Setting up a point of sale for a UAE shop: a practical guide

A product list with VAT set on every item

A point of sale is only as good as its product list. Before the first sale, enter each product with its name, selling price and tax treatment. For most shop goods that will be 5% VAT, but ask your accountant about anything that may be treated differently and record the answer once, on the product. Decide whether shelf prices include VAT or whether VAT is added at the counter, and keep that choice the same for every item.

Keep product names short and consistent, so that a new cashier finds the right item quickly and does not guess. Remove items you no longer sell instead of leaving them to be rung up by mistake, and review the list for wrong prices whenever a supplier changes theirs. A weekly look takes minutes and prevents many till disputes.

What a good receipt shows

A good receipt answers the customer's first questions without a conversation. It usually shows the shop name and your TRN, the date and time, a receipt number, each item with its price, VAT as its own amount, the total and how it was paid. Check with the FTA what a receipt or tax invoice must show in your case, as the details depend on the document. The point of sale in TAQNIX ERP gives Arabic and English receipts.

Cash, card and split payments

Customers pay by cash or card, and some pay by both on the same sale. Whichever system you choose, ask to see a split payment from start to finish and check that each part is recorded under its own payment type. That is what makes your evening comparison possible, because the cash drawer and the card terminal each have to match their own line.

Give each cashier a separate login, and decide who may take payments, cancel a sale or change a price at the counter. A shared login saves a few seconds a day and costs you the ability to trace a difference to a person and a shift, which is exactly what you need when the drawer is short.

Opening and closing the day

Open the day by recording the float, the cash left in the drawer to give change, and by checking that the date and any new prices are right. Close it by counting the cash, saving the day's totals and comparing cash and card with what the system shows. Review the day's returns and manual price changes before you lock up. Write down any difference on the day, even a small one.

Handling returns at the counter

Returns are where shops most often lose track of money. Agree a simple rule: a return is processed against the original sale, using the receipt, and leaves a record that reduces the day's takings. It is never handled by taking cash from the drawer without a note. Decide who may approve a refund and whether it goes back by the original payment method.

If a business customer bought on an invoice and needs a credit note rather than a till refund, issue it as a credit note linked to that invoice, so the customer balance and the VAT summary follow. Ask your accountant how returns should appear in your own VAT records, and keep the reason for the return on the document.

Supplier orders and a before-you-buy checklist

Behind the counter, the shop buys from suppliers. Raise a purchase order for each order, so that when the supplier's invoice arrives you can compare it with what you asked for and query any difference before paying. TAQNIX ERP covers purchase orders alongside invoicing and the point of sale for shops and cafes. Before you buy any system, ask for each item below to be shown on your own products.

• Every product has a name, a price and a VAT treatment
• The receipt shows VAT as its own amount, the total and the payment type
• A split payment and a refund are shown live, on your own products
• Opening, closing and differences are recorded per cashier
• Purchase orders to suppliers can be compared with their invoices