Getting started with BooksPOS

The store PC

Every shop has one main PC that runs the BooksPOS store server and keeps the shop's records. It should be a 64-bit Windows 11 PC that stays on while the shop is open. Windows 10 22H2 is intended but not yet tested on a till.

The first time BooksPOS starts, it shows Set up this store: your business, the first branch and counter, and the owner's sign-in. Nothing ships with a default password. During the pilot we do this with you.

Keep the store's database on that PC's own disk. Never move it to a shared folder, OneDrive or Google Drive.

Pairing the store with BooksPOS Cloud

1. Create a cloud account (or sign in), and turn on two-step sign-in under Security.
2. In the portal, open Pairing codes and choose Create a pairing code. The code is shown once and works for 30 minutes.
3. On the store PC, sign in as the owner, open Sync & FBR, enter the cloud address and the code, and choose Pair this store.
4. The branch appears in the portal after its first sync, usually within a minute.

The first store you pair fixes which business the account belongs to. A branch that was set up offline as a separate business cannot join an existing account yet.

Adding a till on another PC

On the store PC, Staff & counters › Add a till shows the store PC's address and a one-time code; on the new PC, choose Connect to the store PC. The store PC must allow connections from the shop network first. Read the full guide.

Importing your item list, customers and suppliers

Save your lists from Excel as CSV UTF-8 (so Urdu survives) and use Import data on the store PC. Import products first, then customers, then suppliers. Read the full guide.

Advances from parents

In Khata, choose the customer and Take advance. At the till, choose the customer (F4) and pay with From advance. To keep books aside for them, use Order (F7) at the till and hand the books over later from Pending deliveries. Read the full guide.

Account security

• Two-step sign-in: in the portal under Security, scan the QR code with an authenticator app and type the code it shows. From then on you need the app's code as well as your password.
• Recovery codes: you get 8 when you turn it on. Each works once if you lose your phone. Store them away from the phone. You can replace them with your password.
• Forgotten password: use "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in page. The link works for 60 minutes.
• After five wrong passwords in a row, sign-in for that email from that network pauses for a minute.

Removing a PC

In the portal, Devices › Revoke stops a store PC's cloud access at once. It can then no longer sync. A PC that is offline cannot hear this, and keeps billing until its licence grant and its grace period run out. To bring it back, pair it again with a new code.

Tills on other PCs in the shop are removed on the store PC, under Staff & counters.

Common questions

What happens when the internet goes down?

Nothing changes at the counter. The shop keeps billing, and changes go to the cloud when the internet returns. See Offline and cloud.

What if the store PC is switched off?

Tills on other PCs cannot bill until it is back. Their open bills are kept.

Does BooksPOS report invoices to FBR?

Not yet. See FBR integration for where it stands.

Can I use it on a Mac or a phone?

The till is a Windows program. The owner portal works in any modern browser, including on a phone. There is no mobile app.

How much does it cost?

Plans and prices are not announced yet. Ask us.

Still stuck?

Send us a message and we will reply by email.