A POS terminal screen for changing the batch number

The batch number is a number maintained on the POS terminal, incremented by 1 at each end of day, used to transfer POS transactions to the merchant account and for reconciliation.

Transactions are tracked under the batch number both on the POS terminal and in the POS bank's system. The batch number is expected to increase by 1 with every end-of-day operation performed on the POS.

Reconciliation, whether the end of day is performed by the merchant on the POS or run automatically by the POS itself, is carried out based on the batch number.

So does the POS's batch number always match the POS bank's batch number?

Of course not. Batch mismatches occur from time to time, sometimes due to issues originating from the POS and sometimes due to issues in the bank's system.

What action can be taken in the case of a batch mismatch?

In case of a batch mismatch, the batch number on the POS device can be manually changed to bring it in line with the bank's system. This allows transactions to be processed successfully on the POS device again.

How do I change the batch number on the POS?

Changing the batch number may vary depending on the bank and the POS version, but the general flow is similar across devices. The flow can roughly be described as follows:

  1. Press the menu/enter key located at the bottom right of the POS device.
  2. Select System Menu from the list that appears.
  3. The bank operator password entry screen opens. Enter the bank operator password.
  4. From the list that opens, select the Change Batch Number screen.
  5. The screen that opens displays the current batch number. The user enters the new batch number, and the POS's batch number is changed.

Do I need to load parameters after changing the POS's batch number?

There is no need to load parameters after changing the POS's batch number. You can continue processing transactions without any issues.

Do I need to run an end of day after changing the POS's batch number?

There is no need to run an end of day after changing the POS's batch number. You can continue processing transactions without any issues.

If I run an end of day while there are no transactions in the POS's batch, does the POS's batch number increase?

This varies from bank to bank. Generally, banks do not increase the POS's batch number if there are no transactions under that batch.