How to order products

Tip: See also Products module.

The following steps explain how to log different types of sales transactions in the POS module.

To log a sales transaction:

1. Add a new record to the POS module.

  1. Enter the code for the first order in the transaction in the Product: (Product Details) field.

    If you do not know the code, click View Attachment and search the Products module for the appropriate code.

    When the code is entered into the Product: (Product Details) field, the Price, Tax, Sub-Total and Total fields are automatically populated. (This product is displayed as the first product in the Orders Taken table on the Sales tab.)

  2. Press TAB to move through the Product Details fields; if necessary overwrite the default number in the Quantity field with the number of products of this type ordered.
  3. If required, enter a discount in the Discount field.
  4. Leave the Reversal field blank.

    See How to reverse a payment for details on how to use this field.

    The status of the product displays in the Status field.

    5. Note: If the product is a certificate, the status must be Available in order for the certificate to print.

To search for event details:

  1. If the product ordered is a certificate, enter any known event details from the certificate application into one or more of the Event Details fields. Vitalware will search the module that is linked to the selected product to find the required event record.

    2. Note: If your system is in Batch mode, you do not have to wait to establish the link to the event record. This will be done when you complete the batch. (See What are Vitalware's Operational Modes? for details.)

  2. If your system is not in Batch mode, click Attach to run the search.

    If no matches are found, a No Match message displays. Try to broaden the search by deleting one or more search terms from the Event Details fields. If a match still cannot be found, you will be unable to continue to order this product.

    If more than one match is found, the attached module opens displaying possible matches:

    1. Select the required record and then click the Attach button in the Tool bar to copy the event's Summary Data into the Event field.

    3. Note: If you have selected the wrong record, click Delete to remove the Summary Data from the Event and Maintenance fields.

  3. If the product is not a certificate (or maintenance product), leave the Event Details fields blank.

To enter delivery details:

  1. Enter the delivery details in the Delivery Details fields. A product may be delivered to either a person or an organisation, e.g. John Smith or North West Hospital.

    If the delivery is to be made to a person or organisation listed in the Parties module, open the module, search for the record and use the drag and drop method to copy the address details into the Delivery Details fields. (See How to attach records using the drag and drop method for details.)

  2. Enter the customer reference or purchase order in the Reference Number field.

  3. If required, follow the steps outlined in Add more products to the transaction.

If necessary add more products to the transaction:

  1. Select the Sales tab.
  2. The details entered for the current product in the Orders Taken table display:

  3. Click the asterisk in the last row in the OrdersTaken table. (It may be necessary to scroll through the list of orders to view the asterisk.)
  4. The Product Details fields are cleared, ready to be completed with details for the next product order:

  5. Enter the product code for the next product in the Product: (Product Details) field.
  6. Enter event details in the Event details fields.

    The delivery details for the previous order display (in italics) in the Delivery Details fields:

  7. If for this product the delivery details are different from the those for the previous order, overwrite these details. Alternatively, drag and drop the relevant Parties record into the Delivery Details fields. The text will now display in a regular font:

  8. The delivery details are also copied to the Applicant and Refund fields on the Applicant and Refund tabs, as they are usually the same. If required, overwrite these details.
  9. Repeat the above steps as many times as necessary to add all subsequent products for the transaction.

If payment for the transaction comprised a single payment, this can be entered in the Payment Details fields on the Single Sale tab.

If the payment for the transaction comprised more than one payment, details for all additional payments are entered in the Payment Details fields on the Payments tab.

To enter payment details:

  1. Enter the payment type in the Type: (Payment Details) field.

    If required, use the Lookup List to select from the available payment types or use one of the payment type leading letter shortcuts:

    • ca — cash payment
    • cr — credit card payment
    • ch — cheque payment
    • in — invoice.

    The payment type selected determines which fields display:

  1. If you select a Cash payment type, the Type and Amount fields display.

  2. The Amount field is populated with the amount from the Total field on the previous tab. Overwrite this amount with the actual amount given by the customer.

If you select a Credit Card or EFTPOS payment type, the Type, Reference, ExpiryDate, ReferenceName and Amount fields display.

  1. Complete the Payment Details fields with the relevant details:
    • Reference — credit card number in the format specified by your organisation, e.g. XXX XXX XXX XXX.
    • Expiry Date — date in the format specified by your organisation, e.g. MM DD YYYY.
    • Reference Name — name on the credit card in the format specified by your organisation, e.g. First Name Surname.
    • Amount— the Amount field is populated with the amount from the Total field on the previous tab. If required, overwrite with the actual amount received:


If you select a Cheque payment type, the Type, Reference, ReferenceName and Amount fields display.

  1. Complete the payment details fields with the relevant details:
    • Reference — cheque number is the format specified by your organisation, e.g. XXX XXX XXX XXX.
    • Reference Name — name on the cheque in the format specified by your organisation, e.g. First Name Surname.
    • Amount — the Amount field is populated with the amount from the Total field on the previous tab. If required, overwrite with the actual amount on the cheque:

If you select the Invoice payment type, the Type and Amount fields display. The Amount field is populated with the amount from the Total field on the previous tab:

Note: If the payment method is by invoice, the delivery must be made to a party listed in the Parties module. In this case, use the drag and drop method to attach the required Party to the Delivery Details fields.
If the transaction is to be invoiced, the invoice must be for the total amount and no other payments entered.

If a customer pays using more that one method of payment or if the first payment did not equal the total payment and a subsequent payment is made:

  1. Select the Payments tab.
  2. Select the asterisk in the Payments Taken table.

    The Payment Details fields display as blank:

  3. Select the payment type and add the payment details as outlined under Enter payment details.

After all products and payments have been added to the transaction:

  1. Save the record.

    If signed on to a Counter Till, and the customer is to be given change, the Change window displays with the amount of change to give to the customer.

    For example, if the customer gives $95 to pay for a $93 transaction, enter $95 in the Amount field. After the transaction is saved, Vitalware will display the amount ($2.00) to give in change:

    If signed on to a Mail Room Till, Vitalware will register an under or over payment if the amount in the Amount field does not match the total amount for the transaction. (See Under and order payments.)

  2. Click OK.

    If in Immediate or Save As mode, when you save the transaction:

    • The status of the record will change to Complete. If the record status is not Complete, this indicates that one or more of the orders require further processing before the transaction is completed.
    • Any certificates ordered are printed and their status changes to Complete.
    • If on a Counter Till or in the Mail Room for transactions in which tax is paid, a receipt is printed.

If the receipt is not printed correctly, see How to reprint a receipt.

If the certificate is not printed correctly, see How to reprint a certificate.

If in Batch mode, the record status will not change and certificates and receipts will not be printed until after the batch is completed.

It is possible to delete an item from a sales transaction only if the transaction has not yet been saved and paid for.

If an item is added to a transaction in error:

  1. Select the number of the transaction in the Orders Taken table on the Sales tab (select the 1 in this example).
  2. Right-click the row.

    A sub-menu displays.

  3. Select Delete from the shortcut menu:

If an error is made when entering a payment, the payment can be reversed. This is commonly used at the end of the day when payment types do not match the Terminal Balance reports.

For example, if a cheque payment has been added instead of a money order payment, reverse the cheque payment and add the money order payment.

To reverse a payment:

  1. On the Payments tab, select the asterisk in the Payments Taken table and enter the same payment type as the one you are reversing.
  2. Enter the amount to be reversed in the second Reversal field:

    The payment amount is reversed.

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