Tabs and Placing Items on an Account
Two features in TORO let you handle situations where a customer isn't paying right now: Tabs and Placing Items on an Account. They sound similar, but they work differently and are built for different scenarios. Here's how each one works and when to use which.
Tabs
A tab works exactly like a bar tab. The customer is in the store, items accumulate throughout their visit, and they settle up before they leave. Think of it as a temporary parking spot for a transaction in progress.
Starting a tab:
Ring up items as usual
Tap Start Tab
Enter the customer's name — this is how the tab is identified in the list
If your store uses a floor plan, you'll pick their seat or table location
If your store collects card info, you can note the card type
The screen clears and the tab appears in the Open Tabs panel on the right side of the main screen. You're free to ring up the next person.
Adding more items to a tab:
Select the tab from the Open Tabs list and tap Open Tab
Everything comes back to the transaction screen — items, payments, customer, all of it
Add more items, apply discounts, whatever you need
Tap Update Tab to save and clear the screen again
If the customer already has an account attached, TORO will check if they have an existing open tab and offer to add the new items to it automatically.
Making a payment on a tab:
You can make partial payments while the tab is still running. Open the tab, add a payment, and update the tab. The tab viewer shows subtotal, discounts, tax, total, payments made, and amount still due.
Closing out a tab:
When the customer is ready to leave, open their tab and complete the transaction like any normal sale. Choose the payment method — cash, card, gift card, whatever — and you're done. The tab closes out and becomes a completed transaction.
Tab Viewer:
The Tab Viewer button (on the main tabs page and the floor plan) opens a detailed view of any tab. From here you can:
Edit the tab name, card type, assigned employee, location, and account — each has an edit button right next to it
View and edit tab notes
Send an SMS to the customer (if an account is attached and your store has the SMS module)
Move selected items to a different tab — pick specific items, tap Move Items, and choose an existing tab or create a new one
Print the tab receipt
Tab extras:
If TORO shuts down at the end of the day with items still on screen, it automatically saves them as a tab so nothing gets lost.
Any employee can open any tab, not just the person who started it.
Tabs survive restarts. They're stored in the database, not just floating in memory.
Every store has a Floorplan button on the tabs page. Stores with a custom floor plan can browse tabs by table or section. If your store doesn't have one yet, contact TORO to get a custom layout built.
Don't run tabs at all? You can switch the whole feature off. Open the Setup Transactions, Tabs, Tips & Items screen and uncheck Allow Tabs in the Tabs panel — the Start Tab button and the Open Tabs list disappear from the main screen, leaving a cleaner register. TORO won't let you turn it off while any tab is still open; close all Open Tabs first. Check the box again and everything comes right back. (If you don't see Start Tab or Open Tabs on your screen, this switch is why.)
Placing Items on an Account
Placing items on an account is TORO's way of saying “this customer is taking these items now and paying later.” It's credit — the items leave the store, but no money changes hands yet. The balance sits on the customer's account until they come back and pay it off.
Placing items on an account:
Ring up items as usual
Attach the customer's account — this is required, since the items need somewhere to go
Tap Add Payment and choose Account (this records the items as an account hold)
Done. The items are recorded on the customer's account. TORO sends them an SMS letting them know what was placed and the total.
A few rules about account holds:
Account Hold cannot be combined with other payment methods. It's all or nothing — every item in the transaction goes on the account.
Gift cards, virtual gift cards, and coupons can't be placed on an account. If any of those are in the transaction, TORO will remove them and let you know.
Each customer has an on-hold limit (a credit limit). TORO checks the limit before allowing the hold and warns you if they're over.
When the customer comes back to pay:
If a customer with unpaid items on their account is attached to a future transaction, TORO immediately pops up a warning showing their balance. This way every employee knows to mention it — nobody wants to be the first person to bring it up three visits later.
The fastest way to pay them off is right on the sale screen. Once the customer is attached, a red Unpaid Items on Account bar appears above the item list showing what they owe. Tap it and their held items open straight away:
Attach the customer to the sale as usual
Tap the red Unpaid Items on Account bar above the item list
You'll see every unpaid item — what it was, when it was placed, and the amount
Select the items the customer wants to pay for and tap Add Selected to Sale
Complete the transaction with whatever payment method they choose
The red bar disappears once everything has been pulled onto the sale, so it's easy to tell at a glance whether anything is still outstanding.
You can also get there the long way round — the Account Items screen lists every account with an unpaid balance, and picking a customer opens the same window.
You don't have to pay everything at once. The customer can pick specific items to pay for and leave the rest for next time. There's also an Auto-Select Up To an Amount button — if a customer says “I want to pay $75 today,” TORO works out the combination of their items that comes closest to $75 without going over, and selects it for you. If not even the cheapest item fits under the amount, TORO tells you rather than selecting nothing.
Tabs vs. Placing Items on an Account
Here's how to think about it:
Tabs are for right now. The customer is in the store, they're accumulating items during this visit, and they'll pay before they leave. It's a running total for the current session.
Placing items on an account is for later. The customer is taking the items home today and paying on a future visit. It's store credit in reverse — they owe you.
TabsAccount Hold When they payBefore they leave todayOn a future visit **Requires an account?**No — just a nameYes **Visible on main screen?**Yes, in the Open Tabs listNo — accessed through Account Items **Partial payments while open?**YesNo — pay items off individually later **Credit limit?**NoYes — each customer has an on-hold limit **Customer notified?**NoYes — SMS sent automatically **Can add more items?**Yes — open tab, add items, updateEach time is a new account hold Typical useLounge customers during a visitRegulars who pay weekly/monthly
The simplest way to remember: if the customer is sitting in your lounge right now, use a tab. If they're walking out the door and paying next time, place the items on their account.