Cash Register, Point of Sale & Credit Card Information Central

Point of Sale Systems for Fireworks Stands

  

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As spring begins to give way to summer and the beautiful warm whether draws people outdoors, one thing is on everybody's mind: time to rent a cash register. Okay, so maybe that's not on everybody's mind, but it certainly is here at American Metro. We are preparing to send point of sale equipment across the country for major sporting events, food festivals, outdoor music concerts and conventions throughout the summer. But our busiest time of year has proven to be the three weeks leading up to the 4th of July.

Fireworks season is almost upon us and we have been working diligently to create point of sale solutions that address the specific needs of the fireworks industry. This year, the options are better than ever:

• Easy to Use Cash Registers
• Barcode Scanning
• Wireless Integrated Credit Card Processing
• Remote Reporting Capabilities
• Inventory Management System
• Stand Alone Credit Card Terminals
• Exceptional Customer Service

Get more information on how easy selling fireworks can be with the right tools. Request a free, no obligation rental quote today. The time to reserve point of sale equipment for your fireworks stand is here, so don't delay. American Metro is the largest cash register rental company inAmerica, but supplies are limited.

The Benefits of On Site Support With Your Rental

  

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Our philosophy is to make the entire point of sale process as easy as possible between our customers and their customers. We accomplish this by providing complete point of sale solutions that are easy to use, provide straight forward reporting options, and have versatile credit card processing. But we don’t stop there. Having been involved with hundreds of events, we know the amount of work it takes to get a sporting event, convention, craft show, festival, etc. ready for handling the crowds of people. Sometimes having an extra person on site to lend a hand is beneficial. Here are a few of the reasons that having the American Metro Event Team present makes for an easier process.

Setup - In cases where multiple registers are being used, even the simple plug and play machines take time to distribute, unbox, set on tables or stands and plug in. With so many other things to prepare, resources can be spread thin while everything else needs attention. Having a dedicated point of sale specialist on site ensures that you get an efficient means of distribution, setting up equipment, connecting any communication cables and testing all functionality. 

Support - The on site team will start their support by performing all training sessions in a hands on format where each cashier can ask any questions they come across. Throughout the event, they have direct access to someone that can answer additional inquiries. The Event Team also takes care of any programming changes that may need to be made and handles any repairs should equipment get spilled on, knocked over or otherwise damaged. 

Tear Down - In much the same way as set up, packing up all the point of sale equipment takes a free body as well. Checking that no equipment is missed for the return trip is much easier when someone knows exactly what was delivered. Each box gets packed correctly, boxes gets stacked and placed on a pallet, and it’s all securely shrink wrapped for transport. The Event Team even takes care of ordering the truck and printing shipping labels.

Time Management - The most important benefit of having the American Metro Event Team around is that it lets you focus on the aspects of your event for which you are best suited. Your time is the most precious resource you have and this is an easy way to free up time that would otherwise be spent overseeing a crew to do all the things that American Metro does automatically. 

For more information on how the American Metro Event Team can help make your event more efficient and successful, request a FREE quote today.

Why Rent a Cash Register?

  

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If you have been thinking about renting or buying a cash register, you may have questions. We have compiled a list of the top questions used to determine whether renting a cash register is right for your business.

1. Why use a register in the first place?

• Keep money in a secure location
• Calculations are faster and more accurate than doing them on paper or in your head. 
• Reporting options allow you to quickly track financial information
• Greater accountability from staff

2. What if I only need it for a few days?

• There is no long-term contract with American Metro. You only pay for the equipment for the days you need it.
• Return the equipment when you’re done and free up storage space required if you had purchased. 

3. Is programming a cash register complicated?

• Renting from American Metro means you get the register pre-programmed, ready to plug in and use. 
• Our support staff can assist you with any additions or changes in the field through a direct phone call or easy to follow documented instructions

4. Is operating a cash register confusing?

• Training sessions and/or documentation is included
• Learn the essentials in under 5 minutes
• The American Metro support staff is available 24/7 for questions

5. Is renting cost effective?

• Tighter control of transactions means fewer mistakes and less theft potential
• You could rent a typical register more than 6 times before purchasing would become a similar investment 

6. What if I need a lot of registers?

• Renting machines becomes much more economical than purchasing in bulk.
• Purchasing requires finding space to store all the registers when not in use.
• American Metro has the largest rental inventory in the country. 

7. Are they difficult to setup?

• Many point of sale systems are ready to use just by plugging them in.
• Detailed setup instructions accompany rentals that use multiple components (such as scanners, credit card systems, etc.)

8. What if I want to accept credit cards?

• Several models can have an integrated credit card component
• Stand beside terminals are available to work with or independently from a cash register.

9. What if I end up wanting the equipment long term?

• Get familiar with the equipment with no long term contract.
• Rent-to-own options are available should you decide to keep using the equipment.

To find out if renting a cash register makes sense for your business, contact American Metro and get a FREE quote with comparative analysis.

The Hidden Costs of Free Golf Course Software

  

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When golf courses begin comparing options to upgrade their point of sale system with new course management software, how heavily does price factor into the equation? While software is just one part of the total cost, spending $1,500 per year to license some high end software packages may not seem like the best deal. Even the one time purchase price of $1,575 for AIMsi Golf Course Management Software from American Metro can seem high compared to some companies that offer FREE* software.

What exactly does FREE* mean in terms of golf software? Maybe you’ve run into one of those tricky asterisks before and discovered the catch buried in fine print somewhere. The primary example shows software companies are happy to install their software and waive the licensing fee in exchange for selling a couple tee times each day. This may sound like a decent trade off, but what does this free deal actually cost?

With the average green fee for an 18-hole round of golf at $55 ($45 for municipal courses), it doesn’t take long before that cost adds up. If two tee-times are held and sold by the software company, you’re looking at 2 foursomes at $55 dollars each for a total of $440 per day. The “free” company also tends to get the first pick of time slots. Even if you don’t normally fill every tee time every day, wouldn’t you rather be able to accommodate your customers’ needs at peak times? 

For a municipal golf course, the difference between using the “free” software and going with AIMsi from American Metro is covered in just 9 days. That means even if the only days a golf course would otherwise fill all time slots are Saturday and Sunday, “free” becomes more expensive after one month.

Discounts on Point of Sale Cash Registers

  

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Offering special promotions and discounts is a great way to inspire more business traffic. After all, who doesn't like saving money from time to time? When it comes to implementing these special offers, we look to a special function key known as the discount button. Your cash register is equipped to accept and track discounts with a variety of options.

By default, the discount buttons are usually labeled with a [-%] symbol on the keyboard. You may find one or two of these buttons on the standard keyboard, but often times up to 5 discounts can be programmed. A unique discount button should be used for each offer you would like to track. For instance, a restaraunt is runs a flyer each month with three different coupons; Get $.50 Off a Large Beverage, Save 10% on Orders of $25 or More, and a punch card with Buy 9 Sandwiches, Get the 10th Free.

The primary programming options for discounts include:

• Discount is amount or percent
• Discount is open or preset
• What is the rate or amount
• Discount taken off individual item or subtotal amount
• Are multiple discounts allowed

$ Item Discount

Let's say that the first coupon changes each month to promote specific items, but is always an amount. In this case, the discount would be labeled something like $ ITEM DISC and would be set as an open amount off an item where multiple discounts are allowed. Since the discount changes month to month, the discount amount is set to $0 to allow for a manual entry amount. In this case, after pressing the item [Large Beverage], the cashier would press [5] [0] [$ ITEM DISC] to apply the $.50 discount to that item.

% Sale Discount

For the second coupon, the button could be labeled 10% SALE DISC. This would be a fixed rate that remains the same month to month. This button would then be programmed as a preset percent taken off after subtotal is pressed and would only be available once per sale. The rate amount would be entered as 10.000 for a 10% discount.  After all items are entered, the cashier would press subtotal. If the sale total meets the $25 requirement, the cashier would press the [10% SALE DISC] button then press the subtotal to display the revised amount.

% Item Discount

For the Free 10th Sandwich card, the button might read LOYALTY CARD. This one would be programmed as a preset percent off an item with the rate of 99.999 percent. Most cash registers don't allow for a full 100% discount, hence the 99.999 entry. After pressing the sandwich button, the cashier would verify that the card had the 9 previous purchases applied and would then press the LOYALTY CARD button.

At the end of the night, the closing report would list all discount names and totals. This can help you analyze what offers are driving in customers and allows you to plan more successful marketing efforts.

Exadigm Credit Card Machine Rental vs. the Square - pt. 2

  

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Once you have evaluated the more subjective aspects like expected conditions of the sales environment, anticipated traffic levels, equipment reliablity and support options, it's time to it’s time to start crunching the numbers. 

What kind of rates and rental fees can I expect to pay?

This seems to be the question that most effects the bottom line. After the rates determined, it is important to make sure that there are no unexpected hidden costs. When dealing with percentages and transaction fees, the average transaction total also makes a difference.

*Bracketed () number signifies the Card Not Present or manual entry rate
** American Metro offers lower rates for users with prior credit processing history. American Metro will match your documented rate from previous processor. 

Scenario #1: Outdoor craft show with an average sale of $18.00 with light to moderate traffic
(1 transaction every 3-5 min.)

With a difference of $.07 per transaction, the Square provides a cheaper option. With no per transaction fee, lower sales total environments with lower traffic volumes make a very good fit for this payment method.

Scenario #2: Indoor boutique with an average sale of $75.00 with moderate to heavy traffic
(1 transaction every 30-90 sec.)

In this situation, a difference of $0.47 per transaction leans in favor of the Exadigm XD2000 from American Metro. Factor in the cost of renting the equipment, and during one 8-hour day of sales with an average of 90 sec/transaction, the credit card rental pays for itself. 

Summary

For a pure, per transaction comparison, the Square is a more economical choice for sales with an average amount of up to $25.00 where speed is not a primary concern. Beyond the $25.00 threshold, the rental Exadigm becomes the smarter financial choice particularly when dealing with a greater volume of customers. Credit card solutions like the Square offer freedom by providing free, easily accessible equipment with a straightforward pricing structure. With that freedom comes a certain amount of risk. The Exadigm credit card machine rental eliminates many of those risks by offering additional features and is backed by a readily available support staff. 

For more information on whether renting a credit card machine is a good financial decision for your business, contact American Metro for a no-hassle assessment of your specific situation.

Exadigm Credit Card Machine Rental vs. the Square - pt. 1

  

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There are more options than ever when it comes to setting up your business to accept credit cards. How you determine the avenue to pursue is based on a number of variables. Each of these factors ultimately helps you answer the question “Is this a good financial decision?”  

Where will I be using the equipment?

Wireless credit card processing enables users to accept electronic payments in situations where a hard line may not be accessible or you need to remain mobile. Some common instances of this include doing business at trade shows, outdoor events, festivals, mall kiosks, auctions, etc. Depending on the environment where sales occur, finding a wireless signal isn’t always completely reliable. Sales performed while surrounded by concrete at convention centers or at remote festivals may need a back up method to process cards if a wireless network isn’t found.

How important is transaction speed?

Do you expect a constant line of people waiting to purchase your product? In cases where a high volume of customers in a short amount of time is important, find a solution that can process transactions quickly and in as few steps as possible. In more intimate settings, having an option that maximizes interactions may be more valuable.

What is the reliability and durability?

As with any piece of equipment that undergoes a normal amount of wear and tear such as a card reader, users want to have the piece of mind that their equipment is going to last for the duration of the event. The multitasking features of a smart phone should be considered if other business needs to be conducted at the time of sales  

What kind of support is available if I need it?

If a component of the credit card reader stops functioning as intended, or you need assistance with operations,  it helps to know the level of interaction you will receive. 

Get pricing analysis in tomorrow's blog post

How to use a Cash Register: Tip #3

  

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A Simple Keyboard

When working out point of sale solutions for a particular event, one of the first things we do is layout the keyboard. Finding a logical and organized method for adding item buttons to the register can make a vast difference in transaction speed. Below you will find a sample keyboard used at a concession even as well as the basis we use for laying out a keyboard.

1. Use preset prices when you can. One of the easiest ways to increase transaction speed is to use preset prices. Pressing just one button to ring in a $2.50 bottle of water is 3 times faster than pressing [2] [5] [0] [WATER]. You also eliminate the risk of entering an incorrect price, thereby saving the time it takes to either void items or cancel and start the sale over.

2. Print prices on the buttons. It may seem like a simple thing, but having prices on the item buttons can be very helpfult for customer and cashiers. When a customer asks "How much for a brownie?" the cashier has the answer right in front of them. No need to turn around and find it on the menu board. 

This can also help speed things along when Customer A is searching for their money, the cashier can let Customer B know that their Chips and Soda will be $5.50. This helps keep the line moving.

3. Group similar items. Keeping similar items near eachother makes sense. We will ask to see a sample menu board and arrange buttons based on what category they fall under on the menu. In addition to proximity, color coding can also help. In the case of our sample keyboard, we used the breakdown of Entrees, Snacks, Breakfast, Beverages, and Liquor. (These groupings are not only handy on the keyboard but also for reporting purposes.)

4. Further organization. With as easy as our equipment is to learn, the most time consuming part of the process is remembering where each item is on the keyboard. Beyond grouping and color coding items to easily identify their general location, finding a logical order also beneficial. The most common methods for arranging buttons within groups would be to list them either alphabetically or by price. In some cases, cashiers are trained ahead of time off the menu board. In these instances, mimicing the menu board layout is also valid.

Following these simple steps in keyboard creation will enable your cashiers to work at peak effeciency. This keeps lines moving quickly and keeps customers happy, ultimately providing you with a successful business.

How to use a Cash Register: Tip #2 - Reporting

  

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After a busy day of sales, multi-tasking during closing proceedures is a common practice for most businesses. There is usually plenty of work to do around the shop that can be preformed while waiting for reports to print from the cash register. So when it comes time to start on the closing paperwork, there can be a sudden sense of dread to realize something went wrong when printing the end of day report. Whether the paper ran out part way through printing, or some type of paper jam occurred, what are the options to access the important information you just reset?

The first line of defense against data loss is to plan ahead. Here are a few methods to take to ensure you won't run into issues. 

1. Check paper levels before running reports. It never hurts to open up the printer cover and verify that there will be enough paper to run the entire report. Most receipt paper will have a colored stripe that will appear when nearing the end of the roll.
2. Run an X report before running the Z report. Running reports with the key in the X position will let you eXamine the total without resetting it. If a paper jam occurs during this process, you can always run the report again and the numbers will still be there. Just be sure to run the Z report to Zero the totals when you have a full copy.
3. Upgrade registers. Newer registers have a failsafe that stops operations when paper runs out. A warning message will be displayed and the current task is held in memory until a new roll is loaded. Printing will resume where it left off.
4. Skip the paper report and go digital. Using either a reporting software on your computer to connect directly to the cash register, or saving reports to an SD or USB drive from the register allows you to ignore the uncertainty of paper reports. This can also save time by importing data into your sales database rather than entering numbers manually.

1. Check the journal. Regular transactions as well as reports are saved on the journal. If your register doesn't have the second printer that serves as a hard copy journal, you may have a model that uses an electronic journal. In many Sam4s models, this is accomplished by turning the key to the X position and pressing 3 0 0 SUBTOTAL. 
2. Run the weekly/period report. If you run a period report at the end of each week and have the totals from each day since the last time you can do a little math. Run the period report in the X position and subtract out the previous daily numbers to get the current totals.
3. Run a Daily Sales report. Often times the end of day procedures call for resetting the Financial, PLU and maybe Group reports. There are a handful of other reports that will remain intact including the Daily Sales Report. Purely a breakdown of sales totals over the last 30 days, this report will at the very minimum, allow you to balance the drawer.

For help determining the capabilities of your specific model of cash register, enabling or using electronic journal or for information on reporting software, contact us with the button below.

Point of Sale Solutions for Food/BBQ Festivals

  

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Have you ever noticed that no matter how much room there is around, everyone always seems to congregate in the kitchen? The simple explanation for this is that people go where the food is. This principle holds true in homes all over the world and is carried over to the masses in the form of the food festival. People go where the food is. When challenged with feeding people that can number in the 10-100,000s, a specific set of challenges arises. Here are a few of the questions we have witnessed within the food festival market.

I’m used to working out of a cash box. Won’t a cash register slow me down?

For people used to performing calculations in their head, it may seem like learning a new system would be cumbersome. Getting a pre-programmed, easy-to-use cash register that can be learned in under 5 minutes can actually make transactions faster. 

Some features that speed up transaction times include:

• Add and display totals on screen. For orders consisting of multiple items, totals are easily tracked and displayed. The time taken to commit the order to memory and add the prices together is eliminated along with potential for mathematical error.
• Use preset tender amounts. Streamlining payment options down to one button makes completing a sale and providing change quicker.

How can I track sales data securely and accurately .

Whether you’re a vendor or a festival organizer, accumulating accurate sales data measures profitability. One of the greatest benefits of a cash register is that it ensures all transactions are recorded. Find out which items are the biggest sellers, calculate taxes owed, and reconcile funds collected against recorded totals. This provides a reliable method to verify you are receiving everything for which you are entitled. 

How do I handle End of Day data collection efficiently?

If you are trying to coordinate sales data processing among potentially dozens of vendors, finding a means to keep track of all those numbers can be daunting. Often times, data needs to be collected either by physically going to each stand, or waiting for vendors to deliver their own information after they close up for the night. This may be on hand written notes or receipt style paper reports. Either way, someone has to manually enter this information into a database. 

For a more efficient method of gathering and saving reports:

• Collect reports on SD card or USB drive. Providing each vendor with a way to digitally capture reports can save a significant amount of time by importing sales figures directly into database software.
• Send reports online with Sterling Bridge. This is particularly useful when settling with vendors at the end of the night. Reports are sent to a secure, online portal where the finance department can access sales data while stand operators finish their closing procedures. By the time the nightly reconciliation rolls around, both parties have the information they need to finish out their business.

How can a cash register help during a cashless event?

For environments that use a ticket system as a means of payment, all the basic functions of a cash register still apply. Instead of programming prices for items, they would use number of tickets per item. Receipts can even be programmed to use a “Tk” in place of a “$” in these cases. Item counts and sales figures are then broken down into tickets instead of dollars. A cash register can also be used in its full capacity to sell the tickets themselves.

For more insights based on our experience with festivals, or for information on how American Metro can help with your upcoming fireworks point of sale needs, contact us any time.