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Self-service kiosk — Paloma POS 2 ​

This article is about Paloma POS 2 — the new touch-based Paloma cashier app. It covers the self-service kiosk: how a customer builds and places an order on their own, how retail self-checkout with a barcode scanner works, how paying at the kiosk differs from paying at the counter, and how to turn the kiosk on or off on a device. If you are not sure this is your app, start with «How to tell you have Paloma POS 2».

Overview ​

  • Self-service kiosk — a screen where the customer chooses items and places an order without a cashier. Useful for busy counters, fast food, and retail.
  • The kiosk has two modes: «Menu ordering» (the customer picks items from the menu by tapping tiles) and «Retail (scan self-checkout)» (the customer scans product barcodes).
  • Kiosk payment comes in two kinds: «PAY HERE» (the customer pays right at the kiosk) and «PAY AT COUNTER» (the order goes to the counter unpaid and the customer pays a cashier).
  • The kiosk is enabled two different ways: as a side-menu launcher (a staff member opens the kiosk manually) or as a kiosk device-mode (the device is pinned to the kiosk and boots straight into it).
  • An order a customer builds is visible to the cashier and in the order list on the «Open» tab — see «Taking payment».

Step 1. The customer starts an order ​

The kiosk start screen shows «Welcome» and «TAP TO START». The customer taps the screen to begin.

If dining types are configured, the kiosk first asks «How would you like to dine?» with «Eat in» or «Take out». After the choice, the menu opens.

Step 2. The customer builds the order from the menu ​

In «Menu ordering» mode the customer builds the cart themselves:

  1. Categories and product tiles on the left, the cart headed «MY ORDER» on the right.
  2. Tapping a tile adds the item; tapping again increases the quantity.
  3. When there are many categories, a «Search the menu» field at the top replaces the grid with matching products as the customer types.
  4. At the bottom of the cart there is a checkout button «CHECKOUT · [amount]» and a «CANCEL» button.

The customer can switch the kiosk language and cancel the whole order — on cancel the kiosk asks to confirm and returns to the start screen.

Step 3. Retail self-checkout with a scanner ​

If the device is set to «Retail (scan self-checkout)» mode, the «Self-checkout» scan screen opens instead of the menu:

  1. The screen shows «Scan a product» and the hint «Hold the barcode up to the scanner.»
  2. The customer holds a barcode to the scanner — the item is added to the order.
  3. Added items are shown according to the «Scan display» setting: «Last-item confirmation» (only the item just added) or «Item list» (the whole order as a list).
  4. For an item without a barcode there is a «Find a product» button — the customer types the name and adds it manually.
  5. When everything is scanned, the customer proceeds to payment.

If a barcode is not recognized, the screen shows «Product not found» and the hint «Please ask a cashier for help» — the order is not changed.

Step 4. Payment: at the kiosk or at the counter ​

On the payment screen the kiosk offers a choice of tender. The set depends on the venue's hardware:

  • «PAY HERE» — the customer pays right at the kiosk. After a successful payment the kiosk shows «Thank you!».
  • «PAY AT COUNTER» — on a kiosk without a payment terminal this is the never-stranded fallback: the order is submitted open and unpaid, goes to the counter, and the kiosk returns to the start screen. The customer walks to the cashier and pays there — see «Taking payment».

After paying at the kiosk the customer chooses how to get the receipt: «PRINT» or «SKIP» (SMS or email are also available by configuration).

Step 5. Enable the kiosk as a side-menu launcher ​

So a staff member can open the kiosk manually without pinning the whole device to kiosk mode:

  1. Open «Settings» → the «Hardware» section → the «Available in menu» category.
  2. Turn on «Kiosk available». The subtitle explains: show the kiosk launcher in the side menu on this device; it does not lock the device into kiosk mode.
  3. A «Kiosk» entry appears in the side menu right away, without restarting the app.
  4. To remove it, turn the same switch off.

The kiosk mode settings live in the same «Hardware» section: «Kiosk surface» (choose «Menu ordering» / «Retail (scan self-checkout)») and «Scan display».

Step 6. Pin the device to the kiosk (kiosk device-mode) ​

To make a dedicated device work only as a customer kiosk:

  1. Open «Settings» → the «Hardware» section → the «Device role» category.
  2. Turn on «Kiosk device-mode». The subtitle explains: the device boots straight to the kiosk and blocks every other screen, and exiting needs a manager PIN.
  3. The kiosk asks «Pin this device to the self-service kiosk?» — confirm.
  4. From then on the device starts straight into the kiosk.

How to exit kiosk mode. Double-tap the top-left corner of the kiosk start screen — a PIN prompt opens. Enter the PIN of a staff member who has the exit-kiosk right. The app then opens the device settings, where the manager turns the kiosk mode off. A customer does not know this PIN and cannot exit.

What the device lock does ​

When «Kiosk device-mode» is on, the app holds the device on the kiosk screen differently depending on the platform:

  • Windows — the app goes fullscreen on top of every other window: the taskbar and the window title bar are hidden, and Alt+F4 does not close the app.
  • Android — the system screen pinning is used: the device is pinned to the kiosk app by Android itself.
  • iPhone/iPad — the app cannot lock the device on its own. Use the iOS system feature Guided Access: turn it on in the iOS settings and the system itself will hold the device inside the kiosk app.

Turning kiosk mode off restores everything at once, with no app restart: the window, the taskbar, and the screen pinning all come back to normal.

Common problems ​

  • "Не удалось отправить — проверьте соединение и попробуйте ещё раз" — the kiosk did not send the electronic receipt; the receipt itself is already closed.
  • «No menu available» — the catalog is empty or not loaded yet. The kiosk hints: «Ask a staff member to refresh the catalog from the back office.» Check that the menu is configured in the dashboard and has synced.
  • «Product not found» — a barcode was not recognized in retail mode. The screen shows «Please ask a cashier for help». Check that the product has a barcode; an item without one is added via «Find a product».
  • «Couldn't submit the order. Please try again.» — a pay-at-counter order failed to submit. Check the connection and retry; if that fails, ring the order up at the counter.
  • No «Kiosk» entry in the side menu — the «Kiosk available» switch is off. Turn it on in «Settings» → «Hardware» → «Available in menu».
  • The customer cannot exit the kiosk — that is intentional: the exit is locked. Double-tap the top-left corner and enter the PIN of a staff member with the exit-kiosk right.
  • «Are you still here?» — the kiosk is idle and will soon cancel the unfinished order. The customer taps «I'm still here» to continue.

FAQ ​

How does «Menu ordering» differ from «Retail (scan self-checkout)»? ​

In «Menu ordering» the customer picks items from the menu by tiles — good for cafes and fast food. In «Retail (scan self-checkout)» the customer scans product barcodes — good for a store. Switch the mode in «Settings» → «Hardware» → «Kiosk surface»; it applies to this device only.

How does «Pay here» differ from «Pay at counter»? ​

«PAY HERE» — the customer pays right at the kiosk. «PAY AT COUNTER» — the order goes to the counter open and unpaid, and the customer pays a cashier. The second is used on kiosks without a payment terminal so the customer can always finish the order.

Where does an order built at the kiosk go? ​

It appears in the cashier's order list on the «Open» tab. If the customer chose pay-at-counter, the cashier takes payment — see «Taking payment». Quick orders are covered in «Quick sale».

How do I give a staff member the kiosk temporarily without locking the whole device? ​

Turn on «Kiosk available» in «Settings» → «Hardware» → «Available in menu» — a «Kiosk» launcher appears in the side menu. This is not the same as «Kiosk device-mode»: the launcher opens the kiosk manually and does not block other screens.

What if a device is stuck in the kiosk? ​

The exit is locked on purpose so a customer cannot leave. Double-tap the top-left corner of the start screen and enter the PIN of a staff member with the exit-kiosk right — the device settings open, where kiosk mode is turned off.