Transaction Amendments and Corrections in AskBiz POS

Key Takeaways

• Completed transactions in AskBiz POS cannot be silently edited — all changes create a visible audit entry.
• The most common corrections are partial refunds, voids (within a limited window), and annotation notes.
• This approach protects your records for tax compliance and fraud prevention.

Why transactions are immutable

Once a sale is completed in AskBiz POS, the original transaction record cannot be altered. This is not a limitation — it is a feature. Immutable transactions are the foundation of a reliable audit trail. If anyone could quietly edit a completed sale — changing the amount, removing an item, or altering the payment method — your records would be untrustworthy. HMRC expects businesses to maintain accurate, tamper-proof transaction records, and Making Tax Digital requirements reinforce this. AskBiz enforces immutability at the database level, meaning even the system administrators cannot modify a completed transaction. Instead, corrections are made by creating new, linked records: refunds, voids, and amendments that sit alongside the original and clearly show what was changed, when, and by whom.

Voiding a transaction

A void cancels a transaction entirely, as though it never happened. In AskBiz POS, voiding is only available within a short window after the sale is completed — typically a few minutes. This covers the scenario where a cashier accidentally confirms payment on the wrong transaction, or the customer realises immediately that they grabbed the wrong item. To void, go to the transaction and tap Void. You must enter a reason (accidental confirmation, customer changed mind, duplicate transaction). The void is processed, the items are returned to inventory, and both the original transaction and the void appear in the audit trail. After the void window closes, amendments are handled through the refund process instead. This time restriction exists because voids interact with card payment reversals — the sooner you void a card transaction, the more likely the reversal is processed as a void rather than a refund, which is faster and cleaner for the customer's bank statement.

Annotating a transaction

Sometimes a transaction does not need a financial correction — it just needs a note. Perhaps the customer mentioned they will return to collect the item later. Perhaps the sale included a verbal agreement about a future discount. Perhaps there was an unusual circumstance you want to document for your records. AskBiz lets you add annotations to any completed transaction. Tap the transaction, tap Add Note, and type your annotation. The note is timestamped and attributed to the staff member who wrote it. Annotations do not change the financial record — they are supplementary information. They are visible in the transaction detail view and in the audit trail, and they can be searched, which is useful when a customer calls back weeks later and you need to find the context of their purchase.

Common amendment scenarios and how to handle them

Wrong price charged: process a partial refund for the difference if you overcharged, or note the undercharge and adjust pricing for future sales. Wrong product scanned: void the transaction if within the void window; otherwise, refund the incorrect item and process a new sale for the correct one. Payment method recorded incorrectly: add an annotation noting the correct payment method. This does not affect your revenue figure but corrects your payment method breakdown for reporting. Customer dispute: if a customer claims they were charged for an item they did not receive, review the transaction, check any related CCTV if available, and process a refund if the claim is valid. The audit trail provides a clear record if the dispute escalates. In every case, the principle is the same: never alter the original record. Instead, create a new record (refund, void, or annotation) that corrects the situation transparently.

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