If you’re one of our many members who use the Beacon Point of Sale system at your petrol station, there’s a chance you may still be familiarising yourself with the software. One of the most important features of any POS system is its ability to accurately and easily perform refunds.
If you’re using a Beacon POS, you’re also provided with the added benefit of deciding exactly who has clearance to execute these refunds. To familiarise yourself with your access options, and learn the benefits and drawbacks of each level of refund permission, read on.
What are my options?
One of the many benefits of using a Beacon POS is its ability to restrict user access by group, including which groups have the ability to perform refunds.
There are two refund related options available on this system: Performing refunds on stock items, and performing refunds on wetstock items. Both of these refund functions can be made accessible to all POS users, or restricted to managers only.
Why is all staff access to refunds beneficial?
Imagine a customer comes to pay for a transaction on Pump 6. The transaction is completed, but it turns out that the customer is actually parked at Pump 3. In this common scenario, a refund often must be issued.
Giving your staff access to refunds would allow any staff member to refund the customer quickly and recharge for the correct Pump, without seeking manager approval. If this function is restricted to manager access only, a manager would have to be on site to approve the refund.
Though it is true that restricting access to managers can limit the ability to commit fraud, it also may create situations where refunds need to be accessed, yet no manager is on site to approve it. When this situation arises, Beacon Support cannot assist, and staff would need to contact the Manager directly. If a manager cannot be reached, the refund simply cannot be performed.
Restricting refund access also may cause discrepancies in cash and fuel reconciliation in the event of a ‘Ghost Sale’. If access to refunds is restricted, these corrective refunds would need to be performed separately in the office by the manager. Failure to do so can result in problems and discrepancies down the line.
How to Prevent Fraudulent Refunds Without Restricting Access?
There are two methods you can use to prevent fraudulent refunds, without implementing restricted user access.
The first is utilising the Pump Reconciliation feature during shift reconciliation. In this process, you will record your pump meters each day, and enter the records into your day books. This record will tell you if sales that have gone through your pumps are equal to sales reported in your Beacon POS.
The second is regularly running reports on refunds and manual fuel transactions. Beacon allows you to view a list of all refunds performed on the POS, both Wetstock and non-wetsock, or to view only refunds performed on manual fuel sales. By regularly viewing these records, you will be able to assess if fraudulent refunds have been performed.
Find the Right Fit for Your Business
One of the benefits of using a Beacon POS is the ability to customise its features to fit your individual business needs. When it comes to refund access, we recommend you take your time to consider the advantages and disadvantages to restricting access, and pick the option that best fits your service station.