What is a cash register Z report?

Cash register reports are grossly miss-understood. In this age of endless complex reporting and analytics from websites and computers people expect the same from a cash register.

So the first miss conceptions to tackle is that cash registers know the date. Cash registers do in fact print the date and time on receipts and reports but that is where it ends. Cash registers do not associate sales to dates and time, they simply print the date and time and know when to roll it over.

So with that in mind lets look at so called daily reports. The only reason they are daily reports is because you take them daily, should you forget a day it will be combined with the next day. All cash registers sales are really period to date. Most registers do have several report levels known as Z1 and Z2 or Daily and Monthly. However remember it is only daily or monthly if taken daily and monthly. Here is how they work. A Z1 or daily is the first level of report. Example lets say you use the machine Saturday and at the end of the day you take the report or reports (will get into type of reports later). When you take the Z1 it will print the info and reset it back to zero, as well as take that data and dump it into the Z2 totals. Yes that is correct sales do not count in Z2 until a Z1 has been taken! So now Sunday you take another Z1 at the end of the day, that will be the sales from after the Z1 Saturday to right then, again that data is then added to the Z2 totals. OK now you forget to take a report on Monday night and you realize it Tuesday night and you think OK I'll just take the Monday report and the Tuesday report! NOPE both days have been added together now. When you take the report Tuesday night it will now be all the sales from the time you Z'd out Sunday night to right then, and again it will add to the Z2 at that point.

OK so now you want the monthly report or Z2. First make sure you have taken the last Z1 of the month you want (remember days to not add to Z2 until the daily Z1 is taken. So now you take the Z2 and it will be the entire period of time's sales from the last time you took the report. So if you last took the report May 1st before you did a Z1 on May 1st and it is now June 1st before you have taken the Z1 for June 1 the report will contain all the sales of May. Make sense? If you take that report every two months then it will be a bi-monthly report, take it every three months it will be the quarterly reports, take it every six months it will be a bi annual report. Get it?

What you should take away from this.

• All cash register reports are period to date, they total from last report to present report.
• Cash registers print date and time but don't report or filter by it.

Also once a Z report is taken you CAN NEVER reprint it! Lose the paper report you lose the report forever!

I hope that helps you understand cash register reports. Both SAM4s cash registers and Sharp Cash Registers work the same, yes they have different reports available but the Z1 and Z2 works the same way!

Need help selecting a cash register? Call us at 1-800-863-2274

Software for SAM4s cash registers

We receive a lot of request for free downloads for SAM4s cash registers. To the best of my knowledge there is no such thing posted for public consumption. Many of the SAM4s cash registers do include free programming software, however we email it or ship it to you with purchase of your new cash register.

Keep in mind you will still need a cable to connect your register to a PC. Almost all the SAM4s line use a serial connection to communicate, NOT A USB. If your computer or laptop only has a USB port you will need a USB to serial adapter, then a serial cable attached to that. We do stock one that we have used for several years that works well. Many people call us and they have a USB to serial cable, this will not work, must convert and also have a serial cable!

There are several polling and programming software available for sale. Those are PC Poll and the SAM series from SAM4s. Both products work very well.

Questions on which one to buy call us at 1-800-863-2274.

SAM4s cash register programming

cash registers

Here is a site that has some free programming help for SAM4s cash registers. Right now they only have a few models listed but maybe adding more later? If you need live help that is also available for a fee. We can provide help changing tax rates, logo messages, department programming and much more. To arrange a support call you can call 1-800-863-2274 just remember we do charge for support

SAM4s cash register keyboard templates

It is very easy to change the keyboard on your SAM4s cash register when you have a keyboard template. You can find SAM4s cash register keyboard template for download, which will allow you to change and re-print when ever you like or just when you make changes. Don't pay a cash register dealer big bucks for a print out and do it yourself.

If you can't find the model you need try printing one from a model that is close and see if it fits. You will be surprised how many keyboards are the same, however in case it does not print then you might be able to alter the template you downloaded.

SAM4s SPS-530RT cash register

SAM4s cash registers
 

The SAM4s SPS-530RT is one of the best selling cash registers on the market and why not with it's large 7" color touch screen, single station printer, optional Datacap credit card interface and more.

we have been installing these registers all over the country for quite awhile now and have been very happy with the results. They have been very durable and because they feature flash ROMS end-users have been able to update the firmware when required.

SAM4s cash registers still are leading the industry with cutting edge features and great prices. I have seen nothing from the other cash register manufactures to compete with it yet?

SAM4s cash register keyboard templates

People are always contacting us looking for templates to change the keyboard of their cash register whether it is a SAM4s or a Sharp. Here is a site that has several different models keyboard templates. Also if you can't find your model find one that is close and change it. Most often they are just word docs.

These templates allow you to customize every space including text and color. Then you can print as many as you need to or change as needed.

Here is the site SAM4s cash register keyboard template downloads.

SAM4s 290 cash register

SAM4s ER-290 cash register

The SAM4s ER-290 register has been very popular in the last few years. It is an entry level cash register with limited features but also easy to program and use.

The ER-290 cash register does not have alpha print however is does have 12 departments, computes sales tax, change and tracks media totals such as cash, check or charge.

You won't find a credit card interface with this register but again it is entry level and should be used where you want a simple register not a high end one.