Connect peripherals to the point of sale (POS)

This article explains how to connect peripherals to your Retail POS.

Key components

Several components define the relationships among a store, the point-of-sale (POS) registers or channels within the store, and the peripherals that those registers or channels use to process transactions. This section describes each component and explains how to use it in a store deployment.

POS registers

Navigation: In Commerce headquarters, go to Retail and Commerce > Channel setup > POS setup > Registers.

Use the POS register to define the characteristics of a specific instance of the POS. These characteristics include the hardware profile or setup for peripherals that you use at the register, the store that you map the register to, and the visual experience for the user who signs in to that register.

Devices

Navigation: Go to Retail and Commerce > Channel setup > POS setup > Devices.

A device is an entity that represents a physical instance of a device that you map to a POS register. When you create a device, you map it to a POS register. The device entity tracks information about when a POS register is activated, the type of client that's being used, and the application package that you deploy to a specific device.

Devices can be the following types:

• Retail Modern POS
• Retail Modern POS - Android
• Retail Modern POS - iOS
• Store Commerce
• Store Commerce for web

Store Commerce app

Store Commerce app is a POS client application that you install on Windows 10 or a later PC-based operating system. If you map the Store Commerce app application type to a device, you can specify the download package for that device. You can customize the download package to include different versions of the installation package. The ability to deploy different packages provides flexibility in cases where different POS registers might need different integrations. Store Commerce app is deployed together with a built-in hardware station.

Store Commerce for web

Store Commerce for web is a browser-based POS. Because it runs in the browser, Store Commerce for web doesn't require Windows 10 or a later PC-based operating system. If you map the Store Commerce for web application type to a specific device in headquarters, you can use that device through the browser with no need to download or install a package. Store Commerce for web requires a hardware station to use hardware beyond keyboard wedge based bar code scanning.

Hardware profile

Navigation: Go to Retail and Commerce > Channel setup > POS setup > POS profiles > Hardware profiles.

A hardware profile identifies the hardware that connects to a POS register through an integrated or shared hardware station. Use the hardware profile to specify the payment processor parameters that should be used during communication with the payment software development kit (SDK). You deploy the payment SDK as part of the hardware station.

Hardware station

Navigation: Go to Retail and Commerce > Channels > Stores > All stores, select a store, and then select the Hardware stations FastTab.

A hardware station is an instance of business logic that drives POS peripherals. The Store Commerce app automatically installs a hardware station. Alternatively, you can install the hardware station as a stand-alone component. The Store Commerce app or Store Commerce for web can access the stand-alone hardware station through a web service. You must define the hardware station at the channel level.

Scenarios

Store Commerce app with connected peripheral devices

To connect the Store Commerce app to POS peripherals in a traditional, fixed POS scenario, first navigate to the register itself, and assign a hardware profile to it. You can find the POS registers at Retail and Commerce > Channel setup > POS setup > Registers.

After you assign the hardware profile, sync changes to the channel database by using the Registers distribution schedule. You can find the distribution schedules at Retail and Commerce > Retail and Commerce IT > Distribution schedule.

Next, set up a dedicated hardware station on the channel. Go to Retail and Commerce > Channels > Stores > All stores, and select a store.

Then, on the Hardware stations FastTab, select Add to add a hardware station. Select Dedicated as the hardware station type, and then enter a description. You can leave the Hardware profile field blank, because the hardware profile that is used in this scenario comes from the POS register itself. Then sync the changes to the channel by using the Channel configuration distribution schedule. You can find the distribution schedules at Retail and Commerce > Retail and Commerce IT > Distribution schedule.

Finally, in the Store Commerce app, use the Select hardware station operation to select the hardware station that matches the value that you previously entered for the description, and set the hardware station to Active.

Store Commerce app or Store Commerce for web with a stand-alone hardware station

In this scenario, the Store Commerce app and Store Commerce for web clients share a standalone hardware station. This scenario requires that you create a shared hardware station and specify the download package, port, and hardware profile that the hardware station uses. You define a new hardware station by selecting the Hardware stations FastTab in the specific channel (Retail and Commerce > Channels > Stores > All stores) and adding a new hardware station of the Shared type.

Next, provide a description that helps the cashier identify the hardware station. In the Host name field, enter the host machine URL in the following format: https://<MachineName:Port>/HardwareStation. (Replace <MachineName:Port> with the actual machine name of the hardware station.) For a standalone hardware station, you should also specify the electronic funds transfer (EFT) terminal ID. This value identifies the EFT terminal that connects to the hardware station when the payment connector communicates with the payment provider.

Next, from the machine that hosts the hardware station, go to the channel in headquarters, and select the hardware station. Then select Download to download the hardware station installer, and install the hardware station. For more information about how to install hardware station, see Configure and install Retail hardware station.

Next, from the Store Commerce app and Store Commerce for web, use the Select hardware station operation to select the hardware station that you previously installed. Select Pair to establish a secure relationship between the POS and the hardware station. Complete this step once for every combination of a POS and a hardware station.

After you pair the hardware station, use the same operation to make the hardware station active while used. For this scenario, assign the hardware profile to the shared hardware station instead of the register itself. If you don't directly assign a hardware profile to a hardware station, the hardware profile assigned to the register is used.

Client maintenance

Registers

You primarily manage POS registers through the registers themselves, and also through the profiles that you assign to registers. You manage attributes that are specific to an individual register at the register level. These attributes include the store where the register is used, the register number, the description, and the EFT terminal ID that's specific to the register itself.

POS profiles

Find the POS profiles at Retail and Commerce > Channel setup > POS setup > POS profiles. It's useful to manage many aspects of a register through profiles, because you can share the profiles among many registers. You can map profiles either to an individual register or, if a profile is effective on a store-wide basis, to the store. The following sections describe the POS profiles and how they're used.

Offline profile

You set the offline profile at the store level. Use it to specify the upload settings for transactions that are performed on a POS register while that register isn't connected to the channel database.

Functionality profile

You set the functionality profile at the store level. Use it to specify store-wide settings about the functions that can be performed at the POS. The following capabilities are managed through the functionality profile.

• General FastTab:

  • International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
  • Create a customer in offline mode.
  • Email receipt profile.
  • Central staff sign-in authentication.

• Functions FastTab:

  • Management of sign-in and extended sign-in.
  • Financial and currency-related aspects of the POS, such as the ability to key in prices and whether decimals are required for minor currency.
  • Enabling time registration through the POS.
  • How products and payments appear in the POS and on receipts.
  • End-of-day management.
  • Channel database transaction retention parameters.
  • How customers are looked up and created from the POS.
  • How discounts are calculated.

• Amount FastTab:

  • Maximum and minimum prices that are allowed.
  • Discount application and calculation.

• Info codes FastTab:

  • All aspects of how info codes are managed at the POS. For details, see Info codes and info code groups.

• Receipt numbering FastTab:

  • Specify receipt numbering masks, which might include segments for the store number, terminal number, constants, and whether sales, returns, sales orders, and quotations are printed in separate sequences, or whether they all follow the same sequence.

Receipt profiles

You assign receipt profiles to printers within the hardware profile. Use them to specify the receipt types that are printed at a specific printer. The profiles include settings for the receipt formats, and settings that determine whether the receipt is always printed, or whether the cashier is prompted to decide whether the receipt must be printed. Different printers might also use different receipt profiles. For example, printer 1 is a standard thermal receipt printer, and therefore has smaller receipt formats. However, printer 2 is a full-size receipt printer that is used to print only customer order receipts, which require more space. For more information, see Configure a receipt profile.

Hardware profiles

Hardware profiles are explained as a component for client setup earlier in this article. You assign hardware profiles directly to the POS register or to a shared hardware station. Use them to specify the types of devices that a specific POS register or hardware station uses. Also use hardware profiles to specify the EFT settings that are used to communicate with the payment SDK.

Visual profiles

You use visual profiles to specify the theme for a specific register, and assign them at the register level. The profiles include settings for the type of application used (Store Commerce app and Store Commerce for web), the accent color and theme, the font scheme, the sign-in page background, and the POS background. For more information, see Create point of sale (POS) visual profiles.

Custom fields

You create custom fields to add fields that the POS doesn't provide. For more information about how to use custom fields, see the Working with custom fields blog post.

Language text

You override default strings in the POS by using language text entries. To override a string in the POS, add a new language text line. Then specify an ID, the default string that you want to override, and the text that appears at the POS instead of the default string.

Channel reports configuration

You set up the reports that are available at the channel on the Channel reports configuration page. Create new reports by providing the XML definition of the report and assigning the report to a specific permission group at the POS.

Devices

Devices are used to manage the activation of a specific POS register. You use devices to specify the application that is used for a specific register. Here are the device activation states:

• Pending – The device is ready to activate.
• Activated – The device is activated.
• Deactivated – The device is deactivated either in headquarters or through the POS.
• Disabled – The device is disabled.

Other activation-related information includes the worker who changed the activation status for the device, a time stamp for the activation, and whether the device configuration is validated.

Client data synchronization

Sync all changes to a POS client, except changes in the device activation status, to the channel database. To sync changes to the channel database, go to Retail and Commerce > Retail and Commerce IT > Distribution schedule, and run the required distribution schedule. For client changes, run the Registers and Channel configuration distribution schedules.

Additional resources

Configure and install Retail hardware station