Split payments: how to take several tenders on one bill (with examples)
"We'll pay separately" is one of the biggest time sinks at the till. The bill is split on paper, amounts are added up on a calculator, card and cash get mixed, and at close the drawer doesn't balance.
A split payment means closing one bill with several payments. Done right, every payment is tied to the same bill, the remaining amount is always on screen, and the bill closes itself once the payments cover the total.
How does a split payment work?
Each payment is its own step; the bill closes when nothing remains.
In ari adisyon each payment is added as its own step: you choose the amount and the method (cash or card). The bill total, the amount received and the amount remaining are always on screen. For cash you can optionally enter the amount handed over and the change is worked out.
Scenario 1: one pays cash, one by card
A table for two. One will pay cash, the other by card. The cashier records the cash amount first; the screen shows what remains. The remainder is taken on the card terminal and added as a card payment. When nothing remains, the bill closes.
On the end-of-day report the cash amount appears under cash and the card amount under card. Nobody adds anything up by hand, and the drawer count is compared with cash only.
Scenario 2: four friends, four cards
Four friends want to split the bill equally. The cashier divides the total by four and adds that amount as a separate payment for each card. The four payments go in one after another; the last one brings the remainder to zero and the bill closes. If the total doesn't divide evenly, the last person's payment is entered as whatever remains.
Scenario 3: everyone pays for what they had
At some tables everyone pays for their own items. The list of bill items on screen makes each person's amount easy to see, and each is added as a separate payment. If a promotion or discount applies, the item line shows which item was discounted, so "was my tea discounted?" isn't answered by guesswork.
Split in the system and the drawer balances on its own.
Double-payment risk on a slow network
When the internet slows at the till, a cashier may press the button again wondering whether the payment went through. In a poorly designed system that records the same payment twice. ari adisyon sends each payment step with a one-time key; even if the request is repeated, the same payment is never recorded twice.
Discounts and comps
"On the chef", "broken plate" or a loyalty discount is entered on the payment screen with a reason and shows as its own line on the bill. The discount box starts closed, which makes accidental discounts harder. Discounting by deleting the item should never be done, because it distorts both revenue and stock.
Refunds
If a closed bill needs a refund, you enter the refund amount and a reason. The refund stays as its own record; the original payment isn't deleted. So both the sale and the refund appear on the end-of-day report.
Card payments: terminal and till
You can take split payments without integrating the physical card terminal: the cashier keys the amount into the terminal and, once approved, records the same amount at the till as a card payment. At close, the terminal's report is compared with the till's card total.
Split payment checklist
A short reminder for the cashier.
Frequently asked questions
When does the cash drawer open on a split payment?
The drawer opens when the bill closes with a cash payment. It doesn't open for card payments, because that money never goes into the drawer.
What if I enter a payment wrongly?
If the bill isn't closed yet, the remaining amount will look wrong and you'll notice straight away. On a closed bill, corrections are made as a refund, with a reason.
Conclusion
With the right tool a split payment is a one-minute job: each payment is added separately, the remainder is on screen, and the bill closes itself. The end-of-day report splits itself by payment type too. See closing the day for the close, and the features page for ari adisyon's till.