Passwords and Logins
There are a few ways to navigate managing your staff access levels and logins, so let’s break it all down here.
If there is just a specific area you are looking to learn about in regards to passwords and logging in, then feel free to search through our sectioned manual articles here.
Pointa is accessed at app.hellopointa.com.
Each staff member should ideally use Pointa under their own login. This makes sales, cash movements, register opening/closing, customer records, and staff actions easier to trace. In practice, many businesses leave one front-desk user signed in all day because it is faster. That is convenient, but it reduces accountability.
A good middle ground for shared front-desk computers is to use individual staff logins with the automatic lock time set up, forcing a pin or password to be used to continue access.
Signing In
Open a browser.
Go to app.hellopointa.com.
Enter your email address.
Enter your password.
Optional: tick Remember me on this device.
Select Sign in.
If the staff member belongs to more than one business, or the business has more than one branch, Pointa may ask you to choose a business or branch before continuing.
Remember Me On This Device
Remember me on this device keeps the session available on that device to support easier unlocking.
Use it on trusted devices only, such as a business-owned front desk computer. Avoid using it on public or shared personal devices.
Pointa Users
A staff member can only sign in if they are set up as a Pointa user.
To give a staff member access:
Go to Staff.
Select the staff member.
Edit the staff member.
Tick Pointa user.
Enter a valid email address.
Set the staff member’s authority level.
Save changes.
When Pointa access is granted, Pointa sends an invite email (if needed). The staff member follows the email link to create their password.
If the invite has not been accepted, the staff list can show the email as unverified. Managers can use Resend invite.
Invite links are configured to last 24 hours. If an invite has expired, resend the invite or ask the staff member to use the password reset process.
Authority Levels
Pointa has four authority levels:
Default: standard day-to-day access.
Shift Manager: includes shift-level tasks such as force parking open sales and basic cash-up reports.
Manager: can manage staff, rosters, settings, reports, account payments, and price overrides.
Administrator: full access, including administrator-only settings and integrations.
A user cannot assign a staff member a higher authority level than their own.
Password Requirements
Pointa passwords must be at least 8 characters and strong enough to pass Pointa’s password strength check. The check is based on password quality, not just a fixed “uppercase, number, symbol” formula.
Good passwords are longer, harder to guess, and not based on names, business names, common words, or simple patterns.
Forgotten Passwords
On the sign-in screen, select Forgot your password?.
Enter the account email address.
Select Continue.
Check the email inbox.
Follow the reset link.
Enter and confirm the new password.
For security, Pointa shows the same confirmation message whether or not the email address exists. If the email is on file, a reset email is sent.
Password reset links are configured to last 30 minutes. If the link has expired, start the forgotten-password process again.
After a successful password reset, Pointa signs the user in.
Changing Your Password
A signed-in user can change their password from their account security page.
Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
Select My Account.
Go to the security area.
Enter the old password.
Enter a new password.
Save.
Pointa sends an email confirming that the password was changed.
PINs
PINs are used to unlock Pointa after it has been locked. They are designed for speed on shared terminals, especially front desk computers.
A PIN is not used for the first full login on a new device. The first login still uses email and password. Once the device/session is known, Pointa can be unlocked using either the user’s PIN or password.
To set or change a PIN:
Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
Select My Account.
Go to the security area.
Enter the current password.
Enter a PIN.
Save.
PINs must be at least 4 characters.
Use PINs carefully. They are convenient, but they should still be treated as private.
Locking Pointa
Locking Pointa keeps the app secure and requires a PIN or password before work can continue.
To lock manually:
Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
Select Lock.
When Pointa is locked, the unlock screen says Enter your pin or password to unlock.
This is useful when stepping away from the computer or when another staff member needs to take over briefly.
Automatic Locking
Pointa can automatically lock after a period of inactivity.
To set this:
Go to Settings.
Go to General.
Set Lock after to the number of minutes.
Select Save changes.
If this is blank or zero, automatic locking is effectively off.
This setting is useful for businesses that want each staff member to use their own login without making the front desk workflow painfully slow. A short timeout improves accountability; a longer timeout is less disruptive.
Switching User
Switch user is used when another staff member needs to take over without fully signing out of Pointa.
Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
Select Switch user.
Choose a recent user from the list.
Enter that user’s PIN or password.
If the user is not listed, select Can’t see your account? and sign in with email and password.
Switching user is better than continuing under someone else’s login, especially before taking payments, making cash movements, changing bookings, or closing the register.
Sign Out
Signing out ends the current session and returns to the sign-in screen.
Open the user menu in the top-right corner.
Select Sign out.
Use sign out when finishing on a device, changing to a different physical computer, or when the device should no longer remember that user.
Lock vs Switch User vs Sign Out
Use Lock when the same user will return shortly.
Use Switch user when another staff member is taking over on the same device.
Use Sign out when the user is finished on that device or the device should not retain access.
Recommended Front Desk Setup
For a front desk or shared terminal:
Create Pointa users for staff who use the terminal.
Assign each staff member the correct authority level.
Ask each staff member to set a PIN.
Set Settings > General > Lock after to a practical timeout.
Train staff to use Switch user when taking over.
This gives the business a workable compromise between speed and accountability.