Cashier Functions Troubleshooting

This guide covers issues that may occur while performing cashier functions found on the register’s Main Menu. Having problems with returns, shift reports, or gift cards? It’s all covered here.

Table of Contents

Sales History Issues

This section covers problems with functions accessed from the Sales History screen, such as returning sales or reprinting receipts.

I accidentally returned a sale.

Though returns cannot be canceled or undone, you can balance out the day’s net sales and inventory quantities by running another sale.

  1. Run a sale for the same items that were returned.
  2. Finish the sale to the same tender as the return.

    If the return was for Credit, you will need to swipe the customer’s card again to charge them.

I cannot find the sale I need to return.

The ‘Sales History’ screen shows transactions processed at that register during the current register shift and excludes transactions processed in the Lightspeed Pay and Lightspeed Pocket apps. Follow the steps below to return a sale from a previous shift or one tendered outside the Retail POS (S-Series) app.

For help returning Lightspeed eCom (E) orders, visit our eCommerce Troubleshooting guide.

  1. For sales processed during a previous register shift or in the Lightspeed Pay app, use the search bar to look up the sale.

    Search by transaction number, last 4 digits of the credit card used, or scan the barcode on the receipt.

    Click to Enlarge

    Or tap the arrow and select ‘Customer’ to search by customer name, email, or phone #.

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  2. For sales processed in the Lightspeed Pocket app, follow the steps here to perform a manual return.
  3. Finish returning the sale.

    Visit our complete Performing Returns article if you need help.

"No matching results" / "Invalid search"

These errors indicate a problem with the criteria used to search for a transaction. Check that everything was entered correctly to resolve the issue.

  1. If searching by transaction number, check that you entered the correct number from the receipt.

    It is the 19 digit Transaction #, not the Order #.

  2. If searching by the last 4 digits of a credit card, make sure you entered the digits correctly.
  3. Re-enter the transaction number or last 4 digits and try again.

The 'Credit' button is missing from the return screen.

Cashiers can only return a sale to ‘Credit’ if the original sale was paid by credit card. If the ‘Credit’ button is missing, you must return the sale to a different tender, such as ‘Cash’.

“Returning too much” or "Already returned"

These errors indicate the amount you are trying to refund is more than what is allowed. This is because either part of the sale or the entire sale was already returned.

  1. Remove items from the return or process a manual return.

"Unknown error. Could not verify the original sale with BackOffice."

This error occurs when returning a sale while BackOffice is undergoing scheduled maintenance. Read below to learn how to proceed.

  1. Tap 'OK' to dismiss the error.
  2. Either process a manual return or try the return again later once maintenance is complete.

    You can monitor the status of the maintenance work at status.shopkeep.com.

"Connection failed"

This error means the register has either poor or no internet connection. The Lightspeed Retail POS must be connected to the internet to utilize certain features, such as returning a sale.

  1. Tap ‘OK’ to dismiss the error
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  2. Follow these steps to troubleshoot your network connection.
  3. If unable to complete a return, process a manual return.

I cannot find the receipt I need to reprint or resend.

By default, the Sales History screen only displays transactions from the current shift. If you cannot find the transaction you need to reprint or resend, use the search bar to search all shifts, past and present.

  1. Follow the steps here to search for the transaction.

I get an error message when I try to reprint a receipt.

Visit one of our printer troubleshooting guides to resolve the issue with your printer.

'Reprint Gift Receipt' is grayed out.

If the ‘Reprint Gift Receipt’ option is grayed out, it means either a return or a sale from a previous shift is selected. Gift receipts cannot be reprinted for these types of transactions.

Register Shift Report Issues

Trouble with the Register Shift Report? We’ve got you covered.

I cannot print my X or Z report.

Use one of our printer troubleshooting guides to diagnose and solve the problem.

Transactions are missing from my X or Z report.

X and Z reports summarize sales activity taking place on a specific register during a register shift. If transactions appear to be missing from these reports, consider the following possible explanations:

  • Transactions closed on other registers are only included in X and Z reports run from those registers.
  • If a new register shift is opened, transactions processed during the new register shift are not included on Z reports for previous shifts.
  • Sales processed outside the Retail POS (S-Series) app, such as in the Lightspeed Pocket and Lightspeed Pay apps, do not appear on X and Z reports.

    • Gift Card Issues

    Trouble checking the balance of a gift card? Keep reading for answers.

    "This register does not have gift cards set up yet."

    If you got an email stating your account is set up for gift cards, follow the steps below to fix this issue.

    NOTE: This feature is only available for Lightspeed Retail merchants on select pricing packages.

    1. Make sure you followed all of our setup instructions.
    2. Get Updates from BackOffice on the register.
    3. Check the gift card balance again.

    “Could not connect to processor” or “Cannot connect to processor”

    These errors occur when the register has a poor connection to the internet or no connection at all.

    NOTE: This feature is only available for Lightspeed Retail merchants on select pricing packages.

    1. Press the Home button to exit the Retail POS (S-Series) app.
    2. Open a web browser and perform a Google search.
      • If search results load, force quit and re-open the Retail POS (S-Series) app, then check to see if the issue is resolved.
      • If search results do not load, follow these additional steps:
    3. Open Settings and tap 'Wi-Fi'.
    4. Check if the register is connected to the correct network.
      • If the register is connected to the correct network, reboot the device and try the sale again.
      • If not, switch to the correct network, force quit the Retail POS (S-Series) app, and try the sale again.
    5. If the problem persists, reboot the router or contact your internet service provider for help restoring the internet connection.

    Visit our Best Practices guide for tips to reduce network connectivity issues to ensure the most reliable Lightspeed Retail experience.

    The register is prompting me to manually enter a gift card.

    This means there is a problem with the connection between the register and your card reader.

    NOTE: This feature is only available for Lightspeed Retail merchants on select pricing packages.

    1. Visit one of our credit card reader troubleshooting guides for help resolving the problem.

    A black box appears when I try to scan a gift card barcode.

    If you are unable to scan gift card barcodes with the camera on the iPad, it means the Retail POS (S-Series) app does not have permission to use the iPad camera. Enable camera access for the Retail POS (S-Series) app to resolve the issue.

    1. Tap ‘Tap to Allow Lightspeed Camera Access’ to open iPad settings for Retail POS (S-Series).
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    2. Toggle the ‘Camera’ setting on.
      Click to Enlarge
    3. Return to the Retail POS (S-Series) app, and complete the transaction.

    “No response from gift card provider”

    This error can occur if there is a problem with your register’s internet connection or a widespread gift card processing issue.

    1. Follow the steps here to troubleshoot the internet connection of the register.
    2. Visit our status page to check for any known gift card processing issues.
    3. If the problem persists, contact us for help.

    Miscellaneous Issues

    This section covers miscellaneous cashier issues unrelated to the sections above.

    I can't save a sale to a table in the Tables screen.

    Saved sales must be created directly from the Tables Screen to be assigned to a table. Learn more by reading our article on Using the Table Layout.

    “Quantity on Hand tracking disabled”

    This error occurs when checking the quantity on hand (QoH) of an untracked inventory item. Read below to learn how to track the item.

    1. Tap ‘OK’ to dismiss the error.
      Click to Enlarge
    2. In BackOffice, enable inventory tracking for the item.
    3. At the register, Get Updates from BackOffice to sync the change in inventory tracking to the register.
      Click to Enlarge

    An item’s quantity on hand is incorrect.

    An incorrect quantity on hand (QoH) may mean the item was not sold or returned properly, was not received in BackOffice, or was stolen. Read below to learn how to fix the item’s quantity.

    1. Adjust the item’s quantity to the correct number.

    On the System Diagnostics screen, there are a number of items next to the Pending Queue or Delayed Queue.

    The Pending Queue and Delayed Queue represent the amount of data on its way to BackOffice from the register. If the number of items in these queues does not go down, follow the steps below to fix the issue.

    1. Make note of the number of items in each queue.
    2. Check the internet connection on the register.
    3. Wait 10 minutes and check the queues again.
    4. Follow the specific steps below that reflect the behavior of the queues.
  • If the number of items in the queues has decreased:
    1. Wait until each queue reaches 0.
  • If the number of items in the queues has not decreased:
    1. Check that the register is connected to the right WiFi network. If not, reconnect it to your network.
    2. Load a website or perform another function that requires internet.
    3. Ask someone familiar with your network setup to reboot the modem and router.
    4. Contact your internet service provider for further assistance troubleshooting your network connection.

    I'm having a problem with a cashier function not covered here.

    Visit our Retail POS (S-Series) App Troubleshooting page for links to troubleshooting guides covering other cashier topics, such as the New Sale screen and Saved Sales screen.