All In One Restaurant POS

Overview

JoelsaPOS is an all-in-one restaurant point of sale system designed for cafes, restaurants, takeaways, food trucks and hospitality businesses that need to manage daily sales, food orders, staff, payments, kitchen workflow, online ordering, stock, reports and backups from one app.

This guide explains how to set up and use the JoelsaPOS app from the first login through to daily trading, end-of-day checks and backup. It is written for business owners, managers and staff, so each section focuses on practical steps rather than technical development.

What JoelsaPOS can do

JoelsaPOS allows your business to run multiple selling workflows from the same POS screen. Staff can create table orders for eat-in service, takeaway tickets for counter orders, collection orders for customers picking up later, and delivery orders with customer address and contact details.

Orders can be built from categories, products, variants, modifiers and item notes. This makes the app suitable for simple menus as well as more detailed food menus where customers choose sizes, options, extras or special preparation instructions.

The system supports cash payments, manual card payments, Tap to Pay, Stripe Terminal payments and split payments. Split payments allow one ticket to be paid using multiple payment methods, such as part cash and part card, or separate payments from different customers.

JoelsaPOS also supports kitchen workflow. Orders can be sent from the POS to the kitchen screen so kitchen staff can see items, quantities, modifiers and notes in real time. This helps front-of-house and kitchen teams work from the same order information.

Main features covered in this guide

• POS selling screen: how to start a sale, choose ticket types, add products, manage the cart, add item notes and complete payments.
• Order types: table service, takeaway, collection and delivery workflows.
• Menu setup: categories, child categories, products, variants, modifiers, stock links and menu builder.
• Kitchen workflow: sending orders to the kitchen screen, managing order progress and keeping kitchen staff updated.
• Online orders: enabling online ordering, choosing collection or delivery options, syncing the menu and handling incoming website orders.
• Payments: cash, card, Tap to Pay, Stripe Terminal, manual card, split payments, receipts and cash drawer behaviour.
• Printers: setting up POS receipt printers, kitchen printers, Bluetooth printing and network printing.
• Staff management: owner login, staff PIN login, staff roles, clock-in, breaks, wages and payroll break policy.
• Stock control: optional stock setup for ingredients, quantities, costs and better reporting.
• Reports: sales reports, product reports, stock reports and staff reports by shift, work period or date range.
• Backup and restore: creating backups, exporting to USB or downloads, importing backups, restoring data and using automatic backups.
• Daily operations: starting shifts, taking orders, end-of-day checks, best practices, troubleshooting, staff training and final go-live checks.

Who this guide is for

This documentation is useful for business owners setting up JoelsaPOS for the first time, managers configuring menus and staff, cashiers taking orders at the till, kitchen staff preparing food from kitchen tickets, and support teams helping a business go live.

Recommended reading order

New users should start with the quick start checklist, then complete the setup sections for business settings, tables, stock, categories, products, payments, printers and staff. After setup, staff should focus on the POS screen operations, taking sales, kitchen workflow, online orders and end-of-day routine.

Once the business is live, owners and managers should regularly review the reports, order history, refunds, backup status and troubleshooting sections to keep the POS running smoothly.

POS Screen Operations

The POS selling screen is the main screen used by cashiers and front-of-house staff to create tickets, add products, send orders to the kitchen, take payments, print receipts and manage table, takeaway, collection and delivery orders.

Before selling, make sure the required settings are enabled in Admin / Management → Integrations & Features and that your products, categories, printers and payment methods have been configured.

0.1 Starting a sale

A sale must be attached to a ticket before products can be added. This prevents accidental walk-in or unassigned carts.

1. Open the POS / Sales Screen.
2. Choose the ticket type before adding items:
   • Tables for eat-in/table service.
   • Takeaway for counter takeaway orders.
   • Collection for customer collection orders.
   • Delivery for delivery orders.
3. Once a ticket is selected, the menu becomes available.
4. Select a category, then tap products to add them to the cart.

If no ticket is selected, the POS blocks the menu area and asks the cashier to select a table, takeaway, collection or delivery ticket first.

0.2 Ticket types

0.2.1 Table orders

1. Tap Tables.
2. Select the table number or table name.
3. Add products to the cart.
4. Optionally add customer name or ticket notes.
5. Send the order to the kitchen if required.
6. Take payment when the customer is ready to pay.

Table tickets can stay open while the customer continues ordering. Additional items can be added later and sent to the kitchen.

0.2.2 Takeaway orders

1. Tap Takeaway.
2. Select or create a takeaway ticket.
3. Add products to the cart.
4. Add customer name or notes if needed.
5. Send to kitchen and take payment.

0.2.3 Collection orders

1. Tap Collection.
2. Search for an existing customer or enter customer details.
3. Add products to the cart.
4. Add any collection notes, such as requested collection time.
5. Send to kitchen and take payment.

0.2.4 Delivery orders

1. Tap Delivery.
2. Search for an existing customer or enter a new customer.
3. Enter customer name, phone number, address and postcode.
4. Add products to the cart.
5. Add delivery notes if needed.
6. Send to kitchen and take payment.

For delivery orders, customer name, phone number, address and postcode should be entered so the order can be prepared and delivered correctly.

0.3 Adding products to the cart

1. Select a parent category or child category.
2. Tap the product you want to sell.
3. If the product has variants, choose the correct size or option.
4. If the product has modifiers, choose the required customer choices.
5. If the product is a meal, choose the meal product's own modifiers if available.
6. Tap Add to add the item to the cart.

Each time a cashier taps Add, the POS can create a new cart line. This is useful when the same product is ordered more than once but each item needs different notes or different customer choices.

Example:

Burger
Item note: No onions

Burger
Item note: Extra sauce

Burger x 2
Item note: Cut in half
  

0.3.1 Product search bar

The POS screen can show an optional product search bar above the product list. This is useful when the menu has many products and the cashier wants to find an item quickly by typing part of the product name.

The search bar is controlled from Admin / Management → Integrations & Features → POS Features. Turn Product Search Bar on to show it on the POS selling screen, or turn it off to hide it. When the setting is off, the POS screen does not display the search field and staff continue using categories and product buttons normally.

1. Open Admin / Management.
2. Open Integrations & Features.
3. Go to POS Features.
4. Enable Product Search Bar if staff should be able to search products from the POS screen.
5. Disable Product Search Bar if you want a cleaner selling screen with categories and product buttons only.
6. Return to the POS screen. The search bar appears only when this setting is enabled.

When a cashier taps inside the product search bar, a keypad appears on the POS screen. Staff can use this keypad to type the product name without relying on the device keyboard. As the cashier types, the product list is filtered to matching items. Clearing the search text shows the normal category/product view again.

The keypad is linked to the search field focus. This means it appears when the search field is selected and can be hidden when staff finish searching, clear the search, or move back to normal product selection.

0.4 Cart buttons and item controls

The cart area shows the current ticket items and allows the cashier to make changes before payment.

• + increases the quantity of that cart line.
• - decreases the quantity of that cart line.
• Remove / delete removes the item from the cart.
• Add item note adds a note to that specific item only.
• Edit item note changes the note on that specific item.

Item notes are useful for kitchen instructions that apply only to one product, such as:

No onions
Sauce on side
Allergy: no sesame
Well done
Cut in half
  

Item notes appear with the item and should be sent to the kitchen and included on printed receipts where enabled.

0.5 Ticket notes and customer details

Ticket notes are different from item notes. A ticket note applies to the whole order.

Use ticket notes for:

• Customer name.
• General order notes.
• Delivery instructions.
• Collection time.
• Table-level notes.

Use item notes for:

• Instructions for one specific food item.
• Allergy or preparation notes for one item.
• Special changes that should not apply to the whole ticket.

0.6 Sending orders to the kitchen

The kitchen screen receives orders from the POS so kitchen staff can prepare them in real time.

0.6.1 Required setting

1. Open Admin / Management → Integrations & Features.
2. Go to POS Features.
3. Enable Kitchen Screen.

If the kitchen screen is disabled, orders may still be sold, but they will not be pushed to the kitchen screen.

0.6.2 Sending an order

1. Create or open a ticket.
2. Add products to the cart.
3. Check modifiers, item notes and ticket notes.
4. Tap Send to Kitchen.
5. The kitchen screen receives the order with the items, quantities, modifiers and notes.

For table orders, the table remains open after sending to kitchen. The cashier can add more items later and send the updated ticket again.

0.6.3 Kitchen order status

Kitchen staff can manage the order from the kitchen screen. Depending on your setup, they may mark items or full orders as accepted, preparing, completed or cleared.

When a ticket is fully paid, the POS can update the kitchen paid status so staff can see that payment has been completed.

0.6.4 Ticket completion when Kitchen Screen is disabled

If Kitchen Screen is disabled, tickets can still be sold and paid from the POS. The merchant can choose how fully-paid tickets are handled from Admin / Management → Integrations & Features → POS Features.

1. Open Admin / Management → Integrations & Features.
2. Go to POS Features.
3. Turn Kitchen Screen off if the business is not using the kitchen display workflow.
4. Choose whether to enable Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets.

If Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets is enabled, the POS automatically completes and clears the ticket when the full amount has been paid. The ticket is removed from the current cart and from the open ticket list.

If the setting is disabled, fully-paid tickets stay visible as paid until staff press Complete manually. This is useful for merchants who do not use the Kitchen Screen but still want a manual complete workflow.

Part-paid tickets always stay open until the remaining balance has been paid.

0.7 Cash payments

Cash payment is used when the customer pays with physical cash.

1. Tap Cash.
2. The cash payment modal shows the amount due.
3. Enter the amount received from the customer.
4. The POS calculates the change.
5. Tap Confirm Payment.
6. The POS records the payment and opens the cash drawer if cash drawer is enabled.
7. The payment complete message appears when the process finishes.

Example:

Ticket total: £50.00
Cash received: £60.00
Paid amount: £50.00
Change: £10.00
Remaining due: £0.00
  

0.7.1 Cash drawer setting

To allow the cash drawer to open automatically:

1. Open Admin / Management → Integrations & Features.
2. Go to POS Features.
3. Enable Cash Drawer.
4. Make sure the receipt printer or drawer-connected printer is paired and connected.

If cash drawer is disabled, the cash sale can still complete, but the drawer will not be opened automatically.

0.7.2 Processing message during cash payment

When confirming a cash payment, the system may need time to save the payment, update the ticket, send paid status to kitchen, print or connect to the Bluetooth printer and open the drawer.

During this process, the POS should show a processing message such as:

Processing Cash Payment
Please wait while the payment is saved and the cash drawer opens.
  

Cashiers should wait until the processing message disappears before pressing other buttons.

0.8 Split payments

Split payments allow one ticket to be paid using more than one payment. This can be cash plus card, card plus card, or multiple cash/card payments from different customers.

Split payments do not need to be enabled separately in settings. Any ticket can become a split payment when the cashier enters an amount that is less than the remaining amount due.

Example:

Ticket total: £50.00

Payment 1:
Cash applied to bill: £20.00
Cash received: £20.00
Change due: £0.00
Remaining due: £30.00

Payment 2:
Card payment: £30.00
Remaining due: £0.00
Ticket fully paid
The ticket is cleared automatically or completed manually depending on POS Features settings.

0.8.1 How split payments work

1. Create or open a ticket.
2. Add all products to the cart.
3. Choose the first payment method, such as Cash or Card.
4. Enter the amount being paid with that method.
5. If the amount entered is less than the remaining due, the POS records it as a partial payment.
6. The ticket stays open and the remaining due is reduced.
7. A split payment confirmation appears after each partial payment.
8. Use Print Receipt in the split confirmation if that customer wants a receipt for their part-payment.
9. Tap OK to close the confirmation and continue taking the next payment.
10. Repeat until the remaining due reaches zero.
11. When the remaining due reaches zero, the ticket is fully paid.
12. What happens next depends on the workflow settings:
    • If Kitchen Screen is enabled, the ticket can remain open until the kitchen/order workflow is completed.
    • If Kitchen Screen is disabled and Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets is enabled, the ticket is cleared automatically.
    • If Kitchen Screen is disabled and Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets is disabled, the ticket stays visible as paid until staff press Complete.

0.8.2 Cash split payment rule

For cash split payments, the cashier enters two values:

• Amount to pay / apply to bill: the amount being paid off the ticket balance.
• Cash received: the physical cash handed over by the customer.

This allows the POS to record change due for each cash split transaction.

Ticket total: £40.00

Customer 1 wants to pay £15.00
Cash received from customer: £20.00

Amount applied to bill: £15.00
Change due: £5.00
Remaining due: £25.00

Customer 2 pays remaining £25.00 by card
Ticket fully paid
The ticket is cleared automatically or completed manually depending on POS Features settings.

The saved payment breakdown and receipt will show the cash amount applied, cash received, and change due for that specific payment.

Payments:
1. CASH              £15.00
   Received          £20.00
   Change             £5.00

2. CARD              £25.00

0.8.3 Cash validation rules

• The amount applied to the bill cannot be more than the remaining due.
• Cash received cannot be less than the amount applied to the bill.
• If cash received is more than the amount applied, the difference is shown as change due.
• The cash drawer opens only for cash payments and only if Cash Drawer is enabled in settings.

Remaining due: £30.00
Amount to pay: £30.00
Cash received: £50.00
Change: £20.00
Remaining due: £0.00
Ticket fully paid
The ticket is cleared automatically or completed manually depending on POS Features settings.

0.8.4 Card split payment rule

Card payments can be used for full or partial payment, but the card amount should not be more than the remaining due.

Remaining due: £30.00
Card amount: £20.00
Remaining due after payment: £10.00
Ticket stays open

Remaining due: £30.00
Card amount: £30.00
Remaining due after payment: £0.00
Ticket fully paid
The ticket is cleared automatically or completed manually depending on POS Features settings.

Remaining due: £30.00
Card amount: £40.00
Result: Not allowed

Card payments can be taken using the configured card method, such as manual card, Tap to Pay, or Stripe Terminal.

0.8.5 Split payment confirmation modal

After each partial split payment, the POS shows a split payment confirmation. This confirms what was paid, what remains due, and any cash change due for that specific transaction.

Example confirmation:

Split Payment Saved

Cash payment saved: £15.00
Remaining due: £25.00

Cash received: £20.00
Applied to bill: £15.00
Change due: £5.00

[Print Receipt] [OK]

• Tap Print Receipt if the customer paying this part wants their own receipt.
• Tap OK to close the confirmation and continue taking the remaining payment.
• The final fully-paid confirmation appears only when the full ticket has been paid. Clearing depends on the Kitchen Screen and Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets settings.

0.8.6 Receipts and saved orders

When a ticket is paid using split payments, the saved order and receipt show the payment method as Split Payment.

The receipt lists each payment line separately, including method, amount, and cash change details where relevant.

Payment: SPLIT PAYMENT

1. CASH              £15.00
   Received          £20.00
   Change             £5.00

2. MANUAL CARD       £25.00

Reprinted receipts from the Orders screen should show the same split payment breakdown as the original POS receipt.

0.8.7 Common split payment examples

Example 1:
Total: £40.00
Cash applied: £10.00
Cash received: £10.00
Card: £30.00
Fully paid

Example 2:
Total: £60.00
Card: £20.00
Card: £20.00
Cash applied: £20.00
Cash received: £20.00
Fully paid

Example 3:
Total: £40.00
Customer 1 cash applied: £15.00
Customer 1 cash received: £20.00
Customer 1 change: £5.00
Customer 2 card: £25.00
Fully paid

Example 4:
Total: £25.00
Cash applied: £25.00
Cash received: £30.00
Change: £5.00
Fully paid
The ticket is cleared automatically or completed manually depending on POS Features settings.

0.9 Card payments

Card payments can be handled in different ways depending on your configured reader mode.

The POS supports these reader modes:

• Tap to Pay
• Stripe Terminal
• Manual Card

0.9.1 Required card payment setup

1. Stripe must be connected for live card payments.
2. A Stripe location ID must be saved where required.
3. The correct reader mode must be selected in settings.
4. For Stripe Terminal, a compatible reader must be configured and available.
5. For Tap to Pay, the device must support Tap to Pay and the Stripe setup must be ready.

0.9.2 Taking a card payment

1. Create or open a ticket.
2. Add products to the cart.
3. Tap Card.
4. Enter the card amount if the payment is partial or split.
5. Confirm the card payment.
6. The POS uses the selected card reader mode.
7. When approved, the paid amount is recorded against the ticket.
8. If there is a remaining balance, the ticket stays open.
9. If remaining due becomes zero, the ticket is fully paid.
10. The ticket is cleared automatically or waits for manual completion depending on the Kitchen Screen and Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets settings.

0.10 Tap to Pay

Tap to Pay allows the device itself to accept contactless payments where supported.

0.10.1 What must be enabled

1. Stripe must be connected.
2. Reader mode must be set to Tap to Pay.
3. The device must support Tap to Pay.
4. Location and payment setup must be completed.

0.10.2 How to use Tap to Pay

1. Tap Card.
2. Confirm the amount.
3. Ask the customer to tap their card or contactless device on the payment device.
4. Wait for approval.
5. Do not close the screen while the card payment is processing.
6. When payment succeeds, the POS records the payment.

If the payment fails, the POS should show an error and the cashier can try again or choose another payment method.

0.11 Stripe Terminal payments

Stripe Terminal is used when a separate Stripe card reader is connected to the POS.

0.11.1 What must be enabled

1. Stripe must be connected.
2. Reader mode must be set to Stripe Terminal.
3. A Stripe location ID must be saved.
4. The Stripe reader must be powered on and connected to the correct network or available through the Stripe Terminal setup.

0.11.2 How to use Stripe Terminal

1. Tap Card.
2. Confirm the amount.
3. The POS discovers and connects to the reader if needed.
4. Ask the customer to present their card to the reader.
5. Wait for the payment to be authorised.
6. When successful, the POS records the payment and updates the ticket balance.

If the reader cannot connect, check internet/network connection, Stripe location, reader battery and reader mode settings.

0.12 Manual card payments

Manual card is used when the card payment is taken outside the app, such as on a separate card machine, and the cashier only needs to record it in the POS.

0.12.1 What must be enabled

1. Reader mode should be set to Manual Card.
2. The merchant should have an external card machine or another way to take card payment.

0.12.2 How to use manual card

1. Take payment on the external card machine first.
2. When the external machine says approved, tap Card in the POS.
3. Enter the amount paid by card.
4. Confirm the manual card payment.
5. The POS records the card payment against the ticket.

Manual card does not charge the customer through the POS. It only records that the payment was taken elsewhere.

0.13 Printing receipts

Receipts can show the sold items, quantities, modifiers, item notes, payment method, cash received and change.

1. Complete a cash or card payment.
2. When the payment succeeds, print the customer receipt if required.
3. Check that the printer is connected if printing fails.

For cash payments, the receipt can show:

Payment: CASH
Received: £20.00
Change: £5.00
  

For card payments, the receipt can show the card payment method or payment source.

0.14 Online orders

The POS can receive online orders if online ordering is enabled and the website integration is ready.

0.14.1 Required settings

1. Open Admin / Management → Integrations & Features.
2. Complete website setup.
3. Enable Online Orders.
4. Choose online order mode:
   • Collection only
   • Delivery only
   • Collection + Delivery
5. Sync the menu with the website.

0.14.2 Handling incoming online orders

1. When new online orders arrive, the incoming orders button or alert appears.
2. Open the online orders panel.
3. Review customer details, order type, notes and items.
4. Accept or process the order according to your workflow.
5. Send to kitchen if required.
6. Update the order status as it progresses.

0.15 Discounts

If discounts are enabled in your POS setup, the cashier can apply a discount to the ticket before taking payment.

1. Create or open a ticket.
2. Add products to the cart.
3. Apply the discount before payment.
4. Check the updated subtotal, tax and grand total.
5. Take payment based on the discounted total.

Discounts should be checked carefully before completing payment because they affect the final amount due.

0.16 Loyalty customers

If loyalty is enabled, customer details can be captured for loyalty or customer history.

1. Enable loyalty in the relevant settings area.
2. During a sale, add or select the customer where required.
3. Complete the order as normal.

Customer details are especially useful for collection and delivery orders.

0.17 Work period / shift handling

The POS can work with active work periods. A work period represents the current trading session or shift.

1. Make sure a work period is active before taking sales.
2. Sales are linked to the active work period where supported.
3. At the end of the shift or day, close the current work period and start a new one if required.

Work periods help organise sales reports by trading session.

0.18 Recommended daily POS workflow

1. Log in to the POS.
2. Check printer connection.
3. Check cash drawer if cash payments are used.
4. Check card reader mode if card payments are used.
5. Make sure the kitchen screen is enabled if kitchen orders are needed.
6. Open or confirm the active work period.
7. Start taking table, takeaway, collection or delivery tickets.
8. Send food orders to kitchen.
9. Take cash, card or split payments.
10. Print receipts where required.
11. Close completed tickets.
12. At the end of the day, review reports and close the work period.

0.19 Common cashier mistakes to avoid

• Do not add products before selecting a ticket type.
• Do not use ticket notes when the note only applies to one item. Use item notes instead.
• Do not complete payment until the full amount has been received.
• For split payments, always check the remaining due amount after each payment.
• For card payments, wait for the payment success message before closing the modal.
• For cash payments, wait until the processing message disappears before pressing other buttons.
• Make sure kitchen screen is enabled if kitchen staff rely on live orders.
• Make sure the correct reader mode is selected before taking card payments.

0.20 Troubleshooting

Menu is blocked

Select a table, takeaway, collection or delivery ticket first. The POS blocks the menu when no ticket is active.

Kitchen did not receive the order

• Check that Kitchen Screen is enabled in Integrations & Features.
• Check internet or local network connection if kitchen sync is online.
• Check that the order was actually sent to kitchen.

Cash drawer did not open

• Check that Cash Drawer is enabled in Integrations & Features.
• Check that the Bluetooth printer is connected.
• Check that the drawer cable is connected to the correct printer port.
• Try opening the drawer manually from the POS if a manual drawer button is available.

Card reader cannot connect

• Check the selected reader mode.
• Check Stripe setup and location ID.
• Check reader battery and network connection.
• Restart the reader and try again.

Fully paid ticket is still showing in the cart or open ticket list

Check the POS Features settings in Admin / Management → Integrations & Features.

• If Kitchen Screen is enabled, fully-paid tickets may stay open until the kitchen/order workflow is completed.
• If Kitchen Screen is disabled, enable Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets if you want fully-paid tickets to disappear automatically.
• Leave Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets disabled if staff should press Complete manually after payment.
• Partial payments always stay open until the full balance has been paid.

Product search bar is not showing

Open Admin / Management → Integrations & Features → POS Features and check that Product Search Bar is enabled. If it is disabled, the POS hides the search field and staff should use categories and product buttons instead.

Search keypad does not appear

Tap directly inside the product search field. The keypad appears when the search bar receives focus. If the Product Search Bar setting is disabled, the search field and keypad will not be available on the POS screen.

Payment was only partially taken

Check the remaining due amount. If the balance is still above zero, take another cash or card payment until the ticket is fully paid.

What this guide covers

This version is written for business owners and staff, not developers.

It explains the screens and workflows visible in the JoelsaPOS app files you shared.

Menu setup, staff setup, payments, printers, online orders, kitchen use, reports and backups are all included.

Quick Start Checklist

1. Before You Begin

• Use an Android tablet that will stay charged during service.
• Connect the device to a reliable internet connection, especially if you plan to take card payments or online orders.
• Turn Bluetooth on before pairing printers or other hardware.
• Prepare your menu information in advance: categories, items, prices, optional sizes, and any meal deals.
• Prepare your staff list and the PIN each staff member should use.
• Decide whether you will use Tap to Pay on the device itself or a separate Stripe Terminal card reader.

Recommended first setup order:
Payment settings → Card reader → Printers → Integrations / selling modes → Tables → Stock → Categories → Products → Menu → Staff → Test sale

2. Installing the App

1. Download the app from Play Store.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joelsa.joelsapos

3. Logging In for the First Time

Owner login or registration

1. On the login screen, choose Owner Login / Register.
2. If your business is new, tap Register Merchant.
3. Enter your business name, email address and password.
4. Check the country field if it has picked your country automatically before finishing registration.
5. After registration, the app takes you into the POS system as the business owner.
6. If your account already exists, simply enter the merchant email and password on the login screen.

Staff login

1. Staff do not use the owner email and password screen. The owner has to add staff and their PIN before staff can login.
2. They choose Staff Login and enter their PIN.
3. If the PIN is correct and the staff account is active, the app opens under that staff member name and role.

Important: The owner account should be created first. After that, create staff users from the Admin / Staff management area so team members can sign in with PINs.

4. POS Home Screen Overview

The POS home screen is the main sales screen used by staff to create tickets, select products, manage carts, and take payments. The screen includes left, middle, and right working areas. The right column is used for the cart.

• POS: This is the main POS sales screen.
• Orders: Available to managers and owners to review previous orders and refunds.
• Kitchen: Opens the kitchen display workflow.
• Online Orders: Website orders management panel. Accept or reject online orders here.
• Admin / Management: Available to managers and owners for business setup and configuration.
• Switch user / Logout: Used when changing staff members during a shift.

POS Screen UI Options

The POS screen supports two layout options. The selected layout is remembered, so after the first selection the POS will continue opening with the last selected UI option until it is changed again.

• UI Option 1: The standard layout. The left column shows the top menu row, category row, product area, and footer controls.
• UI Option 2: A larger category-card layout. Categories are shown as larger scrollable cards in the left area. When a category is selected, products are shown. If the selected parent category has subcategories, the subcategories appear as cards at the top and selecting a subcategory filters the relevant products.
• Menu Row button: In UI Option 2, the top menu row is hidden by default and can be opened using the ▼ Menu Row button. When the menu row is open, the button changes to ▲ Hide Menu Row.
• All Categories / Back: In UI Option 2, use the larger All Categories or back button to return from a selected category or subcategory to the full category-card view.
• Search Bar: The product search bar only appears when product search is enabled in settings. When enabled, the custom search keypad opens over the middle and right columns so it does not cover the filtered products. The keypad closes automatically when a product is selected or when the user taps Done.
• UI Option Selector: The footer row contains the UI option selector. Use it to switch between UI Option 1 and UI Option 2.

5. Admin / Management Area

• Stock Management
• Categories
• Products
• Menu Builder
• Staff Management
• Card Reader Setup
• Printers
• Payment Settings
• Tables
• Backup
• Reports
• Settings

Think of this area as your control room. Most of the initial setup happens here before your team starts serving customers.

6. Business Selling Modes and Integrations

The Integrations & Features screen controls how your business sells. These switches affect which order-type buttons appear on the POS screen, which online-order options are available, and how fully-paid tickets are cleared when Kitchen Screen is not used.

1. Open Admin / Management → Integrations & Features.
2. Review whether Delivery, Collection and Takeaway should be enabled for your business.
3. Go to POS Features to enable or disable features such as Kitchen Screen, Cash Drawer, Product Search Bar and ticket auto-completion.
4. Enable Product Search Bar if you want a search field on the POS screen, or disable it if staff should use category buttons only.
5. If the business does not use Kitchen Screen, choose whether Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets should be enabled.
6. Check the online orders section if your website and payment setup are ready.
7. Choose the online order mode: Collection only, Delivery only, or Both.
8. If your business has a website domain, save it on this screen so your online setup can be linked correctly.
9. Once that is saved you will receive an email with instructions on how to integrate online orders.
10. If needed, resend the installation email from the same screen.

If you need help or need a new website, please contact support: joelsapos@joelsapos.com

7. Table Setup for Eat-In Service

1. Open Admin / Management → Tables.
2. Enable tables if your cafe or restaurant offers table service.
3. Tap Add and enter a table name such as Table 1, Garden 2 or Window 4.
4. Enter the number of seats for that table.
5. Repeat until every table has been added.
6. Edit or remove tables whenever your floor plan changes.

• If tables are disabled, staff will not assign eat-in orders to tables.
• If you are takeaway-only, you can leave this feature turned off.

8. Stock Setup (optional)

1. Open Admin / Management → Stock Management.
2. Add the raw items you buy or count, such as chicken, rice, chips, oil, coffee beans, milk or cans.
3. For each stock item, enter the unit you use, such as kg, g, pcs, ml or L.
4. Enter the starting quantity.
5. Add the cost per unit if you want better reporting and stock control.
6. Use the search box to find and update stock items later.

Stock items become especially useful when you link them to products as ingredients or recipes.

9. Categories Setup

Categories control how products are organised and displayed on the POS selling screen. You can create parent categories, child categories, and shared child categories based on how your business works.

1. Open Admin / Management → Categories.
2. Create the main parent categories you want to show on the selling screen, such as Food, Drinks, Deals, Breakfast, Desserts, Specials or Takeaway.
3. Create child categories where needed, such as Burgers, Kebabs, Wraps, Cans, Bottles, Hot Drinks or Sides.
4. If a child category should appear under more than one parent category, use Display under categories to select all parent categories where it should be shown.
5. Use sort order if you want categories to appear in a specific left-to-right order on the POS screen.
6. Disable categories you no longer use instead of deleting them immediately. This helps protect old reports and sales history.

The system no longer requires fixed system categories such as Meals or Offers. Merchants can create categories freely. A product can be made into a meal or bundle from the product setup screen, regardless of which category it belongs to.

9.1 Parent categories, child categories and shared child categories

A parent category is a main section on the POS selling screen. A child category is a smaller group shown under a parent category. A shared child category is one real category that can be displayed under multiple parent categories.

For example, you may want one Drinks category to appear under Food, Deals, Breakfast and Desserts. In this case, you should create Drinks once, add drink products to it once, and then choose which parent categories it should display under.

Real Category:
  Drinks

Products assigned to Drinks:
  - Coke
  - Pepsi
  - Water
  - Orange Juice

Display Drinks under:
  - Food
  - Deals
  - Breakfast
  - Desserts

This means the same Drinks category can appear in several places on the POS screen, but the products only need to be managed once. You should not create separate categories such as “Food Drinks”, “Deals Drinks” and “Dessert Drinks” unless you really want them to have different products.

9.2 Example category structure

Parent Category: Food
  - Burgers
  - Kebabs
  - Wraps
  - Pizzas
  - Drinks

Parent Category: Deals
  - Lunch Deals
  - Family Deals
  - Student Offers
  - Drinks

Parent Category: Desserts
  - Cakes
  - Ice Cream
  - Drinks

In this example, Drinks can be the same shared category displayed under Food, Deals and Desserts. Products such as Coke, Pepsi and Water are added to Drinks once, and they become available wherever Drinks is displayed.

9.3 How parent and child categories display on the selling screen

Parent categories and child categories are displayed separately on the POS selling screen. When a parent category is selected, the POS shows only the products assigned directly to that parent category. Products assigned to child categories are not shown until that child category is selected.

This helps keep the selling screen organised and prevents products from child categories being mixed into the main parent category view.

Example:

Parent Category: Food
  Products directly under Food:
  - Special Box
  - Mixed Grill

Child Category: Burgers
  Products under Burgers:
  - Beef Burger
  - Chicken Burger
  - Veggie Burger

Shared Child Category: Drinks
  Products under Drinks:
  - Coke
  - Pepsi
  - Water

If staff select Food, they will only see:

- Special Box
- Mixed Grill

If staff select Burgers, they will only see:

- Beef Burger
- Chicken Burger
- Veggie Burger

If staff select Drinks, they will see the products assigned to the shared Drinks category:

- Coke
- Pepsi
- Water

If Drinks is also displayed under Deals or Desserts, selecting Drinks from those sections will show the same Drinks products.

9.4 Assigning products to categories

When adding or editing a product, select the real category the product belongs to. If a category is displayed under multiple parent categories, it will still appear only once in the product category selector.

Example:

Product: Coke
Category: Drinks

Product: Pepsi
Category: Drinks

Product: Beef Burger
Category: Burgers

You do not need to add Coke separately under Food, Deals and Desserts. Add it once to Drinks, then display Drinks under the parent categories where you want it to appear.

9.5 When to use parent categories and child categories

Use a parent category when you want a main button on the selling screen. Use child categories when you want to split that parent category into smaller groups. Use shared child categories when the same group of products should appear under more than one parent.

• Use parent categories for main sections such as Food, Deals, Desserts, Breakfast, Takeaway or Specials.
• Use child categories when a parent category has too many products and needs to be organised into smaller groups.
• Use shared child categories for groups such as Drinks, Sides or Sauces if they should be available in several parent sections.
• Products can be added directly to a parent category if they should appear immediately when the parent category is selected.
• Products can be added to a child category if they should only appear after selecting that child category.

Example setup for a takeaway:

Parent Category: Food
  Products directly under Food:
  - Special Box
  - Mixed Grill

  Child Category: Burgers
    - Beef Burger
    - Chicken Burger
    - Veggie Burger

  Child Category: Kebabs
    - Doner Kebab
    - Chicken Kebab
    - Mixed Kebab

  Shared Child Category: Drinks
    - Coke
    - Pepsi
    - Water

Parent Category: Deals
  Child Category: Lunch Deals
  Child Category: Family Deals
  Shared Child Category: Drinks

In this example, Special Box and Mixed Grill appear when staff select Food. Burgers and kebabs stay inside their own child categories. Drinks appears under both Food and Deals, but the drink products are only added to the Drinks category once.

10. Product Setup

Products are the items your team will sell from the POS screen. This includes normal products, products with sizes, products with customer choices, linked-product modifiers, and modern meal or bundle products such as regular meals, large meals, lunch deals, family deals and upsells.

10.1 Choosing the correct parent, child or shared category

When adding or editing a product, choose the real category where the product belongs. Parent and child categories behave differently on the POS selling screen.

• If the product is assigned to a parent category, it appears when that parent category is selected.
• If the product is assigned to a child category, it appears only when that child category is selected.
• Products inside child categories do not automatically appear inside the parent category.
• If a child category is displayed under multiple parent categories, products still only need to be assigned to that real child category once.

For example, if Drinks is displayed under Food, Deals and Desserts, you only add Coke, Pepsi and Water to the real Drinks category once.

Parent Category: Food
  ↳ Burgers
  ↳ Kebabs
  ↳ Drinks

Parent Category: Deals
  ↳ Meal Deals
  ↳ Family Deals
  ↳ Drinks

Real Category:
  Drinks

Products assigned to Drinks:
  - Coke
  - Pepsi
  - Water

This keeps product setup simple. You should not create separate categories such as “Food Drinks” and “Deals Drinks” unless you want them to contain different products.

10.2 Single-price products

1. Choose Single price for standard items sold at one fixed price.
2. Use this for items such as cans of drink, desserts, sauces, dips or simple products.
3. Enter the selling price.
4. Enter tax percentage if you use it.
5. Save the product.

Product: Coca-Cola Can
Category: Drinks
Pricing: Single price
Price: £1.50

10.3 Variant pricing

Variants are used when the same product has more than one size, price or version. Variants are also used for meal sizes, such as Regular, Large, Kids or Family.

1. Choose Variants if the product has more than one option, such as Small, Regular and Large.
2. Save the main product first.
3. Add each variant with its own name, price and optional tax rate.
4. Use sort order if you want variants to appear in a specific order.
5. Save the variants.

Product: Chips
Category: Sides
Pricing: Variants

Variants:
- Small Chips - £2.00
- Regular Chips - £3.00
- Large Chips - £4.00

For meal products, variants normally represent the meal size.

Product: Wrap Meal
Category: Meal Deals
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Variants

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £7.99
- Large - £9.49

10.4 Making any product a meal or bundle

A meal is simply a product that has been marked as a meal. It can be placed in any category: Burgers, Deals, Lunch Menu, Offers, Family Deals, Kids Meals or any other category created by the merchant.

1. Open Admin / Management → Products.
2. Create or edit a product.
3. Enable Make this product a meal.
4. Choose Single price for one fixed meal price, or Variants for meal sizes such as Regular and Large.
5. Add fixed included products in the Meal Items area if the meal includes specific products.
6. Add Product Choices / Modifiers if staff need to select customer choices such as main item, sauce, drink flavour, extras or upgrades.
7. Save the product.

A meal product can be saved even if you do not select any included meal items. This is useful when the meal is sold as a named product, or when the kitchen already understands the contents from the product name.

10.4.1 Meal items

Meal items are the products included inside the meal or bundle. These are normally existing products already created in the system, such as chips, drink, side, dessert or a fixed main item.

1. Save the meal product first.
2. Open the Meal Items area.
3. Select the products that belong inside the meal.
4. Choose the product variant where needed, such as Regular Chips or Large Chips.
5. Choose which meal size the item applies to, such as All sizes, Regular or Large.
6. Set the quantity for each included product.
7. Save the meal items.

Use All sizes for items that are always included, and use a specific meal size when Regular and Large meals should contain different items.

Meal Product: Wrap Meal

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £7.99
- Large - £9.49

Meal Items:
- Chicken Wrap x 1       Applies to: All sizes
- Chips / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Drink / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Chips / Large x 1      Applies to: Large
- Drink / Large x 1      Applies to: Large

In this example, both meal sizes include the wrap. The Regular meal receives regular chips and regular drink. The Large meal receives large chips and large drink.

10.4.2 Meal product with no selected meal items

You can also create a meal without linking existing products.

Product: Family Special Box
Category: Family Deals
Make this product a meal: Yes
Price: £24.99

Meal Items:
None selected

This is allowed. The product still behaves as a meal and can have its own modifiers, but it does not need to be built from other products.

10.4.3 Important rule: child product choices inside meals

When a product is included as a meal item, the POS sells the main meal product. The included child products are used to describe what is included, and can help the kitchen understand the meal. The child product's own modifiers are not automatically opened inside the meal.

Customer choices should normally be added to the main meal product as modifier groups. For example, if a Burger Meal needs sauce, salad and extras, add Sauce, Salad and Extras modifiers directly to the Burger Meal.

10.5 Modifier Library / Customer Choices

Modifiers allow staff to capture customer preferences when ordering. These are used for sauces, salad, toppings, extras, preparation choices, cooking instructions, drink choices, meal choices, upgrades and upsells.

The recommended way to manage modifiers is to use the Modifier Library. The Modifier Library lets you create a reusable base modifier once, then apply it to multiple products.

10.5.1 What the Modifier Library is used for

The Modifier Library stores reusable modifier groups. A modifier group is the heading shown to the cashier, and the options are the choices inside that group.

Modifier Group: Sauce
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Chilli
- Garlic Mayo
- Burger Sauce
- BBQ
- No Sauce

Once this modifier exists in the library, it can be added to many products such as Doner Kebab, Chicken Kebab, Chicken Wrap, Burger Meal, Wrap Meal and Kebab Meal.

10.5.2 Modifier option types

Modifier options can be created in different ways depending on how the option should behave.

• Custom option: A simple text choice, such as Chilli, BBQ, No Salad or Well Done.
• Existing product option: A choice linked to an existing product, such as Chicken Wrap, Lamb Wrap, Coke, Milkshake, Wings or Cookie.
• Raw stock option: A choice linked to a stock item or ingredient, such as Cheese Slice, Extra Meat or Sauce Portion.

Existing product options are useful for modern meal deals because the modifier choice can represent a real product already created in the system.

Modifier Group: Choose Wrap
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Chicken Wrap         Linked product: Chicken Wrap
- Lamb Wrap +£1.00     Linked product: Lamb Wrap
- Veg Wrap             Linked product: Veg Wrap

10.5.3 Creating a modifier in the Modifier Library

1. Open Admin / Management → Products.
2. Tap Add/Edit Modifiers.
3. Create a new modifier group, such as Salad, Sauce, Extras, Choose Main or Drink Choice.
4. Choose whether the group is Single choice or Multiple choice.
5. Choose whether the group is required.
6. Set Free selections before charging if needed.
7. Add the options inside the group.
8. For each option, choose whether it is custom, linked to an existing product, or linked to raw stock.
9. Add prices to options if they cost extra.
10. Save the modifier.

10.5.4 Adding a library modifier to a product

1. Open Admin / Management → Products.
2. Create or edit the product.
3. Save the product first if it is new.
4. Open the Product Choices / Modifiers area.
5. Tap Select From Modifier Library or Use Existing Modifier.
6. Choose the modifier group you want to add, such as Salad, Sauce, Choose Wrap, Drink Choice or Extras.
7. The modifier is copied/linked to the product and will appear when that product is sold on the POS screen.

10.5.5 Modifier group settings

• Single choice: The cashier can select only one option from the group.
• Multiple choice: The cashier can select more than one option from the group.
• Required: The cashier must choose from this group before adding the product to the cart.
• Free selections before charging: Controls how many selected options are free before extra charges apply.
• Option price: Adds an extra charge when the option is selected.
• Exclusive option: Used for options such as No Sauce or No Salad, where choosing that option should clear other choices in the same group.

10.5.6 Free selections before charging

Some businesses allow the first one or more selections to be free, then charge for additional selections. This is controlled by Free selections before charging.

Modifier Group: Salad
Type: Multiple choice
Free selections before charging: 1

Options:
- Lettuce +£0.50
- Onion +£0.50
- Tomato +£0.50
- Cucumber +£0.50

Customer selects:
- Lettuce
- Onion
- Tomato

Calculation:
- Lettuce = Free
- Onion = +£0.50
- Tomato = +£0.50

10.5.7 Editing, duplicating and one-off modifiers

If a modifier is managed from the Modifier Library, changes can be made once and reused across products. Duplicate a modifier when you need a similar modifier but do not want changes to affect the original. Create a one-off product modifier only when the choice belongs to one product only.

10.6 Recommended modern meal setup method

The recommended structure for modern meal deals is:

• Meal variants = meal size, such as Regular, Large, Kids or Family.
• Meal items = fixed included products, such as chips, drink, side or dessert.
• Modifier groups = customer choices, such as choose main, choose sauce, choose drink flavour, toppings, extras and upsells.
• Linked product modifier options = choices that represent existing products, such as Chicken Wrap, Coke, Milkshake, Wings or Cookie.

This avoids creating hundreds of separate products and keeps the POS fast for staff.

10.7 Meal creation tutorials

10.7.1 Fixed regular/large wrap meal

Use this when the main item is fixed, and only chips and drink change between Regular and Large.

Product:
Wrap Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Variants

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £7.99
- Large - £9.49

Meal Items:
- Chicken Wrap x 1       Applies to: All sizes
- Chips / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Drink / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Chips / Large x 1      Applies to: Large
- Drink / Large x 1      Applies to: Large

Optional Modifiers:
- Sauce
- Salad
- Extras

10.7.2 Choose-your-wrap meal

Use this when the meal price is mostly fixed, but the customer can choose which wrap is included.

Product:
Any Wrap Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Variants

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £7.99
- Large - £9.49

Meal Items:
- Chips / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Drink / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Chips / Large x 1      Applies to: Large
- Drink / Large x 1      Applies to: Large

Modifier Group:
Choose Wrap
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Chicken Wrap
- Lamb Wrap +£1.00
- Veg Wrap
- Doner Wrap +£1.50

Other Modifier Groups:
- Sauce
- Salad
- Extras

10.7.3 Burger meal with toppings and extras

Product:
Burger Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Variants

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £8.99
- Large - £10.49

Meal Items:
- Fries / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Drink / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Fries / Large x 1      Applies to: Large
- Drink / Large x 1      Applies to: Large

Modifier Group:
Choose Burger
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Beef Burger
- Chicken Burger
- Veg Burger
- Double Burger +£2.00

Modifier Group:
Sauce
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- Burger Sauce
- Mayo
- Chilli
- BBQ
- No Sauce

Modifier Group:
Extras
Type: Multiple choice
Required: No

Options:
- Cheese +£0.50
- Bacon +£1.00
- Egg +£0.80
- Extra Patty +£1.50

10.7.4 Kebab meal with salad and sauce

Product:
Kebab Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Variants

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £8.99
- Large - £10.99

Meal Items:
- Chips / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Drink / Regular x 1    Applies to: Regular
- Chips / Large x 1      Applies to: Large
- Drink / Large x 1      Applies to: Large

Modifier Group:
Choose Kebab
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Doner Kebab
- Chicken Kebab +£1.00
- Mixed Kebab +£1.50

Modifier Groups:
- Salad
- Sauce
- Extras

10.7.5 Pizza meal deal

Product:
Pizza Meal Deal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Variants

Meal Variants:
- Regular - £11.99
- Large - £14.99
- Family - £22.99

Meal Items:
- Can Drink x 1          Applies to: Regular
- Large Drink x 1        Applies to: Large
- Bottle Drink x 1       Applies to: Family

Modifier Group:
Choose Pizza
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Margherita
- Pepperoni +£1.00
- Chicken Supreme +£1.50
- Meat Feast +£2.00

Modifier Group:
Choose Side
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- Garlic Bread
- Chips
- Wings +£1.50
- Mozzarella Sticks +£1.50

Modifier Group:
Choose Dip
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- Garlic
- Chilli
- BBQ
- No Dip

10.7.6 Lunch deal: any main + side + drink

Use this for flexible deals where the customer chooses from different product types.

Product:
Lunch Meal Deal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Single price or Variants

Example Price:
Regular - £8.99
Large - £10.49

Modifier Group:
Choose Main
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Chicken Wrap
- Lamb Wrap +£1.00
- Beef Burger
- Veg Burger
- Doner Kebab +£1.50

Modifier Group:
Choose Side
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Chips
- Rice
- Salad
- Onion Rings +£1.00

Modifier Group:
Choose Drink
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Coke
- Fanta
- Water
- Bottle Drink +£0.80
- Milkshake +£2.00

10.7.7 Kids meal

Product:
Kids Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Single price

Price:
£5.99

Meal Items:
- Kids Chips x 1         Applies to: All sizes

Modifier Group:
Choose Main
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Kids Burger
- Nuggets
- Fish Fingers
- Kids Wrap

Modifier Group:
Choose Drink
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Fruit Shoot
- Water
- Juice

Modifier Group:
Choose Treat
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- Cookie
- Ice Cream
- Lollipop

10.7.8 Family meal

Product:
Family Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Single price or Variants

Example Price:
£24.99

Meal Items:
- Large Chips x 2        Applies to: All sizes
- Bottle Drink x 1       Applies to: All sizes

Modifier Group:
Choose Mains
Type: Multiple choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Chicken Burger
- Beef Burger
- Chicken Wrap
- Lamb Wrap
- Pizza
- Kebab

Modifier Group:
Choose Sides
Type: Multiple choice
Required: No

Options:
- Garlic Bread
- Wings +£2.00
- Onion Rings +£1.50
- Extra Chips +£2.00

Note: if the business needs exact rules such as “choose exactly 2 mains”, this requires a future minimum/maximum selection setting. For now, use the group name and staff training to guide selection.

10.7.9 Party box / sharing box

Product:
Party Box

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Single price

Price:
£29.99

Meal Items:
- Wings x 10
- Nuggets x 10
- Large Chips x 2
- Bottle Drink x 1

Modifier Group:
Choose Dips
Type: Multiple choice
Required: No
Free selections before charging: 2

Options:
- Garlic Dip +£0.50
- Chilli Dip +£0.50
- BBQ Dip +£0.50
- Mayo Dip +£0.50

10.7.10 Breakfast meal

Product:
Breakfast Meal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Single price or Variants

Meal Items:
- Hash Brown x 1
- Hot Drink x 1

Modifier Group:
Choose Main
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Bacon Roll
- Sausage Roll
- Egg Muffin
- Veg Breakfast Muffin

Modifier Group:
Choose Hot Drink
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Tea
- Americano
- Latte +£0.50
- Cappuccino +£0.50

10.7.11 Dessert or snack add-on meal

Product:
Sweet Treat Deal

Settings:
Make this product a meal: Yes
Pricing: Single price

Price:
£4.99

Modifier Group:
Choose Dessert
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Cookie
- Brownie
- Cake Slice +£1.00

Modifier Group:
Choose Drink
Type: Single choice
Required: Yes

Options:
- Tea
- Coffee
- Can Drink
- Milkshake +£2.00

10.7.12 Make-it-a-meal upsell on a normal product

You can add upsells to a normal product using modifier groups.

Product:
Chicken Wrap

Make this product a meal:
No

Modifier Group:
Make it a meal?
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- No thanks
- Add regular chips and drink +£2.50
- Add large chips and drink +£3.50

This works as a fast upsell and price addition. If you need it to automatically add separate chips and drink meal items, that would require a future “modifier option triggers meal items” feature.

10.7.13 Premium drink upgrade

Product:
Burger Meal

Modifier Group:
Drink Upgrade
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- Keep included drink
- Bottle Drink +£0.80
- Milkshake +£2.00
- Energy Drink +£1.50

10.7.14 Free topping allowance

Product:
Pizza Meal Deal

Modifier Group:
Toppings
Type: Multiple choice
Required: No
Free selections before charging: 3

Options:
- Mushroom +£0.50
- Onion +£0.50
- Sweetcorn +£0.50
- Chicken +£1.00
- Pepperoni +£1.00

POS behaviour:
- First 3 selected toppings are free.
- Extra toppings are charged using their option price.

10.8 Normal product with modifiers

Not every product needs to be a meal. Normal products can also have modifiers.

Product: Beef Burger
Category: Burgers
Make this product a meal: No
Price: £5.99

Apply Library Modifier:
  Sauce

Apply Library Modifier:
  Extras

Sauce modifier:
Type: Single choice
Required: No

Options:
- Burger Sauce
- Mayo
- BBQ
- No Sauce

Extras modifier:
Type: Multiple choice
Required: No

Options:
- Cheese +£0.50
- Bacon +£1.00
- Egg +£0.80

When staff sell this product, the POS will ask only the modifier choices set on this product.

10.9 Ingredients / recipe links

Ingredients and recipe links are used for stock control. They allow the system to reduce stock when a product is sold.

1. After saving a normal product, open the Ingredients / Recipe section.
2. Choose the stock item used in that product.
3. Enter the quantity used per product or per variant.
4. Repeat for all main ingredients.
5. Save the recipe links.

For meal products, ingredients are normally not required on the main meal product, because the meal can be made from included products and linked modifier options. However, a merchant may still create a meal product without selected meal items if they prefer to manage it manually.

Latte:
- Coffee beans
- Milk

Kebab:
- Meat
- Bread
- Salad

Large Chips:
- Potato stock
- Oil usage if tracked

Burger Meal:
- Usually built from Burger, Chips and Drink as meal items and modifier choices

10.10 Recommended setup rules

• Assign products directly to a parent category only if they should appear when the parent category is selected.
• Assign products to a child category if they should only appear inside that child category.
• Child category products do not automatically show under the parent category on the selling screen.
• Use shared child categories when the same category, such as Drinks, should appear under multiple parent categories.
• Use variants for product sizes and meal sizes.
• Use meal items for fixed included products such as chips, drink, dessert or side.
• Use meal-size-specific meal items when Regular and Large meals include different item sizes.
• Use modifier groups for choices, sauces, salad, toppings, extras, drink selection, upgrades and upsells.
• Use linked product modifier options when the choice should represent an existing product.
• Use the Modifier Library for common modifiers used by more than one product.
• Use one-off product modifiers only for choices that belong to one product only.
• Duplicate a modifier when you need a similar modifier but do not want changes to affect the original.
• Use clear names such as Choose Wrap, Choose Drink, Regular Meal and Large Meal so staff can work quickly during busy service.

11. Menu Builder

1. Open Admin / Management → Menu Builder.
2. Create a menu name if you want to organise the products that appear for sale.
3. Select the menu you want to edit.
4. Tap Manage Products.
5. Move available products into the active menu.
6. Remove products from the menu if they should not currently be sold.
7. Activate the menu you want the team to use.

This is useful if you run different menus, such as breakfast, lunch, seasonal or event menus.

12. Payment Setup

JoelsaPOS supports different card payment setups depending on how you want to take payments. You can use Tap to Pay, a standalone card machine, or a Stripe integrated card reader.

For fully integrated card-present payments, JoelsaPOS uses Stripe Terminal. This allows JoelsaPOS to send the order total directly to a connected Stripe card reader.

JoelsaPOS runs on a separate POS tablet or phone. The Stripe card reader is used only to collect the card payment. You do not need a card terminal that installs the JoelsaPOS app inside the reader.

12.1 Payment Settings and Stripe Onboarding

Before using Stripe integrated card payments, you must complete Stripe onboarding and business verification.

1. Open Admin / Management → Payment Settings.
2. Check the Stripe status shown on the screen.
3. If onboarding has not been completed, start the Stripe onboarding process and follow each step carefully.
4. You must either use an existing Stripe account or create a new Stripe account during onboarding.
5. If you already have a Stripe account, use the email address linked to that Stripe account during onboarding, even if it is different from your JoelsaPOS merchant email.
6. Alternatively, you can create a new Stripe account using your JoelsaPOS merchant email.
7. Complete all identity, bank, and business verification steps required by Stripe.
8. Stripe Terminal must be available for your Stripe account country before card readers can be ordered, registered, or connected.
9. When prompted, register a Stripe Terminal location for your restaurant or branch.
10. Save the location. This is required for Stripe card reader features.
11. Return to Payment Settings and confirm the system shows Ready.

• If Stripe onboarding is incomplete, integrated card payments will not work.
• If business verification is incomplete, Stripe may restrict payment processing or reader ordering.
• If no Terminal location is saved, JoelsaPOS may not be able to discover or connect the card reader.

12.2 Stripe Terminal Location

A Stripe Terminal location represents the physical restaurant, shop, or branch where the card reader will be used. JoelsaPOS uses this location to discover and connect Stripe card readers.

• If you have one restaurant, create one Terminal location.
• If you have multiple restaurants or branches, create one Terminal location per branch.
• Each card reader should be assigned to the correct Terminal location inside Stripe Dashboard.
• The same Terminal location must be registered in JoelsaPOS before taking integrated card payments.

12.3 Choosing a Card Payment Setup

Open Admin / Management → Card Reader Setup to choose your payment setup.

12.4 Option 1: Tap to Pay

Tap to Pay allows you to use a compatible phone as the card reader.

This option is useful when you do not want to purchase a separate card terminal. The customer can tap a contactless card, phone, or wallet on the compatible device.

1. Complete Stripe onboarding from Payment Settings.
2. Make sure Tap to Pay is supported for your country, Stripe account, and device.
3. Open Admin / Management → Card Reader Setup.
4. Select Tap to Pay.
5. Download the JoelsaPOS Card Reader app if required:

Download Tap-to-Pay App

6. Open the app on the compatible Android device.
7. Log in using the POS owner or merchant account.
8. When processing a sale in JoelsaPOS, select Card Payment.
9. The payment amount will appear on the Tap to Pay device.
10. Ask the customer to tap their card, phone, or wallet.
11. Wait for JoelsaPOS to confirm the payment before completing the order.

• No separate card reader hardware required.
• Fast setup where supported.
• Good for mobile ordering, table service, cafés, takeaways, and small counters.

Note: Tap to Pay availability depends on Stripe, country, account eligibility, and device compatibility.

12.5 Option 2: Standalone Card Machine

Use this option if you want to keep your existing card machine or payment provider.

This option works with bank terminals, SumUp, Zettle, Square, or any other external card machine. The payment is not integrated with Stripe Terminal. JoelsaPOS simply records that the order was paid by card.

1. Open Admin / Management → Card Reader Setup.
2. Select Standalone Card Machine or Manual Card Machine.
3. During checkout, select card/manual card payment in JoelsaPOS.
4. Enter the payment amount manually on the external card machine.
5. Once the payment is approved on the external terminal, confirm the payment inside JoelsaPOS.

• Works with almost any card provider.
• No Stripe Terminal integration required.
• No Stripe Terminal processing fees for that transaction.
• Useful if you already have a card processor contract.
• JoelsaPOS still records the sale for reporting.

Important: In standalone mode, JoelsaPOS does not control the card payment. The external card machine provider is responsible for payment approval, settlement, refunds, offline mode, and transaction fees.

12.6 Option 3: Stripe Integrated Reader

Use this option for fully integrated card-present payments through Stripe Terminal.

With Stripe Integrated Reader mode, JoelsaPOS sends the order total to the Stripe card reader. The customer taps, inserts, or swipes their card on the reader, and JoelsaPOS waits for payment confirmation before completing the order.

Before purchasing or connecting a reader

• Complete Stripe onboarding from Admin / Management → Payment Settings.
• Complete Stripe business verification.
• Make sure Stripe Terminal is available for your Stripe account country.
• Register a Stripe Terminal location for your restaurant or branch.
• Purchase the card terminal from inside your Stripe Dashboard after the location has been registered.
• Assign the purchased reader to the registered Terminal location inside Stripe Dashboard.
• Select the matching reader connection type in JoelsaPOS.

Where to purchase the Stripe card reader

1. Log in to your Stripe Dashboard.
2. Go to Terminal → Hardware.
3. View the card terminals available for your Stripe account country.
4. Purchase the terminal from inside Stripe Dashboard.
5. After the reader arrives, confirm that it is assigned to the correct Terminal location.

Reader availability depends on your Stripe account country, Stripe onboarding status, and Stripe Terminal availability. Do not rely on a fixed reader list, because Stripe may offer different devices in different countries.

12.7 Smart / Internet Reader vs Portable / Bluetooth Reader

When using Stripe Integrated Reader, choose the connection type that matches your reader.

Smart / Internet Reader

Choose this for countertop or smart Stripe readers that connect by Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or local network. This is usually best for a fixed till, counter, or busy restaurant setup.

• Best for fixed counter use.
• Reader connects through Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or local network.
• Useful for high-volume restaurant counters.
• The POS tablet or phone must also have internet access.
• The reader must be assigned to the correct Stripe Terminal location.

Portable / Bluetooth Reader

Choose this for small mobile Stripe readers that connect to the POS tablet or phone by Bluetooth. This is usually best for table service, queue payments, or portable use.

• Best for mobile or table service payments.
• Reader connects to the POS tablet or phone by Bluetooth.
• The reader should stay close to the POS device.
• Bluetooth and location permissions may be required on the POS device.
• The reader should normally be discovered and connected from inside JoelsaPOS.

Important: Do not manually pair Bluetooth readers from the phone or tablet Bluetooth settings unless Stripe specifically instructs you to do so. For Stripe Terminal, the reader should normally be discovered and connected from inside JoelsaPOS.

If you already purchased a reader

• If the reader connects by Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or network, select Smart / Internet Reader.
• If the reader connects to the POS tablet or phone by Bluetooth, select Portable / Bluetooth Reader.
• Make sure the reader is assigned to the correct Stripe Terminal location before taking payments.

12.8 When the Stripe Reader Arrives

1. Charge the reader fully before first use.
2. Power on the reader.
3. Follow the setup instructions shown on the reader screen or in Stripe Dashboard.
4. Confirm that Stripe onboarding and business verification are complete.
5. Confirm that a Stripe Terminal location has been registered for this restaurant or branch.
6. In Stripe Dashboard, confirm that the reader is assigned to the same Terminal location used by JoelsaPOS.
7. Open JoelsaPOS on the restaurant POS tablet or phone.
8. Go to Admin / Management → Card Reader Setup.
9. Select Stripe Integrated Reader.
10. Choose Smart / Internet Reader or Portable / Bluetooth Reader based on how the reader connects.
11. Save the setting.

For Smart / Internet Readers, make sure the reader is connected to Wi-Fi or Ethernet. For Portable / Bluetooth Readers, keep the reader close to the POS tablet or phone and allow Bluetooth/location permissions if requested.

12.9 Taking a Card Payment in JoelsaPOS

1. Go to the Sales or Checkout screen.
2. Tap Connect Reader.
3. JoelsaPOS will search for Stripe readers linked to the registered Terminal location.
4. Select the reader when it appears.
5. Wait until JoelsaPOS shows that the reader is connected.
6. Create or open the customer order.
7. Choose Card Payment at checkout.
8. JoelsaPOS sends the order total to the connected Stripe reader.
9. Ask the customer to tap, insert, or swipe their card on the reader.
10. Wait for JoelsaPOS to confirm the payment.
11. Complete the order only after payment confirmation is shown.

Important: Do not manually complete the order until JoelsaPOS confirms the card payment. If the reader disconnects or the payment fails, retry the payment or choose another payment method.

12.10 If the Reader Does Not Appear in JoelsaPOS

• Check that Stripe onboarding is complete from JoelsaPOS Payment Settings.
• Check that Stripe business verification is complete.
• Check that Stripe Terminal is available for the Stripe account country.
• Check that the reader is assigned to the correct Stripe Terminal location in Stripe Dashboard.
• Check that the same Terminal location is registered in JoelsaPOS.
• For Smart / Internet Readers, check Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or local network connection.
• For Portable / Bluetooth Readers, keep the reader close to the POS tablet or phone.
• For Portable / Bluetooth Readers, make sure Bluetooth and location permissions are allowed on the POS device.
• Restart the reader.
• Tap Connect Reader again in JoelsaPOS.

12.11 Offline Card Processing

JoelsaPOS can continue taking restaurant orders if the internet connection is temporarily unavailable. Offline card processing is different. It depends on Stripe Terminal, the reader, the Terminal location, your country, and Stripe configuration.

Before enabling offline card payments

• Stripe onboarding must be complete.
• Stripe business verification must be complete.
• A Stripe Terminal location must be registered.
• The reader must be assigned to the correct Terminal location.
• Your Stripe account country must support Stripe Terminal.
• The selected reader and location must support offline processing.
• Offline mode may need to be enabled or configured in Stripe.
• You must understand and accept the payment risk.

How offline card payments work

If the internet is temporarily unavailable, an eligible Stripe Terminal reader can collect card payment details and submit the payment to Stripe when the connection returns. JoelsaPOS may continue taking restaurant orders, but the card payment is not fully confirmed until it is later forwarded and processed by Stripe.

Merchant risk

Offline card payments can be declined later. If the card is declined after the customer has left, you may not receive the funds. Use offline card processing only if the restaurant accepts this risk.

• Reconnect the reader to the internet as soon as possible.
• Follow Stripe’s recommended offline limits and rules.
• Avoid offline card payments for high-risk or unusually large transactions.
• Check Stripe Dashboard after reconnection to confirm offline payments have been forwarded and processed.

Standalone card machine note: If you use an external standalone card machine, offline card processing is controlled by that provider, not JoelsaPOS. In manual card mode, JoelsaPOS only records that the order was paid by card.

Warning: Do not enable offline card processing until the Stripe account, Terminal location, reader, and country are confirmed as eligible. Offline card payments are not guaranteed until they are successfully forwarded and processed by Stripe.

12.12 Fees and Terminal Costs

Stripe fees depend on your country, card type, payment method, account setup, and Stripe pricing at the time of processing. Always confirm the latest Stripe fees directly from Stripe before going live.

View the latest Stripe pricing here: https://stripe.com/pricing

JoelsaPOS does not require you to rent Stripe card terminals from JoelsaPOS. Stripe card readers are normally purchased through your Stripe Dashboard.

Optional Stripe services, reader hardware, cellular connectivity, or other Stripe services may have additional costs. Merchants with higher processing volume may be able to discuss custom or volume-based pricing directly with Stripe.

12.13 Summary of Payment Options

13. Printer Setup

The system supports two printer roles: a POS receipt printer for customer receipts and a Kitchen printer for kitchen order tickets. The POS printer can use Bluetooth or Network. For reliability, the Kitchen printer must be set up as a Network printer.

13.1 Printer Types Used by the System

• POS Receipt Printer: Used for customer receipts, cash sale receipts, reprints, and opening the cash drawer if the drawer is connected to the POS printer.
• Kitchen Printer: Used only for kitchen order tickets. This should be connected to the network using an IP address.

13.2 POS Receipt Printer Setup — Bluetooth

1. Turn on the POS receipt printer.
2. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on the Android device.
3. Pair the printer from the Android Bluetooth settings if it has not already been paired.
4. Open Admin / Management → Printers.
5. Tap Scan Bluetooth Printers.
6. When the receipt printer appears, tap Set Bluetooth POS.
7. Print a test receipt from the sale screen.

Bluetooth printing can sometimes be slower than network printing, especially if the printer is far away, already connected to another device, or has a weak Bluetooth connection. Keep the Android device close to the printer for best results.

13.3 POS Receipt Printer Setup — Network

1. Connect the receipt printer to the same network as the Android device.
2. This can be done using Ethernet cable, Wi-Fi, network switch, wall network socket, or router connection.
3. Find the printer IP address.
4. Open Admin / Management → Printers.
5. Enter the POS printer IP address.
6. Enter the port number. For most receipt printers, use 9100.
7. Tap Use Network POS.
8. Print a test receipt from the sale screen.

13.4 Kitchen Printer Setup — Network Required

The Kitchen printer must be configured as a Network printer. Kitchen Bluetooth printing is not recommended because it can be slow, unstable, or unavailable when the device is busy. A network kitchen printer gives a more reliable connection for sending food tickets directly to the kitchen.

1. Connect the kitchen printer to the same network as the Android device.
2. Find the kitchen printer IP address.
3. Open Admin / Management → Printers.
4. Enter the kitchen printer IP address.
5. Enter the port number. For most kitchen printers, use 9100.
6. Tap Use Network Kitchen.
7. Go to the sale screen and tap Print To Kitchen to test.

Example kitchen printer settings:

Printer type: Network
IP address: 192.168.0.157
Port: 9100

13.5 How to Find the Printer IP Address

A network printer needs an IP address before the app can send print jobs to it. The IP address usually looks like 192.168.0.157, 192.168.1.50, or similar.

Method 1: Print the Printer Network Test Page

1. Turn the printer off.
2. Hold down the FEED button.
3. While holding FEED, turn the printer back on.
4. Keep holding the button until the printer starts printing a test page.
5. Look for IP Address on the printed paper.

The test page may show details like this:

IP Address : 192.168.0.157
SubnetMask : 255.255.255.0
Gateway    : 192.168.0.1
DHCP       : Enable

In this example, the IP address to enter into the app is: 192.168.0.157.

Method 2: Check the Router Device List

1. Open the router admin page or router mobile app.
2. Look for connected devices, LAN devices, DHCP clients, or attached devices.
3. Find the printer in the list. It may appear as a printer name, unknown device, or manufacturer name.
4. Copy the IP address shown next to the printer.

Method 3: Use the Printer Web Page

1. Find the printer IP address from the test page or router.
2. Open a browser on a device connected to the same network.
3. Type the printer IP address into the browser, for example http://192.168.0.157.
4. If the printer has a web settings page, check the network settings from there.

Method 4: Use a Computer Port Scanner

1. Use a computer connected to the same network.
2. Scan the printer IP address for open ports.
3. Look for common printer ports such as 9100, 515, or 631.
4. For POS thermal printers, use 9100 first unless the printer manual says otherwise.

13.6 Printer Port Number

Most thermal receipt and kitchen printers use port 9100 for raw ESC/POS network printing. This is the recommended default port.

• 9100: Most common raw thermal printer port.
• 9101 / 9102: Sometimes used by printers with multiple print queues.
• 515: LPR / LPD printing. Usually not needed for this app.
• 631: IPP / AirPrint style printing. Usually not used for direct ESC/POS printing.

If unsure, enter 9100.

13.7 Ways to Connect a Network Printer

The printer does not always need to be plugged directly into the router. It only needs to be on the same local network as the Android device.

• Direct to router: Connect the printer to the router using an Ethernet cable.
• Network switch: Connect the printer to a switch that is connected to the router.
• Ethernet wall socket: Connect the printer to a wall network socket, if that socket is part of the same LAN.
• Mesh Wi-Fi or access point: Connect the printer by Ethernet to a mesh node or access point, if it bridges back to the same network.
• Wi-Fi printer: Connect the printer directly to Wi-Fi if the printer supports Wi-Fi.
• Powerline Ethernet adapter: Connect the printer through a powerline adapter, as long as it links back to the same router network.

13.8 If the Printer Is Connected to a Desktop Computer

If the printer is connected to a desktop computer by USB, the printer itself may not have its own IP address. In that case, the Android app cannot usually print directly to the printer IP because there is no printer IP. The desktop computer becomes the print host.

For this setup, one of the following is required:

• Use a true network printer: Recommended. Connect the printer by Ethernet or Wi-Fi so it has its own IP address.
• Use a desktop print bridge: A small helper service can run on the desktop. The app sends the print job to the desktop, and the desktop sends it to the USB printer.
• Use operating system printer sharing: Windows, macOS, or Linux can share a printer, but this is not always compatible with direct ESC/POS mobile printing.

For the most reliable restaurant setup, use a printer with its own network connection and IP address.

13.9 Important Network Notes

• The Android device and printer must be on the same local network.
• A guest Wi-Fi network may block access to printers. Use the main business Wi-Fi/LAN.
• If the printer uses DHCP, the IP address may change later.
• Reserve the printer IP address in the router settings to keep it fixed.
• Make sure the printer is switched on before printing.
• Make sure the printer has paper loaded and the cover is closed.

13.10 Recommended Restaurant Setup

• POS Receipt Printer: Bluetooth or Network. Network is recommended if available.
• Kitchen Printer: Network only, using IP address and port 9100.
• Cash Drawer: Connect the cash drawer to the POS receipt printer.
• Router: Reserve fixed IP addresses for network printers.

13.11 Troubleshooting

• Printer does not print: Check that the printer is turned on, connected to the same network, and the IP address is correct.
• Kitchen print does not work: Make sure the Kitchen printer is saved as Network Kitchen, not Bluetooth.
• Print is slow: Bluetooth can be slower. Use Network printing where possible.
• Wrong printer prints: Reopen Admin / Management → Printers and check which printer is set as POS and which printer is set as Kitchen.
• Printer worked before but stopped: The printer IP may have changed. Print a new network test page and update the IP address in the app.
• Cash drawer opens late: The drawer command is sent through the POS printer. Check the POS printer connection and use Network POS if Bluetooth is too slow.

14. Staff Management

14.1 Adding staff members

1. Open Admin / Management → Staff Management.
2. Tap ＋ Add Staff.
3. Enter the staff member’s name.
4. Choose a PIN with at least four digits.
5. Choose the role: owner, manager or staff.
6. Choose the pay type, for example hourly, daily, weekly or monthly.
7. Enter the pay rate.
8. Choose the pay frequency, for example daily, weekly or monthly.
9. Tap Add Staff.
10. Repeat for each team member.

• Owner: full access. Only one owner account is allowed.
• Manager: broad operational access, including staff management, payroll and key management screens.
• Staff: day-to-day service use with more limited access.

If an owner account already exists, additional high-level users should be created as manager.

14.2 Managing existing staff

1. Open Admin / Management → Staff Management.
2. The Current Staff list appears at the top of the screen.
3. Tap a staff card to expand it and view hours, wages, pay periods and payment history.
4. Use Edit Staff to update the staff name, role, pay type, pay rate or pay frequency.
5. Use Disable if a staff member should no longer log in.
6. Use Enable to reactivate someone.
7. Use Reset PIN when a team member forgets their PIN.
8. Use Permissions when you want to allow or deny specific actions beyond the basic role.
9. Use Clock Records to view or adjust staff clock-in and clock-out records.

Managers can manage normal staff accounts, but the owner account is protected. Managers cannot reset the owner PIN or edit the owner account.

14.3 Staff permissions

The permissions screen lets you fine-tune what a specific staff member can do. For example, you might let one senior team member handle refunds or reports while keeping those actions hidden from newer staff.

1. Open a staff member from the Current Staff list and tap Permissions.
2. Review the permission list.
3. Choose Allow to give access.
4. Choose Deny to block access.
5. Choose Clear to remove your override and return to the normal role behaviour.

14.4 Staff clock status

Owners and managers can view live staff clock status from the Staff Management screen.

1. Open Admin / Management → Staff Management.
2. Tap Staff Clock Status.
3. Review who is currently clocked in.
4. Check whether anyone is currently on break.
5. View clock-in time, break start time, break total, gross shift time and working time excluding breaks.
6. Review staff who have clocked out today, including clock-out time and total worked hours excluding breaks.
7. Tap Refresh to update the list manually. The list also refreshes automatically while open.

14.5 Staff wages and payments

The staff screen can calculate estimated wages from recorded working hours. Break time is tracked separately. Depending on the restaurant’s Break Pay Policy, breaks can either be deducted from paid working time or included as paid time.

1. Open Staff Management.
2. Tap a staff card to expand it.
3. Review the current period summary, including hours, estimated wage, paid amount and balance due.
4. Review due payments by pay frequency.
5. Use Mark Paid or Mark Custom Period Paid to record wage payments.
6. Use Edit or Delete in payment history if a payment record needs correcting.

For hourly staff, wages are calculated from paid time. If Break Pay Policy is set to unpaid breaks, paid time is gross shift time minus break time. If Break Pay Policy is set to paid breaks, paid time is the full gross shift time while break time is still shown separately.

14.6 Payroll break policy

Owners can choose whether staff breaks are paid or unpaid.

1. Open Admin / Management → Staff Management.
2. Find the Payroll Break Policy card.
3. Choose Unpaid breaks if break time should be deducted from paid hours.
4. Choose Paid breaks if staff should be paid for the full clocked-in shift, while still tracking break time separately.
5. Payroll summaries and wage reports update based on this setting.

• Unpaid breaks: Paid time = gross shift time minus break time.
• Paid breaks: Paid time = gross shift time.

15. Starting a Shift

15.1 Preparing the POS

1. Log in as an authorised staff member.
2. Open POS from the home screen.
3. Confirm the menu items are visible and printers are online.
4. Check the payment device or Tap to Pay method is ready.
5. Run a small test print or test item if this is a new setup or a busy day.
6. Begin taking orders.

The app also tracks work periods. Later, when you use Close Shift, the current period closes and a new one can begin.

15.2 Staff clock in

Staff clocking is separate from the currently logged-in POS user. This means one staff member can be using the POS while another staff member clocks in or out using their own PIN.

1. From the POS screen, tap Clock.
2. Enter the staff member’s PIN.
3. Tap Continue.
4. If the staff member is currently clocked out, tap Clock In.
5. The system records the clock-in time.

15.3 Staff breaks

Staff can record break time during a shift. Breaks are always tracked, and the restaurant’s Break Pay Policy decides whether break time is deducted from paid hours or included as paid time.

1. From the POS screen, tap Clock.
2. Enter the staff member’s PIN and tap Continue.
3. If the staff member is clocked in, tap Start Break when the break begins.
4. When the staff member returns, enter the PIN again and tap Finish Break.
5. The system records the break duration. Payroll then uses the restaurant’s Break Pay Policy to decide whether that break is deducted from paid hours.

If a staff member clocks out while still on break, the active break is automatically finished and included in the total break time.

15.4 Staff clock out

1. From the POS screen, tap Clock.
2. Enter the staff member’s PIN.
3. Tap Continue.
4. If the staff member is currently clocked in, tap Clock Out.
5. The system records the clock-out time.
6. The final shift summary shows gross shift time, break time and paid time. Paid time depends on the Break Pay Policy.

15.5 Example shift calculation

Example shift:

• Clock in: 09:00
• Clock out: 17:00
• Break time: 30 minutes
• Gross shift time: 8 hours

If breaks are unpaid:

• Paid working time: 7 hours 30 minutes

If breaks are paid:

• Paid working time: 8 hours
• Break time is still recorded for reporting.

Payroll and wage reports use the paid working time based on the selected Break Pay Policy.

16. Taking a Sale at the POS

16.1 Start the order

1. Open POS.
2. Choose the order type that matches the customer: Table, Takeaway, Collection or Delivery.
3. If tables are enabled, assign the order to the correct table.
4. Use category tabs to move around the menu quickly.
5. Tap products to add them to the cart.

16.2 Review the cart

1. Check the items and quantities on the right side of the POS screen. Cart can be scrolled up and down by swiping the screen.
2. Increase or reduce quantities where needed.
3. Confirm the subtotal, tax, discounts and total are correct.
4. If needed, print the kitchen ticket before payment so preparation can begin.

16.3 Useful order actions

• Tables: assign or change the table.
• Print: print a customer receipt or order output depending on the context.
• Discount: apply a discount before payment.
• Print To Kitchen: send the order to the kitchen printer.
• Void: clear the current cart if the order should be cancelled before completion.
• Mark Complete: use when the order has been fully finished.

16.4 Taking payment

1. Tap Cash for cash payments and follow the cash payment screen.
2. Tap the card payment button when taking card payments.
3. If you use Tap to Pay, hold the card terminal device on top of the customer's card to collect the payment.
4. If you use Stripe Terminal, follow the prompts on the connected card reader.
5. Wait for confirmation before handing over goods or closing the order.

17. Kitchen Workflow

1. Open Kitchen from the home screen or use printed kitchen tickets if that is your preferred workflow.
2. Review incoming food items and orders.
3. Prepare the items.
4. Mark items or orders as completed when ready.
5. Coordinate this with the front-of-house team so collection, delivery or table service happens smoothly.

17.1 Fully-paid ticket clearing

When Kitchen Screen is enabled, paid tickets may remain open until the kitchen/order workflow is completed. This allows the kitchen and front-of-house team to keep tracking the order even after payment.

When Kitchen Screen is disabled, the merchant can decide whether fully-paid tickets should clear automatically or remain visible until staff press Complete. This is controlled from Admin / Management → Integrations & Features → POS Features → Auto Complete / Clear Fully Paid Tickets.

18. Online Orders Workflow

The Online Orders screen is designed for live website orders and separates them into clear groups such as incoming, today's active orders, collected orders and filtered history.

1. Open Online Orders from the home screen.
2. Watch the incoming section for new pending orders.
3. Open the latest order and review items, customer details and notes.
4. Accept the order when you can prepare it.
5. Reject the order if you cannot fulfil it.
6. When the order is prepared, mark it Ready.
7. When the customer has picked it up, mark it Collected.
8. Use Print Receipt when needed.
9. If a payment issue occurs, use the refund or cancellation options carefully.
10. To set up your online ordering website, follow the instructions below.

Website Setup Instructions

To activate your online ordering website, follow these steps carefully.

Step 1: Check Your Email

• You will receive an email after registration.
• This email contains:
  • A download link for your website files
  • An installation link

Step 2: Download Website Files

1. Open the email
2. Click the download link
3. Save the file (usually a .zip file)

Step 3: Upload Files to public_html

Using cPanel (recommended):

1. Log into your hosting account
2. Open File Manager
3. Go to public_html
4. Click Upload and upload the zip file
5. Right-click the file and click Extract

Image Guidance: Uploading Files in cPanel

The images below show the typical cPanel steps for uploading your website zip file into public_html and extracting it.

Note: After extracting, make sure your website files are directly inside public_html. If the zip creates an extra folder, open that folder and move the files into public_html.

Step 4: Create a Database (Required)

1. Go to MySQL Databases in cPanel
2. Create a database
3. Create a database user
4. Add the user to the database
5. Enable ALL PRIVILEGES

You will need:

• Database name
• Database user
• Database password
• Host (usually localhost)

Step 5: Run Installer

1. Click the installation link from your email
2. This will open your website installer page

Step 6: Enter Database Details

• DB Host: localhost
• DB Name: your database name
• DB User: your database user
• DB Password: your password

Step 7: Create Admin Login

• Choose a username (e.g. admin)
• Choose a secure password

Step 8: Complete Installation

Click Install. If successful, you will see a confirmation message.

Step 9: Menu Upload

Before syncing your menu to the website, make sure your menu has already been fully set up in the Menu Builder inside your POS app. This is required for the website menu to display correctly.

In your POS app, go to Admin → Menu Builder and make sure:

• Your main categories have been created
• Any subcategories have been added if needed
• Products have been assigned to the correct categories
• Prices have been set
• Items are marked as available
• Product images have been added if you want them to appear online

Once your menu structure is ready, go to Admin → Settings and click the button "Click here to Sync menu with Website".

This will upload your menu, categories, products, options, and product images to your website. After the sync is complete, visit your online ordering page: https://yoursite.com/order-online/ to view your live menu.

Important: Any time you make changes to your menu in the POS app or Menu Builder, you should run the sync again so the website updates correctly.

Common Issues

• Database connection failed: Check credentials and privileges
• Installer not loading: Ensure files are inside public_html
• Missing files: Ensure the zip file was extracted properly

• The screen shows useful order details such as status, customer information, delivery address when relevant, notes and ready-time information.
• Managers should review rejected or refunded orders regularly.

Do Not Have a Website Yet?

If you do not already have a website, domain name or hosting account, Joelsa can help you get everything set up in one place. This is the easiest option if you want to start accepting online orders without dealing with separate hosting companies, file uploads, database setup or technical installation.

We can provide a complete website setup package for your business, including your website, web hosting and domain name. Once your website is ready, your Joelsa POS online ordering system can be connected so customers can place orders directly from your own website.

What You Can Purchase From Joelsa

• Business website: A professional website for your restaurant, takeaway, café or shop.
• Online ordering setup: A website order page connected to your Joelsa POS system.
• Web hosting: Reliable hosting for your website files, database and online ordering system.
• Domain name: Help choosing and registering your business domain name.
• Technical setup: We can handle the installation, database setup and website configuration for you.

Why Choose Joelsa Website, Hosting and Domain Setup?

• No need to set up cPanel, databases or public_html yourself.
• Your online ordering website can be prepared for use with Joelsa POS.
• You can keep your website, hosting, domain and POS support under one provider.
• Suitable for restaurants, cafés, takeaways and other businesses using online orders.
• Helpful if you want a faster and simpler launch.

To purchase a website, hosting or domain package from Joelsa, visit:

Buy Website, Hosting and Domain from Joelsa

After your website and hosting are ready, you can return to the setup instructions above or contact Joelsa for help connecting your online ordering system to your new website.

19. Order History and Refunds

1. Open Orders from the home screen. This area is available to managers and owners.
2. Use the date filter to find the correct order period.
3. Use the payment filter to narrow results further.
4. Open an order to review items, total, payment method and payment status.
5. If a refund is needed, start it from the order record and enter the correct amount.
6. Always check that the remaining refundable amount is sufficient before confirming the refund.

20. Reports

The Reports screen is designed to help you understand what happened in a shift or across a date range.

1. Open Admin / Management → Reports.
2. Choose the report type: Sales, Products, Stock or Staff.
3. Decide whether you want to report by work period or by date.
4. For date-based reports, choose Today, Week or a custom range.
5. Review the totals on screen.
6. Print the report if you need a paper record.

• Sales reports help you see orders, total sales, tax and payment breakdowns.
• Product reports help you spot best-selling items.
• Stock reports help identify current quantities.
• Staff reports help compare activity and performance.

21. Backup and Restore

The system includes manual backup, export, import, restore, and automatic backup support. Backups protect the POS database, including products, categories, orders, payments, staff records, settings and reports data.

New full backups also include product images and other supported local image files where available. This means product records and their images can be restored together when using the updated backup system.

21.1 Create and export a manual backup

1. Open Admin / Management → Backup.
2. Tap Create Backup to create a fresh local backup bundle.
3. The backup bundle includes the POS database and supported local image files, such as product images.
4. Tap Export to USB / Downloads to choose where the backup should be saved.
5. On first export, choose a safe folder such as Downloads, a USB drive, or another storage location.
6. Future exports and automatic backups can update the saved backup file location, as long as Android still allows access to that location.
7. Keep more than one backup over time rather than relying on a single file.

A manual backup should always be created before replacing a device, making major setup changes, restoring another backup, or performing any risky maintenance.

21.2 Automatic backup

Automatic backup is designed to reduce the risk of data loss after normal POS activity. The app can trigger a backup after important database changes such as sales, payments, product edits, stock updates, category changes, staff changes or other management actions.

1. Open Admin / Management → Backup.
2. Create a manual backup first by tapping Create Backup.
3. Export it once by tapping Export to USB / Downloads and choosing a save location.
4. After this setup, automatic backups can update the saved backup file.
5. Use Run Automatic Backup Now to test that the saved location can be updated.
6. Check that the last automatic backup time updates after the test backup completes.

Some automatic backup triggers are forced safety backups. These may run after important changes even if the visible automatic-backup switch is turned off. This helps protect the business from losing recent sales or setup changes.

The automatic-backup switch mainly controls the timed/interval backup process. Forced safety backups can still run when the app decides a database change should be protected immediately.

21.3 Backup status

The Backup screen shows the current backup status, including whether a manual backup exists, whether a USB/Downloads location has been saved, whether automatic backup is enabled, and when the last automatic backup was created.

If the selected USB or Downloads location is no longer writable, the app may still create a local backup inside the app, but it may not be able to update the external backup file. In that case, open the Backup screen and select the export location again.

21.4 Import and restore a backup

1. Open Admin / Management → Backup.
2. Use Import Backup when you need to bring a backup file into the app first.
3. Choose the correct backup file from USB, Downloads or another safe location.
4. New full backups may contain both the database and supported image files. Older backups may contain only the database.
5. After importing, use Restore Backup only when you are sure this is the backup you want to return to.
6. After restore, the app restarts.
7. Check products, product images, orders, staff, reports and settings carefully before continuing with service.

21.5 After reinstalling the app or replacing a device

If the app is uninstalled and installed again, Android normally removes the app's saved internal settings. This means the app may no longer remember the previously selected USB/Downloads backup location or the permission to update that file.

After reinstalling the app, replacing a device, or restoring onto a new device, use this process:

1. Install and open the app.
2. Go to Admin / Management → Backup.
3. Tap Import Backup and choose the backup file.
4. Tap Restore Backup and wait for the app to restart.
5. After the restore, return to Admin / Management → Backup.
6. Tap Create Backup to create a fresh backup from the restored data.
7. Tap Export to USB / Downloads and choose the folder or backup location again.
8. Enable Automatic Backup if you want the timed backup process to continue.
9. Tap Run Automatic Backup Now to confirm the app can update the selected backup location.
10. Check that the Last automatic backup time has updated.

This step is important because Android file permissions may not survive app uninstall/reinstall. Selecting the backup location again gives the app permission to continue updating the backup file.

21.6 Recommended backup practice

• Create and export a manual backup before major setup changes.
• Keep backups organised by date, especially before replacing a device.
• Use the new full backup format so product images are included where available.
• Test automatic backup using Run Automatic Backup Now after choosing the export location.
• After reinstalling the app or restoring to a new device, choose the export location again and run an automatic backup test.
• Check the Backup screen occasionally to make sure the last automatic backup time is updating.
• If Android reports that the saved USB/Downloads location is not writable, export again and choose the location again.
• Do not rely on only one old backup file.

22. End-of-Day Routine

1. Finish or clear any open orders.
2. Check online orders for anything still pending.
3. Make sure kitchen tickets have all been completed.
4. Review the Orders screen for unusual issues, voids or refunds.
5. Print or review your reports.
6. Create a backup.
7. Use Close Shift in the POS screen to close the current work period.
8. Log out or switch user before handing the device to another team member.

23. Best Practices for Running a Cafe or Restaurant with JoelsaPOS

• Use clear product names so staff can find items quickly during busy periods.
• Keep categories simple and practical rather than overly detailed.
• Use variants for sizes instead of creating many duplicate products.
• Review staff permissions every time roles change.
• Test printers after any Bluetooth or device change.
• Check online orders readiness before advertising online ordering to customers.
• Run regular backups.
• Do a short test sale after major menu, payment or printer changes.

24. Troubleshooting Guide

25. Training Plan for New Staff

1. Teach staff how to sign in with their PIN.
2. Teach them how to start a sale and choose the correct order type.
3. Teach them how to send orders to the kitchen and how to print receipts.
4. Teach them when to ask a manager for help, especially for refunds, voids or disabled screens.
5. Run 3 to 5 practice orders before the first live shift.

26. Final Go-Live Checklist

• Owner account works
• Staff PINs created
• Card payments tested
• Cash payments tested
• POS printer working
• Kitchen printer working
• Categories complete
• Products complete
• Active menu selected
• Tables configured if needed
• Online orders checked if enabled
• Backup created before opening