POS Setup

We have written guides to help users setup their BookingCenter MyPMS and Desktop software to take advantage of the Point of Sale features built-into the product. If you are using our MyPMS product, please see the POS Setup instructions here. If you are using a Desktop Pro for Windows, the setup directions are below. If you are using Macintosh OSX, the setup directions can be found here and for Macintosh 'Classic' OS 9.2 and earlier versions, the setup directions can be found here.

Most users of the BookingCenter Point of Sale terminal will have the following components that this guide will help to address. WIndows installation notes are below, installation directions for Macintosh OSX can be found here and for Macintosh 'Classic' OS 9.2 and earlier here):

Prepare your BookingCenter Register

You must have purchased the BookingCenter Point of Sale Module for EACH computer to use a Point of Sale station. Each BookingCenter station has a unique ID 'per terminal' to assure proper transaction reporting. Choose the BookingCenter Parameters | Inventory | Registers to view the screen as below:

Make each Register a unique ID (such a "Register 1", "Bar" , "Front Desk", etc...) by choosing "NEW" or "EDIT". Once done, click the "Set" button to set the Register once and for all. By doing this, each time BookingCenter launches on this computer, the computer will 'know' it's Register ID. There is detailed information about the Registers feature available in the BookingCenter Reference Manual, Chapter 2, Setting up Registers.

Description: This is the Description used by the reports when doing Sales and Registers reports.
State Tax Exempt: This setting will make all transactions issued from this Register State Tax Exempt.
Local Tax Exempt: This setting will make all transactions issued from this Register Local Tax Exempt.
Default Guest: If you do a lot of Cash sales (off-the-street type of sales) then create a new BookingCenter Guest called 'Cash Sales" and enter the Guest ID in this filed to make default sales from this register a Cash Sale account. If you normally add Sales items from this register to active accounts for Guests staying 'in-house' then do not worry about this setting.
Use Magnetic Card Reader: If this computer will have a credit card reader attached to it, then choose this setting. If you will entering credit card data automatically (by typing credit card names and numbers into BookingCenter Receipts) then do not check this box. Note, you can still type credit card data into a Receipt even if you are using a credit card reader.
Use Online Authorization: If this computer will be connected to the Internet to authorize credit card transactions, then choose this setting. Note: ALL Receipt Types that have been chosen as "Credit Cards" and "Internet Enabled" (as shown below from Parameter | Booking System | Receipt Types) will try to process via the Internet if this option is checked. Only use this if you have setup an Authorize.Net or IBM Payment Gateway Account with BookingCenter.

Prepare Your BookingCenter Register Printer

When viewing your BookingCenter POS Register (settings set as described above), choose the Printer button to open the Register Printers.

Click "EDIT".
If using the Epson POS Printer supplied by BookingCenter, choose the "Buffered 40 Column" printer - the standard for POS roll printers. The 'unbuffered' will NOT work with all PCs to print the correct Booking Receipts, but will work with some.
Choose Print Receipts ALWAYS if using the BookingCenter POS solution.
Choose the Cutter option of the POS printer supports automatic cutting of the receipt after printing.
If you are using a Cash Drawer, choose this option. The Cash Drawer will plug into the back of the POS Printer and the Printer will issue the 12Volt prompt to open the cash drawer after each transaction.
Choose the 'Network Printer' (for Macintosh customers ALWAYS) if you desire to use a Network printer. Otherwise, choose the COM port your serial printer is connected to on your Windows PC.
If you chose the 'Network Printer' , then enter the "IP Address" you assigned to the printer, as your Network Administrator or manual from Epson described. • Note, BookingCenter support staff can NOT assign IP addresses for your printer.
Choose the "Docket Printer Port" that matches the serial or USB port you chose when setting up the POS Printer. Note - this MUST be the correct port in order to work correctly.

To establish the POS register, you can ignore the features for Labels, as these are intended for printing special labels such as bar Codes and Wrist Printers from BookingCenter. If you desire to use these features, please contact support@BookingCenter.com and we can inform you of the supported Bar Code scanners and readers.

Connect a Receipt Printer

BookingCenter recommends Epson POS products, and usually ships these to our POS customers. Although other printers follow pretty much the same guidelines, the Epson printers generally can't be beat for price/performance and they come with the necessary cables - power and serial - to connect the POS printer to a standard PC. To get it working with a Mac OS X installation, you will need to assign an 'IP' (internet address). If you are working with an older 'Mac Classic' system of OS 9.2 or earlier, purchase either a MiniiDoc or a Keyspan Adapter (installation directions for Macs are found here).

First, plug the A/C Adapter into the Epson Printer and the wall. Prepare the Epson with the cartridge and paper as specified in the manuals that come with the printer.

Connect the large serial end of the 'null modem' cable that came with the Epson into the connector into the bottom of the Epson printer (right next to the A/C power cable). Connect the other end of the 'null modem' cable that came with the Epson (the small end) into the serial port of your PC.

POS Printer reusable: A case of printer paper will cost ~$120 and an extra box of 12 ribbons is ~$100. One roll of paper and ribbon is usually included with each purchase. Contact your local office supplier or pointofsalecorner.com to order reusable Printer supplies.

Connect the Credit Card swiper

Simply unpack the credit card swiper (USB version shown below) and plug it into the free USB or PS/2 keyboard port of your computer, and then the keyboard into the free end (if using the PS/2 version).

Testing the card swiper for accuracy:

The card swipe needs to read both track 1 and track 2. To test the results of the card swiper, open 'notepad' (on Windows) or Text Editor (on Mac) and swipe a card. You should get about 75 characters of garble starting with a %.The results should come out similar to this:%B5102101105105100^MCCULLOCH/JOSHUA J ^03041010000001501000000947?;5102105101104100=05041010275005470300?

The % to ? is the 1st track, and the ; to ? is the 2nd track. MyPMS will parse and display Track 1 data (required). The actual data MyPMS send to the authorization networks is track 2. Please make sure that there swipe is displaying both tracks. If not, they should contact the manufacturer to see if it is capable, and if so, how to enable it. There is a series of keystrokes to enable it.

Enable Register Printer!!!

Go to the Parameters | System Configurations and check the button that says 'Use Registers". If this button is NOT checked, your POS Register Printer will NOT work. That's it! You are now ready to use BookingCenter as a complete Point of Sale system.

Access and Manage Your Gateway Account

Each user of BookingCenter to use "Online Authorizations" has established an AuthNet Gateway account that connects the BookingCenter Software and <optional> online booking engine into your Merchant Account.

Access Your Gateway Account:

At the time of registration of your BookingCenter POS Module, BookingCenter will deliver a user ID and password that will allow you to login to your Gateway account at: https://secure.rtware.net/ and begin to manage your transactions.

Learn AuthNet: A good overview of the features of AuthNet can found at: http://www.rtware.net/docs.html
Demo AuthNet:: An online 'walk through' using an AuthNet account can be found at: http://www.rtware.net/testdrive.htm

Issuing Refunds, ChargeBacks, and Auth Only captures through BookingCenter Desktop PMS

Refunds and ChargeBacks

Depending upon your use of the BookingCenter system., you will sometimes want to offer Refunds to customers. (See "Setting up Receipt Types" in the BookingCenter Reference Manual for more information on the Refund Receipt Type). BookingCenter will NOT automatically assign a Refund through to your Merchant Account, as most of our customers DO NOT want this. By issuing a Refund through BookingCenter, you can create a Refund receipt for the customer and choose to give them cash or check. If a refund issued to a Credit Card was intended, the manager will need to login into their Gateway account to actually issue a Charge Back or a Credit (which ever is appropriate). This is the only way to actually move money from your Merchant Account to the customer's credit card.

Auth Only Transactions

MyPMS supports 'authorizations only' as a part of the MyCard processing system, in additions to 'increment auth' or 'cancel authorizations' - see below. BookingCenter Desktop does not currently support Auth Only transactions from within the software. A manager must login to their Gateway to issue Auth Only transactions.

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