AccuPOS On-Screen Keys Setup Guide

 

Table of Contents

Start Creating Buttons

AccuPOS Keys Layout Manager Window Basics

How to Edit a Button

AccuPOS Key Workshop Basics

Pages Overview

To Create Type Page Button

To Create Type Item Button

Setting up Multi-Size Items

To Create a Change Price Level Button

To Create Specific Item Discount Percentage Button

To Create a Specific Sale Discount Percentage Button

To Create a General Sale Discount Button

To Create a Miscellaneous Item Button

To Create an Instant Rebate Button

Creating a Clock In / Clock Out Button

Creating a Payout Button

Macro Keys and Their Uses

To Create a New Key Set

To Set a POS Station with a Particular Key Set

Using the Clipboard

 

This guide was written for Platinum Version 9 of AccuPOS in Retail mode on the Point of Sale.  If you are running an earlier version of AccuPOS, you will notice differences on the user interface on the Point of Sale as well as in the AccuPOS Retail Management program and key setup menu.

 

AccuPOS Retail Point of Sale allows users to customize the on-screen key layout to fit his/her personal needs for the business.  The keys can be used to switch to different menus and apply items to transactions.  Laying out the menus and buttons is crucial to running a smooth Point of Sale, as it speeds up the processing of transactions, which makes it efficient for both the business as well as the customers.  This guide will walk you through the basics of setting up keys and menus, as well as step by step instructions for setting up specialty keys to be used in certain situations.

 

Before you can start setting up keys for the Point of Sale, your items must be created inside of the accounting software and imported into AccuPOS Retail Management.  For more information on creating items inside accounting, please refer to your specific accounting inventory setup guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks).  For more information on importing the inventory into AccuPOS, please refer to the AccuPOS Retail Management Setup Guide.

 

AccuPOS has two basic button types: pages and items.  Page type buttons are essentially links to different menu pages where the item types are placed.  AccuPOS has no limit to the number of page type buttons that can be created, but there is a maximum of sixty-three item buttons per page.  If you have more than sixty-three for a particular page type, you will need to dedicate more than one page for those items.

 

After setting up all your items inside the accounting software, it is a good idea to plan for the AccuPOS keys setup.  Microsoft Excel is a good program for this, as it will allow you to map out how many categories (page type buttons) and items (item type buttons) for each category you will need to create inside the AccuPOS Retail Management program.  In Excel, you can name the columns as your categories and the rows as your items (Figure 1-1).  Another good idea is to list the items alphabetically, as it will make them easier to find on the Point of Sale.

 

(Figure 1-1)

 

Start Creating Buttons: (top)

 

Once you have your list of buttons to create, you are ready to start making them.  To start creating buttons, simply:

  1. Open up AccuPOS Retail Management
  2. Go to the Setup Menu -> Keys -> Set Main Screen Keys.  (Figure 1-2)

 

(Figure 1-2)

 

  1. The AccuPOS Keys Layout Manager opens.  (Figure 1-3)

 

(Figure 1-3)

 

AccuPOS Keys Layout Manager Window Basics: (top)

 

  1. The Menu Keys (Figure 1-4).  The top two rows of keys are static keys, meaning they will always be showing on the Point of Sale regardless of what page the cashier is currently looking at.  By default, there are seven keys but a maximum of fourteen may be displayed by making the original seven keys smaller.

 

(Figure 1-4)

 

  1. The main body of editable keys (Figure 1-5).  The sixty-three keys located in the main body are generally the keys that represent the items that can be applied to the Point of Sale.  The number of keys present can be shortened by deleting keys, or making the current keys wider or taller.

 

(Figure 1-5)

 

  1. The Pages Drop-down (Figure 1-6):   The pages drop-down menu tells you what page you are currently adding buttons to.

 

(Figure 1-6)

 

  1. The Key Sets Drop-down (Figure 1-7):  The Key Sets drop-down is an option only available for Platinum version users.  If you do not have the Platinum version of AccuPOS, the drop-down must always be blank.  For more information on the Key Sets Drop-down for those who are running the Platinum version, click HERE.

 

(Figure 1-7)

 

  1. The Workshop (Figure 1-8):  The Workshop is where keys are edited.  Simply left click on a key and drag it to the Workshop and release the mouse button to begin editing the key.

 

(Figure 1-8)

 

  1. The Clipboard (Figure 1-9):  The Clipboard is a new feature with version 9 that allows the cutting and pasting of buttons from one page to another. This is useful if you need to move a button from one page to another without having to delete the original and recreate the new button.

 

(Figure 1-9)

 

  1. The Trash (Figure 1-10):  The Trash is where buttons can be deleted.  Simply left click on a button you want to delete and drag it to the trash and release the mouse button.  You will be prompted to allow the deletion.  Note that once a key is deleted, it cannot be recalled.  It can, however, be recreated through editing a new button in the Workshop.

 

(Figure 1-10)

 

How to Edit a Button: (top)

 

When you first open the Key Layout Manager, all the main body buttons are blank and the Static Buttons are labeled Main Page, Page 1, Page 2, etc.  To edit any button, simply:

 

  1. Left click on the button you wish to edit.  (Figure 2-1)

 

(Figure 2-1)

 

 

  1. While holding the left mouse button, drag the button to the Workshop button.  (Figure 2-2)

 

(Figure 2-2)

 

  1. Release the left mouse button.  The AccuPOS Key Workshop window will be displayed.  (Figure 2-3)

 

(Figure 2-3)

 

AccuPOS Key Workshop Basics: (top)

 

The AccuPOS Key Workshop is where the actual editing takes place.  From here, you can put text on the button label, determine what type of button it is to be, assign the button to an item or page (more on that later), change the size of the button, assign color to the button, or change the button text color.

 

  1. Button Label (Figure 2-4).  The button label determines what the cashier will see on the Point of Sale for that particular button.

 

(Figure 1-4)

 

  1. Type (Figure 2-5).  The type determines what kind of button is being created.  There are many types, ranging from item to page to discount.  The two basic types are page and item.  The type of button determines the box directly above the type.  In this case, since the button is set to the type Item, the box above is labeled Item Code.  (Figure 2-6)

 

(Figure 2-5)

 

(Figure 2-6)

 

  1. Item Lookup (Figure 2-7).  The Item Lookup button is used to attach items to buttons.  It is only available when the type Item is selected.

 

(Figure 2-7)

 

  1. Enter (cr) After (Figure 2-8).  Placing a checkmark in this option will automatically put a carriage return (hitting the return key on the keyboard) after pressing the button.  This is useful for item type buttons because once selected, the button will automatically attach the item to the transaction.  By default, this is checked.

 

(Figure 2-8)

 

  1. Cannot Repeat (Figure 2-9).  Placing a checkmark in the option will not allow the cashier to hit this button twice in a row.  It is useful when creating multi size items.  For more information on creating multi size items and their uses, click HERE.

 

(Figure 2-9)

 

  1. Macro (Figure 2-10).  Currently, this button does not serve any function; just ignore it.

 

(Figure 2-10)

 

  1. Macro Keys (Figure 2-11).  The macro keys allow the simplification of pressing certain buttons, like the Price button or the Quantity button.  For more information on Macro keys, click HERE.

 

(Figure 2-11)

 

  1. Button Color (Figure 2-12).  Clicking on one of the button color options will change the background color of the button being created.  At this time, there is no way to add custom colors to the choices available.

 

(Figure 2-12)

 

  1. Text Color (Figure 2-13).  Click the Text Color button to change the color of the text that appears in the new button.  (Figure 2-14)

 

(Figure 2-13)

 

(Figure 2-14)

 

  1. Button Resizing (Figure 2-15).  Buttons, by default are 1x1 blocks.  By choosing the resizing keys, a button can be resized to a desired height and width.  Note that buttons resize to the right and down.  If the buttons are grayed out, no resizing can be done; you must remove an adjacent button before resizing.

 

(Figure 2-15)

 

  1. Done (Figure 2-16).  When you’re all done editing a button, press the Done key and you will be returned to the Key Layout Manager.

 

(Figure 2-16)

 

  1. Button Preview (Figure 2-17).  Any changes done while editing a button, such as changing the color or making the button wider, will show up in the Button Preview.

 

(Figure 2-17)

 

Pages Overview: (top)

 

As stated earlier, the number of different menu categories determines the total number of pages that need to be created.  By default, AccuPOS comes with seven pre-determined pages, named Main, Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, and Page 6.  The default static buttons at the top of the screen are already mapped to these different pages.  These pages cannot be deleted without accessing the actual database, which AccuPOS strongly discourages.

 

Page type buttons can be created anywhere on the key layout, they are not locked to the top two static rows.  Remember, though, that only the top two rows will be displayed at all times. The other page type buttons below the two static rows will only appear when the page they are located on is selected at the Point of Sale.

 

You can create new pages from the Key Layout Manager.  There is no limit to the number of pages you can create.  To create a new page, simply:

 

  1. Regardless of what page is currently selected, highlight the page name in the upper right of the Key Layout Manager.  (Figure 3-1)

 

(Figure 3-1)

 

  1. Type the name of the new page you wish to create.  (Figure 3-2)

 

(Figure 3-2)

 

  1. Hit Enter.
  2. You will automatically be taken to that new page.  Each new page is created with one button in the upper left corner of the main body of buttons, labeled “New Button.”  (Figure 3-3)

 

(Figure 3-3)

 

  1. Repeat steps 1-4 to create more pages.

 

From here, you can start adding new buttons to that new page.  As with the default pages, bear in mind that newly created pages cannot be deleted once they’re added into the Keys Manager Layout without accessing the actual database, which again, AccuPOS strongly discourages.

 

To Create Type Page Button: (top)

 

  1. Left click on the button to be edited and, while holding down the left mouse button, drag the button to the Workshop.  Release the mouse button and the AccuPOS Key Workshop will appear.
  2. In the Button Label field, type in what you want the button to display at the Point of Sale.  Typically, this matches the name of the page you’re attaching this button to.  (Figure 4-1)

 

(Figure 4-1)

 

  1. In the field called Type, click the drop-down arrow and select PAGE.  (Figure 4-2)

 

(Figure 4-2)

 

  1. After choosing the type, the option directly above Type becomes Page Name.  Hit the drop-down arrow and select the page you wish to attach this button to.  (Figure 4-3)

 

(Figure 4-3)

 

  1. Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.  (Figure 4-4)

 

(Figure 4-4)

 

  1. From here, you can change the size, color, and text color of the button at your discretion.
  2. Repeat steps 1-7 to create more type Page buttons.

 

To Create Type Item Button: (top)

 

Now that there is a button mapped to a page, you must create buttons on that newly created page that attach to items to be sold.  To create type Item buttons on a page:

 

  1. In the Pages Drop-down, click the arrow and select the page name you wish to add buttons to.  (Figure 5-1)

 

(Figure 5-1)

 

  1. If the page selected is user created, there will be one button already on the page, labeled New Button, in the upper left on the main body of buttons (Figure 5-2).  If the page selected is one of the default pages (Main, Page 1, etc), the main body of pages will be full of blank buttons.  (Figure 5-3)

 

(Figure 5-2)

 

(Figure 5-3)

 

  1. If there are no new buttons to be edited on the page, right click in an empty spot of the main body (Figure 5-4) and a new button will appear, appropriately labeled “New Button” (Figure 5-5).

 

(Figure 5-4)

 

(Figure 5-5)

 

  1. Left click on the button to be edited and, while holding down the left mouse button, drag the button to the Workshop (Figure 5-6).

 

(Figure 5-6)

 

  1. By default, any button that hasn’t been edited will be of type Item.  (Figure 5-7)

 

(Figure 5-7)

 

  1. In the field Button Label, type in what you want to appear on the Point of Sale for that button.  (Figure 5-8)

 

(Figure 5-8)

 

  1. In the Item Code field, enter in the item ID that matches the accounting software for that particular item.  An easier way to attach an item ID is to hit the Item Lookup button (Figure 5-9).  A list of all the items that were imported into AccuPOS will show (Figure 5-10).  Scroll through the list and choose the desired item to attach to the button and hit Select.  (Figure 5-11)

 

(Figure 5-9)

 

(Figure 5-10)

 

(Figure 5-11)

 

  1. Be sure that Enter (cr) After is selected and that Cannot Repeat is not selected.  (Figure 5-12)

 

(Figure 5-12)

 

  1. From here, you can change the size, color, and text color of the button at your discretion.
  2. Repeat steps 1-9 to create more type Item buttons.

 

Setting up Multi-Size Items: (top)

 

Sometimes, there are items that have different sizes associated with them, such as small, medium, and large coffees.  If you are serving different sized coffees and lattes, for example, instead of making six different buttons, you can create one button for each type of drink, and three buttons to differentiate the sizes.  This can help save space on the Point of Sale.  To eliminate the need to setting up three button for coffee and three for latte, for example, set up the items in the accounting as follows:

 

1.      All small items start with 11.

2.      All medium items start with 33.

3.      All large items start with 44.

4.      Item Code 112001, item description Small Coffee.

5.      Item Code 112002, item description Small Latte.

6.      Item Code 332001, item description Medium Coffee.

7.      Item Code 332002, item description Medium Latte.

8.      Item Code 442001, item description Large Coffee.

9.      Item Code 442002, item description Large Latte

 

Notice how nothing changes but the prefix.  Coffee always ends with 2001 and Latte always ends with 2002.  Also notice how no item starts with the number 2.  This is a reserved digit for deli scales and should not be used as the first number for any item.


When setting up the buttons, set Small, Medium, and Large buttons at the top row, since these buttons are used more often.  It is recommended to use 2x1 sizes.  Set the Coffee and Latte buttons near the bottom.

 

1.      When creating the Small, Medium, and Large buttons, drag the button to the Workshop.

2.      Enter Small for the Button Label.  (Figure 6-1)

 

(Figure 6-1)

 

3.      Enter 11 for the Item Code.  (Figure 6-2)

 

(Figure 6-2)

 

4.      Uncheck the Enter (cr) After box and check the Cannot Repeat.  (Figure 6-3)

 

(Figure 6-3)

 

5.      Click the Wider button to increase the width of the button (Figure 6-4). From here, you can also change the button color as well as the text color at your discretion.

 

(Figure 6-4)

 

6.      Repeat steps 1-7 for the Medium and Large buttons.  (Figure 6-5)

 

(Figure 6-5)

 

After creating the size buttons, create the Coffee and Latte buttons.

 

1.      Drag the button to edit to the Workshop.

2.      Enter Coffee for the Button Label.  (Figure 6-6)

 

(Figure 6-6)

 

3.      Enter 2001 for the Item Code.  (Figure 6-7)

 

(Figure 6-7)

 

4.      Check the Enter (cr) After box and uncheck the Cannot Repeat.  (Figure 6-8)

 

(Figure 6-8)

 

5.      From here, change the size, button color, text color at your discretion.

6.      Repeat steps 1-7 for the Latte button.  (Figure 6-9)

 

(Figure 6-9)

 

At the Point of Sale, when you want to ring in a Small Coffee, simply hit the Small button followed by the Coffee button and a small coffee will be rung in.  Note that the only limit to the number of sized items you can set up is the number of keys you want to use and how big you want those keys to be.

 

To Create a Change Price Level Button: (top)

 

For each item inside the accounting software, there are different price levels that can be assigned.  Price levels are used for a wide variety of reasons including specialized price lists for certain customers or reduced prices for sales.  A button can be created at the Point of Sale that will switch the Point of Sale into a different Price Level at the user’s discretion.  To create a Price Level button:

 

1.      Drag a button to edit to the Workshop.

2.      In the Button Label field, type in what you want to appear on the button at the Point of Sale.

3.      Using the drop down arrow, select Price Level for the type of button.

4.      Enter the price level number in the text field.

5.      Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.

6.      Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

At the Point of Sale, when you want to move to a particular Price Level, simply click the newly created Price Level button and the Point of Sale will display the current price level in the bottom middle of the screen.  (Figure 7-1)

 

(Figure 7-1)

 

*For more information on creating Price Levels and their uses, please refer to your specific accounting software inventory setup guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks).

 

To Create Specific Item Discount Percentage Button: (top)

 

If you’ve read the Operation Guide, you know it is possible to assign a percentage discount for an item.  It is possible to create a button that will assign the discount without having to type in the discount followed by the % Off Item button.  This makes applying common discounts faster at the Point of Sale.  To create a specific item discount button:

 

1.      Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.

2.      In the Button Label field, type in what you want to appear on the button at the Point of Sale.

3.      Using the drop down arrow, select Discount for the type of button.

4.      Enter the amount of the discount in the text field for the button.  Entering 50 would be equivalent to a 50% discount to be applied.

5.      Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.

6.      Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

At the Point of Sale, when you want to apply the specified discount to the next item to be entered, simply hit the newly created button prior to ringing in the specified item and it will automatically apply the discount to that item.

 

To Create a Specific Sale Discount Percentage Button: (top)

 

Just as it is possible to create a specific item discount button, you can also create a specific sale discount button at the Point of Sale.  To create a specific sale discount button:

 

1.      Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.

2.      In the Button Label field, type in what you want to appear on the button at the Point of Sale.

3.      Using the drop down arrow, select Sale Discount, Forward for the type of button.

4.      Enter the amount of the discount in the text field for the button.  Entering 50 would be equivalent to a 50% discount to be applied.

5.      Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.

6.      Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

At the Point of Sale, when you want to apply the specified sale discount to the next transaction, simply hit the newly created button prior to ringing in any items.  The discount will apply to the entire transaction until it is tendered.

 

To Create a General Sale Discount Button: (top)

 

At the Point of Sale, it is possible to create a button that will apply a sale discount to the entire transaction that can be used at any time during the transaction, whether prior to ringing in items or while ringing in items.  To create a general sale discount button:

 

1.      Set up a non-inventory, non-taxable item inside the accounting software.

2.      For the price of the item, enter in the discount amount as a decimal number.  For example, to apply a 50% discount, the price of the item would be .50.  Import this new item into AccuPOS Retail Management.

3.      Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.

4.      In the Button Label field, type in what you want to appear on the button at the Point of Sale.

5.      While the type selected is Item (which is selected by default) hit the Item Lookup Button.

6.      Scroll through the list to the item that was created inside the accounting software and hit Select.

7.      Using the drop down arrow, now select Discount, General as the item type.

8.      Make sure that Enter (cr) After is checked and Cannot Repeat is unchecked.

9.      Assign a color, text color, and size to the button at your discretion.

 

At the Point of Sale, simply hit the newly created button at any time during the transaction to apply a specific sale discount to the transaction.

 

*For more information on setting up items inside the accounting software, please refer to your specific accounting software inventory setup guide (Peachtree, QuickBooks).

**For information on importing items into AccuPOS, please refer to the AccuPOS Retail Management Guide.

 

To Create a Miscellaneous Item Button: (top)

 

Sometimes, a button is needed for miscellaneous items that are sold at the Point of Sale.  This is useful when there are certain items that are no longer kept in stock in the accounting software but are still needed to be sold at the Point of Sale (clearance items for example).  AccuPOS can create a Miscellaneous Item button to help with these types of items.

 

1.      Set up a non-inventory, taxable item inside the accounting software, typically named “Misc Item.”

2.      Assign a price of 0.00 to the item.  Import this item into AccuPOS Retail Management.

3.      Drag a button to edit in the Workshop.

4.      In the Button Label field, type in what you want to appear on the button at the Point of Sale.

5.      Hit the