Introduction

The POS (Point of Sale) system enables users with POS access to sell memberships and related entitlements directly to visitors at on-site locations such as ticket offices. Availability depends on the selected location or sub-location and the associated Sell Entitlements permission.

It supports both new memberships and renewals, allowing customers to join quickly and securely while ensuring staff maintain accurate records within Expian’s central database.

By unifying on-site transactions with the central Expian platform, POS membership sales ensure every membership is validated, recorded, and synchronised in real time.

This improves the customer experience, providing instant benefits and printed cards, while also safeguarding data quality for reporting, renewals, and Gift Aid compliance.

Access to this functionality is determined by the Sell Entitlements setting configured for the selected sub-location in the Admin Portal. Only locations or sub-locations with this permission enabled will display entitlements for sale in POS

Once enabled, the POS guides users through a clear, step-by-step process that validates customer details, applies optional Gift Aid, captures payment, and instantly issues a membership card or QR code.

POS: Membership Sales

The POS (Point of Sale) system allows authorised staff to sell memberships and related entitlements directly to visitors at on-site locations such as ticket offices.

This functionality supports both new membership sales, renewals and upgrade current membership, ensuring customers can join quickly and securely while staff maintain accurate records across Expian’s central database.

POS membership sales unify on-site customer interactions with the central Expian database, ensuring every membership is validated, recorded, and synchronised in real time.

This not only improves customer experience, enabling instant benefits and printed cards, but also safeguards data quality for reporting, renewals, and Gift Aid compliance.

Configuring staff with Sell Entitlements permission is essential before they can process memberships.

Once enabled, the process follows a clear, guided flow that validates user details, applies optional Gift Aid, captures payment, and issues the membership card or QR code instantly.

Step-by-Step Process

Select Location

At login, the POS displays the active sales location (e.g., Tower of London – Ticket Office).

Choose Membership Product

From the available product tiles, staff select the desired Membership Type, e.g., Individual Membership, Joint Membership, Family Membership, or Gift Membership Voucher.

This flexibility allows front-of-house teams to manage multiple membership structures within a single, consistent interface.

Select Payment Method

When the membership type is chosen, a Select Payment Method dialogue appears.

Staff can choose between Card (regular transaction) or Direct Debit, depending on what payment types are configured for that organisation.

Identify or Create Member

The next screen enables staff to search for an existing member by email or name, or to enter new lead member details

If an existing record is found, the system displays 'Member already.'

For new memberships, staff must enter the required member details, typically First Name, Last Name, Email, Date of Birth, and Phone Number, and validate these before continuing.

Field requirements may vary depending on the membership setup: if the membership includes only adults, details for all adults are mandatory; if children are included, at least one child record must be entered.

Address Lookup

A built-in Address Lookup tool allows staff to type a postcode or partial address, selecting the correct record from a list of matches.

This ensures addresses are captured accurately and consistently across the database.

Confirm Consent

Before proceeding to payment, staff must confirm that the customer has read and accepted the terms and conditions.

An optional consent box also allows members to opt in to newsletters and updates.

Gift Aid (Optional)

If the membership entitlement includes Gift Aid eligibility, the system displays a Gift Aid Donation prompt.

Staff can select Claim or Don’t Claim depending on the customer’s UK taxpayer status.

Checkout and Payment

The checkout screen summarises the order and presents payment options:

• Contactless or card
• Cash
• External payment (for third-party methods or integrations)

Upon successful payment, the POS automatically triggers receipt printing and if connected, prints the membership card.

An email confirmation is also sent to the member with account setup instructions.

Post-Purchase Options

Once payment is complete, the confirmation screen offers the following actions:

• Print Receipt
• Use Membership
• Print Membership Card (Available only on Desktop POS)
• Print Membership QR
• View Membership

View Membership

Select View Membership to opes the membership record, showing:

• Membership ID and validity dates
• Lead member contact details
• Order and payment information
• Action options: Re-issue card, Resend confirmation, Upgrade membership, or Cancel membership

Best Practices

• Ensure staff permissions are correct: Once permissions are in place, users can perform a range of membership management actions, including:
• Print membership card
• Print membership QR code
• Re-issue membership card
• Extend membership period(client-specific feature)
• Resend confirmation
• Renew membership
• Do not renew membership(for Direct Debit memberships)
• Upgrade or downgrade membership
• Cancel membership
• Suspend membership(client-specific feature)
• Keep data accurate and consistent: Encourage staff to verify member details, including email address, date of birth, and postcode, before completing a sale. Accurate data ensures smooth renewals, correct Gift Aid claims, and reliable reporting.
• Validate Gift Aid eligibility: Train staff to clearly explain Gift Aid before selecting Claim or Don’t Claim. Incorrect declarations can affect compliance and audit accuracy.
• Maintain connected hardware: Ensure printers, barcode scanners, and payment terminals are properly configured and tested before the start of each shift. This avoids transaction delays and ensures receipts and membership cards are printed instantly.
• Monitor cached data: POS devices cache booking and product data locally to ensure continuity during network outages. The system automatically synchronises cached information when reconnected, keeping product, pricing, and membership data up to date without manual intervention.
• Encourage immediate account setup: Remind customers that a confirmation email will be sent for online account access. This supports future renewals, online booking, and membership management.
• Shift management: POS automatically creates and names sales shifts based on predefined configuration. Staff do not need to manually create or label shifts or sessions, as these are synchronised automatically for reporting and reconciliation.

Summary

The POS module empowers venues to deliver fast, accurate, and compliant membership transactions directly at the point of sale.

By guiding staff through a structured process, from customer validation to Gift Aid and payment, it ensures that every transaction is recorded correctly and synced across the Expian ecosystem.

When configured and maintained correctly, POS becomes more than just a sales tool, it’s an operational bridge between front-of-house efficiency and back-office accuracy. It enhances customer experience, protects data integrity, and supports vital organisational processes such as Gift Aid reporting and renewals.