Function Keys: One-click access to PPSS areas, functions and features!

 Bar-Code Test Print - Now set margins, number of rows, etc. on the bar-code layout window and press the Test Print Button to print bar codes without closing inventory chooser or input windows.

 Cash Checks: Track the status of checks cashed. Auto-convert bounced checks to loans and assess variable penalties and/or higher interest rates. (more)

 Credit Limit and Discount Rate Displayed at POS - Values set in the customer record appear automatically when processing a new sale for the customer.

 Customized Pawn Forms: BCSS includesa generic pawn form which you can edit to meet your specifications. PPSS auto-fills and prints the form for your customers' signatures.

 Gold Loan Amount Calculation - PPSS auto-computes and displays the amount to lend on a gold item based upon your settings.

 Invoice Message - A note entered in a customer record will appear in the 'For Office Use Only' box on invoices.

 Mailbox Feature: Mark individual consignors with notes of action to take at a later time and/or print and mail letters to consignors. (In BCSS, select a Consignor, Edit, Mailbox; or right-click on the consignor and select Edit Mail Box.)

 Open Edit Screens in any work area by double-clicking on an entry in the table on the right. For example, double click on the name of a pawner or double click on a pawn. The corresponding edit screen for the pawner or pawn will open. Make changes and save.

 Payday Loans: Track Payday Loans, payments, outstanding balances and charge a flat fee or interest. Assess penalties and/or higher interest rates for past-due loans. (more)

 Pictures! Add pictures of pawners and inventory.

 Pictures! In addition to Discounts, the Sales Price may be reduced using the Promotion Feature.

 Right Click: Select an item in the list pawns, pawners, etc. then double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

 Start-up tips now appear to help train new employees. Click on View All Tips under Help to see the complete list of tips.

Important! Pawnbroker Pawn Shop Software is best viewed if screen resolution is set to 1024x768 (or greater). This is strongly recommended. Also, when PPSS is first opened, resize windows to your liking.

Hints for using this manual:

• Hold the mouse cursor over words in red for more information. If the note closes too quickly, move off the word and go back.
• Select words in blue to go to the suggested location. (Some require an Internet connection.)
• To find information quickly, press Control+F while viewing this page. Enter a key word and select 'Find'. Use 'Find Next' to locate additional information.

If any screen in PPSS is too small, resize the window.

Learning PPSS - PPSS Work Areas (for Customers, Disbursements, Employees, Inventory, Loans, Pawners and Sales) are very similar. An understanding of the Pawners Work Area is a head start on becoming familiar with all work areas.

The Training Panel on the left in PPSS is designed to train first-time users. It contains step-by-step instructions for successfully completing pawn (and consignment) transactions. Click on Hide/Show Training Panel on the Work Areas Toolbar to view or hide the panel. Resize PPSS windows after hiding/showing the panel if needed.

Table - Lists of Pawners, Pawns, Sales, etc. are shown in Work Areas in 2 columns on the right. In this example of a Pawners List, the column names are 'ID' and 'Name'.

Row background colors in the table alternate between white and yellow for distinction. Select an item by clicking on it. Double click an entry to edit it.

Selected items are marked in blue. Customers marked as 'bad guys' will be highlighted in red and those with notes will be highlighted in pink.

Details Area Details of data are viewed in the area below the Lower Toolbars. Select the tabs at the bottom of the Details Area for a variety of useful information.

Inventory includes pawned items, items purchased for resale and forfeited items. (Items taken on consignment will be listed under inventory in Consignment Mode which is accessed by clicking on 'Consignments' [upper right in PPSS].)

In PPSS, select Inventory on the Main Menu, then Categories. Enter a category name in the box at the bottom and click Create New Category at the top. Repeat to add as many categories as desired.

On the Main Menu, select File, Program Setup. A window like this will open -

At the top of the window are 'tabs' named General, Pawners, Pawn Fees, etc. clicking on each tab opens a new screen.

Select which work area PPSS should start in (Pawners, Inventory, Sales or Pawns) and enter your shop's information.

Click here for instructions related to the remaining settings on the General Tab.

Please click on the remaining tabs and input things like pawn fees and tax rates. PPSS may not print correctly without knowing about your printer. This will only take a couple of minutes and will make your use of PPSS a more enjoyable experience.

Set the default city and state for pawners. These values will be auto-entered when entering a new pawner and may be changed at anytime.

The settings for 'Consignor Settlement' apply only if items are taken on consignment.

Enter appropriate values for fees. Both flat rate and percentage can apply for all options. Any and all fees specified will be applied to each pawn. Enter percentages in a decimal format, .10 for 10%, for example.

There are 6 types of fees:

• One-Time
• Per Loan Period
• One-Time Late
• Daily Late
• Lost Ticket
• Gun

Some may be applied:

• Per Pawn Ticket
• Per Pawn Ticket Item (once or periodically)
• First Pawn Only

Custom Pawn Forms

PPSS includes a general pawn form and a simple forms editor for customizing to form to meet your needs and your state's reporting requirements. (Please see Custom Forms for instructions. The pawn form will be named ticket.txt.

Here on this Pawn Fees Tab, check 'Use this format file to print pawn tickets.' Click the green folder and navigate to C:\Program Files\PPSS\ticket.txt.

If you don't have the time or inclination to edit the pawn ticket, we can customize the form for $79. Email us.

L.E.A.D.S. Online - The Law Enforcement Automated Database Search (L.E.A.D.S.) is a web-based service used by pawnbrokers and law enforcement to recover missing property. Business owners upload their transaction data to L.E.A.D.S. Online using Pawnbroker Pawn Shop Software. Use the link at the bottom of the page to go to the L.E.A.D.S. website and register for a store number, then enter the number in the field under 'L.E.A.D.S. Online Store Number'.

Once all settings are made on this screen, click OK to save settings.

Select options and complete values to configure PPSS for your operation.

The Loan Period can be set to any number of days. The Loan Period determines how often periodic events (like charging fees) occur. If the period is not 30 days, the 30-day-interest rate will be adjusted when it is applied to pawn tickets.

Specify a 30-Day Loan Interest Rate or set rates that vary by loan amount in the table. If the table is empty PPSS uses the 30-Day Loan Interest Rate.

Fees and interest are applied automatically in normal program operation.

Set the Sales Tax description(s) and amount(s). Set the rate(s) to zero To disable tax collection. Tax computation may be disabled by selecting 'Tax-Free' when completing the New-Sale Screen.

The Shop Totals part of the Sales Recap Report lists sales taxes separately even if they were charged together. There is also a line at the end showing the total non-tax sales.

Click here for instructions related to QuickBooks and the remainder of settings on this tab.

Select either 'Receipt Printer' or 'Document Printer' for printing receipts.

• A receipt printer (about $300) is a special printer attached to a cash drawer which prints a two-fold receipt. They are used to save on paper and ink. If a receipt printer is being used, select a printer for 'Use this receipt printer'.
• A document printer is an ordinary printer commonly used with computers. Receipts are printed on 8.5 x 11 paper. Select a printer for 'Use this document printer'.

Click here for more information on printing.

Default Category

Selecting a Default Category here will auto-input the selected category when adding new inventory (to avoid repetitious reentry of the category). Use the drop-down arrow to the right of Default Category to select a category.

If no categories appear in the list, close Program Setup. Select Inventory on the Main Menu, then Categories. Enter a category name in the box at the bottom and click Create New Category at the top. Repeat to add as many categories as desired.

Return to Program Setup, Inventory and select a Default Category.

For Label-Printing Options, select Wide Format (for laser-style printers) or Narrow Format (for dot-matrix printers). For Bar-Code format, check 'Use adjusted row height.'

The other options on Inventory Tab page refer to consignment. Please refer to the consignment manual.

Ignore this tab if computers are not networked in your business. Click here for networking instructions.

Payday Loans and Checks

Check-Cashing Fees & Interest

Enter amounts for Flat Rate and/or Percentage fees per check cashed. Enter amounts which apply to first checks only, if applicable. Entries made here only apply to Check Cashing. They do not apply to Payday Loans.

Payday Loan Fees & Interest

'Types' of loans can be defined in the table and selected later when adding or editing Payday Loans.

In the examples below, 'Bad Check' was entered as the name of the loan type. The APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is 30% (entered as .30) and the Fee is $25.00 (entered as 25).

The 'Bad Check' Loan Type would be selected when editing a check that has bounced.

Click here for more details on Payday Loans.

This concludes setup for Pawnbroker Pawn Shop Software. The demo is fully functional and can be used to run your business. Try entering real transactions for a week or so to test. All data entered will be saved. Backup data before uninstalling PPSS, otherwise it will be lost.

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PPSS is compatible with any laser, inkjet, bubblejet or dot matrix printer. Please refer to price labels or bar-code labels for detailed printing instructions and which labels to use.

On the Inventory tab in Program Setup, for small labels only (1/2" x 1-3/4"), check 'Wide Format' for laser printers or 'Narrow Format' for Ink/Bubblejet printers. These options change the distance between columns printed. (Some laser printers need more space between columns.) The only way to determine which is right is to try both and see which works best. To avoid wasting labels, print on a white sheet of paper and hold the sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light.

Most laser-style printers use margin settings (Left) 350 and (Top) 800. For 'All-in-One' fax/printer/copier/scanners, try settings of (Left) 350 and (Top) in the 1900 to 2100 range. These settings are made in Reports Areas of the Work Areas (except Sales).

Margins for printing checks are typically (Top) 350 and (Left) 850, set in the Disbursements Work Area. Optionally try 300 and 800.

Please note: If Windows is reinstalled, printer settings must be restored. Reset them in the Reports Areas of the Work Areas and in Program Setup, Sales Tab. This does not apply if PPSS is reinstalled.

Please refer to this document for help with receipt printers and cash drawers.

Instructions for the Forms Designer is currently being revised. Please email support for current instructions on how to use the Forms Designer.

Select options on the Work Areas Toolbar to move between screens for Pawners, Pawns, Sales, Settlements, Disbursements, Employees and Customers. Each screen is a 'Work Area' where data is entered, edited and presented in reports. These screens are colored-coded so that after some use, the colors will be a helpful reminder as to which Work Area is being viewed.

Each Work Area has a main section on the left for Reports and a table on the right for listing Pawners, Pawns, Sales, etc. RIGHT-click on any listing for a drop-down menu of functions like edit, delete, etc. Double click to open the Edit Screen.

Quick Reports (Main Menu) provide a quick printed or on-screen overview of -

• Pawners - listed by ID, name, items, balance, last item, last sale, last settlement
• Inventory - ID, description, category, price, quantity, date in, last sale
• Sales (Invoice List) - date, status, invoice #, sold to, terms, sold by, items, tax, item cost
• Daily - quantity of invoices and items sold, value of items sold, pawner %, employee %, other payments, promo discounts, store net, taxes
• Sales Recap - define report output with these filters: invoice list, salesperson recap, payment recap, shop totals

Each Work Area includes a Reports section. This is a portion of the Reports area from the Pawners Work Area:

User Text

Use 'User Text' and 'User Date' to 1) mark (label, tag) and 2) group (sort, categorize) pawners, customers and employees.

Place any unique text in the User-Text field in a pawner, customer or employee record to 'mark' or 'label' him/her . For example, enter 'bad check' for those who have bounced checks.

User Date

Enter a specific date in a pawner, customer or employee record. For example, enter a date to contact or when to conduct an employee evaluation.

• View Groups of Pawners, Customers or Employees - In the Pawners, Customers or Employees Reports Area, enter the unique text (like 'bad check') in the User-Text Field, or enter a date in the User-Date Field. Select options under 'Send to Printer' or 'Send to Screen' to produce reports showing only those identified with 'bad check' or the date specified.

Each Reports section (for Pawners, Pawns, Sales, etc.) works the same. Filters are set under Define the Report to 'filter' data so as to include only desired entries in the report. These filters and the choices under 'Send to Printer' and 'Send to Screen' define the information to be included in a report and how that information is to be printed (like mailing labels) or displayed in the table (like a list of pawners sorted by Last Redemption). See examples below.

In addition to these user-defined custom reports, two other handy reports are 'Daily' and ' Sales Recap' (under Quick Reports on the Main Menu).

Printed reports are available in every work area (Pawners, Pawns, Sales, etc.). Filters are set under Define the Report to 'filter' data to exclude unwanted entries. Choose the type of report to print by clicking on buttons below 'Send to Printer'.

Example: To print a list of active pawners who have pawned items only in the recent past:

• Select Last Pawn and set the inclusive dates in the date fields to the right.
  
• 
  

  Choose Active in the drop-down box.
  

• 
  

  Under Send to Printer, select to print by Pawner ID or by Name.
  

Another Example: To print mailing labels only for those pawners who are to receive mailings, check the Mailings box, choose to include Active, Inactive or All pawners, and under 'Send to Printer' select the Print Mailing Labels button (not shown). Preview the report and print, or choose more filters (like narrower date ranges) to 'filter out' unwanted entries.

Information about pawners, pawns, sales, etc. is displayed in the table to the right. (Use View All to list all Pawners, etc.) (Use View All to list all Pawners, etc.) The name of each column describes the content of the column. For example, the names of table columns in the Pawners Work Area are ID and Name. The columns contain pawner IDs and pawner names, respectively.

Clicking on the column names (like ID and Name) sorts that column's content. Clicking the same name again sorts the content in reverse order.

Filters are set under Define the Report to 'filter out' unwanted data.

Example: To display (in the table) only those Inactive pawners who have a Loan Balance under $5 (a filter), select Loans Outstanding (under Define the Report) and set the price range to $0 in From field and $4.99 in the To field. Choose Inactive in the drop-down box. Press buttons under 'Send to Screen' to display the information as indicated by the button names.

The Display-the-Report options for Pawners are:

Inventory Count > 0 - Display only those pawners with at least one item in inventory.
Sort by Last Redemption - Display pawners based upon the dates of their last redemptions.
Sort by Last Pawn - Display pawners based upon the dates of their last pawned items.

'Account History' and 'Current Items' appear on the Pawners Work Area Lower Toolbar. Account History shows all items pawned by a pawner, their disposition, and total net profit from dealing with this pawner. The Current Items button shows only current pawns not including items redeemed, forfeited or bought.

Any document on your PC may be emailed using this procedure.

Download and install the free PDFfill PDF Writer at http://www.pdfill.com/pdf_writer_free.html.

• In PPSS, create the desired report.
• Click the Print Icon on the Print Preview Screen.
• Select the PDF Fill printer.
• In the Save Box give the report an name and note the location where it will be saved.
• Locate the file and right click on it.
• Select Send to then Mail Recipient.
• Complete the recipient's email address and send.

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 Right Click: Left-click on a pawner in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

PPSS searches for and sorts pawners based upon which name was entered first. When adding new pawners, always enter last name first. This will help to know who owners of items are when viewing inventory.

The table contains two columns, Pawner IDs and Names. Sort the list by ID by clicking on the column header name 'ID'. (The gray arrow next to ID shows ascending or descending order.) Click it again to reverse the sort order. The same can be done in the 'Names' column.

Use the scroll button on the right to move the list up and down or use the blue arrows on the Lower Toolbar to navigate through the list.

 Right Click: Left-click on a pawner in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

Pawner Reports

Reports may be printed or they may be displayed in the table to the right in the Work Area.

Filters are set under Define the Report to 'filter out' unwanted data. These filters and the choices under 'Send to Printer' and 'Send to Screen' define the information to be included in a report and how that information is to be printed (like mailing labels) or displayed in the table (like a list of pawners sorted by dates of Last Redemptions).

For each report, whether printed or displayed, more than one filter may be applied. For pawners the choices of filters under 'Define the Report' are:

^*The User-Text Feature has two functions:

• Identify Customers - Edit or add a consignor record. Place up to 64 characters of unique text in the User-Text field. For example, enter 'bad check' for those who have bounced checks.
• View Groups of Customers - In the Reports Area, enter the unique text (like 'bad check') in the User-Text Field. Select options under 'Send to Printer' or 'Send to Screen' to produce a report showing only those identified with 'bad check'.

The report can also be filtered to only include pawners who are to receive Mailings or Payment Reminders and/or only those who are Active or Inactive.

Once filters are set (the report is defined), the report may be printed (using the buttons under 'Send to Printer') or displayed in the table (using the buttons under 'Send to Screen').

For example, to print mailing labels only for Active pawners who are to receive mailings, check the 'Mailings' box and select Active from the drop-down menu. Press Print Mailing Labels under Send to Printer. A Print Preview screen will appear previewing how the report will look if printed. Eliminate unwanted entries by choosing more filters then press the printer icon at the top to print the list.

Print options for pawners include Print Mailing Labels, Sort by Pawner ID or Sort by Name.

To view a list of pawners in the table who pawned new items in the past month, check the box next to 'Last Pawn' and set the date range for last month. Under 'Send to Screen' choose how the data is to be displayed in the table - by 'Last Redemption' or by 'Last Pawn'. Click one then select the other to see the data arranged both ways.

Display options for pawners include:

Inventory Count > 0 - Display only those pawners with at least one item in inventory.
Sort by Last Redemption - Display pawners ordered by their most recent redemption.
Sort by Last Pawn - Display pawners ordered by their most recent new pawned item.

Pawners Lower Toolbar

• Hide Details/Show Details - Displays/hides the Details Area at the bottom.
• Blue Arrows - Used to navigate through the table lists.
• New - Add a new pawner.
• Edit - Edit pawner records.
• Pawner ID - Select to search for a pawner by ID or Name.
• Next Field - Enter ID or Name.
• Binoculars (Find) - Click after entering ID or Name.
• Binoculars with Arrow (Find Next) - Click after clicking the first binoculars to find the next matching record.
• View All - Show all pawners in the table.

Immediately below the Pawner Lower Toolbar is the Details Area (which can be toggled off and on with the 'Hide Details/Show Details' button). Select tabs (General, Details, Items, Loans, Notes) to view details about the pawner selected in the table.

Information can NOT be edited in the Details Area. To edit, double click on a pawner in the List. Make changes and click OK.

To add a new Pawner, select New on the Lower Toolbar in the Pawners Work Area. Designate a 'Pawner ID'. Because pawners are often sorted alphabetically, it's best to assign a Pawner ID that readily identifies the pawner. 'Last name and initials' works best.

Complete as much information as desired. Check whether to send mailings and/or sales reports. Click OK to enter the new pawner into the database.

Edit a Pawner

To edit a pawner record double click on the pawner in the list to open the Edit Screen. Make changes and click OK.

Add notes to a pawner's file (to be delivered at a later time). In the Pawner Work Area, select a pawner from the table, RIGHT-click and select Notes.

• On the Lower Toolbar, select ID or Name from the drop-down menu next to Edit. Enter the ID or Name in the next field and click the binoculars or press the Enter Key. Click 'Find Next' (small binoculars with arrow) to find the next match.
• Use the blue arrows on the Lower Toolbar to scroll through the list. Double click the arrows to auto scroll. Click again to stop.
• Under 'Define the Report' enter a User Date or User Text that was assigned to the pawner and select any options under 'Send to Printer' or 'Send to Screen'.

A pawner can not be deleted. Deleting pawners would break PPSS's record-keeping/reporting functions. Instead of deleting a pawner record, set it to be inactive, then for reports elect to include only active pawners.

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 Right Click: Left-click on a pawn in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

All operations pertaining to pawns can be initiated here. The Lower Toolbar provides access to the most common functions.

If the pawn has been redeemed and the appropriate option has been selected in Program Setup, a button will appear in the Extra-Info Page that allows reopening the pawn. Reopened pawns will create a new pawn with the same starting parameters as the old one. Using this function saves reentering item data.

The PPSS pawn editions have no new-item-entry screens or batch item entry. New inventory is entered by creating a new pawn transaction.

There is a Buy Button on the Lower Toolbar to process outright purchases from pawners. PPSS will not process the sale of an item unless it has been forfeited by or bought from the pawner.

To add a new pawn, first add the pawner in PPSS (Work Areas Toolbar/Pawners/New), then click Pawns on the Work Areas Toolbar. Select New on the Lower Toolbar and select the Pawner.

Some information will be auto-entered. Add a Description, Value, Pawn Amount and other information as desired.

PPSS automatically computes loan amount, fees and interest based on information in Program Setup. These are made part of the loan record.

If more than one item is being pawned, click on the Another Item Button when the current entry is complete to reset the input screen for the next item. After entering the item details, click on Another Item if there is another or OK if all the items" securing this pawn have been entered.  PPSS will compute the total amount to loan based on what you have entered in program setup.

Click the image of a calculator to open a calculator for quick computations.

Pawns, Cashed/Bounced Checks and Payday Loans are all 'loans' - the difference being that unlike pawns, checks and payday loans are not secured by personal property.

Checks and payday loans are listed in the Pawn Work Area. Select the New Button on the Lower Toolbar to choose between Pawns, Checks or Payday Loans.

To enter a Cashed Check, in the Pawns Work Area -

• Click New on the Lower Toolbar.
• Select a Client.
• Click OK.
• Enter an amount in Check Value.
• The Flat Fee and Percent Fee are auto-computed.
• Click OK.

When a cashed check clears, nothing else is required in PPSS. Records will show the amount paid for the check, the amount of the check and the profit made.

When a check bounces, it becomes a loan. The check record must be changed to change the status of the check.

• Select Pawns on the Work Areas Toolbar.
• Select 'Cashed Checks' from the drop-down menu under 'Report Should Only Include Tickets Which Are'.
• Under 'Send to Screen' click 'Sort by Pawn Number'.
• On the right, double click on the check writer.
• Use the drop-down arrow to the right of 'Convert to Loan Type' to view options.
• Select a Loan Type (in this case 'Bad Check').
• Click OK.
• PPSS will make the appropriate accounting changes to reflect the new status of the check.

When the check is converted to a loan, reports no longer show the profit.

Begins collection procedures. PPSS will reflect the profit again when the loan (bad check and added fees) is paid off. If the loan is not paid off, convert the loan to a higher-risk-loan schedule (Loan Type) or eventually write it off.

If the check is written off, edit the check record and check 'Write Off'.

Tax Consequences: (Verify with your tax advisor.)

• If the check was first considered as income, then the NSF check is a bad debt.
• If the check was not first considered as income, then nothing is to be done (Cash Method of accounting).

A Payday Loan (or Paycheck Advance) is a short-term loan (typically up to $1,500) that the borrower is to repay on pay day. Payday loans are sometimes referred to as 'cash advances' though that term can also refer to cash lent against a line of credit.

'Loan Types' can be defined and later selected when adding or editing a Payday Loan. To set up, go to File, Program Setup, Payday Loans & Checks.

In the examples below, 'Bad Check' was entered as the name of the loan type. The 30% APR (Annual Percentage Rate) was entered as .30 and the $25 Fee was entered as 25.

The 'Bad Check' Loan Type would be selected when editing a check that has bounced.

To enter a Payday Loan -

• Click on New in the Pawn Work Area.
• Select New Payday Loan.
• Select a client.
• Click OK.
• Enter amounts for Loan Value. Flat Fee, Percent Fee and Net Paid Out are auto-computed based upon entries made in Program Setup.
• Alternatively, select a Loan Type. Fees and Net Paid will adjust.
• Click OK to save changes.

Editing a Payday Loan allows for choosing a different loan schedule (payment dates, amounts and fees) or changing the status to 'In Default' or 'Written Off'. Follow the steps above to edit.

• Select Pawns on the Work Areas Toolbar.
• Select 'Payday Loans' from the drop-down menu under 'Report Should Only Include Tickets Which Are'.
• Under 'Send to Screen' click 'Sort by Pawn Number'.
• On the right, double click on the borrower.
• Use the drop-down arrow to the right of 'Convert to Loan Type' to view options.
• Select a Loan Type or check Write Off or In Default.
• Click OK.
• PPSS will make the appropriate accounting changes to reflect the new status of the check.

In the Pawn Work Area, click on 'Pay' on the Lower Toolbar to view how much to collect. Click OK to clear the loan if the full amount due is being paid.

View checks or loans by Date, Amount or Due Date and sort them by Pawn #, Loan Date or Customer Name.

Here's how

• Select Pawns on the Work Areas Toolbar.
• Under 'Define the Report' set ranges for one or more parameters: date, amount or due date.
• Select 'Cashed Checks' or 'Payday Loans' (not both) from the drop-down box under 'Report Should Only Include Tickets Which Are'.
• Under 'Send to Screen' click 'Sort by Pawn Number' or 'Sort by Loan Date' or 'Sort by Pawner'.
• To print or print preview select options under 'Send to Printer'.

The Reports Area allows filtering for checks or payday loans. When a user clicks on a check or loan record, a number of the details boxes do not apply. They loose their labels and display no content. Also the Pawns menu is grayed out when the user selects a check or payday loan in the Work-Area Grid.

Inventory includes items pawned, bought, redeemed, forfeited and sold. (Consignment items are listed in the Inventory Work Area in the Consignment Mode of PPSS.)

 Right Click: Left-click on an inventory item in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

To enter a retail inventory item, choose Retail Item from the Enter-New drop-down list on the Inventory Work Area Lower Toolbar. Enter item information and click OK. This item will appear in pawn inventory lists and can be sold.

• Click on Sales on the Work Areas Toolbar -
  
  
  
• Select New Sale on the Lower Toolbar.
• Click on the 'Enter Unlisted Item' button. A new line appears in the invoice table.
• Enter an item description, a price and choose a consignor. The consignor for retail items is 'House'.
• Optionally choose a sales tax, quantity, % discount (in decimal form) and Buyer Fee.

PPSS requires that the House Account be chosen before saving an invoice or placing it on hold.

Search is based upon the item description. Enter a full or partial description of an inventory item and select the binoculars icon to display all matching items in the table. Select 'View All' to restore the full list.

Bar-Code capability is an option in PPSS Deluxe, standard in PPSS Diamond. After inventory items are entered, bar codes must be assigned to those items. Click 'Assign Bar Codes to Inventory' after entering new inventory. Click here for bar code details.

Select an item from the table and select 'Add Selected Item to Invoice'. The item is added to the New-Sale Screen. (If a New-Sale Screen is not open, PPSS opens one and adds that item.)

Repeat the process for every item to be added to the invoice. Note that PPSS will only add items that have been forfeited or bought from the pawner. Items currently under a pawn contract cannot be sold.

To remove an item from inventory, select the item in the table and select 'Delete'. To delete all inventory prior to a given date, select Inventory on the Main Menu and select Batch Delete Inventory. Enter a date and Click OK. A screen will appear confirming the deletion.

When an item is deleted it is removed from the displays except that it will still appear on loan documents and invoices if it has been sold.

Add Pictures of Pawners and Inventory

To assign a picture to a pawner or inventory record, click on Pawners or Inventory on the Work Areas Toolbar. Select pawner or item then Edit on the Lower Toolbar. Press New Picture. Use the file chooser window to navigate to where the picture file is stored, select it, and click on Open. View a picture that has been assigned to the item record by clicking on Show Picture.

Hide Details/Show Details Use this button to view or hide the details area just below the Lower Toolbar.

Use the blue arrows to navigate through entries in the table.

Immediately below the Inventory Lower Toolbar is the Details Area (which can be toggled off and on with the 'Hide Details/Show Details' button). Select tabs (General, Price/Sales and Notes) to view details about the item selected in the table.

Information in the Details Area can NOT can be edited there. To edit information select an item in the table and select edit on the Lower Toolbar.

The check box named "Redeemed or Forfeited" on the Price/Sales Tab will have a check mark if either of those conditions apply to the selected item.

 Gold Calculation: Based upon your settings in Program Setup and on the new-item screen, PPSS will auto-compute the amount to lend for a pawned gold item.

Procedure:

1. Go to File, Program Setup, Pawn Loans and enter a value for Loan per Gram of Gold.
2. On the New-Pawn Screen, check the Gold Box.
3. Choose a carat level. The Standard % gold for that percentage appears in the Gold Box.
4. Edit if desired.
5. Enter a weight in the Weight of Item In Grams Box.

PPSS displays the suggested amount to lend.

Back to Top

 Right Click: Left-click on a sale in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

Things to Know about Sales:

• If any information about an item is changed on the New-Sale Screen, click the Update-Invoice-Total Button to register the changes.
• PPSS point-of-sale functions add each sale to store income, subtract sold items from inventory and add the employee's commission to the employee's account balance.
• Use number keys at the top of the keyboard to enter bar-code numbers. Do not use the numeric keypad.

• Select New Sale on the Lower Toolbar.
• Enter customer information in the Bill-To Fields. (Return to Program Setup, Sales to change the Bill-To Fields to show all customer information or 'Cash Sale' as the customer.)

Use any of these methods to select items to be sold:

• Enter the Item #. The Item-List button changes to read 'Retrieve-Item Info'. Click it. OR
• Leave the Item # field blank and select Item List. Select an item and click OK, OR
• Read a bar code. (instructions below)
• See below how to add inventory at POS.

The selected item will appear in the display box. Click Price, Quantity or Tax Rate to edit if necessary and press Update Invoice Total. (The pawner percentage and employee commission records are updated with the correct price.)

Complete any other information as necessary - Discounts, Sold by, Terms, Layaway information. Check the 'Send Mailings' box if the buyer is to be added to your mailing list.

Under Payment Schedule, select Payment Method and enter Amount Paid. Change due to the customer, if any, will show at the bottom.

Other options appear below for entering non-inventory items, reading bar codes, etc. but to complete the sale at this point, just select 'Print and Save' and an invoice ('sales receipt', 'bill of sale') will be printed and the record will be stored in PPSS. Select 'Save' to save the sale and not print an invoice.

Click 'End this Session' at the bottom when there are no more sales to process.

• Click on Sales on the Work Areas Toolbar -
  
  
• Select New Sale on the Lower Toolbar.
• Click on the 'Enter Unlisted Item' button. A new line appears in the invoice table.
• Enter an item description, a price and choose a consignor. The consignor for retail items is 'House'.
• Optionally choose a sales tax, quantity, % discount (in decimal form) and Buyer Fee.

PPSS requires that the House Account be chosen before saving an invoice or placing it on hold.

Non-inventory items cannot be rentals.

Select 'Print' to print a copy of the invoice for the customer and select 'Save'.

Bar-Code capability is standard in PPSS Diamond and not available in Deluxe.

There are two ways to make a sale using a bar code:

Scan a bar code or enter a bar code on the New-Sales Screen.

Please refer to this document for specific instructions for both processes.

Some things to know:

If the bar-code reader is unable to read a bar code, start to enter the bar code (using number keys at the top of the keyboard - not the numeric keypad on the right of the keyboard). An input window will appear. After entering a valid bar code, press Enter. The pop-up window disappears and processing proceeds as if a bar code had been read with the reader.

There are times when PPSS is not ready to start reading bar codes. In this case double-clicking the Begin-Bar-Code button (Work Areas Toolbar) will ready PPSS to read bar codes.

Sold By - Employees choose their IDs from the drop-down list. Commission tracking is done automatically with each sale.

Payment can be split into 6 different methods of payment: cash, check, credit card, debit card, gift certificate and deferred payment (pay later). For example, if a customer pays $5 in cash, $5 by credit card and $5 by gift certificate, separate 'Payment Method' fields must be completed for cash, credit card and gift certificate, and the check boxes for each must be checked.

The check box must be checked for each type of payment or split payments will be ignored, even if amounts are entered. All splits have the same payment date.

Entering a tax ID in 'Reseller Tax ID' on a New-Sale Screen (F2) automatically changes the invoice to tax-exempt status.

If 'Show Customer Work Area' has been checked in Program Setup/Sales, future sales to the same customer will be tax exempt.

The 'Cash Drawer Balance' feature tracks each sales person's sales balance in real time and determines how much cash should be in the till at any time.

An employee starting a shift clicks on Start/End Shift (Main Menu, Sales). The Shift Recap Form opens. Enter the starting amount in the till and click 'Continue'. Any time during the shift this screen can be reopened to view the balance. Open this screen at the end of the shift and balance the till against the total shown. Click on 'Close Out' to return the balance to zero in preparation for the next shift.

It is possible for more than one employee to use PPSS at the point of sale. All employees can track balances separately at the same time, logging in back and forth as need throughout the day. At the end of day, separate totals are available for each employee when logged in. Totals for an employee will not show when that employee is not logged in. The 'On Shift' drop-down box shows which employees are being tracked. If employee log-ins are not enabled, this drop-down box will show 'Store Owner' when it is tracking sales. It will be blank when not tracking sales.

This feature is included in PPSS. It is not included in some other software programs and costs extra to add.

On the New-Sale Screen, if the sale is a layaway, enter a check in the box to the left of 'Check this box for layaways and include the payment schedule to the right.' and enter the payments to be made under 'Payment Schedule'. Enter the first payment and payment method. Subsequent payment methods are 'Pending'. The total of the scheduled payments must be the same as the Total Sale Amount. If so the 'Due field' will show zero.

When a payment is made, open the invoice in the New-Sale Screen and enter the payment. The payment schedule and amounts can be altered.

To record a payment, choose a payment method and change the date if necessary. Click OK.

Changing the payment method from 'Pending' to something else (Cash, Visa) causes PPSS to count that payment as made.

When all payments have been made remove the check from 'Check this box for layaways and include the payment schedule to the right.' At that point the sale is considered completed for commission purposes and will be included in reports.

Layaways are included in (but not finalized in) reports but not in employee account balances or employee commissions. Upon completion of the sale, inventory, and employee commissions are automatically updated along with date-tracking entries.

Go to the Layaways on the Main Menu to view Open, Closed, Expiring and Past-Due Layaways.

A credit can not be done for an item that has been deleted from inventory. It's advisable not to delete inventory items for a lengthy period of time.

Select Credit Memo in the Lower Toolbar. Complete as much customer information as desired. Check Return. Enter the Item # and press the Retrieve Item Info button, or press the Item List button to select the item from the list. (If the item has been deleted from inventory, it will not appear in the list.)

Return the amount shown in Due to the customer. Print if necessary and select Save to save the transaction.

The total purchase price is refunded. The item is returned to Inventory and Pawner records are adjusted.

If the customer will keep a purchased item, but is to receive a partial refund, complete as much customer information as desired and check Discount. Enter the item # or press the Item List button and select the item from the list. (If the item has been deleted from inventory, it will not appear in the list.)

Change the unit price to reflect the amount of credit. If more than one item is involved change the quantity. Taxes will be computed automatically.

Return the amount shown in Due to the customer. Print if necessary and select Save to save the transaction.

A discount transaction (partial refund) will reduce store revenue but will not change inventory.

Commissions paid will not be changed in either case. Employee records provide a way to adjust account balances if necessary. It is also possible to void an invoice. The seller's commission will be corrected if the employee has not been paid commission for the items on the invoice).

Note: Reversals for discounts and partial returns can be made using the credit memo function.

The Void-Sale function will completely erase a sale, so is purposely located in a 'safe place' where it can't be selected accidentally - under Sales on the Main Menu.

On the New-Sale Screen, Sales Taxes are automatically calculated and displayed. Put a check in the non-taxable field for non-tax items while processing the sale. (Sales Taxes are set in File, Program Setup, Sales.)

There are four types of possible discounts at the point of sale:

• Percentage (%) - Total Invoice is reduced by a %
• Dollar - Total Invoice is reduced by a dollar amount
• Price - The price of an item is reduced
• Promotional - All items offered under a Special Promotion are discounted

A fifth type of discount, Aged Inventory Discounts, are set in Program Setup Aged Discounts apply at point of sale (but are invisible to the customer). Aged Discounts apply at the point of sale (but are invisible to the customer). Aged Discounts are discussed here.

Price, % and $ Discounts are entered in the New-Sales Screen. Promotional discounts are auto-entered by PPSS (during a Special Promotion only).

Invoice total deductions and promotional discounts do not affect employee commission. Other kinds of discounts do.

Go to the Sales Work Area and select New Sale on the Lower Toolbar.

Enter customer information or 'cash' in the Bill-To Fields.

Use any of these methods to select items being purchased:

• Enter the Item #. The Item-List button changes to read 'Retrieve-Item Info'. Click it. OR
• Leave the Item # field blank and select Item List. Select an item and click OK, OR
• Read a bar code. (instructions above)

The discount may be entered on the invoice as an invoice total deduction or percentage:

• Invoice total deduction (in the 'Discount' field under Subtotal, in this format 00.00 - no dollar sign)
  • This discount does not reduce employee commission.
• Percentage (in the 'Discount % field on the invoice or the % Off column of the invoice item list)
  • This discount reduces the employee's share of sale proceeds.

Optionally, edit the price of the item in the list.

A Promotional Discount will only appear in the Discount field during a Special Promotion and it may be changed.

After the last item is entered, remove any items by selecting the item and selecting the Remove Item button. If applicable, check Non-Taxable and select COD, Net 30 or Prepaid from the Terms field. Select Payment Method under Payment Schedule and enter Amount Paid. Change due to the customer, if any, will show at the bottom.

If applicable, check 'Send Mailings' and/or select an employee ID from 'Sold by'. Select Print to print a copy of the invoice for the customer. Select Save to save the sale.

Any of the four discounts can apply at the same time or in combination. If one discount is changed, the others are not affected. PPSS tracks the amount of each discount and computes the correct total.

Any sale can be put on hold any number of times. This includes credit memos, pawner and employee sales. The only restriction is that consignors must be chosen for non-inventory items (choose 'House' for retail items). The selection can not be changed when the invoice is retrieved for further processing. Pending sales do not reduce inventory until finalized. They do not appear in sales reports unless the 'Report should only include sales on hold' box is checked. They do appear if 'View All' or one of the time periods is selected in the Lower Toolbar.

In addition to Discounts, the Sales Price may be reduced using the Promotion Feature.

From the Main Menu select Inventory, Sales Promotions. Set the inclusive dates for the promotion. (Use the down arrows to drop-down calendars.)

Set a progressive scale of invoice totals and how much discount to apply for invoices that total in the ranges specified. Set discount amounts for chosen categories. PPSS automatically computes these discounts from invoice total and categories and enters that total discount in the discount field on the invoice. The discounts will only apply between the dates entered on the sales promotion setup screen.

The inventory item record can be edited later to designate an item as a rental. If a rental item is entered on an invoice, the line item will appear as pink when it is not selected. This is a reminder to enter in/out dates. In/out dates are not available to other types of sales.

To access Rentals in PPSS, click on 'Rentals' on the Main Menu. Select 'Process Returns' to view a list of rentals that are currently out. Check the items being returned and click OK to clear the rental record. Inventory quantities will increase for the items returned.

Other selections in the Rental Menu allow reports that show inventory or sales records for rental items returned, not returned or past due. All filters in the Sales or Inventory reports area apply to these reports.

 Right Click: Left-click on a disbursement in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

A 'Disbursement' is money paid out in any form for any reason. In PPSS disbursements (or payments) are categorized as Bill (utility bill e.g.), Cash Withdrawal or Other. (PPSS uses Other for employee commissions that are not paid by cash.)

Disbursements can not be deleted, but they may be edited and set to be cancelled. Doing so will prevent them from appearing in reports.

Buy blank check stock at the local office supply and have them printed with your shop name, address, bank information, routing number and account number. Three checks per page is the most common format. If not already done, go to File, Program Setup, General and select either one check per page or three.

Things to Know about Checks:

• Disbursement records are prepared for all settlements regardless of payment method.
• Check disbursements are prepared if the payment method is check.
• Attempting to print a check for a cash disbursement or for a disbursement marked as Not Approved will generate an error message.
• If a check is created but won't be printed, change the check's status to Not Approved so it can not be printed and will not affect reports.

• Three checks per page is the most common format.
• Go to File, Program Setup, General and select either one check per page or three. For three, a pop-up window will appear asking in which of the three check positions to print.
• Test print a check on a blank sheet of paper and hold it up to the light with a check behind to make sure the print lines up with the check's fields. The top and left margins may need to be changed (In the Disbursements Work Area, 'Check Margins') in order to print correctly. The default settings of (Left) 350 (Top) 850 work on most laser-style printers.

• Select New Disbursement in the Disbursements Work Area (or go to Pawners, Disbursements in the Main Menu). The New Disbursement window will open.
• Complete the fields. The next available check number is auto-entered and may be changed.
• Select Bill, Cash Withdrawal or Other for the type of payment. A cash withdrawal is processed the same as a check but no check number is used and no check is printed. Cash and check both decrease store income.

Select the check from the table, select Edit Disbursement and select Not Approved, then OK. Cancelled checks do consume a check number, but do not affect store income.

• Select either one or three checks per page in the Program Setup.
• Test print. (See Check Setup above.)
• Select a check from the table.
• Select Print Checks in the Disbursements Work Area.
• A Check Layout window will appear.
• Click the print button.

 Right Click: Left-click on an employee in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

Things to Know about Employees:

• Names should be entered either last name first or first name last because searches for employees will be based upon the name appearing first in the table.
• Employees are listed in the table. Display Current Employees only, or View All.
• Commission % may be changed at any time.
• Employees can make in-house purchases from their commissions.

PPSS Employee Data Includes:

• Name, employee number, inventory sold, pawner, item#
• Last update, last and current sales, balance
• Sold inventory, commission %, bonuses and subtractions
• Last commission prints
• Hire and termination dates

Report Filters are located under 'Define the Report' at the top. These filters define the information to be included in Printed Reports and Displayed Reports. Choosing fewer filters and/or wider date ranges can increase the number of entries included in reports.

Example: Selecting View All will show all employees in the table. Checking Last Sale under Define the Report and setting the date range to the last 2 weeks and clicking on New Sales Count > 0 will show only those employees who have made sales within the past 2 weeks.

To edit an employee record double click on the employee in the list to open the Edit Screen. Make changes and click OK.

 Right Click: Left-click on a customer in the list. Double click to edit or RIGHT-click for other options.

Things to Know about Customers:

• Customer Tracking in PPSS may be turned on and off. Go to Main Menu, File, Program Setup, Sales to make the selection.
• In Program Setup, pressing the button named 'Copy Customer Information to Customers Work Area' will copy customer contact information from current invoices to new Customer records.
• In Program Setup, a Pick List may be turned on or off for presenting a list of customers for New Sales.
• Names should be entered either last name first or first name last because searches for customers will be based upon the name which appears first in the table.
• Edit or delete a customer record using the Edit and Delete buttons on the Lower Toolbar.
• Use Edit to add notes to a customer record.

Customer tracking is simple and straight forward. Essential information is displayed in the Details Area at the bottom of the work area screen: Name, Customer ID, Address, Phone Numbers, Email Address and Date of Last Purchase. (Use Edit on the Lower Toolbar to change customer information.)

Customer information may be recorded at the point of sale by completing the Bill-To Fields on the New-Sales Screen, or customer information may be added in the Customers Work Area using the New button on the Lower Toolbar. When adding a new customer, check Send Mailings if the customer is to receive mailings.

Find a customer by using the blue left and right arrows on the Lower Toolbar, or by using the Search Function. Select Name or ID from the drop-down menu. Enter the first or last name and click on the binoculars.

The View-Invoice Screen has a button labeled 'Bad Check'. If payment was not made by check, this button has no effect. If payment was made by check, all amounts paid by check on the invoice will be displayed with a line drawn through them. Bad-check sales are not included in sales reports unless the 'Report should only include bad checks' filter is checked. They do appear if 'View All' or one of the time periods in the Lower Toolbar are selected.

If a customer has a bad check, the invoice number will appear on the general tab at the bottom in the box labeled 'Bad Check' in the Customers Work Area.

Data related to customers may be Printed or Displayed (in the table) as reports. Set report filters under Define the Report to include only desired information in a report.

These reports may be printed:

• Mailing Labels - Print stick-on labels for envelopes.
• Export Customer List - Create CSV files to be imported into spread sheets and databases.
• Sort by Customer ID - Print a list of customers arranged by ID.
• Sort by Name - Print a list of customers arranged by first or last name - whichever appears first in the table.

Example: To generate Mailing Labels (a form of a report) for all customers who are to receive mailings,

• Check Mailings (which is a 'filter' - customers not to receive mailings will be 'filtered out'.)
• Select Active, Inactive or All customers to be included in the report.
• Press the Mailing Labels button under Send to Printer.
• Preview the entries on the report. Eliminate unwanted entries by choosing more filters, e.g., check Last Purchase and set a date range to include only those customers who made a purchase during the period chosen.
• Preview again and press the printer icon to print the list.

Reports may be 'displayed' in the table. Use the View All button to view all customers. Use filters under Define the Report and the buttons under 'Send to Screen' to select information to be displayed. The types of reports available are:

• Purchase Count > 0 - List only customers who have made at least 1 purchase.
• Sort by Last Purchase - Arrange the list by date of last purchase for each customer.
• Sort by Date Added - Arrange list in order of the date each customer was added.
• Sort by Zip Code - Arrange the list by zip code.

Example: To view only those customers who have made a purchase within the past month who are currently Active and who are to receive mailings, and to have the list presented in order of dates of last purchases:

• Check Last Purchase and set the date range to the right.
• Select Active from the Customer Status drop-down menu.
• Check the box named Mailings.
• Under 'Send to Screen' press Sort by Last Purchase.
• Use the blue arrows to scroll through the list.
• Use View All the view the entire list of customers again.

See Group Mailings for procedures for sending mail to select groups of customers.

Things to Know about Labels:

• PPSS is configured for most printers and standard printing labels.
• Dot matrix ribbons must be fresh for bar-code printing.
• There are two Inventory reports, three styles of Inventory labels (and one bar-code label in the Diamond Edition - optional in the Deluxe Edition).

A variety of labels may be printed in PPSS. Scroll down to view sizes and stock numbers.

• Address Labels (for mailings to Pawners, Employees, Customers)
• Bar-Code Labels on Sticky Labels or Hang Tags (for Inventory)
• 'Stick-On' Price Labels (for Inventory - two sizes)
• Hang Tags (for Inventory - 16 colors plus white)
• Dot Matrix - all but Hang Tags - Requires fresh ribbon for bar codes

General Label Instructions - Pawners, Inventory, Employees or Customers Work Areas

• Use filters (under 'Define the Report' in Work Areas for Pawners, Inventory, Employees or Customers) to define labels to be printed.
• Under 'Send to Printer' (in Pawners, Inventory, Employees or Customers Work Areas) press the appropriate button for the desired label and preview the labels to be printed. If necessary adjust filter settings to exclude any undesirable entries and preview again.
• Before loading labels into the printer, print a test page on a white sheet of paper and hold the sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light to verify that the print align with the labels. If not, check settings in Program Setup and check Left and Right Margin Settings in the Reports Area. Most laser-style printers use margin settings (Left) 350 and (Top) 800. For 'All-in-One' fax/printer/copier/scanners, try settings of (Left) 350 and (Top) in the 1900 to 2100 range.

Address Labels can be printed for Pawners, Employees and Customers on 1" x 2-5/8" labels - 30 per sheet). Use filters (under 'Define the Report' in Work Areas for Pawners, Employees or Customers) to define labels to be printed.

Under 'Send to Printer' (in Pawners, Inventory, Employees or Customers Work Areas) press the Mailing Label button and preview the labels to be printed. If necessary adjust filter settings to exclude any undesirable entries and preview again.

When the list of labels is correct, when printing for the first time, print labels on a white sheet of paper and hold the printed sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light to verify that the print aligns with the labels. If so, print only one sheet of labels for a second verification. If that's OK, add more sheets of labels to the printer tray and finish printing.

If labels are not printing correctly, check settings in Program Setup and check Left and Right Margin Settings in the Reports Area. Most laser-style printers use margin settings (Left) 350 and (Top) 800. For 'All-in-One' fax/printer/copier/scanners, try settings of (Left) 350 and (Top) in the 1900 to 2100 range.

Price labels can be printed on small labels (1/2" x 1-3/4" - 80 labels per sheet) or medium labels (1" x 2-5/8" - 30 labels per sheet). Use filters (under 'Define the Report' in the Inventory Work Area) to define labels to be printed.

Under Send to Printer, press a button for the labels to be printed (small or medium Price Labels, Detailed Labels, Laser Tags) and preview the labels on the ensuing screen. If necessary adjust filter settings to exclude any undesirable entries and preview again.

When the list of labels is correct, when printing for the first time, print labels on a white sheet of paper and hold the printed sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light to verify that the print aligns with the labels. If so, print only one sheet of labels for a second verification. If that's OK, add more sheets of labels to the printer tray and finish printing.

If labels are not printing correctly, check settings in Program Setup and check Left and Right Margin Settings in the Reports Area. Most laser-style printers use margin settings (Left) 350 and (Top) 800. For 'All-in-One' fax/printer/copier/scanners, try settings of (Left) 350 and (Top) in the 1900 to 2100 range.

Hang Tags should not be printed using inkjet or bubblejet printers. The card stock is too thick and doesn't feed properly through the printer. LaserJets are ok.

Hang Tags are printed on perforated sheets. Each label measures 1" x 4-1/4". Each label has a perforated hole at one end which is punched out and used to hang the tag on items using string or plastic loops.

Use filters (under 'Define the Report' in the Inventory Work Area) to define labels to be printed.

Under Send to Printer, press the Hang Tag button and preview the labels on the ensuing screen. If necessary adjust filter settings to exclude any undesirable entries and preview again.

When the list of mailing labels is correct, when printing for the first time, print labels on a white sheet of paper and hold the printed sheet and a sheet of labels together up to light to verify that the print aligns with the labels. If so, print only one sheet of labels for a second verification. If that's OK, add more sheets of labels to the printer tray and finish printing.

If labels are not printing correctly, check settings in Program Setup and check Left and Right Margin Settings in the Reports Area.

The price, item number, item description and bar-code number are printed on the bar-code label.

Click the Bar-Code button. There are several configurable options. The bar-code function operates independently of the report defining options on the inventory report page while the other labels do not. Please refer to this document for bar-code label printing.

Labels availability and prices are available from Markat CC, markatcc@att.net, Toll Free 888-947-7734.

The Law Enforcement Automated Database Search (LEADS) is a web-based service used by pawnbrokers, secondhand dealers and law enforcement to recover missing property. Business owners upload their transaction data to L.E.A.D.S. Online using Pawnbroker Pawn Shop Software. The entire process is secure and takes less than 30 seconds.

Register with Leads Online for an ID code. Enter the code in PPSS under File, Program Setup, Pawn Fees.

Creating a L.E.A.D.S. Online file: After new pawn items have been entered in PPSS, on the Main Menu, select 'Pawns, Leads Online' to open a 'File-Save' window. A file name is automatically generated which complies with Leads-Online specifications. (It will look something like this: 'w_0_876986_11_23_2005_161707.txt'. Do not change the file name.

Use the drop-down menu in the File-Save window to select a location on the computer to save the file, then transmit the saved file to L.E.A.D.S. Online according to the instructions provided with your ID code.

A Wish List is a record of items customers wish to buy.

To enter Wish-List items, select 'New Wish List Entry' on the Main Menu, Sales. Specify a Description, a Category and Item Details plus as much customer contact information as desired.

PPSS will search for items based upon the Description and Details entered so place the most descriptive words first to describe each item in the Wish List. Click OK when finished. When the New-Request window closes, the View-Wish-List Screen automatically opens.

The View-Wish-List Screen has two tables:

• Requests on File - current requests in the database. Select one of these to show possible matches (which will appear in the lower table).
• Suggested Matches for Selected Request

Below the lower table are two radio buttons. When the dot is in the 'Match Categories' choice, the lower table will show items in the database with the same category as the chosen request in the table above.

Similarly, when the dot is in 'Match Description and Details', the lower table will display items in inventory that match the text in both the description and the details records of the selected request. Matches returned might contain more than the search text, but they will at least contain all of it.

Select a request in the upper table after changing the matching choice to see the lower table list changed to reflect the new choice.

Use buttons labeled Edit/View Selected Request and Delete Selected Request if needed.

To sell a selected match, select the item and press Sell Selected Match (at the bottom). Follow the procedures for completing the New-Sales Screen. the item and customer contact information will be pre-entered. More items can be added to this New Sale by entering in Item # or selecting from the Item List.

View the Wish List by selecting View Wish List under Sales in the Main Menu.

Data may be exported from PPSS to CSV files to be used in other programs for group mailings or data manipulation.

• Select which data to export under 'CSV Text File', Main Menu, Utilities. The options are Inventory, Sales, Pawners and Vendors or Checks.
• In the Save As window, the file name will be auto-entered in the 'File name' field. Select a location where the file is to be saved. Click Save.

The CSV file will contain all fields included in PPSS. The vendors.csv file, for example, will contain fields (columns) named Pawner, ID, Name, Street1, Street2, City, State, etc. The sales.csv file will contain customer information.

Open the CSV file in Excel (or any spread sheet program). Delete unwanted columns and rows. Save the file.

This completes the export of data from PPSS to a usable form with other programs. Please refer to the documentation of other programs to learn how to use the data. Instructions for some of the more common consignment shop tasks appear below.

Refer to the paragraphs just above for outputting data from PPSS to be used in group email and snail mail.

Email - Create the pawner.csv file as described above. Open pawner.csv in Excel (or any spread sheet program). One of the columns will be email addresses created from pawner records in PPSS. Edit out any undesirable addresses. The email addresses (one per line) may be copied and pasted into the BCC field of an email message. Place your own email address in the To: field of the email. Attach any attachments and write a subject and message in the email then send. To check for errors, send a test email to yourself before sending the email to the group. Caution: Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may ban your account for sending bulk email. To avoid this, your email program should send your email in small groups, usually 20 or fewer recipients per group.

Snail Mail - Open a database program like Microsoft Access and create a new database. (File, New, Database - Choose a name and save the file.) Select 'Create table by entering data'.

Select File, Get External Data, Import. In the new window, at the bottom, change the file type to 'Text .csv'. Navigate to the location of the saved file. Select it and select 'Import'. Select Delimited, Next, Comma, Next, In a New Table, Finish. A message should appear indicating that the import is finished. Click OK. Close the database. Select File, Open and select the database just created. Keep this open for future reference.

Open Microsoft Word. Select Tools, Mail Merge, Create. Select Form Letters to create the form letter. (Return here later to create mailing labels or envelopes.) Select 'Active Window'.

Select Get Data, Open Data Source. Change 'Files of type' to .mdb (MS Access Databases). Locate the saved database created above. In the Tables tab, select the database by the name selected above.

Select 'Edit Main Document'. Save the file. Write the letter you wish to send to recipients. Insert 'Merge Fields' where the word will vary from one letter to the next. For example, if your letter will begin 'Dear [Pawner's name]', enter 'Dear', a space, then select the 'Insert Merge Field' icon on the Main Menu.

Select the field to be entered at this point in the document. We didn't bother to rename columns in the database before, so the field names are nondescriptive - 'Field 1', etc. Go back to the database and observe the name of the field you wish to enter at this point. The 'name field' is named 'Field 2' so select 'Field 2' to be inserted after 'Dear', space. <<Field2<< will be entered in the document. Place a comma immediately after <<Field2<< and finish the letter, replacing variable words (if any) by inserting other fields. Save Changes.

Preview what the letter will look like with words replacing variable fields by clicking on the 'abc' icon and the left-right arrows on the tool bar.

When the document is finished, spell check, then select Tools, Mail Merge, Merge, then Merge to New Document, Merge. All new letters are created and ready for printing.

Repeat this process to create mailing labels or envelopes. Please refer to Microsoft Help on the Main Menu for assistance. Search for 'Mail Merge'.

Things to Know about QuickBooks:

• PPSS will only export records for checks, employees and sales once. If one of these records has been deleted from QuickBooks, it can not be exported again from PPSS. Save all exported files.
• If apostrophes (') and quotes (") and tabs are used in PPSS (in inventory descriptions, for example), they will not be displayed in PPSS or QuickBooks.
• First and last name must be used in the name fields for sales and checks, otherwise QuickBooks will only give an unhelpful error message and not import the record. 'Cash Sale' (or any entry like 'Co.' or 'Inc.') may be used.
• PPSS exports vendor names from check records.

PPSS records are exported to a data file then imported into QuickBooks. The columns of records in PPSS for pawners, vendors, employees, sales, inventory and checks are separated in the output data file by commas, so this type of file is commonly called a 'comma-separated' or 'comma-delimited' file with file names ending in .csv. QuickBooks data-file names end in .iif.

First, set up a 'company file' in QuickBooks before importing data. This creates a 'Chart of Accounts' and only needs to be done once. (See Quickbooks Help for details and for setting preferences.)

When PPSS output is imported into QuickBooks, no changes are made to existing accounts and new accounts, if any, are added.

To transfer all records for pawners, vendors, employees, sales, inventory and checks to Quickbooks (for the first time, or to replace a corrupted QuickBooks file) -

• Check the option on the General tab of Program Setup labeled 'Check this option to export all records to QuickBooks once, then uncheck this option to avoid duplicate records.'
• Choose Export All under the Main Menu/Utilities/QuickBooks.
• Give the file a descriptive useful name like 'PPSS-data-1-31-06.iif' and note the location of the file on your PC.
• Open QuickBooks and import the file (File/Import/iif file).

Make sure the option mentioned above is NOT checked (to avoid duplicate records in QuickBooks).

• Be sure to export pawners & vendors first if there are new ones.
• Choose Export All under the Main Menu/Utilities/QuickBooks.
• Give the file a descriptive useful name like 'PPSS-data-1-31-06.iif' and note the location of the file on your PC.
• Open QuickBooks and import the file (File/Import/iif file).

PPSS will export all pawner, vendor and inventory records. QuickBooks will update changed records and add new ones.

The simple way to avoid having to remember exporting pawners and vendors first is to export all data daily (or however often needed).

Records for pawners, vendors, employees, sales, inventory or checks may be updated separately.

• Choose the information to be exported (Main Menu/Utilities/QuickBooks).
• Give the file a descriptive useful name like 'PPSS-data-1-31-06.iif' and note the location of the file on your PC.
• Open QuickBooks and import the file (File/Import/iif file).

QuickBooks will not accept a check unless the vendor or pawner payee is already on file, so to write a check for a new vendor or pawner, export the pawner and vendor list first. Otherwise, QuickBooks will give an error message and not import the record. This is most important because checks and sales can only be exported once from PPSS.

Be sure to record both names before exporting. It is possible to edit the iif file and insert a last name if it has been left out. This requires just a little in the way of computer skill. QuickBooks will accept 'Cash Sale' as first and last name. For vendor company names, add Co. or Inc. if necessary.

When exporting to QuickBooks, to assure there will never be a sale of non-existent inventory, a check for a payee not in the QuickBooks vendor list, or a transaction for which QuickBooks does not have an account, export files in this order:

• Accounts
• Inventory
• Sales
• Pawners & Vendors
• Disbursements
• Employees

QuickBooks does not recognize cash withdrawals from store funds. QuickBooks requires that checks be written for all disbursements so PPSS only exports check disbursements to QuickBooks. This will cause a discrepancy between what PPSS says about current funds and what QuickBooks says. We strongly recommend following the QuickBooks discipline of using checks for everything.

The one exception to the checks-only rule is that QuickBooks will accept a credit memo where the customer is given cash refund. PPSS does report these to QuickBooks, however, PPSS recognizes the difference between a partial refund where the customer keeps the item and a full refund where the customer returns the item. As far as QuickBooks is concerned, all credit memos are for returned items.

PPSS will not export voided invoices.

QuickBooks will accept inventory items from PPSS but it will not accept a quantity on hand. That must be input manually. PPSS does pass the quantity for each item as a custom field. To view custom fields for a QuickBooks item, first right-select the item and choose edit from the list. Then select custom fields. On the pop-up screen, select define fields. This generates another popup with a column of five fields. Put a check in the top check box. In the top label window, enter quantity and click OK. The quantity for this item is viewable but the same number for quantity needs to be put in the place where QuickBooks actually expects to find quantities in the item record.

QuickBooks does not know about Pawner ID's so PPSS provides a custom field option for that as well. Right click the pawner. Choose edit. The rest is much the same. Pawners have Pawner IDs. Vendors do not. QuickBooks puts them both in the same list, so be sure to select a pawner to see the Pawner ID in the custom field.

Every software program is a work in progress. Improvements are made. Bugs are fixed. Special situations are addressed. Updating PPSS is free, and doing so regularly will keep PPSS fresh on your computer with the latest improvements.

It's also a very good idea to perform basic computer maintenance regularly.
See http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/maintenance.htm

Perhaps as often as once per month, check for the latest version of PPSS by visiting
http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/pawn-updates.htm.

Updating PPSS may require that your database be sent to support for upgrading. Please email support support@bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com or call 901-837-9155 to make that determination.

How to 'zip' and email your database to support : Go to C:\Program Files. Right-click on the PPSS folder, then copy. Paste the folder onto the desktop. Open the PPSS folder ON THE DESKTOP and delete PPSS.exe. Go up one level, back to the desktop. Right click on the PPSS folder. Select Send To, Compressed (Zipped) Folder. A new file named PPSS.zip will be added to the desktop. Attached the PPSS.zip folder to an email to support.

• Perform the recommendations for computer maintenance.
• Follow the steps for data backup.
• Download from
  http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/download-pawn-software.htm. This step comes before uninstalling PPSS to assure that the new installation setup file will be available. Be sure to save the setup file where it can be found.
• If your PC is not connected to the Internet, download from a PC that is and burn the Setup.exe file to a CD. Use the CD to install. CD updates are available ($19) from support support@bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com or 901-837-9155.
• Very Important! Uninstall PPSS before reinstalling. (Start, Program Files, PPSS Windows, Uninstall).
• Reinstall PPSS from the new setup file.
• Refer to Restoring Data.

Once finished PPSS will be like new.

• The registration screen will appear after a new installation. Disregard it. It should not appear when PPSS is restarted.
• Please email support support@bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com if problems are encountered after reinstallation.

Runtime errors are often caused by PC resources (clock speed, memory, disk space) depleting. When a runtime error is encountered, please reboot your PC and attempt to run the program again. That usually relieves all non-program-related errors. If the problem persists, please contact support.

The most recent version of this manual is online at
http://www.bestconsignmentshopsoftware.com/pawn-manual.htm. (Save the manual in C:\Program Files\PPSS.)