POS Payment System

Quick and efficient payment recording with the Point-of-Sale interface.

Table of Contents

• Accessing the POS System
• Recording a Payment
• Understanding Payment Allocation
• Manual Allocation Override
• Handling Prepayments
• Printing and Emailing Receipts

Accessing the POS System

Navigating to POS

1. Click Fees in the main sidebar menu
2. On the Fees Dashboard, click POS Payment
3. The POS interface opens with a two-panel layout:
   • Left Panel: Student search and information
   • Right Panel: Payment processing form

POS Interface Layout

Recording a Payment

Step 1: Search for Student

1. Click in the Search Student box (top-left panel)
2. Type the student's:
   • First name or last name
   • Admission number
3. Results appear instantly as you type
4. Click on the correct student from the results

Step 2: Verify Student Information

After selecting a student, the Student Information card displays:

• Profile Picture: Visual confirmation of the student
• Full Name: First and last name
• Admission Number: Unique student ID
• Year Group & Class: Current academic placement
• Current Balance: Total outstanding amount across all invoices

Verify with the parent/guardian that you have the correct student before proceeding.

Step 3: Enter Payment Details

Fill in the payment information in the right panel:

Step 4: Review Outstanding Invoices

Once you enter the payment amount, the Outstanding Invoices section appears, showing:

In this example: Payment of $2,000 is allocated to two invoices using FIFO:

• INV-2025-001 (oldest): Fully paid ($1,500)
• INV-2025-002 (next): Partial payment ($500)
• Remaining balance on INV-2025-002: $300

Step 5: Process Payment

1. Review the allocation breakdown to ensure it's correct
2. Verify the payment amount and method with the parent
3. Click Process Payment & Print Receipt
4. The system:
   • Creates a payment record
   • Allocates the payment to invoices
   • Updates invoice balances
   • Generates a receipt number
   • Opens the receipt PDF for printing

Understanding Payment Allocation (FIFO)

What is FIFO?

FIFO (First-In-First-Out) means payments are automatically allocated to the oldest unpaid invoice first.

Why FIFO?

• Fair: Ensures oldest debts are settled first
• Transparent: Parents can see which invoices are being paid
• Automated: No manual decision-making needed for each payment
• Accounting Standard: Widely accepted practice in financial management

FIFO Allocation Examples

Example 1: Full Payment

Example 2: Partial Payment

Example 3: Prepayment (Overpayment)

Manual Allocation Override

In some cases, you may need to override the automatic FIFO allocation (e.g., parent wants to pay specific invoices first).

How to Manually Allocate

1. After entering the payment amount, the Outstanding Invoices table appears
2. Each invoice row has an Allocate column with an editable field
3. Click in the Allocate field for any invoice
4. Type the custom amount you want to allocate to that specific invoice
5. The system recalculates the allocation for other invoices
6. The Total Allocated at the bottom must equal the Amount Paid

Manual Allocation Example

Handling Prepayments

What is a Prepayment?

A prepayment occurs when a parent pays more than the total outstanding balance. The excess amount is stored as credit on the student's account.

How Prepayments Work

1. Parent pays more than the total outstanding invoices
2. All outstanding invoices are fully paid first (FIFO)
3. Remaining amount is stored as prepayment credit
4. Credit is visible on:
   • Student profile (shows as negative balance, e.g., -$200)
   • Fee statements
   • POS screen when student is selected
5. When a new invoice is created for this student, the credit is automatically deducted

Prepayment Example

Refunding Prepayments

If a student leaves the school with prepayment credit:

1. Navigate to the student's profile
2. View the current balance (should be negative)
3. Contact your finance team to process a refund
4. Record the refund as a manual adjustment in the system

Printing and Emailing Receipts

Automatic Receipt Generation

When you process a payment in POS, a receipt is automatically generated with:

• Receipt Number: Unique identifier (e.g., RCT-2025-001)
• School Letterhead: Logo and contact information
• Student Information: Name, admission number, class
• Payment Details: Date, method, amount, reference number
• Invoice Allocation: Breakdown showing which invoices were paid
• Running Balance: Previous balance, payment, new balance

Printing Receipts

1. After processing payment, the receipt PDF opens automatically
2. Click Print in the PDF viewer
3. Give the printed receipt to the parent/guardian

Emailing Receipts

To email a receipt to the parent:

1. After processing payment, close the PDF viewer
2. You'll be redirected to the payment detail page
3. Click Email Receipt
4. The system sends the receipt PDF to the student's primary guardian email
5. Check Messaging → Email Logs to verify delivery

Reprinting Receipts

To reprint a receipt later:

1. Navigate to Fees → View Receipts
2. Find the receipt in the list (search by student name or receipt number)
3. Click PDF to regenerate and print

Best Practices for POS Payments

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Parent Doesn't Have Full Amount

Solution: Accept a partial payment

• Enter the amount they have available
• FIFO will allocate to the oldest invoice(s)
• Parent can make another payment later for the remaining balance

Scenario 2: Parent Wants to Pay for Multiple Children

Solution: Process separate payments for each child

• Search for first child, enter their payment amount, process
• After receipt prints, search for second child and repeat
• Each child gets their own receipt

Scenario 3: Parent Paid via Bank but No Reference Number

Solution: Record payment without reference, add note

• Select "Bank Transfer" as payment method
• Leave Reference Number blank
• In Notes, write: "Bank transfer - awaiting confirmation"
• Follow up with parent to get bank statement for reconciliation

Scenario 4: Wrong Amount Entered

Solution: Void the payment and re-record

• Navigate to Fees → View Receipts
• Find the incorrect payment
• Click Void Payment (requires admin permission)
• Re-record the payment with correct amount