Charge Tender
Charge is used for in-store credit accounts. Customers with an in-store charge account and who have the tender enabled can pay by charge tender. Each customer's Charge Balance and Charge Limit are typically managed by the retailer's accounting system, as payments on account. When tendering by Charge, the cashier selects from predefined terms or enters custom terms for the transaction.
To use the Charge tender at POS, users must:
- Enable the tender in Admin Console - Node Preferences - Transactions - Tenders - Requirements
- Define payment terms for individual customers on the Payments tab of the customer record
- Enable the Charge tender in the "Customer Allowed Tenders" section of the customer record.
- Enable Charge Tender in Tender Requirements preferences
- Set Accounts Receivable flag in customer record.
RP Prism Permissions for Charge Tender
The following security permissions related to Charge tender can be assigned to user groups:
- Customers > Edit Charge Balance
- Customers > Edit Charge limit
- Customers > Exceed Charge limit
- Customers > Set Accounts Receivable
Enable Charge Tender in Tender Requirements
To use the Charge tender at POS, you must enable the tender in Node Preferences > Transactions > Tenders > Requirements. Select options for the Charge tender as needed. For example, select the Take checkbox if Charge can be taken as payment. If Charge can be given as change, select the Change checkbox. In the Max Over Tender field, you can enter the maximum amount by which the transaction can be over tendered (with the difference between the transaction total and the over tendered amount being returned as change to the customer).
Required Fields: Click the Plus sign to display the list of fields that can be required for Sale and/or Return transactions. To restrict charge tender to AR Customers, make sure you select the AR Customer field as required for the Charge Tender.
"Check Available Charge Limit" option for Charge Tender
When the Check Available Charge Limit check box is selected, the system will check the customer's available charge balance against the amount being tendered. If the amount being tendered is greater, RP Prism will reduce the tender amount to meet the available balance. If the Charge Limit is 0.00 the customer is considered to have an unlimited available charge balance.
Customer Default Charge Terms
Users can add default charge terms for customers in the Customer record on the Payment tab and those terms will be automatically entered on the tender screen when the customer is listed on a transaction that uses Charge as the Tender Type. Previously, charge terms had to be entered manually at POS. Being able to define default terms that are automatically applied at POS makes it easier to manage things like business-to-business (B2B) transactions.
The following fields for charge terms are available in the customer record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Discount % | The discount percentage to apply when the customer pays in full within the specified number of Discount Days. Integer or null. |
| Discount Days | The number of days when, if full payment is made, the Discount % is applied. Integer or null. |
| Net Days | The number of days when full payment is due (discount or no discount). Integer or null. |
Sample Customer record showing Default Charge Terms:
If the customer is entered on a transaction and the user select Charge as the Tender Type, the default terms are automatically entered.
Charge Limit, Charge Balance, Accounts Receivable Fields on Customer Records
To take the Charge tender on a transaction, the customer must have a positive Charge Balance on the transaction. Users with the required security permission can edit the Charge-related fields on customer records.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Accounts Receivable | Determines if the customer is an Accounts Receivable customer. Available Settings No = not an AR customer (default) Yes = AR customer Export = AR Customer; export to Accounting Link |
| Charge Limit | This value is the maximum amount the Charge Balance can be. This value can either be entered by the user. When the preference 'Check Available Charge Balance' is turned on, the available charge amount will be (Charge Limit) - (Charge Balance). A Charge Limit of 0.00 will be treated as unlimited. Default for new customers is 0.00. |
| Charge Balance | The customer's current charge balance. This value can either be entered by the user. No calculations are performed by RP Prism to determine the value in this field. Default for new customers is 0.00. |
Limit Charge Tender to AR Customers
Retailers have the option of limiting the use of the Charge tender to only customers that have the AR Customer flag selected. To do this, set the AR Customer field as a required field for the Charge tender (Preferences & Settings > Transactions > Tenders > Tender Requirements). If the AR Customer field is selected as a Required Field, then if a non-AR customer is entered on a transaction, a prompt is displayed, prompting you to set the customer's AR field. If the AR Customer field is not selected, then the Charge tender can be used with any customer.
Prompt to Set AR Flag when Tendering by Charge
When the AR Customer field is required for the Charge tender, if a user tries to tender by Charge with a non-AR customer listed, a prompt is displayed to set the AR flag. Select Yes or Export and then click the Save button. Note: The "Customers > Set Accounts Receivable" permission is required to set the flag.
Charge Tender at POS
- Make sure you enter a customer with a positive Charge Balance on the transaction. List the item(s) being purchased and then click Tender Transaction.
- Tap or click the Tender Type button.
- Select the Charge button.
- If the customer has default charge terms defined, those terms are automatically entered. If necessary manually enter the charger terms. Tap or click the Take button.
- Print/Update the transaction. The customer's Charge Balance is updated.