Investigating Payment Discrepancies

When it comes to closing the register at the end of a shift, Pointa compares expected and counted totals and shows any difference. Sometimes this can show a discrepancy.

Discrepancies can involve anything from incorrect change given, figures being manually entered through the EFTPOS terminal incorrectly, declined payments gone unnoticed, or sales being parked or incomplete.

Before investigating further, ensure:

• All cash has been counted correctly.

• Any floats, cash removals, or banking have been accounted for.

• Your EFTPOS terminal has been settled for the same trading period being reconciled.

Once you have confirmed these have been completed, follow the following to investigate further:

Recount your Cash

The most common cause of a cash discrepancy is an incorrect cash count.

Recount:

• Notes

• Coins

• Float amounts

• Any cash stored outside the till

If your discrepancy is a cash discrepancy, and there were multiple cash sales made through the shift period then it can be somewhat impossible to narrow it any further, however we always recommend talking to your staff that processed the sales.

Compare EFTPOS Totals

1. Print or view the settlement report from your EFTPOS terminal.

2. Compare the EFTPOS total shown on the settlement report with the EFTPOS total shown in Pointa.

If the totals do not match, then we can then review the individual EFTPOS transactions from the day matching your individual EFTPOS merchant receipts with your sales history.

Visit Sales > History to review the days transactions and look for:

• Incorrect amounts entered into Pointa

• Extra zeros accidentally added

• Decimal point errors

• Duplicate transactions

• Refunds processed separately

• Declined payments

• Missing EFTPOS merchant receipt

For example:

• EFTPOS receipt shows $23.50

• Sale entered into Pointa as $235.00

This would create a discrepancy between Pointa and your EFTPOS settlement.

Review Payment Types

Check recent sales and confirm the correct payment method was selected.

Common mistakes include:

• Cash sales recorded as EFTPOS

• EFTPOS sales recorded as Cash

• Split payments entered incorrectly

Even one incorrectly allocated payment can cause a cash-up discrepancy.

Review Recent Sales

Check sales completed during the cash-up period.

Pay particular attention to:

• Large sales

• Refunds

• Discarded transactions

• Split payments

• Open or parked sales

These transactions are often the easiest way to identify the source of a discrepancy.

Check for Transactions After Cash-Up

If additional sales were processed after you had settled your EFTPOS, your totals may no longer match the cash and EFTPOS amounts counted.

Review transaction timestamps to ensure all sales belong to the period being reconciled.

Still Can't Find the Cause?

If you're unable to identify the discrepancy:

1. Record the variance.

2. Complete the cash-up.

3. Retain your EFTPOS settlement report.

4. Review the discrepancy with a manager or administrator.

Tracking recurring discrepancies can help identify training issues or incorrect procedures.