Sign, Value Ranges and Step Size

On the article you define how price and quantity are entered at the Sales Point: a sign, so nobody has to type a minus any more, value ranges that catch entries that are too large or too small, and a step size for the quantity. Typical uses are buying in second-hand goods with a payout limit, taking back empties, and articles sold only in packs. Without any setting, the article books exactly as before.

The Settings at a Glance

You find the settings in bessa Manager in the article, tab Configuration. It holds two sections:

Sign and limits for the entered gross amount: Applies to the price the Sales Point asks for when booking. The section only appears when Free price is activated in the basic data. Without free price no price is entered, so there is nothing to restrict.

Sign, limits and step size for the entered quantity: Applies to every article.

Each field is optional on its own. An empty field means "no restriction", not "0".

Sign and Value Range Are Two Different Things

The two settings look alike but do different things:

• The sign determines how the entered value is booked. With Always negative, the cashier types "45" and the Sales Point books −45.00. If the cashier types a minus anyway, the value stays negative. The sign does not flip the value, it sets it.

• The value range limits the result. The Sales Point checks the value after the sign has been applied. For an article with Always negative, the limits are therefore negative as well.

An example for a payout of at most 300:

The lower limit of −300.00 is the payout limit: an entry of 350 results in −350.00 and lies below it.

The Amount Limits Are Gross Values

Smallest amount and Largest amount are always gross, i.e. including tax. This also applies when

• the article price is maintained net in bessa Manager, and

• the Sales Point displays prices net, see Price display under Configure Sales Point Display.

The Sales Point converts the entered price to gross before checking it. Example: an article with 20 % tax has Largest amount (gross) 120.00. If the Sales Point displays net prices, it accepts at most 100.00 net.

The Quantity Sign at the Sales Point

The quantity sign applies wherever the Sales Point forms the quantity itself or someone types it in:

• Tapping the tile: An article with Always negative books −1 on the first tap, −2 on the second, −3 on the third. With a step size, each tap books the step size, e.g. −0.5, then −1.

• Numpad: A quantity you type before the article takes the article's sign. You do not need the minus key for it.

• Quantity field in the article dialog: The typed quantity takes the article's sign.

No dialog is forced for this. The article books directly on tap, like any other.

The Step Size

The step size takes effect in two places:

• Plus and minus buttons in the cart: They change the quantity by the step size instead of by 1. Otherwise the buttons behave as before; they do not check sign or limits.

• Typed quantities snap to the nearest valid value. Valid values are smallest quantity + n × step size; without a smallest quantity the grid starts at 0. If the entry lies exactly in the middle, it snaps to the value with the larger magnitude. The quantity field shows the snapped value so it is visible what will be booked.

Example with Step size 0.5 and Smallest quantity 1: valid are 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 2.5 … An entry of 1.3 snaps to 1.5, an entry of 1.2 to 1.

For articles with the quantity type Fractional, the Sales Point hides the plus and minus buttons in the cart. Sign and snapping in the quantity field still apply there.

What the Sales Point Shows

• Leading minus: With Always negative, the price or quantity field shows a "−" before the value. An amount therefore never flips invisibly.

• Limits as hint text: The configured limits appear below the field. With Always negative, the hint text and the error state the limits as amounts without a minus, the way they are typed. Example: with Smallest amount (gross) −300.00, the field shows "Up to €300.00", and an entry of 350 reports "At most €300.00". The Sales Point still checks the value with its sign.

• Error on the field: If a value lies outside the range, the article dialog cannot be confirmed. The error appears on the affected field before anything is booked.

• Scan and numpad: If a scanned value or a value entered on the numpad lies outside the range, the Sales Point books nothing and opens the article dialog with the entered value and the error instead.

Set Up the Settings

1. In bessa Manager, open Article Management → Articles and edit the article.

2. To restrict the price, activate Free price in the basic data.

3. Switch to the Configuration tab.

4. In the relevant section, choose the Sign and enter the limits and the Step size you want. Leave fields empty that should not restrict anything.

5. Click Save.

bessa Manager checks the entries when saving:

If you switch Free price off later, bessa Manager also removes the amount settings when saving.

Example 1: Buying In Second-Hand Goods

A second-hand shop buys goods from private individuals and pays the price out at the Sales Point. Every purchase has a different amount; a single purchase should not exceed 300.

Setup:

• Article "Buy-in", article type Article, Free price activated

• Sign of the amount: Always negative

• Smallest amount (gross): −300.00

• Largest amount (gross): empty

At the Sales Point:

1. The cashier taps the "Buy-in" tile. The price dialog opens; the price field shows a "−" and the hint on the limit.

2. The cashier types "45" and confirms. A line of −45.00 is booked.

3. Had the cashier typed "350", the field would show an error and the dialog could not be confirmed.

4. If the receipt total is negative, the Sales Point pays the amount out on payment.

Example 2: An Article Only for Booking Out

A grocery store takes back empties. Until now, a minus had to be typed before every return, and every now and then it was forgotten: a deposit was sold instead of paid out.

Setup:

• Article "Empties bottle", article type Deposit, price 0.25 gross, its own tile on the order screen

• Sign of the quantity: Always negative

• Smallest quantity: −48, as protection against typing errors

• Largest quantity and Step size: empty

At the Sales Point:

1. The customer brings three bottles. The cashier taps the tile three times: −1, −2, −3. The line stands at −0.75.

2. For a crate, the cashier types "20" on the numpad and then taps the tile. −20 is booked, without the minus key.

3. If the cashier types "200" by mistake, the article dialog opens with the error "At most 48" on the quantity field, because −200 lies below −48.

Leave the existing deposit article, which the Sales Point books along with every drink via an article option, unchanged. The sign belongs only on the return article. How the deposit is booked along is described in Article Types.

Limitations

• Only the article types Article and Deposit: For all other article types, e.g. Voucher or bessa Card, the Sales Point ignores the sign. There the amount is a top-up, not a sales value.

• Stock: An article with a negative sign and activated Stock management books the stock in the wrong direction. A negative quantity increases the stock like a return; a purchase with a negative price and positive quantity decreases it like a sale, even though goods come in. Do not track stock on such articles, or correct it in inventory management.

• Only on the article: The article list does not show the settings, and there is no bulk editing for them. You set them on each article individually.

• Self-service mode: An article with Always negative also books negative in kiosk mode. Whether the Sales Point pays out the negative receipt there is governed by the clearance described in Payouts in Self-Service Mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't I see the section for the amount? It only appears when Free price is activated in the article's basic data.

Are the amount limits net or gross? Always gross, even if the article price is maintained net or the Sales Point displays net prices.

Can I simply set the largest amount to 0 instead of "Always negative"? No. The limit only checks, it does not flip anything. The Sales Point would reject every positive entry instead of booking it as negative.

Why does the article book a positive quantity from the scale although "Always negative" is set? The Sales Point takes quantities from the scale and from the barcode exactly, without sign and without step size.

Does the step size also change the plus and minus buttons in the cart? Yes. The buttons change the quantity by the step size instead of by 1.

Troubleshooting

The Sales Point still books the article as positive. Check the Sales Point's version; the settings require 6.2.0. Also check the article type: the sign only takes effect for Article and Deposit. If the quantity comes from the scale or the barcode, the sign deliberately does not apply.

Every entered amount is rejected as invalid. Most likely positive limits are set with Always negative, e.g. Smallest amount 0 and Largest amount 300. The Sales Point checks the amount after the sign, so −45.00 against 0 to 300. Enter negative limits, e.g. Smallest amount −300.

The Sales Point changes the entered quantity. The article has a Step size. Typed quantities snap to the grid of smallest quantity and step size.

The section for the amount is empty after saving. Free price was switched off. In that case bessa Manager also removes the amount settings.

Related Topics

• Articles

• Article Types

• Payouts in Self-Service Mode

• Cash Journal

• Set Up Articles for Inventory Management

• Configure Sales Point Display

• Book margin-scheme goods