Returns, Refunds & Voids on the Counter POS

Plain-English summary#

"Can I undo this sale?" has different answers depending on when you ask. Before the order is closed, the cashier can remove items (an item void) or cancel the whole order (cancellation) right from the counter — the kitchen is told, a dine-in table is freed, and nothing hits the till. After the order is closed and paid, the counter has no undo button on purpose: money came in, so reversing it is a back-office job. For a return on a paid order, that means a credit note under Sales → Sales Returns in the admin backoffice. A back-office Refund is only for a customer's unused payment balance (see below), and it shows in the Refund History report. There is no "void a closed order" button at the counter.

When you'd use this#

• A customer changes their mind about one dish after the order was accepted → item void (edit the order, remove the line)
• A whole table walks out / an order was rung up by mistake → cancel order (before close)
• A customer brings food back after paying, or was charged twice → credit note (back office, Sales → Sales Returns); a refund only covers a customer payment with an unused balance
• A payment was recorded with the wrong method or amount → edit the payment (counter), or void the invoice (back office) and record it again
• A formal invoice needs reversing for an account customer → credit note (back office)

Walkthrough — cancel an order (before close, at the counter)#

1. Open the order from the Counter status tabs (any state except closed).
2. Open the order to bring up its details panel on the right, then click the More options button (three horizontal dots, bottom-right next to Print) → Cancel Order (shown in red). The option only appears while the order is not locked, not already cancelled, and not completed/closed.
3. A confirmation dialog warns "This action cannot be undone" and offers a Cancel Remarks text box. The reason is optional (the dialog labels it "Optional") — it is saved on the order.
4. Confirm. What happens:
   • You need permission to cancel orders. Without it, Cancel Order isn't shown in the menu, and nothing about the order changes.
   • The order status changes to Cancelled, with the time recorded.
   • If it's dine-in, the table is freed (back to Vacant).
   • All open KOTs and their items are marked cancelled, and cancellation slips print in each affected kitchen (one slip per kitchen per KOT) showing who cancelled and the reason.
   • The order moves to the Cancelled tab on the counter and the KDS.
5. Works offline: the counter keeps the cancellation and sends it through when the connection returns.

Walkthrough — void an item (remove a line after acceptance)#

1. Tap the Edit order button (pencil icon) on the order card to go straight to the Edit Order page — or: open the order → More options → Edit Order. Both open the same screen (available while the order is not locked, cancelled, paid, or closed).
2. Delete the line (or reduce its quantity) and save. Your role or the outlet's Discard bin setting may limit this; see below.
3. Removed lines are not deleted — they are marked voided with the time, and any reason you gave is kept. The order's change log records "Cancelled items: …".
4. The kitchen is told — cancelled KOT items print the same per-kitchen cancellation slips as a full cancellation.

Who can remove items#

A role can be set up to restrict removing items, or reducing quantities, once an order has been accepted. A user with such a role can't remove those lines, unless the outlet uses the Discard bin (below). Every removal is still recorded in the audit log.

Discard bin (optional outlet setting)#

If the outlet's Discard bin is turned on (Settings → Outlets → Outlets → [your outlet] → Discard bin), cancellations and removals are logged to a reviewable bin instead of being blocked by permissions. It is off unless your organisation turns it on. The review mode is Off, Deterrent-only or Hard-block. The cashier is asked for a reason. In Hard-block mode a manager has to respond, and if nobody responds within the set time the request is rejected automatically and the order is released. While entries are waiting for review, the register can't be closed.

Key concepts#

• Item void — a line removed from an order that isn't closed yet. Marked voided, never deleted; keeps the time and reason; prints kitchen cancellation slips.
• Order cancellation — the whole order cancelled before payment/close. Frees the table, cancels KOTs, prints cancellation slips, and keeps the order in history under Cancelled.
• Refund: money paid back against a customer's payment, up to the part of that payment not yet applied to an invoice. Recorded in the back office, and the payment must have a customer. A normal counter payment is fully applied to its own invoice, so it has nothing to refund.
• Void invoice: cancelling an invoice in the back office. Its payments are marked as voided too.
• Credit note — the document that reverses an invoice for invoiced customers; can be applied against invoices.
• Locked order — a locked order can't be cancelled or edited until it's unlocked (lock/unlock is on the same ⋮ menu).

Common questions#

Q: Can a cashier refund a closed order at the counter? A: No. Once an order is Closed, the counter offers no cancel/void/refund action. Returns on a paid order are handled in the back office with a credit note (Sales → Sales Returns). This is on purpose: reversing a closed order moves money, so it's kept off the front counter.

Q: Is a cancellation reason required? A: No — the Cancel Remarks field is optional. Whatever you enter is saved on the order and printed on the kitchen cancellation slip.

Q: Does cancelling an order need a manager PIN? A: Not in the standard setup. The action isn't offered on locked or closed orders, and your role must allow cancelling orders. If your outlet uses the Discard bin in Hard-block mode, a manager has to respond before the cancellation goes through.

Q: What happens on the KDS when I void an item or cancel an order? A: The KOT items are marked cancelled and each affected kitchen gets a printed cancellation slip showing who cancelled and why; the KDS moves the ticket to its Cancelled tab (an "Order cancelled" notice appears on the KDS app).

Q: Customer paid cash and returns the food 10 minutes after close — exact steps? A: Admin backoffice (admin.foodops.io): Sales → Sales Returns → create a credit note for that order's invoice. A payment Refund isn't offered here, because a normal counter payment is already fully applied to its invoice. After the return, check the session's report to see how it was counted, as we haven't confirmed how it affects the expected cash of a session that has already closed.