How do I search a cash transaction for return?

[MikeSL]

I am using Square retail with the Square register hardware. I had a customer come in with a return who paid cash. When I tried to do the return, square register did not allow me to search transaction for that item. It wanted to search via credit card. 

I been looking around and noticed I am allowed to search transaction using an item with square retail on my iPad. But not on the register. Am I missing something?

Thanks

[JustinC]

You're not missing anything - unfortunately, item search to find a transaction is not available on the Register. You can try on Dashboard though, even though that route isn't ideal. 

Are you still having trouble locating the original payment? @MikeSL 

[MikeSL]

I found it, but for the future it's not ideal for my staff when I am not there. I ended up having my manager download the retail app to there iPhone and use that for a cash return. 

[JustinC]

Yea, not ideal. Hopefully we can change that in the future. Glad your mgr was able to find the transaction on their device using Retail. 

[MikeSL]

Any word on if this was fixed? 

[JJ_]

Hey there @MikeSL 👋

We don't have any updates on search by Item but we do have a way to search by receipt ID which may be easier to locate transactions if your customer brought their receipt (paper or digital). 

I hope this information is helpful!

[paulmontaperto]

Again... Square is making it IMPOSSIBLE to provide returns to customers who have lost or do not have a receipt (item was a gift). As a small business we are extremely customer-focused. I can't just tell them, "sorry, you don't have a receipt. you are screwed". This has been an ongoing problem for YEARS now with zero response to the issue from Square. We need a simpler way to process returns! 

[Missy22cc]

Square, how is this still a problem in the register 2.5 years later?

[Candlestore]

@Missy22cc ;

Not sure if you can now do this on a register or not, but on a Square Stand I can press Transactions on the bottom of the screen. Then on the next screen there is a Search field which pops up that you can enter the CC, Name, Phone, Receipt, Item or Notes to search all transactions.  It also shows if CC or Cash was used in the results of the search.  Depending if you take the name and number etc of every customer at the time of their transaction this could be a way to search.  Since most of my customers are here on vacation I do not get the names and phone numbers of most of my customers.  

I noticed somewhere else someone was trying to search transactions from the Checkout screen, which you can do by scanning a receipt so I am not sure if this has been addressed since this was originally posted and thought I would mention you need to been in the Transactions Tab to search not just the Checkout (main) screen.

Maybe this will work after all the updates Square has had since 2021?   IDK

[PartyManiaMD]

This doesn't appear to be a universal feature enabled at least not on Square Registers. I'm on a Square Register using Square for Retail and can't search for transactions unless they have the card or receipt.

On desktop I can search my transactions and pull up the receipt however like others have state the owner is not always at the store... It's the same issue I have with the fact that they will log the Square register out every now and then, I was on vacation recently and had to give my master password so that my employee could re-log in the "store" to the Square Register.

We shouldn't be required to have owner control passwords on site in order to operate the business and it's a huge oversight that this is the case for stuff like logging into the square registers and being able to look up receipts or perform a no receipt refund.

[Candlestore]

@PartyManiaMD ;

Since I saw most of the posts re-guarding this were from 2021 and all these recent updates I was hopeful that square would have enabled this in their "Flagship" POS system.  When the register came out I wanted that system so bad because of the dual screens etc but started with the Stands and the more and more I hear of the Flaws and issues that are not getting addressed I am glad I have the Stands.  

Thank you for confirming that currently as of 2023 this is still not available for the Register.

[Missy22cc]

Thanks for the reply. Full info search is still not available on the register. Honestly,  I regret the upgrade. If your stand is working properly, stick with it. 

[Candlestore]

@Missy22cc;

Thank you for the advice with the stand, this is what I plan on doing.  I wish at times Square could follow the Logic, "If it is not broken do not Fix it!"