Payment Methods (Tenders)
The Payment Methods page shows how your customers are paying -- cash, credit cards, debit, EBT/food stamps, and any other tender types configured in your ENCOR system.
Horizontal Bar Chart
A horizontal bar chart gives you a visual comparison of payment types by dollar amount. The longest bar represents your most-used payment method. This makes it easy to see the payment mix at a glance.
Tender Table
The detailed table includes the following for each payment type:
| Column | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Payment Type | The tender name (Cash, Visa, Mastercard, EBT, etc.) |
| Amount | Total dollar amount tendered |
| Quantity | Number of transactions using this payment type |
| Avg Transaction | Average dollar amount per transaction for this tender |
| Pickup | Amount picked up from the register (cash pickups) |
| Loan | Amount loaned to the register (starting banks) |
| Over/Short | Variance between declared and expected amounts |
Over/Short Variance
The Over/Short column is critical for cash management. It shows the difference between what a cashier declared in the drawer and what the system expected based on transactions:
- Green (positive) -- The drawer was over, meaning more cash was found than expected
- Red (negative) -- The drawer was short, meaning less cash was found than expected
Consistent cash shortages in a particular tender or on specific days should be investigated. While small variances are normal, patterns of significant shortages could indicate counting errors or more serious issues.
How to Use Payment Data
Cash management
Monitor cash over/short trends. If shortages are consistently high, review your cash handling procedures -- pickup schedules, counting processes, and cashier training.
Payment mix trends
Track how your payment mix changes over time. Many stores see a gradual shift from cash to card payments. Understanding this helps with:
- Register cash planning (how much starting bank to put in each drawer)
- Transaction fee budgeting (credit card processing fees)
- Speed of checkout (card transactions are generally faster)
EBT/Food Stamps
If your store accepts EBT, this page shows you exactly how much of your revenue comes from food stamp transactions. This can inform product assortment decisions for SNAP-eligible items.
Pickup tracking
The pickup amounts show how much cash was pulled from registers during the day. This helps verify that your cash pickup procedures are being followed.
Compare payment method trends month over month. If you notice a sharp drop in cash transactions or a spike in a particular card type, it may indicate a change in your customer demographics or shopping patterns.