Why Sales Person Configuration Matters

Getting the Sales Person setup right before the feature goes live at the till determines how smoothly assignment works for cashiers and how useful the resulting commission data is for management. A thoughtfully configured setup means cashiers rarely need to manually intervene — the right person is assigned automatically, commission is calculated without manual input, and managers see accurate performance data in their reports.

This article covers everything that needs to be in place before the Sales Person feature is used at the POS: the Sales Person master record, store-level availability settings, POS Profile configuration, and the Retail Setting flags that govern behaviour across transactions.

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The Sales Person Master Record

Every person who can be assigned to a POS transaction as a sales person must have an active Sales Person record in iVendNext. The Sales Person record is the eligibility list — if someone is not in this list as an active record, they cannot be assigned to a transaction, regardless of what role they hold.

A Sales Person record can be linked to a cashier in two ways. The preferred method for stores where the HR module is not in scope is to populate the User field on the Sales Person record directly with the cashier's iVendNext user account. This creates a direct link between the login credential and the sales person identity. Alternatively, for organisations that use the HR module, the Sales Person record can be linked to an Employee record, which is in turn linked to the cashier's user account.

Both linkage methods are supported simultaneously. If a Sales Person record has both a User link and an Employee link, the direct User link takes precedence. Stores that have not deployed the HR module can use the User link exclusively without any loss of functionality.

The Sales Person record also carries a commission rate — the percentage of transaction value used to calculate the estimated commission for that person. This rate is the default; it can be overridden by Commission Rules for specific item groups, stores, or periods, as covered in the Commission Rules article.

Store and Warehouse Availability

By default, a Sales Person is available for assignment at any store or warehouse across the organisation. If a Sales Person should only be available at a specific location — for example, a commissioned sales associate who works exclusively at one outlet — the Store/Warehouse field on their Sales Person record should be populated with the relevant warehouse.

When this field is set, the Sales Person will only appear in the assignment list for transactions at that specific warehouse. They will not be visible or selectable at any other location. If the field is left blank, the Sales Person is available everywhere.

This store-level availability filtering applies consistently: in the POS assignment dialog, in barcode scan assignment, in the POS Profile default configuration, and in the API list returned to external systems. A manager configuring a POS Profile default in another store will not see sales persons who are restricted to a different location.

POS Profile Configuration

Two fields on the POS Profile shape how Sales Person assignment works for the terminals associated with that profile.

Default Sales Person is an optional field that specifies which Sales Person should be automatically assigned to new transactions when the logged-in cashier is not themselves an eligible sales person. This is the fallback in the auto-assignment cascade. For example, if a store has a dedicated sales manager who earns commission on all transactions processed by cashiers without their own sales person records, that manager can be set as the default on the POS Profile. Every new transaction will automatically carry that person's assignment.

Sales Person Mode controls whether assignment is manual or automatic for the terminals using this profile. In Manual mode — the default — assignment relies on the auto-assignment cascade and optional cashier-initiated changes. In Automatic mode, a Sales Person Assignment Dialog is presented to the cashier at the start of every new transaction, before any items are added. The cashier must confirm or select a sales person before proceeding. If the auto-assignment cascade has pre-populated a person, the dialog shows that person and the cashier confirms with a single tap.

Automatic mode is suited to retail formats where every transaction must be attributed to a specific sales person — fine jewellery, luxury goods, specialist electronics — and where the business wants to make this a required part of every interaction rather than an optional step.

Retail Setting Flags

Four configuration flags in Retail Settings control how the Sales Person feature behaves across all POS transactions at the organisation level. These flags apply globally and affect every terminal and profile.

Auto Add Cashier as Sales Person — When enabled, the system automatically assigns the logged-in cashier as the sales person on every new transaction, provided the cashier has an active Sales Person record linked to their user account. This is the highest priority step in the auto-assignment cascade. Stores where cashiers are also the sales associates — independent retailers, boutiques, specialist counters — will typically enable this flag.

Allow Multiple Sales Person on Transaction — When enabled, more than one sales person can be assigned to the same transaction header. Each person receives an allocation percentage, and the percentages must sum to 100%. When disabled, only a single sales person per transaction is permitted and the option to add a second person is not shown in the assignment dialog.

Mandatory Sales Person per Transaction — When enabled, a transaction cannot be submitted without at least one sales person assigned. If a cashier attempts to complete a transaction with no sales person, the system blocks the submission with a clear error message. This flag ensures that commission attribution is never missed on any transaction.

Warn if Transaction has no Sales Person — A softer alternative to the mandatory flag. When enabled, the system displays a non-blocking warning when a transaction with no sales person is submitted. The cashier can acknowledge the warning and proceed. This is useful for stores that want to encourage consistent attribution without creating a hard block.

Multi-Person Allocation Mode

When multiple sales persons are allowed on a transaction, the Multi-Person Allocation Mode setting determines how their commission is calculated.

In Total mode — the default — the allocation percentages across all assigned sales persons must sum to exactly 100%. Each person earns their share of the commission calculated on the transaction's net total. This is the standard split-commission model: two sales persons at 60% and 40% share the commission pool between them.

In Each mode, each assigned sales person earns commission independently as their own percentage of the transaction net total. The 100% sum constraint does not apply. This model is suited to arrangements where multiple sales associates contribute independently to a transaction and each should be rewarded in full for their contribution, rather than sharing a single commission pool.

Return and Commission Behaviour

Two additional settings govern how Sales Person assignment and commission are handled on return transactions.

Use Original Sales Person on Returns determines whether a return inherits the sales person assignment from the original transaction or is assigned to the cashier currently processing the return. The default is to use the original sales person, maintaining attribution continuity. Some businesses prefer to credit the cashier handling the return interaction — this can be configured as the alternative.

Exclude Returns from Commission — When enabled, return transactions do not generate negative commission entries. Sales person rows are still recorded on the return for audit purposes, but no commission deduction is calculated. This is relevant for businesses that prefer to treat return handling as a cost of operations rather than a commission offset.

A Well-Configured Starting Point

With Sales Person master records in place, store/warehouse availability set correctly, POS Profile defaults and modes configured, and Retail Setting flags aligned to the store's operating model, the Sales Person feature is ready to function without ongoing manual intervention. Cashiers get the right assignment automatically, commission is calculated on every transaction, and managers have the data they need to evaluate performance and manage incentives accurately.