POS Payment Processing

Overview

The Katalyst POS supports multiple ways to collect payment on a check — credit and debit cards, cash, gift cards, loyalty cards, house charge, and any custom manual tenders your location has configured. This guide covers how to take a payment on the POS, how to adjust or delete a payment after it has been applied, and how to set up a payment device (card terminal) so it is ready for use.

Prerequisites

• You must be logged in to the POS app on a licensed tablet.
• A check must be open before a payment can be applied.
• For card payments, a payment device (card reader) must be active and set as the Default Payment Device on your POS tablet. See Setting Up a Payment Device below if this has not been configured.

Taking a Payment

Step 1 — Open the payment screen

1. Open the check you want to collect payment on.
2. Tap the Pay button on the check screen.

The payment screen shows the outstanding balance, available payment method buttons, and a tip selection area (if configured for your location).

Step 2 — Select a payment method

Tap the button for the payment method the guest is using:

Step 3 — Enter tips (if applicable)

Before submitting a card payment, the POS may prompt for a tip amount or percentage. Staff can:

• Select a preset tip percentage.
• Enter a custom dollar amount.
• Select No Tip.

If your payment device has Adding Tips on Device enabled, the tip prompt appears on the card reader screen instead, and the guest selects their own tip before the charge is sent.

Note: Tips cannot be added to Loyalty Card payments.

Step 4 — Complete the payment

• Card: The POS communicates with the card terminal. The guest interacts with the reader. Once approved, the payment is recorded on the check and a receipt can be printed.
• Cash: Enter the amount of cash given by the guest. The POS displays the change due. Confirm to close.
• Gift card / Loyalty card: After swiping or entering the number, the system checks the available balance and applies it. If the balance does not cover the full check, the remaining amount is left open for a second payment method.

Splitting a Payment

A check can be paid with more than one payment method (for example, part gift card and part credit card).

1. On the payment screen, enter a partial amount in the Amount field before tapping the payment button.
2. Complete the first payment for that partial amount.
3. The remaining balance stays open on the check.
4. Repeat the process with a second payment method for the remaining balance.

Adjusting a Payment (Editing Tips)

After a card payment has been processed, staff with the appropriate permissions can adjust the tip amount — for example, if a guest adds a tip on a paper receipt after swiping.

1. Open the check the payment was applied to.
2. Locate the payment in the payment list.
3. Tap the payment to open its detail view.
4. Update the Tips field with the correct amount.
5. Save the change.

Important restrictions:

• Tips can only be adjusted on payments that are in a paid status.
• Tips cannot be adjusted on Loyalty Card payments.
• Tips cannot be adjusted on a check that has already been closed.
• Paynt and Payrix card payments do not allow changing the charged amount after the transaction has been captured.

Voiding a Payment

A void reverses a card or ACH payment that has not yet settled with the processor. Voiding is the correct action if a payment was taken in error and settlement has not occurred.

Only card and ACH payments can be voided. Cash, manual, gift card, and house charge payments are removed differently (see Deleting a Cash or Manual Payment below).

1. Open the check the payment is on.
2. Locate the payment and tap it to open the detail view.
3. Tap Void.
4. Confirm the action.

The payment status changes to voided and the check balance is restored to unpaid.

Refunding a Payment

A refund returns funds to the guest's card for a payment that has already settled. Refunds can be full or partial.

Only card and ACH payments can be refunded through Katalyst. Payments made externally (e.g., through an online ordering platform) are not refundable through the POS and must be handled through the originating platform.

1. Navigate to the check or locate the payment in Reports.
2. Open the payment detail.
3. Tap Refund.
4. For a partial refund, enter the specific dollar amount to return. For a full refund, leave the amount field empty.
5. Optionally add a comment to explain the reason for the refund.
6. Confirm the action.

The payment status updates to reflect the refund, and the refund is logged with the card details and timestamp.

Deleting a Cash or Manual Payment

Cash payments and manual/custom tender payments that have been applied to a check in error can be removed before the check is closed.

1. Open the check the payment is on.
2. Locate the payment in the payment list.
3. Tap the delete icon next to the payment.
4. Confirm the removal.

The payment is removed and the check balance returns to the original amount.

You cannot delete a payment from a check that has already been closed.

Setting Up a Payment Device

Payment devices (card readers and terminals) are registered in the back office and then assigned to individual POS tablets. Both steps are required before a tablet can take card payments.

Part 1 — Register the device in back office

Who can do this: Users with permission to view or edit restaurant settings in the Restaurant Management dashboard.

1. Log in to the Katalyst Restaurant Management dashboard.

2. Go to Settings → Payments.

3. In the Payment Devices section (this section only appears when a card payment method is configured), click Add payment device.

   The New Payment Device dialog opens.

4. Fill in the following fields:

   Field	What to enter
   Device Name	A recognizable name for this terminal (e.g., "Bar Reader", "Host Stand Terminal")
   ID / Serial Number	The terminal's serial number or hardware ID, provided by your payment processor or printed on the device
   Revenue Centers	Select which areas of your restaurant can use this device; leave empty to make it available everywhere
   Payment Provider	Select the processor this device belongs to: Card Connect, Nmi, Paynt, or Payrix

5. If your card processor is NMI, also select the connection type:

   • BLE — Bluetooth Low Energy wireless pairing
   • Bluetooth — standard Bluetooth pairing
   • Cloud — cloud-connected terminal (required for kiosk setups)

6. If your card processor is CardConnect, you will see an additional toggle:

   • Adding Tips on Device — when enabled, the tip prompt appears on the card reader screen for the guest to select before the charge completes.

7. Click Create to save the device.

Part 2 — Verify connectivity (CardConnect only)

For CardConnect terminals, you can test the connection before going to the floor:

1. In the Payment Devices section, locate the newly added device.
2. Use the Check Connection option to ping the device by its serial number.
3. If successful, the system confirms that the Bolt API credentials are valid and the terminal is reachable.
4. If the ping fails, verify the ID / Serial Number matches the physical device, confirm the terminal is powered on and connected to the network, and check that your CardConnect credentials are correct under Payment Processing Overview.

Part 3 — Assign the device to a POS tablet

Each POS tablet (mobile device) must have a Default Payment Device set so it knows which reader to use when staff tap the Card payment button.

1. In the back office, go to Settings → Mobile Devices.
2. Find the tablet (POS license) you want to assign this terminal to.
3. Set Default Payment Device to the terminal you just created.
4. Confirm the Checkout Type is correct for that station:
   • Standard — server-operated checkout; merchant and customer card receipt copies print per your settings.
   • Guest Facing — the guest interacts directly with the device; printing behavior differs from standard checkout.
5. Save.

The POS app on that tablet will now route card payments through the assigned terminal.

Troubleshooting

The Card button is missing from the POS payment screen

• Confirm a card payment method (CardConnect or NMI) is configured under Settings → Payments → Payment Processing Overview.
• The card payment method's Revenue Centers field may be restricting it to other areas. Check if the current revenue center is included, or leave it empty for all areas.
• Staff should log out and back in to the POS to pick up updated settings.

The payment device shows "not set" or "wrong payment device"

• The POS tablet does not have a Default Payment Device assigned. Go to Settings → Mobile Devices, find this tablet, and assign the correct device.
• Confirm the assigned device is set to Active in the Payment Devices list.
• The device's Payment Provider must match the card processor configured under Payment Processing Overview.

Card payment is stuck on "processing"

• Confirm the terminal is powered on and connected to the network.
• For CardConnect: run the Check Connection test in back office to verify Bolt connectivity.
• Confirm the ID / Serial Number on the device record matches the physical terminal exactly.

"You can refund only card or ACH payments"

• Cash, gift card, loyalty card, manual, and house charge payments cannot be refunded through the POS. If a cash payment was applied in error, delete it from the check before closing it.

"Payment can't be refunded"

• Only payments in a paid status can be refunded. If the payment was already voided or previously refunded, no further action can be taken through Katalyst. Contact your payment processor directly if needed.

Tips adjustment is not saving

• Confirm the check is not already closed — tip adjustments cannot be made to closed checks.
• Confirm the payment is in a paid status; failed or voided payments cannot be edited.
• Loyalty Card payments do not support tip adjustment.

Related Guides

• Payment Devices — in-depth reference for device fields, provider types, and kiosk configuration
• Payment Provider Setup — configuring payment methods and processor credentials in back office
• Cash Outs — how card tips and cash payments roll into end-of-shift cash out reports