Vital Select FAQs
HARDWARE:
Issues/TroubleshootingQ: If a Payment Terminal (not the POS App) crashes, does the merchant have to re-enter the data and card numbers?
A: Yes. The terminal is a host unto itself. We keep record of the sales it processes, but do not support it as a backup memory.
WiFi Connectivity
Q: Can the PAX E500 and Elo devices run on WiFi or do they need to be hard wired?
A: E500 can run on Wifi, but the Elo must run hard-wired, since the supplied router does not have Wi-Fi enabled for PCI compliance reasons. If an E500 is used with Ethernet printers, then it must also be hard wired into the supplied router.
Router
Q: Can the router be programed before leaving the warehouse?
A: Yes, routers can be pre-programed before leaving the warehouse.
Printers
Q: How are station printers (hardware) setup in a location, where does the connection come from?
A: IP address in the settings of the tablet allows you to connect multiple printers.
Q: If you have multiple kitchen printers, how do you connect them without slowing things down or having tons of wire?
A: An Ethernet hub or switch is recommended when multiple connections need to be used.
Q: Is it possible to connect to a printer that prints labels at the time of sale (i.e. wine bottles?)
A: No, this feature does not exist today.
Q: How can you make the Kitchen printer font change?
A: Currently there is no way to enlarge or change the color of the kitchen printer text.
Warranty
Q: What is the warranty and what does it include and exclude?
A: For Warranty information please contact you sales representative.
Miscellaneous
Q: How do I purchase another register?
A: You may purchase another register by contacting your sales representative.
Q: Can I bring my own tablet?
A: Please see your sales representative regarding appropriate hardware.
Q: For the PAX E500, do both screens (merchant-facing and customer-facing) need to be engaged to process a refund?
A: Yes. All refunds must be driven from the customer-facing screen first on the PAX E500.
SOFTWARE:
Modifiers
Q: How do you add modifiers?
A: Modifiers must be added manually. You can add them in the portal, or app. Under the Items section, select Modifiers, and add new modifier. Please note that for Multi-Unit accounts, you must be at the Account level to see and manage the list of modifiers.
Issues/Troubleshooting
Q: I can’t login; it says “no registers available”?
A: This error occurs when there are no “open” register seats. A support representative would need to either create a new, or open up an existing Register space for the hardware you’re using.
Q: What does Transaction Status: “Suspended” mean?
A: These are held transactions that have not been Checked Out.
Inventory
Q: How do you add additional inventory?
A: If you imported your inventory with a CSV file, and you need to import more, you can just add inventory to your previous list. The system will skip over the items you have already imported, and will accept the new items into the system.
Q: What happens when an item is scanned but isn’t in the inventory? Does the POS notify the cashier? Could the item be entered immediately to the inventory?
A: The POS displays “Could not find item: - Scanned Value Here - “
Q: Can barcode labels be printed for items without barcodes?
A: Yes, the scanner is only searching for a value in the Product Code field, so those can be anything.
Q: When I import my product codes, the leading zeros are being dropped. How do I resolve this to import my codes correctly?
A: Before entering the product codes into the Excel sheet, first you will need to change the cell formatting for the Item Code column to “Text”. Once that is done, go ahead and enter all your product codes. This formatting will ensure that numbers you enter are not modified by Excel. After entering all of your product codes, save as a .csv and import within the back office. Do not re-open the file in Excel to double-check, or your formatting will be lost.
Q: If you are scanning items that have a modifier option attached (sub sku) it currently skips the modification. How do you select the modifier?
A: You can select them if you stop between items. If you scan the next item, the modifier selection is overridden. To set modifiers, you can tap on the item once it is added to the cart.
Q: Are Item Alerts determined by user permission level of login?
A: No, It is set for the item, and reaches across all level of users.
Users
Q: Where do I add more users?
A: More users may be added in the back-office portal under the Staff section, then the User section, then “add user” button.
Q: Is there a way to import users and user data?
A: No, we ask merchants to provide a digital listing of users to ensure the data is readily available to onboarding teams.
Q: How do I see what permissions are enabled for a group?
A: If your user has the appropriate access level, you can select the Group under Staff > Groups on the back office, and select the ‘Edit’ icon to reveal the permissions of that group. If you are unable to see the permissions, you will need to contact an administrator on your team.
Q: If a user is locked out, can they get back in before the 30-minute waiting period?
A: Yes, an admin can change the password to enable access.
Account Information
Q: How do I change my password, or an employee’s password?
A: In the portal navigate to Staff section, Users section, then Change Password.
Q: How can I update my merchant information?
A: Customer service can update merchant information for you.
Q: How many digits can a pin number be?
A: 6 digits exactly.
Q: Why is it that I can access the POS with just my username and password, but for the back office they want an email address?
A: If you don’t have an email address, you cannot access the portal directly, you must go through the POS back office option. This is by design, and is intended to keep sensitive data protected.
Q: How will a merchant know what their username and password are for initial login?
A: Merchants will receive a welcome email informing them of their permanent username, and their temporary password.
Q: Why do merchants have to call in to change my Business Details?
A: Address change or name change must call in (as well as to the terminal provider) and have the details updated manually over the phone. This is for PCI compliance, and to protect the security of the Merchant's data.
Tax
Q: Do you have to assign a tax to everything?
A: You do not. If you choose not to assign tax to an item, no tax will be charged.
Q: Does it support multiple tax amounts (i.e. 6% for general items and 10% for alcohol?)
A: Yes, the POS supports multiple taxes and they can be assigned to 1 or more items
Discounts
Q: Can multiple discounts be programmed (i.e. 5% for a half-case of wine and 10% for a full-case of wine?)
A: Yes, the POS supports multiple kinds of pre-configured discounts
Tipping
Q: Does the mobile POS application support tip adjust?
A: The mobile application does support tipping, but it must be performed at the time of the sale.
Q: How is tip management going to be handled for the restaurant app?
A: Tip management is available for some terminals. The POS application handles this under Management and End of Day.
Q: Can a merchant adjust tips during an offline transaction?
A: No.
Q: Is there a way to do cashed paid tips (Exchange card tips for cash amounts?)
A: Yes, the ‘Paid Tips’ screen under Management on the POS application allows you to cash out Credit Card tips to employees.
Reporting
Q: Can merchants see, in real-time, which items are selling, or is it just end of day reporting?
A: Yes, merchants can look at reports at any time in the back office, and these reports are always in real-time. The Top Item sales report is a great tool to see what items are selling the best.
Q: How do you view X and Z report for a batch in the portal?
A: Navigate to Transactions > Batches > Select the batch you wish to view > Print Report.
Q: What are Audits?
A: Audits are a log of all functions and actions in the app.
Q: Is there a report that shows paid tips for every employee (server… user) for credit cards?
A: Yes, you can find this in the ‘sales by user’ report.
Q: Is there a Report of aggregate hours for all employees for time clock?
A: You can see a report of all hours by employee by in the time clock module on the back office.
Q: Is there profit margin reporting?
A: Yes, there is a Profit Margin report. It calculates the margin based on the current cost vs. price. It does not calculate for items that have a negative margin, or the cost/price of modifiers.
Third-Party Applications
Q: Is there an option to have a customer donate to a specific charity that can appear on-screen?
A: No, this feature does not exist today.
Q: Is there any type of open API available to connect with a third-party application?
A: No, currently there is no open API available.
Q: Does Vital have a gift card offering available?
A: No, currently there is no gift card offering available through Vital.
Q: Is there QuickBooks integration?
A: Not yet but we do have transaction export abilities, such as to CSV.
Miscellaneous
Q: Does Vital support “Age Verification” for items such as alcohol and tobacco?
A: Yes. Age verification can be set up in the back office per-item as an “Item Alert Message”
Q: Does Vital support EBT payment?
A: No, currently the software does not support payment via EBT.
Q: Does Vital support PIN-debit payment?
A: PIN Debit is currently not supported on the Vital POS platform.
Q: Do you support offline transactions or “store & forward”?
A: No, store and forward (SAF) is not currently available.
Q: Can merchants alter receipt text?
A: Yes, this is in the Back Office portal under Store Setup > Receipts.
Q: What are Tasks, and what does this section display?
A: Uploads, such as Inventory and Modifiers that have been attempted on an account. We save all uploads, even those that fail, along with the accompanying file.
Q: Can I close a batch for a merchant?
A: Because most terminals are terminal-capture, there is no way to invoke a batch close remotely.
Q: What is the typical size of a retail client? (what size do we stop supporting well)?
A: Retail clients can range in side from 5 to 5,000 items. Larger inventories are supported, but may need special attention.