how2itg04.htm

Handling pro shop credit accounts

Beginning with version 8.29, InfoTouch 2000 provides a "store credit" function as one of the optional tender types. This function typically handles the "tournament credit" or "pro shop credit" function easily. However, listed below is another very powerful mechanism for managing this important function. One could almost refer to it as "the classic method" as it provides flexibilities , auditing nd reporting possibilities that few other systems have. What's more, this method is applicable to any InfoTouch system, DOS or Windows and is transferable from the DOS system to the Windows system should the DOS user wish to upgrade.

InfoTouch manages credit accounts easily by "charging" prizemoney to a customer's account. The prizemoney must be defined as an inventory item having a NEGATIVE retail value, and the transaction must be tendered as a CHARGE. Additionally, if entry fees are tracked within the same sales department, the net profit off of tournaments can be maintained on the system.

CREATE THE INVENTORY ITEMS

• Inventory, select the EVENTS (or tournaments, etc.) department.

• Create an item called ENTRY FEE. Assign a retail value of $1.00 and set sales tax appropriate for your state. Some states actually consider entry fees similar to "paid admission" and charge sales tax. If you have many price levels, make sure each price level is set to $1.00.

• Create an item called PRIZEMONEY (or prizes, payout, etc.). Assign a retail value of -$1.00. Like the entry fee, make sure all price levels are also set to -$1.00. This is probably not a taxable item in any state, but you may want to check with your accountant.

CREATE THE REGISTER BUTTONS

• In the EVENTS (or tournaments, etc.) department of the register, create a button called ENTRY FEE, exactly as you defined it in inventory.

• In the same department, create a button called PRIZEMONEY (or prizes, payout, etc.), exactly as you defined it in inventory.

CREATE THE CUSTOMER RECORDS

• In Customers, create your customers but for the MESSAGE, insert the word "PRIZEMONEY" (or tournament credit, or whatever you call it). Since Touch only allows one customer number to a customer, you may have to get creative if you want to maintain regular charge accounts separately from pro shop credit accounts for the same person. Ideas: if a customer number is 325 for example, make his/her credit account 9325 or 99325 for example. Or if your system is set up to allow alphabetical characters as part of the customer number, you might call this the T325 account for "tournament account for customer #325." For facilities which also use Club Data Corporation's accounting system, start the account number with the letter "Z," as in Z325. However you do it, make sure you put something in the MESSAGE field that tells you which account you're working with when you pull it up on the screen.

• Set the customer's credit limit to ZERO. Also, make sure you assign the customer to appropriate tax categories, price levels, etc.

SET UP THE EVENTS DEPARTMENT

• In SETUP, DEPARTMENTS, make sure you allow for fractional quantities. And if you set the DEFAULT QUANTITY to zero, whenever you touch the EVENTS department register button, a keypad will automatically come up with asks for quantity.

RINGING UP SALES & CREDITS

Scenario 1: Customer enters a tournament and pays an entry fee.

• Touch QUANTITY button and enter the entry fee in terms of "quantity of dollars," i.e. $50 is entered as quantity 50.
• Then touch the EVENTS department, and finally the ENTRY FEE button. The screen displays the extended total to the right. Continue by tendering the sale for cash, check, credit card, etc. IMPORTANT: It's a violation of Amateur Status rules to allow the use of prizemoney as payment of entry fees, so don't ring up entry fees as a charge against a customer's pro shop credit account!

Scenario 2: Customer wins $100 prizemoney in the tournament.

• Touch CUSTOMER button, and pull up the customer's TOURNAMENT CREDIT account (however you identify them)
• Touch QUANTITY and enter the amount: quantity 100.
• Touch EVENTS department, and then the PRIZEMONEY button. The screen displays the extended total "credit" to the right; note that it's a negative number!
• Continue by tendering the sale as CHARGE only; do not use cash, credit card or check. The customer now has $100 "credit" on his/her account.

Scenario 3: Customer buys 3 golf balls and a glove off credit and the person has more credit available than they will be using.

• Touch CUSTOMER button, and pull up the customer's TOURNAMENT CREDIT account.
• Touch BALLS department button and the sales items
• Touch GLOVE department button and the sales items
• Touch CHARGE to tender the sale. The credit balance will now reflect the remaining credit.

Scenario 4: Customer buys a sweater off credit but doesn't have enough credit on the books to pay for the whole thing. (Note: this example assumes that you have a SHOP CREDIT department, with both APPLY CREDIT and USE CREDIT items defined in the shop credit department.

• Touch CUSTOMER button and bring up the customer's TOURNAMENT account, however you identify it.
• Touch SHOP CREDITS department, then USE CREDIT, and touch in the amount remaining on his/her credit account.
• Finish the credit account sale by tendering as CHARGE SALE.
• Touch CUSTOMER button and bring up the customer's regular charge account
• Touch SHOP CREDITS dept. and then APPLY CREDIT, and touch in the amount of credit they had left in their credit account.
• Touch the appropriate apparel department for the sweater.
• Tender the sale however you want; the credit will offset some of the sweater's retail value and the net will be displayed.

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