# Process a POS Order (/how-to/pos/process-a-pos-order)



This guide covers building an order on the POS screen, from adding products to the cart through order creation. Payment collection is covered separately in [Accept Terminal Payments](/how-to/pos/accept-terminal-payments) and [Manage POS Orders](/how-to/pos/manage-pos-orders).

Prerequisites [#prerequisites]

* POS is enabled (see [Set Up POS](/how-to/pos/set-up-pos))
* At least one product synced (see [Create POS Products](/how-to/pos/create-pos-products))

The POS Screen Layout [#the-pos-screen-layout]

Navigate to **Dashboard > POS**. The screen has two main areas:

* **Left side -- Product Grid**: Shows all active products as clickable cards with images, names, and prices. Products marked as taxable show a "+ tax" indicator.
* **Right side -- Cart**: Displays the current order with line items, quantities, totals, and the checkout button.

The header shows the product count, last sync time, and buttons for **Sync Products**, **Orders**, and **Settings**.

Step 1: Add Products to the Cart [#step-1-add-products-to-the-cart]

Click any product card in the grid to add it to the cart. Each click adds one unit.

* If the product is already in the cart, its quantity increases by one.
* If the product is new to the cart, a new line item appears.

Adjusting Quantities [#adjusting-quantities]

For each item in the cart:

* Click the **+** button to increase the quantity.
* Click the **-** button to decrease the quantity. If the quantity reaches zero, the item is removed.
* Click the **X** button on the item to remove it entirely.

Quick Sale (Custom Items) [#quick-sale-custom-items]

Currently, POS orders use products from the synced catalog. To sell something not in your catalog, add it as a product in Stripe and sync, or create a generic product (e.g., "Miscellaneous") with a flexible price.

Step 2: Apply a Discount (Optional) [#step-2-apply-a-discount-optional]

Below the cart items, there is a **Discount** field. Enter a dollar amount to subtract from the order.

* The discount is applied to the taxable subtotal before tax is calculated.
* The discount cannot be negative.
* There is no percentage-based discount field on the POS screen; calculate the dollar amount and enter it directly.

Step 3: Review the Order Summary [#step-3-review-the-order-summary]

The cart summary shows a breakdown of the order:

| Line               | Description                                                                                                                                    |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Subtotal**       | Sum of all line item totals (unit price times quantity).                                                                                       |
| **Discount**       | The discount amount you entered (shown in red if greater than zero).                                                                           |
| **Sales Tax**      | Calculated as the sales tax rate percentage applied to the taxable subtotal minus discount. Only appears if the tax rate is greater than zero. |
| **Additional Tax** | The second tax (named per your settings), if configured. Only appears if greater than zero.                                                    |
| **Total**          | The grand total the customer owes.                                                                                                             |

The item count is displayed in the cart header.

Step 4: Create the Order [#step-4-create-the-order]

1. Review the cart summary.
2. Click **Create Order**.
3. The system validates the order:
   * At least one item is required.
   * If **Require Customer Selection** is enabled in settings, a customer must be attached.
   * The discount cannot be negative.
   * Each item must have a name, a quantity greater than zero, and a non-negative price.
4. If validation passes, the order is created with status **Pending** and an auto-generated order number in the format `POS-YYYYMMDD-NNNN` (e.g., `POS-20260402-0001`).
5. You are redirected to the order detail page to collect payment.

Clearing the Cart [#clearing-the-cart]

Click **Clear** in the cart header to remove all items, reset the discount, and clear any notes. This does not affect any previously created orders.

Order Numbers [#order-numbers]

Order numbers are generated automatically and are unique per location per day. The format is:

```
POS-YYYYMMDD-NNNN
```

Where `YYYYMMDD` is the current date (UTC) and `NNNN` is a zero-padded sequence number that resets daily. The first order of the day is `0001`, the second is `0002`, and so on.

What Happens After Order Creation [#what-happens-after-order-creation]

The order is created with:

* **Status**: Pending
* **Grand total**: Calculated from items, discount, and taxes
* **Amount due**: Equal to the grand total (no payments yet)

You are taken to the order detail page where you can:

* [Record a cash or check payment](/how-to/pos/manage-pos-orders)
* [Accept a terminal card payment](/how-to/pos/accept-terminal-payments)
* Void the order if it was created in error

Tips [#tips]

* **Speed**: Click products rapidly to build the cart. The grid is designed for quick tap/click workflows.
* **Large orders**: Scroll the cart area if you have many line items. The summary and checkout button stay pinned at the bottom.
* **Multiple orders**: After creating an order and collecting payment, navigate back to **Dashboard > POS** to start a new order with a fresh cart.

What to Do Next [#what-to-do-next]

* [Accept Terminal Payments](/how-to/pos/accept-terminal-payments) -- collect a card payment with a reader.
* [Manage POS Orders](/how-to/pos/manage-pos-orders) -- record manual payments, void orders, and review history.