Layaway (deposit now, collect later)

A customer wants a 1,000,000 Ks TV but can pay only 200,000 Ks today. With Layaway they pay a deposit now, you keep the TV for them, they pay the rest in parts whenever they can, and they collect the TV when it is fully paid.

Layaway is not a sale on credit. With instalments the customer takes the item today and owes you money. With a layaway you keep the item and you hold the customer's money until they collect: the money paid so far is a customer deposit (a payable — it is theirs until the hand-over), not a sale. The sale is made, and counted in your sales, on the day you hand the items over.

Layaway is on Plus and up. If you move to Free, open layaways keep working: you can still take payments, hand them over or cancel them; only new layaways need Plus.

#How it works

1. Start: at Checkout the customer pays a deposit (at least the smallest deposit from Settings, 20% unless you change it). LiteShop locks the prices and keeps the items for the customer.
2. Pay the rest: any amount, any time — cash at the counter, QR, or a payment link they pay on their phone.
3. Collect: when nothing is left to pay, tap Hand over. LiteShop makes the sale, takes the items out of stock and gives a receipt.

Every layaway has a number like LW-000001 and its own customer page with the items, what is paid, what is left and the pick-up date.

#Start a layaway

When to use: the customer wants the items but will pay over days or weeks, and you keep the items meanwhile.

1. Add the items to the cart and pick the Customer (a layaway always belongs to a customer).
2. Tap Charge, then Layaway: deposit now, collect later under the payment methods.
3. Type the Deposit now (the panel shows the smallest one, for example At least 200,000 Ks now). Tap Minimum or Pay all to fill it in.
4. Choose how they pay: Cash, QR Payment or another method you use.
5. Check Pick up by (30 days from today unless you change it).
6. Tap Start layaway.

The items are now kept for the customer: they show as held on the item tiles and other customers can't buy them. Nothing is cancelled automatically when the date passes; you get an alert instead.

#Take more payments

1. Open Customers → Layaways (or the customer → Layaways) and tap the layaway.
2. Tap Take payment, type the amount (or All) and choose how they paid.
3. Tap Record.

Cash goes into this register's open cash drawer as a pay in ("Layaway payment · LW-000001"), so the drawer's expected cash is right. A payment can never be more than what is left. Tap the receipt icon next to a payment for a small Layaway payment receipt: Print receipt (your receipt printer, or the print dialog), Share receipt (PDF) or Share as text. It shows what was paid now and how, the total, paid so far, what is left, the pick-up date and a QR code to the customer's page.

#Send a payment link

The customer can pay the rest from home.

1. In the layaway, tap Send payment link.
2. Share the link. The customer pays by QR (with a screenshot) or the transfer / wallet methods you allow online.
3. When their payment arrives, open Online orders → Payment links, check it in your banking app and tap Payment received. It is added to the layaway.

#The customer's page

Tap Customer page to share the layaway's own link. The customer sees the items kept for them, Paid, Left to pay, the Pick up by date and their payments — and a Pay the rest button while a payment link is open. No phone numbers or staff names are shown. After the hand-over the page links to the receipt.

#Hand over the items

When nothing is left to pay the layaway shows Ready to collect.

1. Open the layaway and tap Hand over.
2. Check the message and tap Hand over again. Give the customer their items.

LiteShop makes the sale with the payment method Layaway (the money was already counted when it was paid, so no cash moves now), takes the items out of stock and sends the receipt link. Print the receipt from Transactions. The customer earns loyalty points as for any sale.

If the customer brings an item back later, refund it as usual from Transactions: the layaway money can go back as Cash (from the drawer) or as Store credit. A handed-over layaway can't be voided.

#Past the pick-up date

Every morning LiteShop checks open layaways. When a customer hasn't collected by the Pick up by date, owners and managers get one alert (in the app, by push and Telegram if set up). The layaway shows Past pick-up date in the list, and the Alerts page shows it in the Layaways card (with cancelled layaways) until it is collected, cancelled or given a new date. Tap it to open the layaway.

Then decide with the customer: tap Change pick-up date to give them more time, or Cancel layaway. Only owners and managers can do either (a cashier can ask for Override with manager passcode).

#Cancel a layaway

1. Open the layaway and tap Cancel layaway.
2. Check the Cancellation fee (from Settings; you can change it for this layaway).
3. Choose Give money back (and how: cash from the drawer, or another way you pay them yourself) or Store credit.
4. Type the Reason and tap Cancel layaway.

For example, the customer paid 250,000 Ks and the fee is 10%: you keep 25,000 Ks and give back 225,000 Ks. The items go back to free stock right away and owners and managers get an alert.

#Settings

Open Settings → Customers → Layaway (owners and managers):

• Smallest deposit: % of the total paid when the layaway starts (20% by default; 0 = any deposit).
• Pick up within: how many days the items are kept by default (30). Each layaway can have its own date.
• Cancellation fee: % of what was paid that the shop keeps when a layaway is cancelled (none by default).
• When cancelled, the rest goes: Back as money or Store credit (the manager who cancels can still choose).

#Money and reports

• Deposits you hold on the Layaways page, and Layaway deposits · You hold for customers in Reports → Receivables & payables: money customers paid on open layaways. It is theirs until the hand-over.
• Cash drawer: layaway payments in cash are pay ins; cash refunds of cancelled layaways are pay outs.
• Where the money is (Reports → Sales and Profit): a note shows the layaway payments of the period by cash and QR account — customer deposits, not sales. Tap it for each account, what was paid back and the fees kept. The daily report has a Layaway payments line too.
• Sales reports: the sale counts on the hand-over day, paid by Layaway (no new money that day — it was counted when it was paid).
• Cancellation fees stay with the shop: the Profit tab adds them as Layaway cancellation fees (other income, not a sale) on the day the layaway was cancelled.
• Business finance (Ultra): each payment goes into its money account (cash drawer, QR account…) as a customer deposit, and Customer deposits shows under what you owe on Business value until the hand-over; refunds come out of the account, fees count as other income.

#Plans

Starting a layaway needs Plus or a higher plan. On Free you see the upgrade prompt. Layaways made before keep working on any plan.