Card Machine Integration (Payment Terminal)

Simple Step-by-Step Training Manual & Cashier Guide for Store Operations

๐ŸŽฏ 1. Overview: How This Helps Your Store

With the Card Machine Integration in InventoryPlus, cashiers never have to manually type bill amounts into a card swiper again! When you complete a sale, the exact bill amount is instantly sent to your card machine's screen.

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Zero Typing Mistakes

Exact bill total is sent to the card machine. Cashiers cannot type the wrong amount by accident.

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3x Faster Checkout

Customers tap or insert card, bill auto-saves and prints instantly. Lines move much faster.

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Approve from Phone

Store managers can approve large transactions right from their smartphone from anywhere in the store.

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Double-Charge Protection

Automatically blocks accidental double-swipes for the same bill within 15 seconds.

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Automatic Receipt Details

Prints bank approval code and 12-digit transaction number directly on your customer's receipt.

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Drop Recovery

If cable unplugs or internet drops, 1-click check confirms payment without charging customer twice.

๐Ÿ’ณ 2. Daily Billing: Step-by-Step Cashier Guide

๐Ÿ›’ How to Bill a Customer Paying by Card / QR
1. Scan Products
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2. Press F12 (Card Pay)
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3. Customer Taps / PIN
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4. Auto-Saved & Printed โœ…
  1. Scan items into the cart as usual on the billing screen.
  2. Press F12 (or click the ๐Ÿ’ณ Request Payment (F12) button at the bottom).
  3. The exact total bill amount immediately displays on your card machine screen.
  4. Notice: The [F7] Save button locks automatically so no one can accidentally save twice.
  5. Customer completes payment on the card machine:
    • Contactless Tap: Customer taps their card or phone (Apple Pay / Google Pay).
    • Chip & PIN: Customer inserts card and types their PIN.
    • Scan QR: Customer scans the UPI QR code on the machine screen.
  6. As soon as the bank approves:
    • A pleasant chime ๐Ÿ”Š plays on the computer.
    • The bill automatically saves and completes.
    • The receipt prints immediately with bank approval code.
    • The screen clears and is ready for the next customer!
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What if the customer changes their mind and wants to pay cash?
Just click โŒ Cancel Payment (or press Esc). The card machine resets immediately and your manual Save button unlocks so you can save as cash.

๐Ÿ›ก 3. Manager Approvals: Counter Login or Phone Approval

To protect your business from mistakes on very large bills (e.g. above โ‚น50,000), the screen will pause and ask for manager authorization before sending the amount to the card machine.

๐Ÿ‘‘ Two Easy Ways for Managers to Approve

Option A: Manager Sign-In at Counter

If the store supervisor is standing near the counter:

  1. Supervisor enters their Admin Username and Password.
  2. Click ๐Ÿ”“ Authorize & Proceed.
  3. The amount is sent to the card machine immediately.

Option B: Manager Approves on Phone

If the manager is in the back office or on the sales floor:

  1. Cashier clicks ๐Ÿ“ฑ Send Request to Manager's Phone.
  2. Manager gets a notification on their mobile phone / tablet.
  3. Manager taps Approve on their phone.
  4. The billing counter screen unlocks instantly!

๐Ÿ”„ 4. Customer Returns & Card Refunds

When a customer brings back an item and needs a refund returned to their card:

๐Ÿ’ณ How to Issue a Card Refund
  1. On the Sales screen, click Details and check "Sales Return".
  2. The button on the toolbar automatically changes to ๐Ÿ’ณ Refund Payment (F12).
  3. Add the returned items to the cart.
  4. Click Refund Payment.
  5. Customer taps or inserts their card on the machine to receive their bank credit.
  6. Upon bank approval, the return receipt prints automatically with the reference number.

โš ๏ธ 5. What To Do If Power or Internet Drops

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GOLDEN RULE: Never swipe a customer's card twice without checking!

If your computer screen freezes, internet disconnects, or the USB cable is accidentally pulled right after the customer enters their PIN:
  1. Reconnect the cable or Wi-Fi.
  2. In the payment window, click the ๐Ÿ” Check Last Status button.
  3. InventoryPlus checks the card machine's internal memory.
  4. If the bank already approved the money, InventoryPlus automatically retrieves the confirmation and completes the bill without charging the customer a second time!

๐Ÿ›ก 6. How the System Protects Your Store from Fraud & Loss

The plugin includes automated security rules designed to prevent cashier mistakes, stop unauthorized discounts/refunds, and protect your store from bank chargebacks:

1. Double-Charge Protection

How it works: If a cashier double-clicks the payment button or tries to charge the same bill again within 15 seconds, the system immediately blocks the second attempt.

โœ” Benefit: Customers are never double-charged by accident.

2. High-Value Bill Protection

How it works: Large bills (e.g. above โ‚น50,000) automatically require manager authorization before the amount is sent to the card machine. The manager can type their password at the counter or approve with 1 tap on their phone.

โœ” Benefit: Prevents unauthorized large charges or cashier mistakes.

3. Card PIN Guessing Lockout

How it works: If the same card experiences 3 consecutive bank declines in 5 minutes, the system temporarily locks that card.

โœ” Benefit: Stops fraudsters from repeatedly guessing PINs at your counter.

4. Bill Amount Verification

How it works: Before finalizing any sale, the system checks that the exact amount approved by the bank matches the exact bill total on screen.

โœ” Benefit: Ensures a โ‚น5,000 bill cannot be manipulated down to โ‚น1.

5. Strict Refund Safety

How it works: Refunds must be linked to a valid original sales bill and can never exceed the original bill amount.

โœ” Benefit: Prevents fake refund payouts to unauthorized cards.

6. Safe Drop Recovery

How it works: If a network glitch occurs during payment, the "Check Last Status" button confirms the payment from the machine's memory without charging again.

โœ” Benefit: Complete peace of mind during power cuts or Wi-Fi drops.

๐Ÿ”Œ 7. Easy 1-Click Card Machine Setup

Connecting your card machine takes less than 30 seconds:

โšก 1-Click Auto-Setup
  1. Plug your card machine into the computer using a USB cable, or connect it to your store Wi-Fi.
  2. Double-click the Payment Terminal Icon in your Windows taskbar (near the clock), or open Settings โ†’ Payment Terminal.
  3. Click ๐Ÿ” Auto-Detect Connected Card Machine.
  4. The system will find your card machine automatically and configure everything for you.
  5. Click โšก Test Connection to see a green โ— Connected & Ready confirmation badge!

๐Ÿ–ฅ 8. Practice Simulator for Training New Staff

You can train new cashiers without needing a real card machine or real bank cards:

๐ŸŽ“ Training New Cashiers with the Simulator
  1. In Settings โ†’ Payment Terminal, select "Virtual Terminal Simulator".
  2. Go to the billing screen and press F12.
  3. An on-screen virtual card machine appears with a PIN pad and card slot.
  4. Cashiers can practice different situations:
    • Successful Card Payment: Practice chip and tap card checkout.
    • UPI QR Code: Practice phone QR checkout.
    • Insufficient Balance / Wrong PIN: Practice what to say when a customer's card is declined.

๐Ÿงพ 9. End-of-Day Card Sales Summary & Shift Handover

At the end of the day or at cashier shift change:

๐Ÿ“Š How to Close Daily Card Batches
  1. Right-click the Payment Terminal icon in the taskbar (near the clock).
  2. Click "๐Ÿงพ End-of-Day EDC Batch Settlement...".
  3. The screen shows total card sales recorded in InventoryPlus side-by-side with the card machine total.
  4. Click "Execute Batch Settlement".
  5. The machine communicates with your bank, closes the daily batch, and prints a summary slip.
  6. Attach this slip to your daily cash drawer handover report.

โ“ 10. Common Questions & Card Decline Reasons

Screen Message What It Means What The Cashier Should Do
Declined: Insufficient Funds (51) Customer does not have enough money in their bank account. Politely ask customer for an alternative card or cash.
Declined: Incorrect PIN (55) Customer typed the wrong 4 or 6-digit PIN. Ask customer to retry and enter their PIN carefully.
Declined: Expired Card (54) The card has passed its expiry date. Politely ask customer for another valid card.
Duplicate Charge Blocked Cashier clicked payment twice for the same bill within 15 seconds. Wait 10 seconds or check if first payment already printed.
Cannot reach Card Machine USB cable loose or machine is powered off. Check that card machine is turned on and cable is plugged in.