Performance has been improved for System / Utilities / Database import.

This feature was delivered in a V8.3.2 Service Pack.

This version includes the Orders tutorial which is the latest in a series of interactive computer-based training courses that are accessible via Online Help. This tutorial covers how to enter and process orders in both regular Ticket Entry and Touchscreen Ticket Entry, and provides an excellent means of training your staff and raising your own level of knowledge about CounterPoint SQL.

Other tutorials that are currently available include: Fundamentals Overview, Purchasing and Receiving, and Defining Items. Please contact us at (808) 261-0916 for more information.

In previous versions of the SQL Script Utility, if you encountered an error (for example, while running an UpdateFrom8.x.x.sql script), you were required to terminate the script, correct the error, and then re-run the entire script.

When you encounter an error, you can now immediately correct the error (using a separate tool), and then select Retry to re-execute the failed statement. After the statement completes successfully, the script continues from that point.

This feature allows you identify and correct data problems more quickly, without requiring you to re-run an entire update script.

This feature was delivered in a V8.3.2 Service Pack.

This version includes a direct accounting interface for Best Software's BusinessWorks Gold V6, which allows you to transfer distributions, voucher receivings, import accounts, and exchange vendor information.

You can now take advantage of the multi-monitor support that is built in to Windows to display a separate screen image to your customers during checkout.

You can configure the customer display monitor to show the ticket information you want, including item descriptions, quantities, prices, item images, document totals, customer information, and so forth. You can even specify the position, font, size, and color of the displayed ticket information.

You can also configure an HTML panel to display images, animations, slide shows, or other media, and you can use third-party applications or content to display advertisements from manufacturers or other media in separate windows on the customer display monitor

Performance has been improved in regular Ticket Entry and Touchscreen Ticket Entry for line item entry, ticket completion, and ticket browsing (e.g. processing an order or selecting a ticket to void).

Support has been added for the Ingenico 6550 device, which combines signature capture, PIN pad, and magnetic stripe reader (MSR) functions. The Ingenico 6550 is a more economical alternative to the Ingenico eN-Touch 1000 supported in previous versions.

In addition, Setup / Point of Sale / Devices now supports the Ingenico 6550's multiple transaction host features.

See Credit Cards.

In previous versions, certain Physical Count functions (such as Create, Post, etc.) were effectively limited to a single user; one user could prevent all other users from accessing Physical Count functions. Now, multiple users can operate concurrently, as long as each user is processing physical count transactions for a different inventory location. If a user chooses a specific location, only users processing for that location are restricted; if a user chooses to work in All locations, all users are restricted.

In addition, when importing counts from a file that contains information from multiple locations, you can now specify a single location to process, skipping all other records in the import file.

The Six Week Item History Report evaluates item performance to help you spot sales trends, based on a user-selected reporting date.

Quantity sold is reported for each of the six weeks preceding the user-selected reporting date. Valuable summary information is also reported for the 26-week period preceding that date, including first receiving date, quantity received, quantities sold at retail and off retail, percent sold, and projected weeks of inventory on hand. In addition, current quantities on-hand and on-order are shown.

In February 2005, Visa began certifying payment applications to be compliant with their Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP) and Payment Application Best Practices (PABP) standards.

CounterPoint SQL is currently being validated for compliance by a Visa-approved third-party. When the validation process is complete, CounterPoint SQL will be listed on Visa's Web site (www.visa.com/cisp) as a CISP-Validated Payment Application, which will allow merchants to use CounterPoint as the basis for a fully CISP-compliant system.

Additional security enhancements-including encrypted data storage and masked card number display-ensure secure handling of cardholder information, in accordance with CISP/PABP standards. Security enhancements also include the enhanced password features delivered in V8.3.2. Documentation is provided to guide merchants in setting up fully CISP-compliant systems, including CISP requirements that are outside of CounterPoint.

NOTE: Synchronics is already listed on Visa's website as a CISP-compliant Service Provider for CPGateway.

Support is provided for EBT food stamps through First Data North for Synchronics Merchant Program merchants and for other merchants processing with First Data North or Vital, via CPGateway.

Individual items may be marked as Food stamp eligible. You may use a Food stamp EBT pay code to tender up to the total amount of food stamp eligible purchases. Because purchases made with food stamps are non-taxable, an adjusted tax amount is calculated and recorded as a tax override.

No CPGateway fees are charged for EBT transactions. Dial-up service is not currently planned for EBT.