Besides each item's retail and wholesale price, BooksPOS has three pricing tools on the Prices page: price lists for groups of customers, quantity breaks for buying more, and dated promotions for walk-in customers. One rule keeps them simple: one source sets each line's price, and nothing stacks. Every bill line says where its price came from.
Which price wins
For each line, BooksPOS works out the price in this order:
- A manual price, if someone allowed to override prices typed one.
- The customer's contract price for that item and unit, while its dates include today. It is set on the customer's Contract prices tab in Khata (customers) (below).
- A base price, the first that exists:
- the customer's price list, while it is switched on and its dates include today: its own price for the item, otherwise its publisher or category discount off the standard price;
- the wholesale price, for a customer marked Charge wholesale prices;
- the standard retail price;
- for a pack without its own price, the piece price times the pack size.
- A quantity break, when the line's quantity reaches it and its price is lower.
- For walk-in customers at standard prices, the largest promotion that covers the item also competes.
The lowest of the base price, the quantity break and the promotion is charged. They are compared, never added together. A cashier's line discount can still come on top, within the usual limit.
At the till, the Price column shows the source when it is not the standard price: Price list, Wholesale, Qty price, Promotion, Contract, Order price, From unit price. The bill keeps it, so a reprint or a return shows what was charged and why.
Price lists
A price list is a named, dated set of prices for a group of customers, for example Wholesale rates 2026-27 for the schools you supply.
- Open Prices (under Stock) › Price lists and choose New price list.
- Type the Name, the From date and, if it ends, the To (optional) date.
- Under Items with their own price, add items and type the List price per unit. The Standard price is shown beside it.
- Under Discounts for a publisher or category, add rules such as 15% off one publisher, or 10% off a category. They apply to items without their own price above. A publisher's rule comes before a category's; between equals, the larger discount.
- Keep In use ticked, add Notes if useful, and choose Save list.
Then put customers on it: in Khata (customers), Edit customer › Price list. "While the list is in force, its prices come before wholesale prices. Changing it needs the pricing permission."
A price list cannot be deleted, so old bills stay explainable. Untick In use to pause it, or give it an end date.
Price lists. A customer's own prices per unit, and discounts by publisher or category. Screenshot of the current build (28 Sep 2026), synthetic demo data.
Contract prices
A contract price is one customer's own price for one item, for example the price agreed with a school for its Class 5 reader. It comes before the customer's price list, the wholesale price, a quantity break and any promotion; only a manual price typed at the till comes first.
- Open Khata (customers) and choose the customer.
- Open the Contract prices tab and choose Add item.
- Find the item by title, ISBN or SKU, choose its unit (a copy, a box…) and type Their price (Rs). The usual price is shown under it.
- Leave From empty to start today, or type a date as dd-mm-yyyy. Leave Last day empty unless the agreement ends.
- Choose Save price.
Each row shows the usual price beside their price, and Not today when its dates do not include today. The pencil changes a price or its dates; the bin removes it (bills already made keep their price). One item and unit can have only one price on any day: a second price for the same unit needs dates that do not overlap, for example this session's price until 31 March and next session's from 1 April. If someone else changed the same customer's prices meanwhile, BooksPOS says so and shows the latest ones before anything is saved.
At the till the line shows Contract as its price source, and the bill keeps it.
Quantity breaks
"From a quantity on one bill line, the unit price drops." For example, exercise books at Rs 120, but Rs 110 each from 12.
- Prices › Quantity breaks.
- Choose the Item, the Unit, From qty and Price each, then Add break.
A break applies only when it is lower than the customer's price, and the highest break reached wins. A break starts above 1, and two breaks cannot start at the same quantity of the same unit.
Promotions
"A promotion takes a percentage off the standard price for walk-in customers. Only the largest one applies to a line, never on top of a customer's own prices, a quantity break or a school set."
- Prices › Promotions › New promotion.
- Type the Name, for example Back to school.
- Choose what it Covers: everything, one Publisher, one Category, or chosen items.
- Type the Discount (%), the Starts date and the Ends (last day) date. Both days are included.
- Tick Clearance only for stock you are willing to sell below cost (below).
- Choose Save promotion.
The list shows each promotion's discount, dates and status. Change edits one; End now stops it early with a reason. Show finished and ended shows past ones. Bills already made keep their prices.
Changing a promotion. Its discount, dates and what it covers; clearance can allow selling below cost. Screenshot of the current build (28 Sep 2026), synthetic demo data.
Clearance and selling below cost
Normally a line that would sell below its average cost needs an owner or manager: when one of them completes the sale, the till asks for a reason (Sell below cost) and keeps it with the bill line, and a cashier's bill is refused. A promotion marked Clearance ("cashiers may sell these items below cost at this price without a manager") is the owner's approval in advance, for example for old editions. Marking a promotion as clearance needs the below-cost permission, which owners and managers have. The till still shows the Below cost warning on those lines.
Who can change prices
Price lists, contract prices, quantity breaks, promotions and moving a customer onto a price list need the pricing permission: owners and managers. Anyone who bills can see a customer's contract prices. Every change is recorded in the audit log with the name of who made it.
Common questions
A school is on a price list, and there is a promotion on. Which applies?
The price list. Promotions apply only to walk-in customers at standard prices.
Can I give one school 5% off everything?
Yes: make a price list for them with a category or publisher rule for each, or give their items their own list prices. Rules are per publisher or category.
Should I use a price list or contract prices?
A price list suits a group of customers who share the same terms, such as every school you supply. Contract prices suit one customer's own agreement on a few titles. A customer can have both: their contract prices come first, and the price list covers everything else.
Do price lists and promotions reach my other branches?
No. Each store PC keeps its own price lists and promotions. In the owner portal you can change one item's prices in a branch's lists, and its promotions, one branch at a time; making or renaming a list is done on the store PC. See Items and prices from the owner portal.
Can a promotion be for a set time of day?
No. Promotions run for whole days, from the start date to the last day.
Related guides
Last updated 30 September 2026. Still stuck? Contact us.