Why it goes wrong
Returns are where money leaves the till most quietly. The most common misuse goes like this: the customer has left, the cashier “returns” their sale and takes the money from the drawer. If nobody confirms returns and they don't show up in any report, nobody notices, and the shortage simply stays “unexplained”. Honest mistakes are common too: a damaged item goes back into stock and the stock level is inflated, or a cash refund isn't recorded anywhere and the drawer is short in the evening. This lesson is about recording a return; when you must accept one is set by your shop's policy and the law.
How to do it in Termino
- 1
Set the return PIN
In the system, on the “Branches” page, open the branch's menu and choose “Set return PIN”. Without the PIN, returns at the till are impossible, so share it only with whoever approves returns.
- 2
Find the sale
At the till, open the menu → “Sales history”, find the sale, select it and then press “Return”. The “This shift” filter or a date finds the sale quickly: each one shows the time, items, cashier and amount. The return is made on the till where the sale was made, and the cashier's shift must be open.
- 3
Restock or write off
On each line, enter the quantity being returned and choose “Restock” if the item can be sold again, or “Discard” if it's damaged: a written-off item doesn't go back into stock, so the stock level isn't inflated. The “Refund total” is shown below.
- 4
Refund and PIN
Under “Refund method”, choose “Cash” or “Card”, then enter the branch's 4-digit return PIN. “Return processed” appears: press “Done” and, for a cash refund, hand the customer the money. A cash refund is automatically recorded as cash paid out, so the expected cash at the end of the shift comes out right.
- 5
Check in the system
The owner sees every sale with its return status in the “Transactions” report, and each shift's difference in the “Shifts” report. That shows on which till and in which shift returns are becoming frequent: if returns and a shortage turn up together in one shift, look there first.
The full guide, with screenshots, is in the Termino system once you sign in. It is in Georgian for now.
Read the full guideFrequently asked questions
Why can't I just cancel a sale?
The Termino till has no way to cancel a sale. Every correction is recorded as a return, with a PIN, so the history shows both the original sale and the return.
The “Return” button is greyed out.
Either the cashier's shift isn't open, or every item in this sale has already been returned. In Termino, returns can only be made during an open shift.
The till says “Return PIN not set for this branch”.
The branch doesn't have a return PIN yet. The owner needs to open the “Branches” page in the Termino system, open the branch's menu and choose “Set return PIN”.
Can I return an item that was sold on another till?
No. The Termino till's sales history shows only that till's sales, so a return is made on the till where the sale was made.
I can't find an old sale in the history.
The Termino till keeps its sales for about 3 months. Older sales that have already been sent drop out of the history and can no longer be returned at the till.