QuickBooks Point of Sale

Due to a recent conversation with the business owner of a service-based company, I find it important to write about the dangers of purchasing a pirated copy of QuickBooks software. That means you are purchasing software from a secondary source that is not an authorized Intuit Reseller or from Intuit directly, and the software has been duplicated and distributed without authorization.

Some people make a conscious decision to purchase this type of software while others buy it unknowingly, believing that they’re purchasing a legitimate copy. Piracy or copyright infringement is illegal activity.

Some dangers of purchasing illegal copies of the Intuit QuickBooks software are:

• Intuit will discover this and disable your license. They are generous in notifying you and giving you a certain amount of days to purchase a legal copy before they disable your illegal copy.
• Pirated software may be loaded with malware (malicious software) or viruses.
• It may be defective so it won’t work properly.
• Pirated software may be used to collect personal information from your computer without your knowledge like credit card and bank account numbers, passwords, address books, etc.
• Counterfeit software will not get the legitimate software updates that is necessary to prevent cyber thieves.

When you purchase QuickBooks software from an Authorized Dealer or Channel, the software downloads come directly from the Intuit servers. At English Management Solutions, Inc., we maintain the status of an Intuit Premier Reseller. The Premier level is the top tier within the Intuit Reseller Program and is designed for members with consistent and robust sales who provide the highest level of customer service. Premier Resellers have expertise in technology and solutions integration for small-to-medium sized businesses. They are certified to resell, implement, and support QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, QuickBooks Point of Sale, and other Intuit and third-party products.

Before purchasing through any Intuit Authorized Reseller, you can contact Intuit directly to verify you are buying from a trusted source.

A legal way to get a copy of someone else’s QuickBooks software is to transfer ownership. If QuickBooks software is going to change hands from one business owner to another, Intuit will ask for the seller to complete a Transfer of Ownership form. They will review the details to determine whether a transfer of the license to the purchaser will be approved or denied. This the only way that an Intuit license can be transferred.

Our customer’s story:
The customer explained that his computer crashed so he had to purchase a new one. He sent the new computer to an IT company who was supposed to load his existing software onto the new computer and transfer the necessary data. Sometime during this process, he upgraded his QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) software. He received a license number and product code for it, and was able to login to his online QB account. Everything seemed fine. He used the QBPOS for quite a while when all of a sudden he started receiving a message each time he opened the software, which was daily, warning him that he had a certain number of days to register the software or upgrade it before it would be disabled. What? He thought that was already done and didn’t understand this so he called Intuit. Since so much time had passed from the software installation, he couldn’t remember where he purchased it and couldn’t find record of it. Each Intuit representative he spoke with confirmed that he did not purchase directly from them or an Authorized Reseller so they requested that he provide proof of purchase. Unfortunately, this customer couldn’t do so. You can imagine the shock he felt knowing that without proof of purchase or purchasing a new licnese, his QBPOS would be disabled and how that would drastically affect his day-to-day business transactions. He purchased the QBPOS software upgrade from us and is now using a legal copy of the software.

You can see from his story and the reasons listed above why it’s imperative that you purchase QuickBooks software form an Authorized Reseller or Intuit directly. This applies to any commercial software.
 

R4 is here, R4 is here!

QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) Release 4 (R4)  is available for web download and contains quite a few fixes, especially related to the <Ctrl-Tab> functionality to move between open windows. The complete list of fixes is included here.

The biggest change is to upgrade the database engine to a newer version. This is done primarily to ensure the database engine that QuickBooks Point of Sale Desktop runs on is a supported version because support for the old database engine was about to be discontinued. And just like when Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP on April 8, 2014 and therefore XP machines are no longer supported, the database engine will stop being supported, therefore Intuit needed to make this change. (You are not on  XP, right????).         

So what do I need to do?

The patch is currently available for web download and is scheduled to be pushed out via the normal update process to the community at large shortly.  You need to be aware that it will take some time to upgrade the database. As the knowledge base article states:

The company file will be upgraded to a more reliable and faster Database, this process can take some extra time when you open the file for the first time in after installing R4.  

So once the R4 patch is downloaded, it will upgrade the database. It does let you know the progress of the update but "a while" may be a bit vague. I tested the update on several files. The smallest file took a few minutes, but a 450 MB file took 25 minutes for start to finish. And this was on a machine with an I7 processor and 16 GIG of RAM. While the program warns not to stop the process during the update, what you need to understand is that while there is a backup done into the default location before this process and although during Intuit's extensive testing they didn't run across any problems, it doesn't mean that there will not be problems.  

Our recommendation is that you work with your trusted Certified Intuit ProAdvisor Consultant so they can control the process. If you don't have one, please give us a call. It's best if the ProAdvisors helps you download and install it from the web and most importantly advise you to make a backup immediately before downloading and installing R4. Stuff CAN and DOES happen, there could be a power outage, the hard drive crashes, WHO KNOWS!!! Better safe than sorry I say. The problem is that if something does happen and the process is stopped, the database is unrecoverable and the only option is to restore a backup and while there is a backup available, I always feel better when I have a backup on my trusty thumb drive. Upgrade the server first and then immediately upgrade the client machines, if any. In a multi-store installation, you must ensure all of the stores are updated, starting with the server workstations and then the clients.

Again, I believe that this upgrade will cause very few if any problems, however in the words of our beloved Ronald Reagan, Trust but Verify or in this case the more backups, the better.

Another recommendation is that, while the update is very good at telling you where you are at in the process, bring up Task Manager in windows and watch the CPU usage for the POS program. To start task manager, right click on the time/date in the system tray and choose Start Task Manager. As long as you see CPU usage by qbpos.exe and QBPOSShell.exe, leave well enough alone and wait for a long time before ending either program. Again, I will say it again, Intuit and a select group of users have tested the update with NO PROBLEMS, but unless there is a good backup to restore from if the unthinkable happens, I don't feel safe downloading and installing R4, and since it will be pushed very soon, I wanted you to be among the first to know so that you can communicate and prepare.

Author: English, William S., President of English Management Solutions, Inc. May 29, 2015

Q&A with Will English:
Today’s topic is: QBPOS Refunding a Non-Discounted Purchase Price

Our client who manages a nutritional supplement retail store just experienced an issue when a customer returned an item that was bought on sale, QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) refunded it at the regular price.  

Client: Our cashier just showed me something in POS that needs fixing. If she sells a product to which a discount has been applied, and then the customer returns the product, POS refunds the non-discounted purchase price.

The actual example was, a product that is currently on sale at 15% off. POS automatically applies the discount when the product is sold, but the next day, the customer brought the product back. POS refunded the non-discounted price to his card. Any fix for this or adjustment needed to our procedure?

Will’s answer: Yes, the customer needs to bring the receipt back and the receipt is scanned using the Accept a Return exchange under the “I want to” menu.  In this way, the actual receipt will be brought up with the discounted price listed to be refunded.  It is a little weird that being on sale it would not have scanned at the discount price as a return.

We were excited to be invited to the IRC at ASD.  Sounds like a lot of initials doesn’t it.   First of all, IRC stands for the Independent Retailer Conference.  This show is the brain child of the folks at Retail Minded, an e-magazine devoted to the Independent retailers as well as a web site full of additional resources.  IRC puts a trade show within a trade show allowing retailers to have a one stop shop to review vendor offerings as well as providing an educational track.  ASD is a collection of trade shows featuring specific verticals as different as Beauty and Fragrance to Smoke Shops.

In most of our trade shows, we are buried on an isle in the middle of a row and try hard to gain the attention of attendee coming down the row.  At IRC, we were in the lobby next to registration and the food court.  In real estate, they talk about location being the most important thing and we had an ideal location.  All day long, we had people walk up to the booth and ask for information about our products.  Of course, representing Intuit was a BIG HELP in that every small business owner either uses or knows about QuickBooks.  In addition, each time we did an educational session, we would have a rush of attendees seeking more information about us and the product.

We were excited to introduce Intuit’s new POS line up.  In the desktop version, we now have V12, a much needed improvement over V10 and 11.  In addition, we were excited to be one of the first to show the new IPad based Point of Sale (POS), QuickBooks POS powered by Revel.  This solution integrates the elegance of an IPad with a cloud back-end and integration to QuickBooks Online to allow the retailer to manage their business from anywhere.

Now Intuit has a lineup that can handle the needs of almost any retailer.  We were excited to have attended IRC and ASD and look forward to next year. “Will, we are thrilled to have you on board again.” Heidi Ames. Manager, Partner Programs, Retail Minded and Independent Retailer Conference.

Author: English, William S., President of English Management Solutions, Inc. March 2015

One of our furniture store clients is transitioning to the QuickBooks Point of Sale (QBPOS) multi-store system. Their business includes a retail store & a warehouse.
They have entered all of the inventory into the first location within QBPOS, which is the retail store. They are ready to enter inventory into the warehouse, the 2nd location. They need to update what’s been received & sold. The question she needs addressed is how do you open the 2nd location within QuickBooks?

To turn on the second location, go into File menu and choose Company Preferences.

Then choose Multi store and increase the locations to 2.

See the screen shot

You work with the inventory from the headquarter computer which frees you from having to drive to the other location.

Contact us if you run into any issues with this or any other topic as well as with your QuickBooks questions. 877-467-0451 | info@englishmgmt.com

Today, Intuit is releasing a press release (see below) announcing a strategic partnership with Revel to launch a new online iPad point-of-sale solution that works seamlessly within the QuickBooks ecosystem. QuickBooks Point of Sale powered by Revel Systems will be available in February 2015.

English Management Solutions, Inc. (EM$) has been in discussion with Intuit to become one of the first Resellers to be trained and able to offer this solution to our customers.  Call or email our office to be put on the wait list.
877-467-0451 | info@englishmgmt.com.
We are committed to offering the best solution to our customer base and this gives us one more solution to explain when looking at your needs.

Intuit Partners with Revel Systems to Deliver iPad Point of Sale Solution
withinn QuickBooks Online Ecosystem

QuickBooks Point of Sale powered by Revel Systems elevates the merchant experience.

     MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Nov. 17, 2014 – Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) is partnering with Revel Systems as the premier partner to launch QuickBooks Point of Sale powered by Revel Systems, a new Online iPad point-of-sale (POS) solution that works seamlessly within the QuickBooks ecosystem. The new offering leverages the power of the cloud to automatically sync sales, payments, inventory, CRM and payroll data to QuickBooks, providing retailers with an integrated view of how money is flowing in and out of their businesses.
    “This is all about giving retailers maximum flexibility to accept payments and manage customer relationships anytime, anywhere, while staying grounded and confident because they can always access an up-to-date and accurate picture of their books,” said Eric Dunn, Intuit’s senior vice president for payments and commerce solutions. “QuickBooks Point of Sale powered by Revel Systems brings together the benefits of two leading cloud solutions to deliver an even more powerful result for food and retail businesses.”
    We are thrilled to partner with Intuit and together both companies are creating a product, QuickBooks Point of Sale Powered by Revel Systems, that solves a huge need and a pain point for retailers today,” says Lisa Falzone, cofounder and CEO of Revel Systems.

Key Features and Benefits
    QuickBooks Point of Sale powered by Revel Systems makes it easier than ever for retailers to manage their operations thanks to:

• Intuitive iPad Interface: lets users focus on what matters most – the customer. Gone are the days of spending hours training new employees and hidden customer management tools.
• Seamless Integration with QuickBooks Online: sales and payments data will automatically be entered and categorized in QuickBooks Online, eliminating the time-intensive work of manually reconciling the books after hours. The integration will be available for new and existing QuickBooks Online customers alike.
• Anytime, Anywhere Access: Revel’s industry-leading point of sale solution allows retailers maximum flexibility to track sales, inventory, staffing and payroll remotely.
• Always On Mode: retailers can be confident they will never miss a sale thanks to the “Always On Mode,” which leverages Revel’s industry-leading technology so that they can continue to accept and sync payments to sales and inventory reports even if their internet connection is slow or completely down.
• Advanced Inventory and Reporting: provides retailers with real insights into their inventory and payments data, including detailed sales numbers, product sales reporting, item discount tracking and comprehensive history of all orders.

Availability
QuickBooks Point of Sale powered by Revel will be available in early 2015. Those interested in more information can call or email our office at 877-467-0451 or info@englishmgmt.com

About Intuit Inc.
    Intuit Inc. creates business and financial management solutions that simplify the business of life for small businesses, consumers and accounting professionals.
    Its flagship products and services include QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, which make it easier to manage small businesses and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. Mint.com provides a fresh, easy and intelligent way for people to manage their money, while Demandforce® offers marketing and communication tools for small businesses. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit's leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants.
    Founded in 1983, Intuit had revenue of $4.5 billion in its fiscal year 2014. The company has approximately 8,000 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

About Revel Systems
Revel Systems iPad POS was founded in 2010 in San Francisco, CA with the goal of changing the point-of-sale market. Founders Lisa Falzone and Chris Ciabarra developed a quick, intuitive and secure iOS-based point-of-sale system by combining cloud-based technology and the mobility of the iPad. Revel Systems software offers a feature-rich POS solution for restaurant, retail and grocery establishments with integrated payroll, inventory tracking, customer relationship management and more. With the introduction of the Revel Marketplace, Revel iPad POS users can now integrate directly into third-party enhancements, including mobile payments, online ordering, gift or reward cards and advanced financial software suites. For more information on the new standard in point of sale, please visit http://revelup.com and contact us.

This information is intended to outline Intuit's general product direction, but represents no obligation and should not be relied on in making a purchasing decision.

With the holiday season around the corner, we would like to share some helpful tips & our holiday calendar.

In preparation for the holidays: 

1. Make sure you have enough store supplies on hand such as receipt paper, pricing labels, hang tags, etc. You don't want to run out & then have to wait for a shipment, hindering your production & possibly sales.*see Note below for ordering.
2. Is your staff properly trained on the software? QuickBooks (QB) has a practice mode that allows users to practice using the software without affecting the actual system & data. No transactions are actually recorded.
   At EMS, we offer onsite & remote training so you can be confident that your staff knows how to manage the various transactions & QB functions correctly. You don't want to lose business due to untrained or improperly trained employees.
3. Gift cards: You can process gift card transactions easily, increase store traffic & sales, encouraging more repeat business. And don't forget that they make a great gift, especially for shoppers who don't know what to give or need to make a quick purchase. Gift cards never go out of style.
4. Decorations & Seasonal Items: Making room for holiday decor means spending a little time planning. You'll need to decide where to relocate things & how to make room for the holiday items, be it store decorations &/or seasonal items. Avoid clutter. Keep the traffic flow comfortable for your shoppers. Make sure all items are clearly priced where the labels & tags are easy to see. Some customers won't ask if they don't see a price but will shop at another store where pricing is visibly marked.
5. Keep the store clean. A clean & inviting environment will attract more customers & enhance the shopping experience, more so than a dirty, cluttered store. The staff should also be clean & tidy, not eating while assisting customers, etc.

OUR OFFICE HOLIDAY CLOSURES:
Thur. Nov. 27th & Fri. Nov. 28th:closed for Thanksgiving
             
Wed. Dec. 24th we will close at 3pmPST for Christmas Eve
Thur. Dec. 25th: closed for Christmas

Wed. Dec. 31st we will close at 3pmPST for New Year's Eve
Thur. Jan.1st: closed for New Year's Day

Customer Service Requests: QuickBooks customers who require technical assistance or have an emergency during our office closures may do one of the following:
CONTACT US: (858) 467-0400 Local | (877) 467-0451 Toll-Free
Use our online Contact Us form | Email:info@englishmanagement.com
*For non-emergencies, leave a message at our office number or send an email & we'll reply the following business day. 

CONTACT INTUIT SUPPORT: Fees may apply:

* Point of Sale: 1-800-4INTUIT (800-446-8848)
* Enterprise Solutions: 866-340-7237
* Merchant Services: 800-558-9558    

NOTE: 
Some of our staff will take vacation during the holiday season. This may cause a small delay in scheduling support & training. We value each of you & will do our best to accommodate.
Please plan accordingly & schedule any system upgrades or major process changesbefore or after our holiday closures, allowing enough time for product to arrive & to schedule support/training as necessary.
Shipping lead times on non-holiday weeks:
Supplies: 2-3 business days. Software: 1-2 business days.Hardware: 2-5 business days.

As you know, Will is a member of a QuickBooks forum where member’s posts issues and questions. The colleagues provide information and solutions to help the consultant properly support their client. They explore and share ideas and advice.

Question from a colleague to the group: Client has spun off another wholesale company and would like to keep it completely separate from their existing retail store. Are there any problems with creating another company file in POS and having it synchronize with another QB Financial database?

Colleague: QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) works a little differently than QuickBooks Financial Desktop (QBF). The POS database cannot be renamed like the Desktop *.qbw files. They are all called qbpos.db so the way they are differentiated is that each database is created and put into folders using your Company Name using the default installation directory. So the [company one] folder will contain its qbpos.db file and [company two] folder will contain its qbpos.db file. You can switch back and forth within the software.

Will's reply: The other thing to consider is whether you have more than one workstation connecting to the POS file. If you do, all of the workstations need to be in the same file. For example, if I have 2 workstations, POS will not let me change to the other company unless all of the workstations are logged out and then once I change companies, the client workstations will have to scan the network and reconnect, therefore I really don't recommend it in a multi-user setting. What we can help with is to keep the wholesale inventory in QBF and have them manage it there, unless there is a walk up retail component to that business.

Q & A with Will English

Today’s topic: Assigning Paper Bags to an Account in QBPOS & QBF

Client’s employee: I can set the bags up in QuickBooks Point of Sale (POS) as a Non-Inventory Item:  POS will track the monies collected and we won’t have to include the bag as an item to count when we do year-end inventory.  POS will need to liaise with a QB acct:  what do you want that to be?  (ie, Do these need to be defined as COGS and as income?)  If this item is considered an Income Acct, I’m not sure if that puts the item over into a sales tax category. 

Client’s question: We recently decided to purchase paper bags in case our customers want to buy one (like the supermarkets do). The rules on this seem a bit hazy, but it appears that 1) we are supposed to collect the money, but 2) we can only spend it on buying more bags. We need some advice on how to account for these (and the collected money) in POS & QuickBooks Financial.

Will: Create a non-inventory item Paper Bag with a charge of 10 cents or whatever you want to charge.  Create an Other current asset account called Paper Bag Replacement.  Every time you sell a paper bag, it will add to this account. When you buy more bags, code the check to this account. The balance is what you have available to spend on bags.

We’re very excited to announce that Will has been invited to attend the Major League Baseball (MLB) Trade Show for the 4th consecutive year! It's by invitation only. He will have the opportunity to meet and speak with some of the leading representatives in the industry about the QuickBooks Point of Sale software system and how it will benefit their needs. Several MLB teams are already using this system to manage their clubhouse needs and we’re grateful that they are clients of English Management Solutions, Inc. (EM$) clients. 

Every year, we give a donation to the Major League Baseball Clubhouse Managers Association (MLBCMA) Bat Boy Scholarship Program for each system purchased by a MLB team. We believe it’s important to support such an important program.