> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bizaxl.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The Counter

> Ring up a sale at the Point of Sale counter, from searching stock to taking payment and printing a receipt, including holding and recalling carts.

The counter at `/pos` is where every sale happens. A **POS Cashier** or **Pharmacist** operates it during an open shift.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/bizaxloptimizationsllp/images/placeholder-pos-counter-flow.png" alt="Counter screen with item search on the left, cart in the centre, and payment on the right" />
</Frame>

## Prerequisites

Before you can sell, a shift must be open (see [Shifts](/retail/point-of-sale/shifts)), and the store must have items with prices and stock.

## The selling flow

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart LR
    A[Search or scan] --> B[Add to cart]
    B --> C[Choose customer]
    C --> D[Take payment]
    D --> E[Sale submitted]
    E --> F[Receipt printed]
    style A fill:#14f1b1,color:#05133C
    style D fill:#14f1b1,color:#05133C
    style E fill:#14f1b1,color:#05133C
```

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the item">
    Search by name or code, or scan a barcode. The counter shows what is in stock; out-of-stock and unpriced items can be hidden in settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add to the cart">
    Tap an item to add it and adjust the quantity. For a batch-tracked medicine, the counter selects the nearest-expiry batch for you. See [Batch and expiry](/retail/point-of-sale/batch-and-expiry).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the customer">
    Use the walk-in customer, search for an existing one, or quick-add a new customer with a name and mobile number. If loyalty is on, the customer's points show here.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Take payment">
    Choose the payment mode (or split across modes) and settle. The counter uses the full total, so a partial amount is never accepted.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Finish">
    On payment, the sale is recorded, stock and accounts are posted, loyalty accrues, and a receipt is ready to print or reshare.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Holding and recalling a cart

If a customer steps away, hold the cart to serve the next person. Held carts wait on the **Held Orders** screen (`/pos/held`) and can be recalled at any point during the shift without losing a line.

## Reprinting a receipt

Open **Invoices** (`/pos/invoices`) to find a past sale and reprint its receipt. This is the same list a manager uses to review the day's sales.

## Field guide: what a sale captures

| On the sale          | What it holds                                        |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Customer             | The buyer, or the walk-in customer by default.       |
| Items and quantities | Each line, with its batch when batch tracking is on. |
| Payments             | One or more payment modes making up the total.       |
| Totals and taxes     | Calculated from your prices and any pricing rules.   |

## Upstream and downstream

**Before:** a store, an open shift, and a priced, stocked catalogue must exist. **After:** a submitted sale posts stock and accounting entries in the platform, updates the loyalty balance, and appears in analytics and the shift's closing total.

## Best practices

* Keep a default walk-in customer set so cashiers never stall on customer entry.
* Hide out-of-stock and unpriced items in settings to keep the counter clean and fast.
* Use held orders rather than cancelling a cart when a customer pauses.
* Reprint from Invoices instead of re-ringing a sale.