POS – Admissions & Events Sales

Introduction

The POS (Point of Sale) system allows staff to sell Admissions and Event tickets quickly and accurately at on-site locations such as ticket offices and welcome centres. The products available in POS depend on the selected location or sub-location and the permissions configured in the Admin Portal.

Admissions and Events follow the same booking flow. Once a staff member selects a product tile, the POS guides them through a clear process: choosing ticket types, selecting dates and times, applying promotions, and taking payment. This consistent design helps front-of-house teams work efficiently and confidently.

POS synchronises all sales with the central Expian database, ensuring bookings are recorded correctly, capacity updates in real time, and reporting remains accurate. This improves operational performance across ticketing, capacity management, and visitor flow.

Important

This document describes the Admissions & Events sales process using the standard POS configuration where cached booking options are enabled (i.e., Check Real-Time Availability is set to OFF).

If your organisation uses real-time availability instead, the behaviour may differ. For details, see:

POS Settings – Check Real-Time Availability.

Step-by-Step Process

Select Location

At login, the POS displays the active sales location (e.g., Kew Palace – Ticket Office).

The available products, ticket types, prices, and configuration options all depend on this location.

Choose an Admission or Event

From the product tiles, staff select the relevant Admission or Event.

(See Screenshot: “Home – Product List”)

Events may appear under a dedicated Events tab, but the booking flow remains the same.

If donations are configured for that product, an Include donations toggle appears.

(See Screenshot: “Add Tickets – Donation Toggle”)

Add Tickets

On the Add Tickets screen, staff member select the required ticket types and quantities.

(See Screenshot: “Add Tickets – Ticket Type Selection”)

Key behaviours:

• Prices shown reflect configuration from the Admin Portal.
• If cached booking options are enabled, date/time and pricing prepopulate.
• The system automatically selects the next available date and the first available timeslot for that date.

Staff can adjust:

• Ticket quantities
• Date
• Timeslot
• Donations (if enabled)

Select Date

Tapping the date field opens the calendar.

(See Screenshot: “Select Date – Calendar View”)

The user may:

• Choose from available dates
• Use the quick 'Today' button
• Switch months as required

Unavailable dates appear disabled.

Select Timeslot

For timed products, the timeslot picker appears after choosing the date.

(See Screenshot: “Select Time Slot”)

Only valid timeslots are displayed.

Add Booking Notes (Optional)

If enabled, staff may add internal booking notes.

(See Screenshot: “Booking Notes Page”)

These notes appear on the order record but not on customer-facing communications.

Promotions and Vouchers

Staff can apply a promotion in two ways:

• Select a promotion from a list
• Tap Open Scanner to scan a voucher barcode
• (See Screenshot: “Select Promotion / Voucher List”)

Only promotions valid for the product will be displayed.

Add-Ons

If the product has add-ons configured, the Add-ons screen appears next.

(See Screenshot: “Select Add-ons”)

Notes:

• Add-ons may be optional or mandatory
• If mandatory, the Pay button remains inactive until at least one required add-on is selected
  

Country of Residence (client-specific)

If enabled, staff must confirm the visitor’s country of residence.

(See Screenshot: “Country of Residence Popup”)

Options include:

• Confirm United Kingdom
• Select Country from a list
• Close the popup (if allowed)

This setting supports reporting, compliance, and visitor data tracking.

Customer Details (Optional or Required)

Some organisations require customer details to be captured for specific ticket types.

(See Screenshot: “Customer Details Form”)

Fields may include:

• First name
• Last name
• Email address
• Consent (T&Cs, marketing opt-in)

Field availability and mandatory settings depend entirely on product configuration.

Payment

The checkout screen displays the full order summary, remaining balance, and accepted payment types.

(See Screenshot: “Payment Screen – Payment Options”)

Available payment are configured in your Expian system for POS. Here are some examples:

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

Cash Payment Flow

(See Screenshot: “Cash Payment – Quick Amounts”)

Staff can choose:

• Exact amount
• Quick cash amounts (£5, £10, £20, etc.)
• Enter cash received manually
  

The system shows:

• Amount to pay
• Change returned

Selecting Receive completes the transaction.

Printing

If printing is enabled for the location, POS automatically prints:

• The receipt
• The tickets

(See Screenshots: “Printing Receipt” → “Printing Next”)

Users can also manually:

• Print receipt
• Print tickets
• Send email confirmation

Payment Complete

The final confirmation screen includes:

(See Screenshot: “Payment Complete Screen”)

• Payment complete status
• Print receipt
• Print tickets
• Send email
• Exit to Home

This step ends the transaction and returns to the product list.

Best Practices

Keep ticket data accurate

Encourage staff to check the following before completing each sale:

• Date and time slot: ensure these match what the visitor requested.
• Ticket quantities and types: confirm the correct number of adults, children, concessions, etc.
• Add-ons: check that mandatory add-ons are selected where required.

Accurate data supports reliable capacity management, reporting, and visitor flow planning.

Validate promotions

When applying discounts or vouchers, staff should confirm that:

• The promotion or voucher is valid for the selected product and date.
• The correct discount value appears on the order.

This helps avoid disputes at the till and ensures reporting remains correct.

Maintain hardware readiness

Before each shift:

• Ensure printers are loaded and connected.
• Verify scanners are working and correctly positioned.
• Confirm card machines are paired and able to take payments.

This reduces delays at busy times and supports a smooth visitor experience.

Monitor cached data and connectivity

POS devices store booking and product data locally so staff can continue working during short interruptions in connectivity. When the connection is restored, POS automatically synchronises with the Expian backend.

Advise staff to:

• Refresh product data if prices or availability have recently changed.
• Avoid switching locations during unstable connectivity, as this may delay updates.

For details on how real-time availability affects POS behaviour, see:

POS Settings – Check Real-Time Availability.

Encourage email capture where appropriate

Where possible, staff should collect a valid email address. This supports:

• Sending order confirmations
• Enabling online account access
• Supporting future bookings
• Assisting with customer service enquiries
  

How POS decides which tickets to show

POS does not show every product configured in Expian. Instead, it filters what staff see based on settings in the Admin Portal.

At a high level, POS shows only products that:

1. Belong to the active location or sub-location
• When staff log in and select a location (e.g., Kew Palace – Ticket Office), POS only displays Admissions and Events assigned to that location.
• Are enabled for POS sales
• Products must be configured as available for POS, with the relevant permissions in place.
• If a product is not enabled or has been archived, it will not appear on the POS home screen.
• Are valid for the current date
• For timed and dated products, POS only displays options that are within their valid sales period.
• If an event has ended or is outside its sales window, it will no longer be selectable.
• Have available capacity (for timed entries/events)
• When capacity is enforced, POS shows only timeslots that still have tickets available.
• With Check Real-Time Availability ON, this is based on live capacity.
• With it OFF, POS relies on cached booking options and updates availability when data is refreshed or an error occurs at checkout.
• Match the product configuration
• Ticket types, prices, add-ons, and donation options shown in POS all come from the product configuration in Expian.
• Changes in the Admin Portal (e.g., new ticket types, price updates) are reflected in POS once synchronised.

If staff are expecting to see a product and cannot find it in POS, it is usually because location, permissions, validity dates, or capacity are preventing it from being shown.

Troubleshooting

Use this section to help staff quickly diagnose and resolve common issues while using POS.

1. No products appear on the POS home screen

Possible causes

• The wrong location is selected.
• The location has no products assigned for POS.
• Staff do not have the necessary permissions.

What to check

• Confirm the active location (e.g., Kew Palace – Ticket Office) is correct.
• Ask an administrator to confirm that Admissions and Events are enabled for POS at that location in the Admin Portal.
• Check staff roles and permissions if other colleagues can see products but one user cannot.
  

2. No timeslots are available for a product

Possible causes

• The selected date is fully booked.
• The product is not configured with timeslots for that date.
• The product is outside its valid sales period.

What to check

• Try another date to see if timeslots appear.
• Confirm with an administrator that timeslots are configured for that product and date.
• Verify that the product is still on sale and has not passed its end date.
  

3. The Pay button is greyed out

Possible causes

• A mandatory add-on has not been selected.
• No ticket quantity has been added.
• Required customer details have not been completed (where mandatory).

What to check

• Review the Add-ons screen and select any required add-ons.
• Ensure at least one ticket has been added.
• If customer details are enabled and mandatory, complete the required fields before proceeding.
  
  

4. 'Timeslot Sold Out' error at checkout

When does this happen?

This can occur when Check Real-Time Availability is OFF and POS is using cached booking options. The timeslot that was available earlier has sold out by the time staff reach the checkout screen.

System behaviour

• POS displays a Timeslot Sold Out message.
• POS automatically refreshes booking options from the backend.
• Sold-out timeslots are removed from the list.

What to do

• Return to the timeslot selection screen.
• Choose a different available timeslot for the visitor.
• If the product is consistently sold out, advise the visitor of alternative dates or times.

For more on this behaviour, see: POS Settings – Check Real-Time Availability.

5. Printer is not printing receipts or tickets

Possible causes

• The printer is out of paper or not powered on.
• The printer is not connected to the POS device.
• Printing is disabled for the current location.

What to check

• Confirm the printer has paper and is turned on.
• Check any visible connection indicators (e.g., cable, network, or Bluetooth status).
• If issues persist, contact the system administrator to verify printer settings for the location in the Admin Portal.
  
  

6. Promotions or vouchers are not being accepted

Possible causes

• The promotion does not apply to the selected product, date, or time.
• The voucher has expired or been used already.
• The code has been entered incorrectly or the barcode did not scan correctly.

What to check

• Confirm the promotion conditions (eligible products, dates, and times).
• Check the expiry date on the voucher.
• Try scanning the voucher again, or enter the code manually.
• If a specific code fails repeatedly, raise it with the system administrator for further investigation.
  

Glossary of Terms

Summary

The POS module enables fast, accurate, and secure Admissions and Event ticket sales directly at the point of visitor contact. By guiding staff through a clear, structured process, from product selection to payment and printing, the system ensures every booking is recorded correctly and synchronised across the Expian platform.

When configured and used correctly, POS becomes an essential operational tool, helping venues manage visitor flow, support real-time capacity tracking, and deliver a smooth on-site experience.

Add-ons

Optional or mandatory extras attached to bookings (e.g., guidebooks, audio tours, parking, exhibitions). Mandatory add-ons must be selected before payment.

Discounts applied to bookings. POS supports selecting from a list, scanning barcodes, or entering codes manually. Only valid promotions are accepted.

A category within a product (e.g., Adult, Child, Concession, Senior, Family). Defines pricing and capacity for that product.

A specific entry time for timed products (e.g., 10:30, 14:00). Can be auto-selected or manually selected depending on POS settings.

Cached Booking Options

Ticket Type

Order

Product

Real-Time Availability

Automatic or manual printing of receipts and entry tickets (QR-coded). Depends on location printing settings.

Term

The active selling point selected when POS starts (e.g., Kew Palace – Ticket Office). Controls which products, prices, and settings appear in POS.

The configured options for completing a sale (e.g., card/contactless, cash, external payments). Controlled in the Admin Portal.

The full basket of selected items (tickets, add-ons, promotions, customer details). Reviewed on the checkout screen.

Definition

Timeslot

Location / Sub-location

Remaining number of tickets available for a timeslot or event. Visible only when Real-Time Availability is ON.

Locally stored booking data used when Check Real-Time Availability is OFF. Loads quickly but may not reflect last-minute capacity changes.

Receipt / Ticket Printing

A mode where POS retrieves live availability and capacity from the backend. Requires staff to select a timeslot manually; capacity is shown.

Promotion / Voucher

Capacity

Any item that can be sold through POS, such as Admissions, Events, Add-ons, or Memberships. Configured in the Admin Portal with its own rules and pricing.

Payment Methods