Directed Refunds: Set Up Options and Security

(Note: This feature is only supported on Eagle OS (Linux) systems using Returns Validation (option ID# 8305 = Yes)).

Use the procedure below to set up your system to use Directed Refunds.

System Option Setup

The following system option must be enabled on your system.

9431 “Direct clerk to use original tender on returnsThis option controls whether or not the clerk is directed to tender the refund for a return using the original sale’s tender type. This option applies to credit memo and negative sale (amount of returns greater than purchases).  

Y = Use the original sales tender type based on the settings of the following options: 9432 – Refund with gift/cash card if original purchase was by gift/cash card, 9433 – Refund with credit card if original purchase was by credit card, 9434 – Refund with AP Check if original purchase was by cash or equivalent. 
N = Allow the clerk to select the tender type for the refund.     

Notes:
If the customer's account has the Credit A/R Only set to Y or C, this option doesn't apply. Only choice is to credit their account. The ability to issue a Store Voucher in lieu of cash is not supported with Directed Refunds. Therefore, Option 5488 must be No when setting this Option 9431 to Yes. See also related option 9435 "# of days to allow original form of payment on refunds." See also related option 9435 "# of days to allow original form of payment on refunds."”

To verify this option is set to Yes, from the Eagle Browser, type MSY in the Launch bar and press Enter, click ID, type the option's ID number, and press Enter. If this option is set to No, contact Epicor.

Application Options Setup

1. Display the Options Configuration window.

2. Click ID. Using the list below, enter the ID number of the option, and click OK. Click in the Current Value column, select the desired setting, and click Change. Repeat this process for all three options in the list. For more information about a particular option, click on its blue underlined text.

9288 "SKU to use for gift/cash card on POS Refunds – gift card sku"Enter your gift card SKU in this option, even if you are not directing returns to gift cards (option 9432 is set to No).

9432 "Refund with gift/cash card if original purchase was by gift/cash card"This option applies when option 9287 “Gift/Cash Card Allowed on POS Refund” is set to R, A, or Y and in the situation where at least one item was returned against a prior purchase.
This option controls whether or not the clerk is directed to issue a gift/cash card for the amount of the refund when the original purchase was paid in full by gift card(s). Set to Yes to issue a gift/cash card in the amount of the refund. Otherwise, set to No.
This option only applies when the returns on the transaction are from one single purchase fully paid by a gift card(s). If this isn’t the case refer to options:
9433 – Refund with credit card if original purchase was by credit card
9434 – Refund with AP Check if original purchase was by cash or equivalent  
 
If you set this option to Yes, be sure to also set security bit 684 "(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” to No to require a manager's override to cancel out of issuing the gift card.
When the clerk selects to issue a gift card the system will automatically sell the gift card SKU (identified in option 9288) for the transaction total including tax (bringing the transaction total to $.00) and then automatically activate the gift card for that refund amount.

Notes about this option:
1. If you want the clerk to be able to decide between issuing a gift card or an in-store credit for the refund then set this option to Y and set Option 5488 "Store Voucher required on a POS Refund" to the alternate tender whose type is set to 'In-Store Credit'.
2. The refund amount must be equal or greater than the amount in Option 5364 "Gift/Cash Card activation minimum amount" and less than the amount in Option 5366 “Gift/Cash Card activation maximum amount" for the clerk to be prompted to issue a gift card.
3. You must set Option 5980 "Force Gift/Cash Card Activation" to Yes.

9433 "Refund with credit card if original purchase was by credit card"This option controls whether or not the clerk is directed to apply the refund to the original credit card used in the original purchase. Set to Yes to apply the refund to the original credit card. Otherwise set to No.
 
Setting this option to Yes only applies when the returns on the transaction are from one single purchase that was fully paid with a single credit card. If this is so, the system directs the clerk to apply the refund back to that specific card. If this isn’t the case refer to the following two options:
9432 – Refund with gift/cash card if original purchase was by gift/cash card
9434 – Refund with AP Check if original purchase was by cash or equivalent  

If you set this option to Yes, be sure to also set security bit 684 "(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” to No to require a manager's override to bypass having to apply the refund to the original credit card.
Notes about this option:
1. If you want the clerk to also have the choice to issue a gift card, set Option 9287 “Gift/Cash Card Allowed on POS Refund” to R.
2. If you want the clerk to also have the choice to issue an in-store credit, set 5488 "Store Voucher required on a POS Refund" to the alternate tender whose type is set to 'In-Store Credit.'

9434 "Refund with AP Check if original purchase was by cash or equivalent"This option controls whether or not the clerk is directed to give the refund as an accounts payable check when the original purchase was fully paid in cash or cash equivalents. If you want to issue an AP check for the amount of the refund, set this option to the Alternate Tender whose Type= AP Check. Otherwise set to No, which allows the clerk to return cash or use F2 to refund with a gift card.
This option only applies when the returns on the transaction are from purchase(s) that were fully paid by cash or cash equivalents. If this is so, and the amount of the refund meets the minimum entered in option 9005 “AP Check minimum amount,” the system direct sthe clerk to apply the refund to the AP Check alt tender. If this isn’t the case ,refer to options:
9432 “Refund with gift/cash card if original purchase was by gift/cash card
9433 “Refund with credit card if original purchase was by credit card

If you set this option to Yes, be sure to also set security 684 "(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” to No to require a manager's override to bypass having to apply the refund as an AP Check.  
Notes about this option:
1.  Cash equivalents include debit card or check.
2. If you want the clerk to also have the choice to issue a gift card, set option 9287 “Gift/Cash Card Allowed on POS Refund” to R.
3. If you want the clerk to also have the choice to issue an in-store credit, set 5488 "Store Voucher required on a POS Refund" to the alternate tender whose type is set to "In-Store Credit."  Note: If you want to issue accounts payable refund checks for the amount of the refund, you must set this option to the Alternate Tender whose Type= AP Check.

9435 "# of days to allow original form of payment on refunds"Use this option to institute a refund policy such as "Refunds in original form of payment within 60 days. Otherwise, gift card or store credit up to 120 days."
For this example, you would set this option 9435 to 60 days, and set option 8307 "# of Month's activity to use in Returns Validation" to 4 months.  
On validated returns, this option controls whether or not the system directs the clerk to refund in original form of tender within this many days, or requires a gift card if the original transaction is more than X days old.

Note 1: Refund to original form of payment is controlled by options 9432, 9433, and 9434.
Note 2: If there are multiple returns involving multiple original transactions, all original transactions must have occurred no longer than this # of days ago. Otherwise, the system requires a gift card.

9005 "AP Check minimum amount"The minimum required amount for issuing an accounts pyaable check when the original purchase was madeby cash or the equivalent. Set this option to the alternate tender whose "Type" is A/P Check.

5405 "Offline POS – Ignore bit 684 for refunds less than this amount"This option applies only when security bit 684 "(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” is set to No.
 
Since Returns Validation is not available in Offline POS, the system cannot direct the clerk to refund the transaction in the original tender.
Therefore, set this option to the maximum amount a clerk is able to tender at their own discretion without getting a manager’s override.  

You can enter a number up to 99999.99.

9439 “Refund using same bankcard when original payment is prepaid deposit”Use this option to issue the credit for a customer refund to the original credit card which paid the deposit. The bankcard information now recorded in the Deposit Activity Viewer for customer’s using Transactional Security can be used when refunding a deposit that was paid by a bankcard, or when an item on an invoiced order whose deposit was paid by a bankcard is returned.  Pre-requisite is option 9431 “Direct clerk to refund in original tender on returns”.  <Cancel> requires a M/O if the clerk’s security bit 684 is No.

1653 "Refund with credit to debit card if original purchase was paid by debit”If option 1653 is set to Yes and all returns are applied to one single transaction paid by a debit card, the "Refund Options" menu displays with the choices for <Bankcard>, <Void>, <Cancel>. <Cancel> requires a M/O if the clerk’s security bit 684 is No.   

Note:Security bit 684 “(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” does not apply when original transaction was paid by debit.  If the customer wants to receive cash instead of a credit back to their account, the clerk can press Cancel/Esc to go to the regular tenders screen and no manager override is required.   

1654 "Refund using same debit card when original payment is prepaid deposit"If option 1654 is set to Yes and all returns are applied to an invoiced order or special order which was paid by a 100%  debit card deposit the "Refund Options" menu displays with the choices for <Bankcard>, <Void >, <Cancel>. <Cancel> requires a M/O if the clerk’s security bit 684 is No.

If option 1654 is set to Yes refunding a deposit paid by a debit card will require the clerk to refund the deposit back to the debit card. 

Note:Security bit 684 “(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” does not apply when original transaction was paid by debit.  If the customer wants to receive cash instead of a credit back to their account, the clerk can press Cancel/Esc to go to the regular tenders screen and no manager override is required.

1655 "Refund with A/R Credit if original purchase was paid by A/R Charge"If option 1655 is set to Yes and all returns are applied to one single transaction paid by charge (fully or partially) the "Refund Options" menu displays with the choices for <Charge>, <Void transaction>, <Cancel>.  <Cancel> requires a M/O if the clerk’s security bit 684 is No.

1656 "Refund with A/R Credit when original payment is charge deposit"If option 1656 is set to Yes and all returns are applied to an invoiced order or special order which was paid by a 100% charge deposit the "Refund Options" menu displays with the choices for <Charge>, <Void>, <Cancel>.  <Cancel> requires a M/O if the clerk’s security bit 684 is No.

If the new option 1656 is set to Yes refunding a deposit paid by charge will require the clerk to refund the deposit back to the A/R charge account.

Security Setup

Assign security bit 684 "(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund" to personnel who will have the ability to bypass the tender type the system recommends on a POS Refunds. If a clerk has bit 684, he/she can click Cancel to bypass the recommended tender. If a clerk does not have bit 684, he/she must obtain a manager's override to bypass it.

Best  Business Practice Setup

Options/Security

The following is Epicor's suggested security/options setup for the Directed Refunds feature.

• Set security bit 684 "(MO) Ability to bypass mandatory tender(s) on POS Refund” to No for all clerks, except for managers.

• Gift Card users – set option 9287 “Gift/Cash Card Allowed on POS Refund” to R (choices A and Y will effectively behave like R when option 9431 “Direct clerk to refund in original tender on returns” is set to Yes).

• Daily Journal Viewer – If you set option 9434 “Refund with AP Check if original purchase was by cash or equivalent” to Y, you must set option 846 “Daily Journal Viewer enabled” to Yes, as this is the viewer that lists your AP checks that need to be issued and sent out for returns.  

• Non-Gift Card users – set up option 5488 “Store Voucher required on a POS Refund” with the alternate tender whose type is "In-Store Credit."  

Resulting Functionality at POS

If you set up the options/security as recommended above, then when a clerk totals a credit memo or negative sale, the clerk will see the Refund Options menu – even if the clerk does not have bit 684. The only exceptions to this is if:

1. The original purchase was paid by cash or a cash equivalent (debit card or check) and your business isn’t issuing A/P refund checks (option 9434 "Refund with A/P Check if original purchase was by cash or equivalent" is set to N)

or

2. The original purchase was paid by cash or a cash equivalent (debit card or check), and if you are issuing A/P checks but the refund is less than the minimum refund amount.  

In these two cases, the clerk is taken straight to the totals screen to return Cash, or the clerk can press F2 to refund with a gift card or in-store credit.  

The choices the clerk will see in the Refund Options menu are determined by the logic defined above. If the clerk cancels out of the Refund Options dialog, and he or she has bit 684, POS will go directly to the full tenders screen. If the clerk cancels out of this dialog and does NOT have bit 684, he or she will have to obtain a manager's override in order to go to the full tenders screen. If they cancel out of the manager's override, the system returns back to the Refund Options menu.

Customer Refunds when paid by credit card deposit:  

 

• Deposit’s Bankcard Type is Debit – If the Bankcard Used on the order’s first deposit is a token and the Bankcard Type is Debit, the system will go to the normal tender’s screen allowing the clerk to refund with cash.
• If Bankcard Type is not Debit – If the Bankcard Used on the order’s first deposit is a token and the Bankcard Type is not Debit, the system will display this Refund Options menu allowing the clerk to apply the refund to the credit card used to pay the deposit. 

• Bankcard Type is ISGC – If the Bankcard Used on the order’s first deposit is an ISGC and option 9287 “Gift/Cash Card Allowed on POS Refund” is not N and the refund amount meets the minimum amount defined in option 5364 “Gift/Cash Card activation minimum amount”, then the system will display:

• If clerk selects Cancel and does not have security bit 684 a M/O will be required.