
## Before You Start

- At least one Discount or Surcharge option must exist. See [Create a Discount or Surcharge Option](/docs/create-a-discount-or-surcharge-option) — that guide also explains the option settings this article refers to, like "Allow value modification during use". For the concept overview, see [Introduction to Adjustment Options](/docs/introduction-to-adjustment-options).

- Discounts at the counter are always applied by staff, by hand. If you want a discount that applies itself automatically when conditions match, that is a Price Rule — see [Setting Up Price Rules](/docs/setting-up-price-rules).

---

## Applying a Discount to an Order

1. Add the customer's items to the cart as usual.

2. In the cart, tap the green <Badge>−</Badge> (minus) button to open **Discounts**, or the red <Badge>+</Badge> (plus) button to open **Surcharges**.

3. Under **Manual Discounts**, tap the option you want. Options already on the order show an **Added** badge.

4. If the option allows value modification, a number pad opens where you can change the amount, and — if the option allows it — switch between **Flat** and **Percentage**. If the option's value is fixed, these controls are locked to the saved value.

5. Tap <Badge>Add</Badge>.

The discount appears as its own row directly under **Subtotal**, and the total updates immediately. The customer sees the option's name exactly as you typed it in Settings.

<Callout type="know-how" title="🤓 Know-how">

Discounts and surcharges apply to the whole order, not to a single line item. If you want a discount that only affects certain items — say only shirts — create the option with a **Service options limit** in Settings, and it will only discount the matching items' amount even though it is applied at order level.

</Callout>

---

## Removing a Discount

- **Before checkout:** find the discount's row under Subtotal and tap <Badge>Remove</Badge>. The total updates immediately.

- **On an order that already exists:** open the order, find the discount row in the line items summary, and tap <Badge>Remove</Badge>. A confirmation shows the price change before it is saved.

To add a discount to an order after it was created, open the order and tap <Badge>Edit</Badge> on the line items section — this reopens the cart editor with the same green <Badge>−</Badge> and red <Badge>+</Badge> buttons, and you finish with <Badge>Update Order</Badge>.

<Callout type="note" title="📝 Note">

Very old orders can be locked for editing depending on your settings, and orders with sales returns have holds on further edits. If the Remove or Edit controls are not available, the order is locked.

</Callout>

---

## Who Can Give Discounts

Applying a discount is controlled by the **Apply Discounts** permission:

- Staff **without** the permission do not see the green <Badge>−</Badge> discount button at all. The system also rejects any discount from them on the server side.

- Surcharges are not permission-gated — any staff member can add a surcharge.

- The permission is on or off per staff member — there is no "manager approval" step for discounts. If you want tight control, give the permission only to supervisors, and have counter staff call them over.

You manage this in each teammate's data permissions in the Console, or in your POS default permissions.

<Callout type="tip" title="💡 Tip">

For a "goodwill discount" the manager decides case by case, create one option with **Allow value modification during use** turned on, and give the Apply Discounts permission only to managers.

</Callout>

---

## What the Customer Sees

- On the cart and on the receipt, each discount or surcharge prints as its own line between **Subtotal** and **Total**, using the option's name.

- Tax is calculated after discounts and surcharges — a discount reduces the taxable amount, a surcharge increases it. You do not need to adjust anything for GST; the system follows your price list's tax setup. See the tax section of [Create a Discount or Surcharge Option](/docs/create-a-discount-or-surcharge-option).

---

## Where to See Discounts You Have Given

Open **Reports**, then **Sales** in the Console. The **Discount Breakdown** table shows how much each discount option cost you in the period, and you can drill into the orders behind each line. See [Understanding Your Sales Report](/docs/understanding-your-sales-report).

---

## If It Didn't Work

- **The green minus button is missing.** The signed-in staff member does not have the Apply Discounts permission.

- **The option is not in the list.** Check the option's Business units limit and Service options limit in Settings — it may not apply to this order's business unit. Also confirm you are on the right tab: discounts under <Badge>−</Badge>, surcharges under <Badge>+</Badge>.

- **The amount cannot be changed.** The option was saved with a fixed value. Edit the option in Settings and turn on Allow value modification during use.

- **The same option cannot be added twice.** Turn on Allow multiple applications in the option's settings.

---

## FAQs

**Can I discount just one line item?**

> Not directly at the counter — manual discounts apply to the order. Use a Service options limit on the option to restrict which items it affects, or use automatic Price Rules for item-level pricing logic.

**Can staff type any discount without a preset option?**

> No. Staff always starts from an option you created in Settings. The closest thing to a free-form discount is an option with Allow value modification during use turned on.

**Does removing a discount need a permission?**

> The Apply Discounts permission controls adding discounts. Removal is part of editing the order and follows your normal order-edit controls.

**If I delete an option, what happens to orders that used it?**

> Nothing — past orders keep the name and amount that was applied at the time.

---

## What's Next

If you find yourself applying the same discount to every qualifying order, automate it with [Setting Up Price Rules](/docs/setting-up-price-rules). To see the cost of your discounting habits, check the Discount Breakdown in [Understanding Your Sales Report](/docs/understanding-your-sales-report).
