Special products at the checkout: how a cashier can work with alcohol, weighted goods and electronics at Torgsoft

A cashier’s work requires attention, especially when it comes to goods whose sale is strictly controlled by law (alcohol, tobacco) or requires additional actions in the program (weighing, recording serial numbers).

This instruction is a step-by-step memo for the cashier that will help process specific goods through the checkout quickly and without mistakes, avoid fines, and know what to do in case of technical failures.

1. Sale of excisable goods (Alcohol and Tobacco)

The sale of spirits and tobacco products is strictly controlled by the tax authority. For successful fiscalization of such receipts via PECR or a hardware fiscal recorder, the program requires accurate data to be transmitted: the UKTZED code and the excise stamp barcode.

What the cashier needs to know:

• Mandatory scanning of the excise stamp. Since October 1, 2021, when selling spirits, it is mandatory to transmit the excise stamp barcode in the fiscal receipt. When such an item is added to a sale, Torgsoft will automatically open an additional window requiring the stamp to be scanned.
• Scan the linear barcode, not the QR code. Be careful: you need to scan the linear barcode of the excise stamp, not the square QR code.
• Bulk sale of the same alcohol. If the customer buys several bottles at once, you can enable the «Scan excise stamp in a loop» setting. This allows you to scan stamps continuously one after another, which significantly speeds up service. The quantity of goods added to the receipt must match the number of scanned excise stamps.
• Age verification (18+). When selling alcohol or tobacco, the cashier must independently check the buyer’s age according to the store rules and legal requirements. In the regular cashier mode in Torgsoft, separate age confirmation by scanning a badge is not used. This scenario may be applied for a self-checkout, where confirmation by a responsible person is required before continuing the sale of 18+ goods.

• UKTZED code. This 10-digit code is mandatory for excisable goods. It is usually filled in by the inventory manager when receiving goods, but if a fiscalization error related to the UKTZED code occurs, inform the administrator — the code must be added to the item card on the «Additional» tab.

2. Working with retail scales at the checkout

When selling weighed goods (vegetables, fruits, candies, etc.), Torgsoft automatically receives data from connected electronic scales. This eliminates manual entry errors and speeds up the queue.

Work algorithm:

1. Place the product on the scales.

2. Select the item in the program (using a scanner, hotkeys, or search by name).

3. A weighing window will appear on the screen, where the program will show the weight, price per kilogram, and final cost.

4. Click «Save» (or Enter) to add the item to the receipt.

 What to do if the weight is NOT transferred to the program?

Sometimes the connection between the scales and the computer is lost. Here is the action plan:

• Step 1. Check the cable and power. Make sure the scales are turned on and the cable is firmly connected to the scales and to the USB/COM port of the computer. Try turning the scales off for a few seconds and then turning them back on.
• Step 2. Manual weight entry (emergency option). If there is a large queue and the scales do not respond, you can use the «Set weight manually» function (if the administrator has not blocked this option for sellers). Check this field and enter the weight from the keyboard after looking at the scales display.
• Step 3. Contact the administrator (COM port issue). The most common reason for a system-level connection loss is that Windows automatically updated the USB-COM adapter driver, causing it to stop working correctly.
• What should the administrator/technical support do? Open Windows «Device Manager», remove the updated COM port driver, install the correct working version, and be sure to disable automatic updating of this driver through the Windows Local Group Policy.

3. Sale of warranty goods and electronics (Serial numbers)

For electronics, household appliances, and other expensive goods, Torgsoft uses serial number accounting. This is necessary so that in the future the store can accept the item for warranty repair and know exactly that the customer bought this particular device from you.

Procedure for selling a warranty item:

• Recording the serial number. When you add an item subject to warranty accounting to a sale, the program will automatically open the «Serial number» window. You must scan the serial number barcode from the box or the device itself.

• Strict warranty accounting. If «Strict warranty accounting» is enabled in the store, the program will not allow the item to be sold if the entered serial number is not physically available in warehouse stock. This protects against item mix-ups.

• Bulk sale. If you sell several identical devices (for example, 5 monitors), the program will ask you to enter the serial number for each of them. Use the «Scan serial number in a loop» checkbox to quickly scan all boxes one after another.

• Issuing a warranty card. After you click «Pay» and the receipt is closed, the program will automatically offer to print a Warranty card (or will print it automatically, depending on the settings). Be sure to give it to the customer together with the fiscal receipt.

• Return of warranty goods. If the customer returns the item, after scanning the sales receipt, the program will again ask you to specify the serial number of the returned item. Carefully compare it with the number indicated on the device. With strict accounting, it is impossible to return a device with a «foreign» serial number.

Summary for the cashier:

Torgsoft is designed to guide you step by step. Read the messages on the screen carefully (especially when the program requests excise stamps and serial numbers). If equipment (scales or terminal) «disconnects» — do not panic: check the cables and restart the device, and if this does not help, promptly pass the information to the administrator to check the COM ports. Fiscalization and warranty accounting do not tolerate approximation, so scanning accuracy is your peace of mind and the security of the business.