Anti-fraud at the checkout: how to prevent fraud by sellers with discount cards

In retail, store owners often face abuse by staff, especially when it comes to handling cash and discount cards. 

Entrepreneurs regularly complain about typical fraud schemes: the most common one is when a salesperson claims they sold a product with a discount, while in reality the product was sold at full price and the discount amount was pocketed. It is also common for cashiers to use an entire "arsenal" of discount cards belonging to their friends or acquaintances (or memorize the barcodes of VIP customers), applying discounts for regular buyers and keeping this money for themselves if the customer does not take the receipt. 

To prevent this, Torgsoft includes a special antifraud mode and a set of settings that minimize the human factor, strictly limit the salesperson’s rights, and make discount fraud impossible.

Here is a detailed guide on how to configure the program to protect your profit from dishonest employees.

1. Prohibit manual card number entry

The easiest way for a salesperson to apply an unauthorized discount is to memorize the number of a discount card with a high percentage and enter it manually on the keyboard whenever the opportunity arises.

 Solution. In the "Settings - Options - Access" menu, activate the function «Prohibit the salesperson from entering the discount card number from the keyboard (scanner only)». After that, the program will stop accepting manual entry, and to apply a discount, the salesperson will have to physically scan the customer’s plastic card.

For additional protection, you can disable the display of the barcode field in the sale window (the «Barcode in the Sale window» switch). This will hide the number from the salesperson, eliminating the possibility of seeing and memorizing it or using someone else’s card.

2. Strict rules for adding a customer to the receipt

Fraud often looks like this: the customer buys a product, pays, and leaves without a receipt. The salesperson does not close the sale immediately, scans their own discount card, receives the discount, closes the receipt, and takes the difference in cash.

 Solution. In the parameter settings, find the field «Customer selection in sale» and set the value to «Before product selection». This introduces a stricter approach: the salesperson will not be able to add a customer (and their discount) after the product has already been scanned. This significantly complicates receipt manipulation after the buyer has left.

3. SMS verification: absolute protection against other people’s cards

If you want to be 100% sure that the discount or bonuses are used specifically by the card owner, use the additional option «Discount card verification via SMS».

How does it work? When attempting to add a customer to the receipt or write off their bonuses (use them to pay for a product), the program automatically sends an SMS message with a secret code to the phone number of the card owner. The salesperson physically cannot apply bonuses or a discount until this code is entered in the program. This completely prevents salespeople from writing off other people’s bonuses.

4. Limit the maximum discount on a product

Sometimes fraud is not even needed: it is enough for a customer with a high discount card (for example, 10-15%) to buy a product with a very low markup (for example, 3-5%). In this case, the store sells the product at a loss.

 Solution. In the product type card, activate the switch «Maximum discount is set» and specify the limit (for example, 0%). In this case, no matter which card the salesperson scans (even their own "gold" card), the discount will not apply to this specific product, and it will be sold strictly at the retail price.

5. Hide customers’ personal data

Salespeople may abuse the «Birthday discount» setting by searching the customer database for people with birthdays and processing sales through them.

 Solution. In the «Salesperson» role settings, enable the parameter «Hide the Date of birth and Gender fields in the customer card». Without this information, staff will not be able to use customers’ holiday discounts for their own purposes.

6. Prohibit deleting products from the receipt and manual discounts

A classic cash theft scheme: the salesperson scans the product, states the amount, the customer gives the exact money and leaves without a receipt. The salesperson deletes the product from the sale (as if the customer refused it) and takes the money.

 Solution:

• Enable the parameter «Salesperson cannot delete products in sale». Only the administrator or owner will be able to cancel the receipt or delete a product from it.

• Also, in the role settings, block the salesperson from changing the sale price in the sale and applying manual discounts. If there are problems with constant changes to customer discounts, restrict salespeople’s access to the customer form and editing customer cards.

7. Receipt as the main controller

None of the above schemes work if the customer receives a receipt. If the salesperson did not apply the discount, the customer will see it on the receipt.

 Solution. Introduce a rule (and place a notice for customers): "Returns and exchanges are only possible with a receipt". This will encourage customers to take their receipts. Mandatory printing of fiscal receipts (ECR/pECR) additionally strengthens security, because every transaction is recorded.

8. Personalization of responsibility (Salesperson identification)

To understand exactly who committed fraud, every receipt must be signed.

 Solution. Enable the setting «Link sale to salesperson» and select registration «For each sale». The salesperson will be required to scan their personal badge before each new receipt. This provides full control and allows you to easily track in the "User action log" exactly who carried out suspicious cancellations or returns under other people’s names.