Structure your bessa account — companies, locations and Sales Points

bessa supports everything from a single Sales Point to a multi-company setup. This overview helps you choose the right configuration for your business before you set anything up.

Some configurations require an explicit note when you place your order, or a manual setup step by bessa. If you operate multiple businesses, locations, or companies under one roof, settle the structure before you order your Sales Point(s) — switching configurations later is possible, but involves migration effort.

Which configuration fits your business?

Configuration 1 — Single point, one Sales Point

The standard case: one sales location, one Sales Point, one VAT ID. You order a Sales Point and follow our onboarding guide. No special setup required.

Configuration 2 — Multiple businesses under a single VAT ID

Who? Service providers offering several trades under a single VAT ID — typical examples: a mobile physiotherapist who also bills for massage and yoga classes, or a personal trainer with a sole proprietorship covering multiple sports disciplines.

Setup: A single Sales Point is enough. Separate the trades using Article Groups — for example "Physiotherapy", "Massage", and "Yoga Classes" as distinct groups. In Reporting you can then filter revenue by article group, so your accountant sees the economic separation clearly — without you having to run two Sales Points.

Configuration 3 — One operator, multiple locations (also industry mix)

Who? A single operator runs multiple businesses or activities at different locations under one VAT ID. This can be a classic multi-branch operator (two restaurants, three cafés), but also an industry mix — for example gastronomy and retail combined (a café-restaurant with an attached farm shop, a bakery with its own bistro on a separate floor).

Setup: Multiple Locations with one or more Sales Points each, all in one Manager. Master data and functions are managed centrally; locations share a great deal:

• Shared: articles, users and staff, vouchers (redeemable across all locations), inventory, customers.

• Separate per location: reports, daily closings, possibly different prices and Sales Point configurations (gastronomy needs different order grids than retail).

• Fiscalisation always runs per Main Sales Point. Even within a single VAT ID, every Main Sales Point has its own RKSV registration — that is a legal requirement.

→ Details on managing multiple locations: Location Management

Configuration 4 — Multiple companies (VAT IDs) in one Manager

Who? Franchise operators, multi-brand businesses, or several parallel companies under joint management. Each company has its own VAT ID, its own tax number, and its own bookkeeping.

Setup: Multiple VAT IDs in a single Manager are supported. The second (and any further) company is set up manually by bessa in the same Manager.

• Shared: article master data, users, vouchers (redeemable across companies).

• Separate per company: VAT ID, tax number, company data, bookkeeping. Fiscalisation runs per Main Sales Point regardless — RKSV registration is always Sales-Point-bound, not company-bound.

How to order correctly: Order all Sales Points under one company and mention the second (or further) company plus the desired setup in the comments field of your order. bessa will then set up the second company together with your main Sales Point.

Variant 4b — Sales Points ordered separately (two Managers)

If the Sales Points for the different companies were ordered independently, you end up with two separate Manager accounts. On request, bessa can wire up a shared Manager login across both — but that is purely a login convenience. Content-wise, the companies, Sales Points, and master data stay completely separate.

In this variant, vouchers redeemable across locations are only possible via the Online Voucher Management module. It works across companies and even across different POS systems — useful when business partners with different systems want to share vouchers. Talk to us or your POS dealer if you need this.

Configuration 5 — Companies in multiple countries (cross-country access)

Who? Businesses or groups with branches, sub-companies, or trades in different countries.

Setup: One account per country. A single account may bundle multiple companies (see Configuration 4), but only if all companies are in the same country. As soon as companies sit in different countries, they cannot be combined: countries differ in their tax and fiscal requirements, and reporting as well as the fiscal receipt chain must comply with the rules of each country's tax authority. So the rule is: one account per country — a clear requirement, not a configuration option. Which fiscal requirements apply per country is described in Fiscalisation.

Cross-country Manager access: So you don't have to log out of one country's account and back into another, bessa can wire up a cross-country Manager access for you. With the same login you then switch between the accounts of the individual countries. This is purely a login and convenience mechanism — content-wise the companies, Sales Points, and master data stay completely separate per country (comparable to the shared Manager login in Variant 4b). Who may use this access is controlled via your users — see Structure user access.

Mention the desired multi-country setup in the comments field of your order or during your consultation with your POS dealer.

What is shared? — Comparison

Which configuration fits me?

• Just one sales location? → Configuration 1

• Multiple businesses under one VAT ID? → Configuration 2

• Multiple locations under one VAT ID (also industry mix gastronomy + retail)? → Configuration 3

• Multiple VAT IDs (e.g. franchise or multi-brand)? → Configuration 4 (or 4b if ordered separately)

• Companies in multiple countries? → Configuration 5: one account per country, optional cross-country Manager access for switching

Frequently asked questions

Can I switch configurations later? In principle yes, but it involves effort — master data has to be migrated, page structures may change. That's why settling the choice before initial setup pays off.

My business partner and I use different POS systems. Can we still share vouchers? Yes, with the Online Voucher Management module. It works across companies and across systems — exactly this scenario.

Can companies from different countries live in one account? No. An account may hold multiple companies, but they must all be in the same country — reporting and the fiscal receipt chain follow the rules of each country. For companies in multiple countries you set up one account per country (Configuration 5). So you don't have to keep logging out and back in, bessa can wire up a cross-country Manager access that lets you switch between the country accounts.

Who sets up the second company in my Manager? bessa does. Mention it in the comments field of your order or during your consultation with your POS dealer.

Do I need a separate Sales Point for every branch? No. You can start with a single location and one Sales Point and expand later. Multiple Sales Points per location (Main Sales Point + Sub-Terminals) are also possible at any time.

Is one Sales Point enough for a café-restaurant with an attached farm shop? If both areas share the same VAT ID and are physically close, one Sales Point with multiple order grids may be enough. With clear physical separation or different staff operations we recommend two Sales Points under two locations (Configuration 3).

Related topics

• Set up your bessa Sales Point — step by step

• Structure user access — login, roles, and access

• Location Management, Locations

• Vouchers, Article Groups

• Manager, Reporting