Before You Start
At least one Discount or Surcharge option must exist. See Create a Discount or Surcharge Option — that guide also explains the option settings this article refers to, like "Allow value modification during use". For the concept overview, see Introduction to Adjustment Options.
Discount and surcharge options are always applied by staff, by hand. If you want a discount that applies itself automatically when conditions match, that is a Price Rule — see Setting Up Price Rules.
Applying a Discount to an Order
Add the customer's items to the cart as usual.
In the cart, tap the green − (minus) button to open Discounts, or the red + (plus) button to open Surcharges.
Tap the option you want. If you have Discount Rules, your options are listed under Manual Discounts, below the rules. Options already on the order show an Added badge.
A Flat / Percentage switch and a number pad open. If the option allows value modification, you can change the amount and switch between Flat and Percentage. If the option's value is fixed, these controls are locked to the saved value.
Tap Add.
The discount appears as its own row under Subtotal, and the total updates immediately. The customer sees the option's name exactly as you typed it in Settings.
Removing a Discount
Before checkout: find the discount's row under Subtotal and tap Remove. The total updates immediately.
On an order that already exists: open the order, find the discount row in the line items summary, and tap Remove. A confirmation shows the price change before it is saved.
To add a discount to an order after it was created, open the order and tap Edit on the line items section — this reopens the cart editor with the same green − and red + buttons, and you finish with Update Order.
Who Can Give Discounts
Applying a discount on the POS is controlled by Apply discounts in POS Action Control:
When Apply discounts is set to No access, the green − discount button does not appear on the POS. The system also rejects manual discounts from the POS on the server side.
Surcharges are not permission-gated — any staff member can add a surcharge.
The setting covers every POS device in your business. It is not set per staff member, and there is no "manager approval" step for discounts.
To change it, go to Settings → Point of Sale → Mall Reporting tab, click Legacy Settings at the top right, and find POS Action Control. When nothing is listed, every POS can apply discounts. To block them, click Action control, choose Apply Discounts, set Access Level to No access and click Add. If the POS was already open, reload it. For orders taken in the Console, whether a person can apply discounts comes from their seat in Users & Access.
What the Customer Sees
On the cart and on the receipt, each discount or surcharge prints as its own line between Subtotal and Total, using the option's name.
Tax is calculated after discounts and surcharges — a discount reduces the taxable amount, a surcharge increases it. You do not need to adjust anything for GST; the system follows the tax setup of your price list or Company. See the tax section of Create a Discount or Surcharge Option.
Where to See Discounts You Have Given
Open Reports, then Sales in the Console. The Discount Breakdown table shows how much each discount option cost you in the period, and you can drill into the orders behind each line. See Understanding Your Sales Report.
If It Didn't Work
The green minus button is missing. Apply discounts is set to No access in POS Action Control.
The option is not in the list. Check the option's Business units limit in Settings — it may not apply to this order's business unit. Also confirm you are on the right tab: discounts under −, surcharges under +.
The amount cannot be changed. The option was saved with a fixed value. Edit the option in Settings and turn on Allow value modification during use.
The same option cannot be added twice. Turn on Allow multiple applications in the option's settings.
FAQs
Can I discount just one line item?
Not directly at the counter — manual discounts apply to the order. Use a Service options limit on the option to restrict it to items with certain service options, or use automatic Price Rules for item-level pricing logic.
Can staff type any discount without a preset option?
No. Staff always starts from an option you created in Settings. The closest thing to a free-form discount is an option with Allow value modification during use turned on.
Does removing a discount need a permission?
The Apply discounts setting controls adding discounts. Removal is part of editing the order and follows your normal order-edit controls.
If I delete an option, what happens to orders that used it?
Nothing — past orders keep the name and amount that was applied at the time.
What's Next
If you find yourself applying the same discount to every qualifying order, automate it with Setting Up Price Rules. To see the cost of your discounting habits, check the Discount Breakdown in Understanding Your Sales Report.