Do you need a cash register in online trading

We continue to answer questions related to online trading. In this article, we will discuss when to use a cash register when selling goods online and when to punch a receipt?

What is a settlement transaction?

The main idea of the Law on Cash Registers is that if there is a payment transaction, then you need to use a cash register. The concept of a payment transaction includes acceptance of cash and payment cards at the place of sale of goods and services. That is, cash registers must be used for cash and non-cash payments.

If you accept payments exclusively in non-cash form (the buyer transfers money from his or her current account to yours), then you do not need a cash register.

Internet acquiring

The essence of Internet acquiring is that it is a non-cash payment using a payment card. The buyer pays for the purchase on the online store's website by entering the card details. Typically, such services are provided by LiqPay, Portmone, Platon, Fondy, and other payment systems.

Such payments on the website of an online store can be equated to card payments through a POS-terminal in a regular store (offline). Only in this case, a virtual terminal is used. Therefore, if you use Internet acquiring, you will need to use a cash register.

Some companies that provide online acquiring services offer the service of transferring money from their website. In this case, the buyer pays for the goods using the seller's details, but enters these data on the acquirer's website, not on the website of your online store. It turns out that the card payment is accepted by the acquirer, and you receive the money in non-cash form (from the acquirer's account to yours), and then you do not need to use a cash register. But! The tax authorities have not yet given any comments on such a "scheme of work", so for your peace of mind, it is better to get an individual tax consultation.

Internet banking

Internet banking is a software package that allows you to make payments and control your transactions without visiting the bank 24/7. Such programs include: Privat24, Monobank, and others.

For the rest of the world, payments made through online banking are considered cashless. In this case, the money is transferred from the buyer's account to the seller's account, and the payment is initiated by the buyer (i.e., the seller does not accept the card).

What about the check?

In all of their explanations, the tax authorities state that a receipt must be printed at the time of the payment transaction based on a bank statement, i.e., as soon as the money is credited to the seller's account, a receipt must be printed and enclosed in the parcel. This should be done regardless of whether the payment was made via Internet banking or Internet acquiring.

And what about payments that are not received immediately, but, say, in three days? Most payment systems do not transfer money to the buyer's account instantly, but at best the next day or within three business days. In such a situation, the seller sees the payment from the buyer in the payment system's personal account and has to send the goods to the buyer, but the money has not yet appeared in the bank statement. In other words, when shipping the goods and sending them to the buyer, the seller must include a check in the parcel and endorse it with the date of shipment. Today, the tax authorities do not question such receipts.

If the customer paid for the goods on a weekend or outside of business hours, then the check should be issued on the next business day during business hours.

Cash on delivery

If the buyer sends the goods by cash on delivery, there are two options:

1. the buyer sent the goods and received cash back - a cash register is required;
2. the buyer sends the goods, for example, by Nova Poshta, and the money for the goods is transferred by the Forpost system to the seller's account - no cash register is required (regardless of how the buyer pays: in cash or by card).

PTKS - Self-service software and hardware complex

If the customer pays for the goods using a self-service terminal owned by a bank or financial institution, then the cash register does not need to be used, since the seller receives money in non-cash form and does not accept cards.

Remember the most important thing: when you knock out a cash register receipt, you need to pay the full amount of the purchase (you do not need to deduct the commission amount).

In the next article, we will talk about shopping in foreign online stores.