Voiding Items and Orders
Punched the wrong item? Customer changed their mind before paying? A void removes an item from an order before any payment is taken — with a reason attached, so your records stay complete and honest.
Void, Cancel, or Refund?
These three corrections cover different situations:
| Action | When to use it | Money involved |
|---|---|---|
| Void | Remove one or more items from an order that has not been paid. | None — nothing was collected yet. |
| Cancel | Call off the whole order before it is completed. | None (or handled separately if a deposit was taken). |
| Refund | Return money for a paid and closed order. | Yes — see Refunds. |
If the order has already been paid, the Void option is not available — use a
refund instead. This keeps collected money and
your sales records in agreement.
How to Void Items
Open the order
From the POS orders screen, open the order that needs correcting.
Choose Void from the actions menu
Select the item (or items) to void. You can void a partial quantity — for example, void 1 of 3 lattes and keep the other 2 on the order.
Pick a reason
Every void needs a reason. Choose the one that fits: Wrong item, Customer changed mind, Operator error, Duplicate entry, Item unavailable, Kitchen error, Test or training, or Other. You can add an optional note for context.
Get manager approval if asked
If your store uses the Staff Operations add-on, some voids require a manager's approval. A PIN pad appears — the manager enters their PIN to approve on the spot, without switching the active operator.
What Happens After a Void
- The item is flagged, not erased. Voided lines stay on the order record for your audit trail, but they no longer count toward the order total, sales, taxes, or stock usage.
- The kitchen is told. If you use the Kitchen Display, the voided items drop off the ticket right away. Stores with a kitchen printer can also print a void slip.
- Voiding everything voids the order. If every item on an order is voided, the order itself becomes Voided — recorded separately from cancelled orders.
- It shows up in your reports. Cashier session reports (Z-reports) count voided items and their value, and the loss-prevention reports break voids down by staff member and by reason so unusual patterns stand out.
Why reasons matter
Reason codes turn voids from silent deletions into useful data. A spike in
"Operator error" voids might mean a training gap; frequent "Item unavailable"
voids might mean a stock problem. Review the void reports regularly.
Who Can Void
Voiding uses the same Point of Sale permission as other register actions. With the Staff Operations add-on, you can additionally require manager approval for voids — the cashier raises the void, and a manager approves it by PIN. Managers can approve in place at the register or from the Staff Operations approvals queue.