Track Shifts with Blind Drop Cashiering

Stay is enhanced to allow properties to track shifts with blind drop cashiering. Properties can configure the individual payment methods, transaction items, and currencies that must be reconciled by a cashier when starting or ending a shift. Any overage or shortage will be displayed in the Cashier Activity Report printed with the night audit reports.

Feature Setting

The following new feature setting must be enabled to allow users to configure the Cashier Setup screen and implement all controls associated with cashiering:

• Name: Enhanced Cashier Activity

• Value: Must be enabled

• Comments: License is not required

Permission

The following new permission has been introduced that enforces users to start their shift on logging in to Stay:

Field	Description
Stay_Cashier	Users with this permission must start their shift upon logging into Stay. Users can continue to use Stay only after they start their shift. This permission is assigned to the following roles by default: Guest Service Agent Stay Front Desk GSA Supervisor Stay Night Audit
Stay_Cashier_Approvals	Only users with this permission can approve a cashier to start shift even if the maximum sign on limit is exceeded and approve a cashier’s cash over/under during end shift when the flag is enabled. This permission is assigned to the following roles by default: Stay Hotel Manager Department Manager System Administrator Stay Hotel Supervisor Stay Accounting Accounts Receivable Manager
Stay_AccessCashierSetup1	Only users with this permission can access the Cashier Setup screen and update all the sections. This permission is assigned to the following roles by default: Stay Hotel Manager Department Manager System Administrator Stay Hotel Supervisor
Stay_AccessCashierSetup2	Only users with this permission can access the Cashier Setup screen and update all the sections except Shift Tracking, Blind Drop, Cash Over/Under, Shared Cash Drawer. This permission is assigned to the following roles by default: Stay Hotel Manager Department Manager System Administrator Stay Hotel Supervisor

When the Enhanced Cashier Activity feature setting is enabled and a user with the Stay_Cashier permission logs in, a Cash Drawer must be set up to allow the logged in user to use Stay. If a Cash Drawer is not set up, the user will be blocked from using Stay.

Start Shift

Users will be prompted to enter their starting shift balances the first time they log in after the previous shift was closed. The shift balances cannot be modified after they have been entered, and so the associate will be prompted to confirm their balances before proceeding. The start date and time will be captured and associated to the user for that shift. When a user with the Stay_Cashier permission logs in to Stay, they will be prompted to start their shift by entering the required details in the Start Shift screen.

Refer to the following table to enter details in the Start Shift screen when starting a shift:

Field	Description
Cashier Name	Displays the username of the cashier logged in to Stay.
Cash Drawer	Select a cash drawer from the drop-down list. This field is mandatory. If a cashier is sharing a drawer, starting balances are not required; users can proceed to save, and other input fields will be disabled. When cash drawers are not configured in the Cashier Setup section and a cashier tries to start their shift, they will be displayed the following message: No cash drawers found for this property. Please configure under cashier setup to start your shift.
Use Denomination Tracker	When this checkbox is selected, the denomination table will be displayed for entering the count for each denomination and the Cash Total field becomes non-editable displaying the total as per selected denominations. Users can select the individual denomination and enter the count per denomination. When this checkbox is deselected, the denomination table will be hidden and the Cash Total field becomes editable, and users can enter the Cash Total amount manually. The property can configure whether the denomination tracker must be made mandatory or not. If the property decides to use the denomination tracker mandatorily the Use Denomination Tracker checkbox will not be displayed in the Start Shift screen and users will be forced to use the denomination tracker always.
Cash Total	When the Use Denomination Tracker checkbox is selected, based on the selection of the individual denomination and the count per denomination entered, the amount will be auto calculated and displayed in this field. When the Use Denomination Tracker checkbox is not selected, users must enter an amount in this field.
Other	This is a multi-select drop-down list of all other payment methods that are of the Cash payment class other than the Cash payment method itself. Users can select the preferred payment methods and enter the starting balance for each method.
Other Total	Displays the sum which is auto calculated for all other payment methods of the Cash payment class entered by the user. This field cannot be edited.
Foreign Currency	When the checkbox is enabled, a drop-down list with all currencies is displayed and users can select the preferred foreign currency and enter the value of the starting balance in local currency. When the checkbox is disabled, the option to select a foreign currency and enter the value of the starting balance will be hidden. To add more foreign currencies to the Start Shift screen, users must click the add button. To delete the foreign currencies from the Start Shift screen, users must click the delete button.
Foreign Currency Total	Displays the sum of all amounts in the local currency entered for every foreign currency selected. This is a non-editable field.

When a user tries to start their shift beyond the configured cash limits, they are required to obtain approval from the supervisor. Users with the Stay_Cashier_Approval permissions can approve a cashier to start the shift even if the maximum cash limit during sign in has exceeded. For this, the Exceed Cashier Shift Limit pop-up screen is displayed that allows supervisors to authenticate themselves with their credentials. If credentials are incorrect or the user does not have sufficient permissions the following message is displayed: User does not have the required permission.

When the feature setting is enabled and the option to track shifts is enabled in the Cashier Setup for the property, cashiers will be restricted from making cash payments without starting their shifts from the following sections in Stay:

• Booking flow

• Folio in reservations

• Scheduled deposits

• Groups folios

• Checkout ➜ Deposit Policy

• Cancel Reservation ➜ Cancellation Policy

• Batch Operations: Check-In, Settle, Checkout Folio, Deposit Dues

• Front Desk ➜ Pantry

• Night Audit - Collect Deposit, Cancellation/No Show has Cancellation

• Company Accounts

• House Accounts

• Rooms Management ➜ Lost & Found ➜ Shipper Details

• Estimated Charges ➜ Collect Deposit Due

• Group ➜ Deposit Due ➜ Collect deposit due

End Shift

Users can close their shift at any time. During closure, users will be prompted to reconcile their ending balances for each of the payment methods, transaction items, and currencies configured. The following additional information will be displayed to help users reconcile:

• Starting balance

• Debit balance

• Credit balance

• Ending balance

Refer to the following table to enter details in the End Shift screen when starting a shift:

Field	Description
Cashier Name	Displays the username of the cashier logged in to Stay.
Cash Drawer	Displays the name of the cashier drawer selected by the cashier during the start of the shift. If the cashier has selected a shared drawer, closing balances are not required; users can proceed to save, and other input fields will be disabled.
Starting Total Balance	Displays the total balance as entered by the cashier when the shift was started.
Show More	Click the hyperlink to expand and view the other system-generated balances
Starting Cash Total	Displays the Cash Total amount as per the start of shift.
Starting Other Total	Displays the Other Total amount as per the start of shift.
Starting Foreign Currency Total	Displays the Foreign Currency Total amount as per the start of shift.
Debits	Displays the sum of refunds performed by the cashier. This amount will include only the cash payment method.
Credits	Displays the sum of payments made by the cashier. This amount will include only the cash payment method.
Ending Total Balance	Displays the ending balance in total for the cashier. The amount is calculated by adding the difference between the credits and the debits and the Total Starting Balance. That is (Credits – Debits) + Total Starting Balance.
Show Less	Click the hyperlink to close the expanded view of other system-generated balances.
Expected Cash Drop	The value displayed in this field is obtained by calculating the difference between the sum of refunds performed by the cashier (Credits) and the sum of payments made by the cashier (Debits). That is Credits – Debits. When a cashier has used a shared drawer, the value will be calculated and displayed for the last cashier who ends the shift based on the following calculations: The sum of the Expected Cash Drop of cashiers who have previously ended their shift using the same drawer + the total of all debit/credit transactions in cash for the cashier who has currently logged in to end the shift.
Use Denomination Tracker	When this checkbox is selected, the denomination table will be displayed for entering the count for each denomination and the Cash Total field becomes non-editable displaying the total as per selected denominations. Users can select the individual denomination and enter the count per denomination. When this checkbox is deselected, the denomination table will be hidden and the Cash Total field becomes editable, and users can enter the Cash Total amount manually. The property can configure whether the denomination tracker must be made mandatory or not. If the property decides to use the denomination tracker mandatorily the Use Denomination Tracker checkbox will not be displayed in the End Shift screen and users will be forced to use the denomination tracker always.
Cash Total	When the Use Denomination Tracker checkbox is selected, based on the selection of the individual denomination and the count per denomination entered, the amount will be auto calculated and displayed in this field. When the Use Denomination Tracker checkbox is not selected, users must enter an amount in this field.
Other	This is a multi-select drop-down list of all other payment methods that are of the Cash payment class other than the Cash payment method itself. Users can select the preferred payment methods and enter the starting balance for each method.
Other Total	Displays the sum which is auto calculated for all other payment methods of the Cash payment class entered by the user. This field cannot be edited.
Foreign Currency	When the checkbox is enabled, a drop-down list with all currencies is displayed and users can select the preferred foreign currency and enter the value of the starting balance in local currency. When the checkbox is disabled, the option to select a foreign currency and enter the value of the starting balance will be hidden. To add more foreign currencies to the End Shift screen, users must click the add button. To delete the foreign currencies from the End Shift screen, users must click the delete button.
Foreign Currency Total	Displays the sum of all amounts in the local currency entered for every foreign currency selected. This is a non-editable field.
Total Entered Balance	Displays the sum of cash total, other cash totals, and the foreign currency totals.
Cash Drop	User can enter the amount of cash dropped in the safe.

• When the property has turned off blind drop cashiering and when the user clicks Save, a new page displaying the Cashier End Activity Report is opened. When ending the shift, the date and timestamp are captured upon saving.

• When the property has turned on both the options of shift tracking and blind drop cashiering and when users click Save, only users with the Stay_Run_Cashier_Report permission assigned will have the Cashier End Activity Report displayed in a new page. Users without this permission will not be able to access the Cashier End Activity reports.

• When the property has turned on the blind drop cashiering option, users will be displayed the ending balance-related fields on the screen, and fields such as Starting Balances, Debits, Credits, and so on will not be displayed to the cashiers.

Alert for Cash Balance Variance

When the value displayed in the Ending Total Balance and the value entered in the Total Entered Balance do not match, the following alert is displayed to the user: Please note that there is a cash balance variance noted upon end shift. You will require approval from a supervisor to end your shift.

When the property has enabled the option to allow users to override cash overage or shortage, users must authenticate themselves before ending the shift with a variance in cash balance. The option to override will not be permitted when the property has the blind drop cashiering option enabled.

Configure Cashier Setup

A new screen, Cashier Setup, is added under the Administration menu of the Settings screen to allow users to configure default settings for the cashier setup (Settings ➜ All Settings ➜ Administration ➜ Cashier Setup). Only users with the Stay_Access_Cashier_Setup1 and/or Stay_Access_Cashier_Setup2 permission can access the Cashier Setup screen. Any updates made in the Cashier Setup screen will be effective only after the date roll.

Users can configure the settings for the following from this screen:

• General Configuration

• Max Start Shift

• Cash Drawer Configuration

• Other Cash Configuration

General Configuration

This section allows users to turn on/off cashier activities like shift tracking, blind drop cashiering, configure shared cash drawers, enable the option to permit cash overage/shortage, and configure the denomination tracker to be mandatory. By default, shift tracking will be enabled. When blind drop cashiering is enabled for the property, then the option to permit cash overage/shortage will be disabled.

Refer to the following table to configure the fields in this section:

Field	Description
Shift Tracking	Enable the flag to enable shift tracking for cashiers logging in to Stay.
Blind Drop	Enable the flag to enable blind drop cashiering for the property. When enabled, cashiers must reconcile individual payment methods, transaction items, and currencies that must be reconciled by a cashier when starting or ending a shift. When disabled, cashiers will not be required to start the shift when logging into Stay. However, they can choose to start the shift manually by clicking the Start Shift option that is displayed on clicking the name of the user who is logged in to Stay
Cash Over/Under	Enable the flag to permit cashiers to override cash overage or shortage. This flag will be disabled when the property has enabled blind drop cashiering, and the cashier will not be able to override cash overage or shortage.
Shared Cash Drawer	Enable the flag to allow the sharing of a cash drawer with more than one cashier.
Denomination Tracker Mandatory	Enable the flag to enforce users to use the denomination tracker during the start and end of the shift.

Max Start Shift

This section allows users to configure the maximum number of times a cashier can start and end a shift in a business day.

Click Add to configure a limit for a cashier. Refer to the following table to configure the fields in this section:

Field	Description
Active	Enable the checkbox to activate the limit.
Limit	Configure the cashier limits from 1 to 10 or set the option to No Limit from the list of values displayed in the drop-down list. Once a limit is configured, the selected limit will not be displayed again in the list of values. The No Limit option cannot be made inactive.
Roles	Select the roles for the limit from the multi-select drop-down list. The drop-down list will include those roles that have the Stay_Cashier permission mapped to the role. User roles and limits are assigned uniquely and cannot be duplicated. The Show more hyperlink will be displayed if there are more roles to view for that limit.

To edit an existing limit, click the name of the limit that is hyperlinked.

Cash Drawer Configuration

This section allows users to configure the cash drawer for cashiers. If the property has enabled the Share Cash Drawer flag, cashiers can share the drawers configured under this section during the start and end shifts. Only active drawers will be available for selection in the Start Shift screen. Click Add to add a new cash drawer.

Refer to the following table to configure the fields in this section:

Field	Description
Active	Enable the checkbox to activate the cash drawer.
Name	Enter a name for the cash drawer. Users can enter up to 200 characters in alphanumeric.

To edit an existing cash drawer, click the name of the cash drawer that is hyperlinked.

Other Cash Configuration

This section allows users to configure other payment methods that are of the cash payment class. These payment methods are used only for cashier activity (Start Shift and End Shift) and will not be displayed in the Guest Accounting section. Some examples include petty cash, coupons, tokens, and so on. Click Add to add a new cash payment method.

Refer to the following table to configure the fields in this section:

Field	Description
Active	Enable the checkbox to activate the cash payment method.
Name	Enter a name for the cash payment method. Users can enter up to 200 characters in alphanumeric.
Code	Enter a code for the cash payment method. Users can enter up to 10 characters in alphanumeric. The entered code must unique and cannot be duplicated. When a user tries to enter a code that is already available as a part of the payment methods configured in the Guest Accounting section under the cash payment class and is active, then the following message is displayed to users to avoid duplicates: This payment method already exists in guest accounting. When a user tries to configure a code in the Guest Accounting section that is already available as a part of the Cashier Setup section and is active, then the following message is displayed to users to avoid duplicates: This payment method already exists in cashier setup.

To edit an existing cash payment method, click the name of the cash payment method that is hyperlinked.

Manage Open Cashier Shifts During Date Roll

The Night Audit screen is enhanced to include the following updates relating to shift tracking for cashiers:

• A new section, Open Cashier Shifts, is added to the Date Roll screen (Night Audit ➜ Date Roll) to notify the night auditor of the open cashier shifts during date roll. This section displays information about the cashiers who are yet to end their shifts and the timestamp of when they started their shift. The following details will be displayed in this section:

Field	Description
Cashier Name	The username of the cashier who has an open shift.
Start Shift Time	The start date and time of the shift based on the date and time format configured in the Property Setup section (Property Setup ➜ Language & Locale).

At the time of date roll, the following alert is displayed to the night auditor if there are cashiers with open shifts: Please note that there are open cashier shifts. To proceed with date roll, click YES upon date roll.

• A new section, Open Cashier Shifts, is added to the Auto Date Roll screen (Night Audit ➜ Auto Date Roll). This section allows users to configure the default setting for open cashier shifts when performing an automatic date roll. The following two options are available:

Field	Description
End cashier shifts on date roll	When selected, Stay will end any cashier shifts that are open and then the date roll is performed.
Stop auto date roll on open cashier shifts	When selected, Stay will stop date roll when there are open cashier shifts.

• Error logs for open cashier shifts when automatic date roll takes place are displayed in a new section, Open Cashier Shifts, in the Auto Date Roll Error Log section (Night Audit ➜ Auto Date Roll Error Log). The logs display the username of the cashier and the start time of the shift for the cashiers who have an open cashier shift.

• A new tab, Date Roll Event Log, is added to the Night Audit menu. This tab will be displayed only when feature setting is enabled and the Shift Tracking flag is enabled in the Cashier Setup. The tab displays a section, Auto Closed Cashier Shifts on Date Roll. When the night auditor chooses to proceed with the date roll despite open cashier shifts, or when an auto date roll occurs with the End cashier shifts on date roll option selected, then the end time of the shift is captured and displayed as the timestamp for the date roll in this section. This section will display the cashier’s username and the start shift timestamp and end shift timestamp. This will be available only until the next date roll occurs.

Enhancements to Cashier Activity Report

The Cashier Activity Report has been enhanced to allow users to generate the report with or without the blind drop cashiering option enabled.

Generate Report with Blind Drop Cashiering Disabled

When the cashier ends the shift after entering the end shift details and clicks Save, a new page is displayed with the Cashier Activity Report. This report displays the following details:

Property Name: Current property name

Report Name: 'Cashier Activity Report'

Property Date: Current property date

Cashier Name: Username as per 'User Accounts' configuration.

Cash Drawer Name: Name of the cash drawer selected during start shift.

Shared Cash Drawer: Yes/No value. If the cashier started the shift by sharing a cash drawer, then Yes, else No.

START SHIFT DETAILS:

Cash Total: As per start shift screen.

Other Total: As per start shift screen.

Foreign Currency Total: As per start shift screen.

Total Starting Balance: As per start shift screen.

Start Shift Time: Start shift timestamp as per date/time configuration under property setup -> language & locale

END SHIFT DETAILS:

Debits: As per end shift screen.

Credits: As per end shift screen.

Ending Balance: As per end shift screen.

Total Entered Balance: As per end shift screen.

End Shift Time: End shift timestamp as per date/time configuration under property setup -> language & locale

CASH DROP DETAILS:

Expected Cash Drop: As per end shift screen.

Cash Drop: As per end shift screen.

Cash Over/Under: If 'CASH OVER/UNDER' toggle is on and there is a cash balance variance then this field should show Yes if there is a variance, else No.

Approved By: If 'CASH OVER/UNDER' toggle is on and there is a cash balance variance, then this field should give the username of the approved user as configured in the 'User Accounts'.

Generate Report with Blind Drop Cashiering Enabled

Only users with the Stay_Run_Cashier_Report permission can download the generated report. Users without permission cannot download the report.

System Changes

To support this enhancement, the following changes have been made:

• A new screen, Cashier Setup, is added under the Administration menu of the Settings screen (Settings ➜ All Settings ➜ Administration ➜ Cashier Setup).

• A new section, Open Cashier Shifts, is added to the Date Roll screen (Night Audit ➜ Date Roll).

• A new section, Open Cashier Shifts, is added to the Auto Date Roll screen (Night Audit ➜ Auto Date Roll).

• A new section, Open Cashier Shifts, is added to the Auto Date Roll Error Log section (Night Audit ➜ Auto Date Roll Error Log).

• A new tab, Date Roll Event Log, is added to the Night Audit menu.