Bug: Cant change payment type w/multi pay. & Recorded Error

[brucef2112]

Hey Dale,
Found this one today using 7.04n3 but have confirmed it to be around for a while as this bug goes back to at least version 6.40k.
With partial payments the program isn't clearing the payments type and amount behind the scenes even though it clears it on screen when the user hits [Esc} to return to the sales transaction. When the user then hits [+] again to Total Sale the last partial amounts are restored even though the sales transaction total has changed. Also if the transaction is completed it is recorded incorrectly in the Close Register Report.

When a payment method is selected and a partial payment is entered the screen updates with the amount applied to the Total and shows the method of payment used. It then prompts for another payment method for the balance. Typically the user would select the second payment method and enter in the balance amount and the sale is complete. However if after entering the first payment amount the user hits [Esc] to go back to the sale say to add another item or change the payment method the program is in a strange state. The screen clears the payment info but the program itself is left in some state that the original payment method and payment amount is in memory and will return to the screen when the user totals the sale again with [+] key.
And if you complete the transaction by entering a single amount equal to or greater than the total sale, the transaction is NOT recorded correctly in the Close Register Report. (Work this all the way through to the end to see the results produced on the sales transaction and more importantly check what shows in the Close Register Report after completing the sale)

How to do it:
To keep it simple, create a fresh install and configure the POS with 2. Run this register in minimal mode with 6% tax rate. Set NO cash back on credit cards.

Enter $1 dollar as the Opening Cash Amount.

1) At the purchase screen enter in a price of $23.00 hit [Enter]. Quantity of 1 hit [Enter]
With the item added at the top the Total summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         23.00
      Tax:          1.38
    Total:         24.38

2) Hit the[+] to Total the Sale. You are prompted for a payment method. The Total Summary looks like this.

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 Sub Total:         23.00
       Tax:          1.38
     Total:         24.38
 TOTAL DUE:         24.38

3) Choose 1.Cash and enter in $10.00 as partial payment. You are prompted for another payment method and the Total Summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         23.00
      Tax:          1.38
    Total:         24.38
     Cash:         10.00
Total Pay:         10.00
TOTAL DUE:         14.38

4) Say at this point, before choosing the second payment method you want to go back and add another item to the sale.
Hit [Esc] to return to the purchase. As expected, the Total Summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         23.00
      Tax:          1.38
    Total:         24.38

Now add another item for $10.00 hit [Enter]. Quantity of 1 hit [Enter]. As expected, the Total Summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         33.00
      Tax:          1.98
    Total:         34.98

5) Here is where you find out that something isn't working.
Hit the[+] to Total the Sale. You are prompted for a payment method.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE OR DO ANYTHING ELSE, LOOK AT THE TOTAL SUMMARY. The Total Summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         33.00
      Tax:          1.98
    Total:         34.98
     Cash:         10.00
Total Pay:         10.00
TOTAL DUE:         24.98

Note that the POS has inserted the cash payment info entered from step 3, back in by its self. And is now asking for the second payment method to complete the sale. There is no way to clear the $10 Cash without voiding the sale and starting over.

So if I want to change the payment to just a credit card it won't take out the $10 cash payment. Even if I hit [Esc] and [+] again.
Or if I want to change what was the original partial cash to a partial payment on Credit the balance to Cash can't be done either without Voiding the sale.
As long as the partial payments are less than the total it keeps prompting for payment methods. But there is no way to clear them all out as to start the payment process from scratch. Which of course should happen when the user hits the [Esc] and then [+] again.


The register can be put in this state by real word events like;
The customer wants to add an item just as you are ready to close the sale.
Or customer wants to change the payment method or amounts.

**********************************************************************************************************************************
DISCLAIMER;The following would most likely never happen but is presented for further testing to exploit this bug
to show that it will NOT record the sale correctly in the Close Register Report. Continue on.....
**********************************************************************************************************************************
Do Steps 1-5 as above so you see the $10 cash that the program put back in the total summary and the register is prompting for another payment method.

Now,
6) Choose 3. Credit and enter in a partial Credit payment of $10.00. The Total Summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         33.00
      Tax:          1.98
    Total:         34.98
     Cash:         10.00
   Credit:         10.00
Total Pay:         20.00
TOTAL DUE:         14.98

So you now have the $10 cash that the POS entered and the $10 CC you just entered.

7) Hit [Esc] to return to the purchase. As expected, the Total Summary looks like this.

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 Sub Total:         33.00
       Tax:          1.98
     Total:         34.98

8. Now Void the first item of $23.00 from the sale using [F5}, 1. Void one line only. choose 1 and hit [Enter].
Your purchase screen should now have just the 1 $10.00 item. As expected, the Total Summary looks like this.

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Sub Total:         10.00
      Tax:          0.60
    Total:         10.60

9) THIS IS THE BIG MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR! GET READY.....
Hit the[+] to Total the Sale. And unexpectedly you are presented with the following Total Summary.

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────┴───────┴───────────────┤TOTAL DUE:├────────────┼───────┴─────────┴───────┘
                                █▀▀█      █  █ █▀▀█ │
                           ▄▄▄▄ █▄▄█      █▄▄█ █  █ │
                                   █  ▄▄     █ █  █ │  Sub Total:         10.00
                                   ▀  ▀▀     ▀ ▀▀▀▀ │        Tax:          0.60
┤PURCHASE #0004├────────────────────────────────────┤      Total:         10.60
Pay by...   1. Cash                                 │       Cash:         10.00
            2. Check                                │     Credit:         10.00
            3. Credit                               │  Total Pay:         20.00
            4. Debit                                │
            5. Gift Card                            │
            6.                                      │
────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Notice the POS has auto added both the Cash and Credit amount in the Total Summary
and there is a NEGATIVE AMOUNT DUE yet the POS is still prompting for a payment method to continue to close the transaction.
Any method or amount entered at this point to end (close) the transaction will result in the transaction being recorded in a weird way.

IF you were to continue with the above example and selected 1.CASH and entered in $10.60 which is the actual transaction total you would see the transaction closes and shows $10.00 Change. The change amount aside, one would think that the sale was completed as $10 cash with .60 tax.

HOWEVER THE POS CLOSE REPORT DOES NOT SHOW THIS AS $10 CASH SALE EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS THE TOTAL CASH YOU ENTERED!!
Now go to the Close Register screen and you will see that the transaction has been split between CASH and CREDIT with values not related to the transaction process.
Cash : $5.15
Credit : $4.85
.....
.....
Cash in Reg: $1.60

Also the $10 dollars CHANGE back is just as cash removed from the 'Cash In Draw' but not recorded as received through a Cash transaction, 'Cash Out' transaction or Cash Received. It only reflects on the 'Close Register Report' showing the cash in register is $1.60 and not $11.60.

The Close Register Report should be;
Cash : $10.00
Credit : $ 0.00
.....
.....
Cash in Reg: $11.60

As the program is, the only way to escape this, is to Void the entire sale and start over. Else chance the sale not being recorded correctly in the Closeout.

The POS Manual (pdf) on page 5, outlines ..."To cancel an option or get back to where you came from press [ESC]"
As a user in process of making payments I'd expect that if I hit [Esc] to return to the sale that my payment info would be dumped and when I went back and [+] Total Sale that I would be starting anew with payment type and amount. In the very least the program should dump any previous payment choices automatically if the transaction total has changed since the first[+] because items were added or removed from the sale. Also some tidbit of logic is missing in the extreme example above that left the Total with a negative amount due and it still prompting for payment type and amount.

Quirky thing,

[daleadmin]

Bruce,

You wrote "There is no way to clear the $10 Cash without voiding the sale and starting over."

Actually you can clear any payment method by selecting that payment method again, typing 0, and pressing [ENTER].

However you do have a point about returning to the sale, voiding a line, and then pressing [+] to total the sale. So now when you do that the payment methods and cash back will be reset to all zeros.

Also while I was there anyway I changed the program so that the payment amount entered for credit or debit cannot be less that the amount of the cash back.

This file is version 7.04n4. http://dhpos.com/pos.exe

You can also do a full download at http://keyhut.com/pos.htm

Dale

[brucef2112]

Dale, I'll DL and try it out.
I also learned something new about the POS. Entering zero to clear a payment type.
Thanks for all your efforts,
Bruce