed Retail merchants on select pricing packages.

What does the trash can icon do?

On an unsaved sale, the trash can icon will delete all items from the sale. On a saved sale, the trash can icon will void the entire sale.

Can I view a report that shows items deleted from transactions?

While individual deleted items and individual items from discarded transactions do not appear on any BackOffice report, the quantity and value of these items for a given register shift are available on the X and Z Reports. Read our article on X and Z Reports for more information.

Can a customer pay with multiple tenders, such as cash and credit?

Yes, payment for a sale can be split up to 9 different ways at the register.

Can customers pay from a mobile device?

Yes. Customers can receive a payment link via the Pay by Link feature to manually enter their credit card information or to use Apple Pay or Google Pay without interacting directly with the register. If using a compatible credit card reader, customers can hold their phone near the reader to pay using Apple Pay.

Can I add a service charge or shipping costs to a transaction?

There is no feature that allows for adding a service charge or shipping costs. You could, however, create an item for the amount of the charge or shipping cost and add that item to the sale.

Can employees claim cash tips or gratuity in Lightspeed Retail?

No. Gratuity is tracked automatically for sales paid for with credit or gift cards, but employees cannot claim cash tips.

Can customers tip using a gift card?

Yes. Enable gratuity settings in BackOffice to allow your business to accept tips for sales paid with credit cards and gift cards. Learn how to enable gratuity settings here, and learn how to redeem gift cards here.

Can I add a tip to a sale at a later time?

Yes. The Tip Later feature allows cashiers to authorize a credit card and return to the sale at a later time to enter the tip.

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 on credit card sales. Learn more in our Tips and Gratuity article.

Can I automatically add tips to transactions?

No, tips must be manually added to sales after they are tendered. Learn how tipping works here.

How can I see the amount of tips collected during my register shift?

Employees can see the amount of gratuity collected from sales paid for by credit and gift cards and Lightspeed eCom (E) orders* closed at the register on their Register Shift Report. Visit the Tips and Gratuity article to learn about additional gratuity reporting available in BackOffice.

*Excludes tips left on orders not paid online by credit card (e.g. cash orders) that are placed while eCommerce online ordering is enabled. To learn more about how tips for online orders appear in reporting, visit our eCommerce Advanced Topics article.

Can I discount items at the register?

Yes, both items and entire sales can be discounted using preset or open priced discounts.

Can I use multiple discounts on a sale?

Yes. One discount can be applied to the overall sale and one discount can be applied to each line item.

Can receipts be reprinted at the register?

Yes. Visit our Using the Register article to learn how to reprint receipts from the current register shift and past register shifts from the register’s ’Sales History’ screen.

Can I resend an email receipt to a customer?

Yes. In the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS, cashiers can resend email receipts for sales from the ‘Sales History’ screen. Visit our Using the Register article to learn how to use this feature.

Can I reprint a kitchen ticket?

Yes. Learn how to reprint kitchen tickets here.

This feature is only available on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS.

How can I tell if my printer and/or card reader is connected to the register?

Visit ‘Integrated Hardware’ on the Main Menu (iOS) or ‘Setup’ on the register menu (Android) to view connected printers and card readers. If unable to connect a printer or card reader, visit one of our troubleshooting guides for help.

Can I issue and redeem gift cards at the register?

Yes. Learn how to set up and use Integrated gift cards here.

Can I issue complimentary gift cards?

Yes. To load value onto a gift card without charging a customer, apply a discount to the gift card sale before tendering it.

Can I accept personal checks at the register?

Yes. First enable the checks tender in BackOffice, then select that tender when closing a sale.

Can I accept EBT cards through my register?

The Lightspeed Retail POS itself cannot process EBT cards.

If you already accept EBT cards through an external terminal, set ‘External EBT’ as an active tender in BackOffice. Please note that ‘External EBT’ is used for reporting purposes only and is not a direct EBT integration.

Can a customer pay using PayPal?

No, Lightspeed Retail does not integrate with PayPal.

Can saved sales be renamed after they’re closed?

No. To rename an open saved sale, tap the sale name on the transaction screen.

Can I add notes to a sale?

Yes, you can add notes to individual sale items that will appear on kitchen tickets and receipts. To learn how, visit our Using the Register article.

How is sales tax calculated?

Sales tax is calculated at the item-level based on the tax rates and tax groups you have configured in BackOffice. At the register, the relevant tax rate is applied individually to each item on the transaction and rounded to the nearest penny. If an item is assigned to a tax group containing multiple tax rates, each rate in the group is applied separately to the item price and rounded, then the totals for each rate are summed.

Why is tax calculated at the item-level and not based on the sale’s subtotal?

Item-level tax makes it possible to return individual items, calculate taxable and non-taxable sales by tax rate, and develop certain reporting features.

Currently, a sale with two items costing $5.50 each and a 9% tax rate would be charged $1 in sales tax ($0.50 per item). If tax was calculated based on the sale’s $11.00 subtotal, sales tax would be $0.99. If one item was returned, how much tax would be refunded: $0.49 or $0.50? Which item gets that extra penny? With transaction-level tax, you can have many “extra pennies” randomly assigned to items. When each sold item’s tax is summed, you can end up with a different total than what was actually collected at the register.

Can I remove tax from a transaction?

Yes. Easily toggle tax off or on by tapping the checkmark next to the tax during a transaction.

Can I enter credit card information manually?

Yes, credit card information can be entered manually. You will need the correct card number, CVV number, expiration date, and billing ZIP Code to successfully process a manual credit transaction.

How can I correct overcharging for an item?

To correct the overcharging of an item, simply return the item for the amount charged and ring it back up for the correct amount.

Can I make the text on my register bigger or smaller?

Yes. For the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS, follow the steps here to change the size of the font used on item shortcuts. For the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android, follow these steps to change the size of fonts and display elements used throughout Lightspeed Retail.

Can I change my register number?

No, but you can change the register name in the Register Licenses section of BackOffice.

How do I deactivate my register?

Depending on the method used, register deactivation requires steps to be performed both on the register and in BackOffice or only on the register. Visit the Add & Remove Register Licenses article to learn how to deactivate a register.

How can I open the register cash drawer without performing a sale?

Register Managers can tap the ‘Open the Cash Drawer’ button on the Main Menu (iOS) or register menu (Android) to open a connected cash drawer without running a sale.

How can I view information about the status of a register?

The Diagnostics screen shows if a register is connected to the internet, if it can communicate with BackOffice, and other details about its status. Learn how to access the Diagnostics screen here.

How can I get help with a problem affecting my register?

Visit our Retail POS (S-Series) App Troubleshooting page for links to guides that help solve common issues related to logging into the register, cashier and manager functions, New and Saved Sales screens, and app settings.

Manager Functions

Can I close a register shift from BackOffice?

No, you can only close a register shift from the Retail POS (S-Series) app.

Can I change the opening or closing amount of a register shift?

No. Once a register shift has been opened or closed, its opening or closing amount cannot be adjusted.

Can I add cash to the register in order to make change?

Yes, complete a pay in to keep track of cash added to the register.

Can I reverse a pay in or payout?

No. Once a pay in or a drop/payout is performed, it cannot be reversed or edited. This includes changing the amount of the pay in or payout and the comment attached to it.

What are X and Z reports?

X and Z reports summarize sales, returns, and other activity occurring on a specific register during a register shift. X reports cover everything from the register shift opening until when the report is run, and Z reports cover the entire shift from open to close. Learn how to print an X or Z report here.

Can I view X and Z reports in BackOffice?

No, but a lot of the same information can be found in other BackOffice reports, such as the Shifts Summary and Dashboard.

Can I reprint a Z report?

Yes. On the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS, you can reprint Z reports up to 7 days after the start of a register shift, and on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android, you can reprint Z reports for up to 2 days. Z reports for shifts opened longer than these thresholds cannot be reprinted, but the BackOffice Shifts Summary displays much of the same information for all previous register shifts.

The time frame for reprinting a Z report on iOS can be reduced to 2 days from the Settings app.

How do you end the day with credit card transactions?

Simply close a register shift to end the day for all tender types. Credit card transactions do not require additional action to be taken because credit batches are closed automatically with Lightspeed Retail. Visit our Credit Card Processing article to learn about processing credit transactions.

How can I tell if Saved Sales Sync is enabled?

Tap Register Settings from the Main Menu to view the setting for Saved Sales Sync.

How can I tell if my registers are connected to each other when using Serverless Sync™?

Tap ‘Register List’ from the Main Menu to view connected peers.

This feature is only available on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS.

Can I run a register shift report for each employee?

Yes. Tap the ‘All Employees’ drop-down menu to select an employee for whom to run the report.

How do I make an out-of-stock item unavailable at the register?

Select Lightspeed Retail merchants can manage item availability at the register to manually make items unavailable for sale. If this feature is not available to you, visit the Item List to edit the item and change its ‘Register Status’ to make it inactive.

This feature is only available on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS.

Can I add new inventory items or item shortcuts from the register?

Employees with the relevant BackOffice permissions are able to manage items and item shortcuts from the Retail POS (S-Series) app. For help using these features, visit our Add Basic Items and Item Shortcuts articles.

Can I update any BackOffice settings at the register?

Yes. The Business Owner is able to manage receipt and tip settings from the Retail POS (S-Series) app. For help using this feature, visit our Receipt Setup and Tips and Gratuity articles.

Saved Sales Screen

Can I sync saved sales with my other registers?

Yes. On the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS, Serverless Sync™ allows saved sales to sync from one register to other registers on the same Wi-Fi network. On the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android, Saved Sales Sync allows registers with an active internet connection to sync saved sales.

Can I add names or table numbers to saved sales?

Yes, enter a name or table number when you save a sale, or start a new sale directly from the table layout. Staff can also rename a saved sale at any time before closing it out.

Can I charge or pre-authorize a credit card when starting a saved sale?

No. If a customer is paying by credit card, you must swipe or manually enter the card when closing out the sale to process their payment. A credit card cannot be saved to a sale for processing at a later time.

Can I transfer saved sales between employees?

Yes, ownership of saved sales can be transferred between employees.

Can I view a report that shows the value of my saved sales?

Yes. The total number and value of sales currently saved on the Saved Sales screen are available at the register on the X Report and in BackOffice on the Dashboard. Individual saved sales can also be viewed from the BackOffice Transactions Report.

Read our Saved Sales article for more information on saved sales reporting.

Can I view a report that shows which saved sales have been voided?

Individual voided items and items from voided saved sales are available in BackOffice on the Void Report. The quantity and value of items voided during a register shift are available at the register on X and Z Reports.

Read our article on void reporting for more information.

What’s the difference between split saved sales and split tenders?

Splitting a saved sale allows you to separate the items from one sale into multiple new saved sales. Split tender sales involve splitting the payment for a sale multiple ways (e.g. paying half cash, half credit).

Can I return automatically to the saved sales screen after transactions?

Yes. In BackOffice, set the home screen to default to the saved sales screen.

This feature is only available on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS.

Can I view saved sales in BackOffice?

Yes. Individual saved sales can be viewed from the BackOffice Transactions Report. Read our Saved Sales article for more information on saved sales reporting.