Retail Solution FAQ
Description
What's in this article?
Features
- Can I manually sync the POS with the Back Office?
Follow these steps to quickly synchronize your POS device with the Back Office.
- Is the creation of kits supported?
Yes. The kit/bundle feature supports the creation of kits. Reporting on the sales of kits is also available.
A Gift Basket is an example of a kit. The basket can be sold as a single item, but it’s components – shampoo, conditioner and body lotion can be accounted for and removed from inventory.
- Does Retail Solution support restrictions on the sale of certain items?
Yes, the restriction types that are available for an item include: Age Verification, Day Part, Purchase Quantity, and Item Return.
- In addition to categories for items, does Retail Solution support subcategories?
Yes, up to 6 subcategories are supported.
- Does the system support email marketing?
The system has robust email marketing capabilities. This includes the ability to send out bulk emails on demand, as well as Welcome and Miss You emails automatically.
- Does Retail Solution allow for clients to receive a text message asking how their service went after their visit?
No, that is not a current capability.
- Does Retail Solution link to Google for customer reviews?
No, that is not a current capability.
- Does Retail Solution support adding service charges?
Service charges can be manually applied, but there is no automated way to add a service charge.
- Can purchase orders be created within the system?
The system does not create purchase orders or import advanced shipping and receiving files. However, you can perform counts of items, enter in receiving quantities, and automatically deplete inventory, so you always have visibility to current quantity on hand of your items. In addition, using sales history and setting reorder points, you also have visibility to the days of supply you have left based on past sales, so you can make decisions on when to order at any time. Read more about inventory management options.
- Does Retail Solution support Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) and Price Look-Up (PLU) numbers?
Yes. You can assign SKU and PLU numbers. SKU numbers have a maximum length of 20 characters and must be unique across all records. PLU numbers have a maximum length of five characters.
- Are commissions supported?
Yes. You can create new commission plans and assign them to the desired items.
- Does Retail Solution support gift cards?
No, gift cards are not currently supported.
- Does the Retail Solution support layaway purchases?
The Retail Solution does not currently support layaway purchases; however, this feature is planned for a future release with no current ETA for availability.
- Can I override the price of an item at checkout?
Yes, the Retail Solution supports price overrides.
- Can the Retail Solution integrate with other systems to import items?
No, the Retail Solution does not support integrations to other inventory systems at this time.
- Does the Retail Solution integrate with QuickBooks®?
No, there is no integration. You can export the details from the Retail Solution and then import them into QuickBooks®.
- For age restricted items, will a scanner read the customer's identification or does it have to be keyed in?
The customer's identification must be keyed in. Once keyed in, any other times included within the same purchase that have an age restriction applied will ring up with the prompt since the age was verified on the first item.
- Will the weight scale print stickers to show the price and weight for the cashier to scan at checkout?
No. You must ring in the item and key in the weight that is on the sticker.
- Does Bank of America offer a barcode label printer for generating SKUs (Stock Keeping Unit)?
We do not offer this solution, however, there are multiple third-party solutions that provide services to create and print SKUs. You must select a solution that meets the barcode format that our Retail Solution supports.
- Does the Retail Solution have the capability to recommend additional items at online checkout?
Yes, you can assign "linked items" within the item profile that will trigger a prompt at checkout.
Inventory
- Can items be imported if there is already an item file created?
If you already have a list of items, you can take advantage of the item import utility within the system to import the items into the Back Office. A spreadsheet template is provided, allowing you to reformat the item details properly and import the file directly from your PC.
- I've got a large inventory stored in another POS system. Will you help me import it to Retail Solution?
When you set up your Retail system, the Activations team will assist with importing your existing inventory or menu.
- Can customers be imported if there is already a customer file created?
If you already have a list of customers, you can take advantage of an import utility within the system to load the customers into the Back Office. A spreadsheet template is provided, allowing you to reformat the customer details properly and import the file directly from your PC.
- Can I mark an item so that it is non-discountable at the POS?
All items and tickets can be discounted; however, there is a feature to add a minimum qualifying amount to a discount so that an item or a ticket must meet a minimum dollar amount to be discounted.
- Can labels be generated from inventory and have a print option (For example: Easy Labels)?
No. Labels cannot be generated and printed.
- Is there a way to add notes to a transaction?
Yes, you can add item notes and/or ticket notes to any transaction.
- How many inventory items can the Retail Solution handle?
For optimal operation, we recommend no greater than 50,000 items. The system can handle more; however, the more items you add the slower it works. Additional challenges with inventory counts higher than the recommended number are:
- Initial imports of items is restricted to 999 lines of data for each import, which could cause delays in getting your system up and running.
- Manual upkeep of each item count (receive and audit) can become overwhelming.
- If I replenish an inventory item, can I use the barcode scanner to update the quantity?
No. You can manage new inventory using the Receive Inventory screen to easily track the items being added to your inventory.
- If I have an inventory sheet, can I use a barcode scanner to register the items?
Yes. However, you must manually enter the quantity on hand and complete other inventory item fields.
- If I receive a new inventory item, can I add the item by scanning it directly into the POS?
Yes. However, you must manually enter the quantity on hand and complete other inventory item fields.
- Can I attach an aisle or shelf number to an item?
Yes, you have two options by which you can add it:
- Input information under the description.
- Branch out with subcategories.
- Will I receive an alert or email notification when my inventory is low?
No, you will not receive an alert or notification. You can manage inventory using the Inventory Snapshot report in Back Office which will allow you to view the quantity on hand and re-order points. You can export the report in CSV/Excel format and search the report to determine which items should be reordered.
- Can I view my inventory across different stores?
Yes, inventory can be viewed in the POS as well as in the Back Office .
- Where can I find the sheet used for inventory upload?
In Back Office click on Inventory > Category and Items > Import Item > Download Template.
- How do I assign barcodes to my inventory?
In Back Office you can assign barcodes to your inventory using the Extended Item Setup after you have first entered general information using Basic Item Setup.
Point of Sale
- How secure are Bank of America Point of Sale Solutions?
Rest assured. Your POS solution ensures proper security measures to protect sensitive data. The POS solution has been designed to use the latest technologies to protect card holder data. Our Point to Point Encryption (P2PE) ensures that the card data is encrypted during a swipe, so customer credit card info is never exposed on the POS or within the merchant’s network.
- Can receipts be emailed or printed?
Yes, you can print or email receipts.
- My Wi-Fi Connection isn’t working. What do I do?
Access the Terminal Ethernet or WiFi Setup page for troubleshooting.
- Can I enter an order remotely?
Orders may entered through the POS terminal or through Online Ordering, if you have that option.
- Can employees clock in from the A920 terminal?
Yes. Any terminal that is running Retail Solution can be used
- How would a customer redeem an emailed discount?
If a customer brings an emailed discount into the store and presents it during checkout, the POS user will select or scan the discount and apply it to the ticket. Read more about discounts on the POS.
Back Office
- How do I reset my Back Office password?
Click Forgot Password? or Forgot User Name? on the login screen to receive an email with next steps on resetting your password. The reset password link will expire after 24 hours.
Read more about how to login to Back Office, reset your password or the passwords for your employees.
- I’m locked out of my account. What do I do?
Click Forgot Password? or Forgot User Name? on the login screen to receive an email with next steps on resetting your password. The reset password link will expire after 24 hours.
Read more about how to login to Back Office, reset your password or the passwords for your employees.
- How are multiple stores supported?
Our multi-store features work best for customers who have multiple stores with the same concept, such as two pet stores and not one pet store and one coffee shop. We also allow you to create multiple selling locations for merchants who are truly mobile.
- Can I clock in an employee or clock them out?
Yes! Employees can perform the clock in/clock out, but if you need to assist with clock in/out or make an adjustment, you can.
- Is there a maximum number of customers and items supported?
While there are no actual limits placed on the number of customers, the system has been optimized to support up to 50,000 total items.
- What is the difference between a barcode and SKU?
A UPC barcode (Universal Product Code) is a machine-readable image of parallel black and white bars that identifies a product. Barcodes assigned by manufacturers would be standard for any retailer that is selling that product. For example, the UPC on a bag of Lays potato chips will be the same at any grocery store.
A SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) is a unique alphanumeric code that you can create and assign to a product to track and organize your inventory. For example, you can create different SKUs for each t-shirt color or size in your inventory.
UPC barcodes and/or SKUs are added using Extended Item Setup in Back Office .
- Can I customize user roles at employee level?
No. The retail solution provides five pre-defined user roles. It does not support customizing individual user roles.
Reporting
- Does the Retail Solution have stock level/vendor reporting and re-ordering?
Yes, the Inventory Snapshot helps with managing inventory by providing you with a snapshot of the quantity on hand and the cost to replenish the inventory. If needed, you can print or export the information.
- How are employee sales commissions tracked?
The back office Sales Commissions report enables you to view and track commissions for employees.
- Can a daily report be automatically texted or emailed?
No; however, there are several reports that employees with the proper user role can access at the POS as well as in the Back Office .
- Can the Retail Solution provide sales sax reporting?
Yes. There are various reports that provide different details: Taxes Report, Store Summary, or Item Report. The tax category is setup in the item profile within the pricing/cost tax sections.
Taxes
- Can I setup sales tax based on subtotal?
No. Sales tax is applied at the item level and not based on the subtotal amount.
- Does the Retail Solution provide the capability to collect and pay taxes to the government?
No. Neither the Retail Solution, nor any of our solutions support this.