Counter Devices & Cashier Seats

Approve or reject a pending counter device, connect the owner's device, read the Expired marker, check cashier seat counts, and give your team counter access from the Team page.

The Counter devices screen is the owner's admin view of which devices may bill at your counter. Who can sign in at the counter, and how many cashier seats are in use, is managed on the Team page. This page walks through both, including the markers and messages you see when something is off.

Before you start

The POS add-on must be active. If it is not, the screen shows The counter add-on is not active. Other payment flows remain available. (never enabled) or Counter sales are paused. Past bills and obligations remain available. (lapsed), with Review in Billing and Counter history links. See Turn On the POS Add-on.
Approving, rejecting and connecting devices needs device-management permission, and resetting a staff PIN or assigning counter access needs cashier-management permission. Without it the matching buttons are disabled or hidden.
The store owner uses no cashier seat.

Open the screens

Screen: In the classic sidebar, the counter group is titled Counter devices and holds Counter devices, Cashier access and Open existing POS. In the new sidebar the counter group no longer has a Cashier access item; use Counter devices (it opens /counter/devices) and manage people under the Team group. In the classic sidebar Cashier access is still listed and opens the Team page.

Cashier access no longer opens its own table. Opening it from the classic sidebar, or selecting the Cashier access tab on this screen, takes you to the Team page filtered to people with counter access (/team?filter=counter). Everything about who may sign in at the counter now lives there: see Check cashier seats and Team: People, Seats & Access.

On this screen the tabs are Counter devices, Cashier access and Settings. Settings is a link to Counter settings; see POS Settings.

Approve a pending device

When a device connects through cashier setup (see Get Started with Point of Sale), it appears here until you approve it.

Open the Counter devices tab

The table has four columns: Device, Counter, Status and Action. Counter shows the register name, then a dot, then the staff name.

Find the row marked Needs approval

Status is one of Needs approval (pending), Approved, or Access removed.

Select Approve

You see Device approved. and the table reloads. The device can now go on to cashier sign-in. Only Needs approval rows have an Approve button; the button is disabled while another action is running or while the add-on is not active.

What the Device and Status columns can show

You see	Meaning
Unnamed device in Device	The server has no name saved for that device. Approving still works. Name devices when you connect them (see below) so they are easy to tell apart.
Needs approval	Waiting for you to select Approve.
Approved	The device may go to cashier sign-in.
Access removed	The device was removed, either earlier or by Sign out this counter. It has no action here and cannot be approved again; connect a device again.
Expired - reconnect needed, shown in bold after the status (for example Approved · Expired - reconnect needed)	The device's connection has lapsed. It must reconnect through cashier setup (Set up this counter at `/pos/bind`) before it can bill again.

If no device has connected yet the table is empty and the note reads No devices connected. Open POS to connect the owner's device.

Reject a device waiting for approval

Use this when a device shows up as Needs approval that you do not recognise or no longer want, for example someone ran Set up this counter on the wrong tablet.

Open the Counter devices tab

Find the row whose Status reads Needs approval. Only those rows have a Reject button, beside Approve, and only for an admin whose role can manage counter devices.

Select Reject

The row opens a confirmation: Reject (device name)? The device is removed and cannot sign in. A removed device cannot be approved again; to use this counter, connect a device again from this screen. A device with no saved name reads Unnamed device.

Confirm with Reject and remove device

You see Device rejected. Its access was removed. and the table reloads. The confirm button is red because removing a device cannot be undone. Cancel closes the confirmation and changes nothing. Both buttons are disabled while another action is running.

What happens next: the row now reads Access removed and has no action. The device cannot be approved later; if you rejected it by mistake, connect it again (Set up this counter on the device, or Open POS on this device below for your own device) and approve the new request. The rejected device itself drops back to the Set up this counter screen (/pos/bind) the next time it checks or reloads, and cannot sign in. Unlike Approve, Reject is not turned off when the add-on is inactive.

Sign out a counter

Use this when a cashier is signed in on a device you need to free: a counter left signed in, a lost or replaced tablet, or a cashier told That counter was used in the last 10 minutes, so it cannot be signed out yet. while trying to sign in elsewhere.

Open the Counter devices tab

Use the same entry as above. The Action column of each row holds that row's actions.

Find the device

Look for the row whose Counter shows the register and staff name, with Status Approved. Sign out this counter appears only on Approved rows, and only for an admin whose role can manage counter devices. A Needs approval row shows Approve instead; an Access removed row shows no action.

Select Sign out this counter

The row changes to a confirmation: Sign out (device name)? Whoever is signed in on this counter is signed out right away and the device is removed. A removed device cannot be approved again; to use this counter again, connect a device again from this screen. A device with no saved name reads Unnamed device.

Confirm with Sign out and remove device

You see Counter signed out. The device was removed. and the table reloads. Cancel closes the confirmation and changes nothing. Both buttons are disabled while another action is running.

What happens next: the cashier on that device is signed out immediately, the row now reads Access removed, and that device cannot be approved again. To bill on that counter again, connect a new device: either run Set up this counter on it, or use Open POS on this device below if it is your own device, then approve it. Unlike Approve, Sign out this counter is not turned off when the add-on is inactive.

Connect the owner's own device

Select Open POS on this device

Below the table. It is disabled when the add-on is inactive or you lack device-management permission. Open existing POS beside it just goes to /pos.

Fill the form

The form says The server checks owner approval and counter access. No cashier seat is used by the owner. Enter Device name (required, up to 80 characters) and choose a counter under Counter.

Select Approve and open POS

The device is approved and saved on this browser, then POS opens at its sign-in screen. Cancel returns to the table. The button stays disabled until the name is filled in and a counter is chosen.

If it fails you see The action did not finish. Reload the current status before trying again. with a Try again button; reload the table and check the row before repeating.

Check cashier seats

Open Team → Team. Above the people table is the seat strip. The Plan seats bar counts every person once; beside it a separate Counter seats · POS box shows how many counter seats are used, for example "2 of 3", with the note Each cashier also uses 1 plan seat. It reads Unlimited in place of the limit when the plan has no cap. When every counter seat is taken the box says All counter seats used. with a Review extra seat in Billing link. The owner signs in with an owner PIN and takes no cashier seat: their row reads Owner PIN · no cashier seat. Seat rules for the whole page are in Team: People, Seats & Access.

The Counter (PIN) column shows each person's counter state: Cashier (or Manager for an existing manager seat) when access is on, Off when it is not, and Paused by plan when a plan change paused it. The Counter filter (the filter chip reads Counter with a count) lists only people with counter access.

Giving counter access to more staff

Counter access is store-wide: once someone has it, they can sign in on any approved counter device with their own PIN. You give it from the Team page, so a cashier is the same person record as their admin login or bookings, never a second staff record. You do not need Appointments switched on.

Open Team → Team

Choose Add person for someone new, or open an existing person from the table. If you arrive from the old Cashier access link you land on the Counter filter of the same page.

Turn on the Counter switch

For a new person, switch on Counter (PIN) in the Add person dialog. For an existing person, open their page and switch on Counter (PIN) (the toggle in the Counter card). Both show a fixed Cashier label (the counter role is always Cashier; there is no role list) and a PIN (6 digits) field. The PIN is exactly six digits, not one digit repeated and not a straight run such as 123456; a PIN another cashier already uses is refused. The owner's own row cannot be switched.

Seats full: move a seat

Each counter seat holds one person. If every seat is used, the person page shows All counter seats are used. Move a seat from someone else, or review extra seats in Billing. with a Move a seat from list (it starts at Choose a person) of the people who currently have counter access. Choose one, then select Turn on counter again. That person loses counter sign-in and the seat moves to this one; their PIN and history are kept. The same list appears whether this is the first time the person gets counter access or you are switching it back on. Moving a manager's seat needs the store owner. Instead of moving a seat you can switch another person's Counter (PIN) off, which frees their seat, or buy another seat in Billing.

In the Add person dialog there is no Move list. When every counter seat is used, Save person shows All counter seats are in use (N of M). Save without counter access, or free a seat from another person's Counter (PIN). and nothing is created. Switch Counter (PIN) off in the dialog to save the person without counter access, or free a seat first and try again.

Save

In the person page select Turn on counter; in the Add person dialog select Save person. Give the PIN to the person in person; they choose their name on the counter's sign-in screen and type it. See Get Started with Point of Sale.

Counter access needs a free seat in both pools: one plan seat (shown as Uses 1 plan seat on the person page) and one counter seat. A store with no free plan seat is told All seats used on the strip even when counter seats are free. If you are only allowed to manage logins and not the counter, the Counter switch is disabled.

Restore counter access

A person whose counter access was switched off keeps their PIN and history; turning the switch off only frees the counter seat. To give sign-in back, open Team → Team, open the person, and switch Counter (PIN) on again, then select Turn on counter (the form asks for the role and a PIN again). When a plan change paused the cashier, the row reads Paused by plan; review the counter add-on in Billing first. If every counter seat is used, use Move a seat from, switch another cashier's Counter (PIN) off, or add a seat in Billing first.

Reset a cashier's PIN

There is no Forgot PIN link on the counter. Open the person on Team → Team, scroll to the Counter (PIN) card, click Reset PIN, type a New PIN (6 digits) and click Save new PIN. You see "PIN updated. Share it with them privately." The button shows only while the person's Counter is on and your role can manage the counter. The full steps and the weak-PIN message are in Reset a PIN.

Who cannot get counter access

The Counter (PIN) switch on a person's page and in the Add person dialog is the only in-app way to give counter access. Some people cannot be given it:

The store owner. The switch is locked and the card reads Owner PIN · no cashier seat; the server also refuses with "The owner can't be changed here." The owner uses no cashier seat. Only Reset PIN is offered; see POS Settings.
Vendor team members. They are not on Team → Team, so there is no Counter switch for them. Vendor people are managed under Team → Vendor teams; see Team.
People you removed. Removing a person from Team also switches their counter access off.
Anyone, if your role cannot manage the counter. The switch is disabled (both on the person page and in the Add person dialog). Ask the store owner.
Anyone, until a counter seat is free. Move a seat or free one; see the seats step above.

Note

Where did Assign existing staff and Restore counter access go? The old Cashier access table, with its Assign existing staff, Assign counter access, Manage access and Restore counter access buttons, is replaced by the Team page above. Giving access to someone already on your team is the same as any other person: open them on Team → Team and switch Counter (PIN) on. Someone not on the team yet is added with Add person; see Team.

Troubleshooting

What you see	Why, and what to do
Counter status could not be confirmed right now. Try again in a moment.	The server could not confirm your counter add-on status (a temporary 503). The tables are not shown. Select Try again. It is not a statement that the add-on is off.
The action did not finish. Reload the current status before trying again.	Any other failure to load or save. Select Try again, then check the row before repeating.
Why does my device not show up in the table?	It has not been connected yet. On that device, open `/pos` and run Set up this counter (see Get Started), or use Open POS on this device here. Then reload this screen. Check you are in the right store.
The device shows Expired - reconnect needed	Reconnect it through Set up this counter; approving again is not enough.
No Approve button on a row	The row is not Needs approval, the add-on is inactive, or your admin role cannot manage devices.
A person shows Off in the Counter (PIN) column but should be a cashier	Their counter access was switched off, or moved to someone else to free a seat. Open their page on the Team page and switch Counter (PIN) on; see Restore counter access.
The Counter switch will not turn on	Either no counter seat is free (the person page says All counter seats are used.), no plan seat is free, the add-on is inactive, or your admin role cannot manage the counter. Move a seat with Move a seat from, switch another cashier's Counter (PIN) off, or review seats in Billing. See Giving counter access to more staff.
I rejected a device by mistake	A rejected device cannot be approved again. Connect it again from Set up this counter, then approve the new request. See Reject a device waiting for approval.
I opened Cashier access and landed on the Team page	That is expected: the cashier list moved to Team → Team, filtered to Counter. See Open the screens.
Seat counts say they are not available	The included and purchased split could not be read. Used and limit still show. The owner never uses a seat.
The sign-in screen shows nobody to choose	Nobody has counter access yet, or their access is off. Switch Counter (PIN) on for them on the Team page.
No Sign out this counter button on a row	Only Approved rows have it. Needs approval rows have Approve, Access removed rows have no action, and your admin role must be able to manage counter devices. Ask the owner if you cannot see it.
A cashier is told the counter is in use	Select Sign out this counter on the device they are signed in on, or let them wait until that counter has been idle for 10 minutes and take over from the sign-in screen. See Get Started with Point of Sale.