Business Settings — Complete Guide
The Business Settings page is the control centre for your entire Actuary POS Software system. This guide walks through every tab and every option, explaining what it does and when you should change it.
What You'll Learn
- How to access and update settings
- What every setting does (in plain language)
- Best practices for each configuration area
How to Access Business Settings
- Go to Settings → Business Settings from the left sidebar.
- You'll see multiple tabs across the top — click any tab to jump to that section.
- After making changes, click Update Settings at the bottom to save.
📸 [Screenshot: The Business Settings page showing the tab navigation]
⚠️ Important: Only users with Settings permissions can access this page.
Tab 1: Business
Your core business information.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Your company or shop name — appears on invoices and receipts |
| Start Date | When your business started using Actuary POS Software |
| Logo | Upload your business logo — shown on invoices and the login page |
| Currency | Your main business currency (e.g., USD, GBP, PKR) |
| Currency Symbol Placement | Show the currency symbol before (£100) or after (100£) the amount |
| Default Profit Percent | Automatically calculates selling price from purchase price |
| Financial Year Start Month | Which month your financial year begins (for reports) |
| Accounting Method | FIFO (First In First Out) or LIFO (Last In First Out) |
| Transaction Edit Days | How many days after creation a transaction can be edited |
| Date Format | How dates appear throughout the system (e.g., DD/MM/YYYY) |
| Time Format | 12-hour or 24-hour clock |
| Time Zone | Your business time zone |
| Currency Precision | Number of decimal places for money (usually 2) |
| Quantity Precision | Number of decimal places for quantities (usually 2) |
| Discount Precision | Number of decimal places for discounts |
📸 [Screenshot: The Business tab with key fields highlighted]
Tab 2: Tax
Tax configuration for your business.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Tax 1 Name & Number | Your primary tax label and registration number (e.g., VAT, GST) |
| Tax 2 Name & Number | A second tax label if needed |
| Default Sales Tax | Tax rate automatically applied to new sales |
| Default Purchase Tax | Tax rate automatically applied to new purchases |
📸 [Screenshot: The Tax settings tab]
💡 Tip: Set up your tax rates first under Settings → Tax Rates, then select them here as defaults.
Tab 3: Product
Controls how products behave in the system.
| Setting | What It Does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| SKU Prefix | Text added before auto-generated product codes | Empty |
| Default Unit | The unit selected by default for new products | Pieces |
| Enable Sub-Units | Allow units like "Box of 12" | Off |
| Enable Secondary Unit | Track products in a second unit of measurement | Off |
| Enable Product Expiry | Track expiry dates on products | Off |
| Expiry Type | How to enter expiry (date or manufacturing + period) | Date |
| On Product Expiry | What happens when a product expires (keep selling or stop) | Keep Selling |
| Stop Selling Before (days) | Block sales this many days before expiry | 0 |
| Enable Categories | Show product categories | On |
| Enable Sub-Categories | Allow categories within categories | Off |
| Enable Brands | Show product brands | On |
| Enable Warranty | Track warranty information per product | Off |
| Enable Lot Numbers | Track batch/lot numbers | Off |
| Enable Generic Names | For pharmacies — track generic drug names | Off |
| Enable Potency | For pharmacies — track medicine potency | Off |
| Enable Drug Classes | For pharmacies — classify medicines | Off |
📸 [Screenshot: The Product settings tab]
Tab 4: Contact
Settings related to customers and suppliers.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Contact ID Settings | How contact ID numbers are generated |
| Default Credit Limit | Maximum credit allowed for new customers |
| Default Pay Term | Payment terms for new contacts |
📸 [Screenshot: The Contact settings tab]
Tab 5: Sale
Controls how sales work.
| Setting | What It Does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Default Sale Status | Whether new sales start as Final or Draft | Final |
| Sell Price Tax | Are your selling prices inclusive or exclusive of tax? | Exclusive |
| Sales Item Addition Method | How products are added to a sale (add row or increase qty) | Add Row |
| Allow Currency Change | Let users make sales in different currencies | Off |
| Enable Sales Orders | Show the Sales Orders feature | Off |
| Enable Quotations | Show the Quotations feature | Off |
| Enable Shipping Details | Show shipping fields on sales | Off |
| Commission Agent | How commission agents are selected | Disabled |
| Pay Term Required | Force users to enter payment terms on sales | Off |
| Min Sale Price (MSP) | Prevent selling below the minimum price | Off |
| Allow Overselling | Allow selling products with zero stock | On |
📸 [Screenshot: The Sale settings tab]
Tab 6: POS Sale
Settings specific to the POS (Point of Sale) screen.
| Setting | What It Does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| POS Interface | Screen layout — Simple, Product Suggestion, or Quick Buttons | Simple |
| Auto-Focus on Search Bar | Automatically put the cursor in the search bar | On |
| Tax Inclusive POS | Whether POS prices include tax | Off |
| Enable Transaction Date on POS | Show date field on POS screen | Off |
| Require Customer Always | Make customer selection mandatory for every sale | Off |
| Show Pricing on Suggestions | Display prices on the product suggestion grid | On |
| Service Staff Required | Make service staff selection mandatory | Off |
| Show Change/Return Modal | Show change amount after cash payment | On |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | Customise shortcut keys for POS actions | Default |
📸 [Screenshot: The POS Sale settings tab]
Tab 7: Payment
Payment method configuration and settings.
📸 [Screenshot: The Payment settings tab]
Tab 8: Purchases
Settings for purchasing operations.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Allow Currency Change | Make purchases in different currencies |
| Enable Purchase Orders | Show the Purchase Orders feature |
| Enable Purchase Requisitions | Show the Purchase Requisitions feature |
📸 [Screenshot: The Purchases settings tab]
Tab 9: Expenses
Expense tracking settings.
📸 [Screenshot: The Expenses settings tab]
Tab 10: Dashboard
Control what appears on the home dashboard.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Dashboard Sections | Choose which sections to show/hide |
| Default Date Range | The time period shown when Dashboard loads |
📸 [Screenshot: The Dashboard settings tab]
Tab 11: System
General system behaviour settings.
| Setting | What It Does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Default Table Page Entries | How many rows to show per page in lists/tables | 25 |
| Enable Tooltip | Show helpful popup tips when hovering over icons | On |
| Enable Urdu Typing | Allow Urdu language input in text fields | Off |
📸 [Screenshot: The System settings tab]
Tab 12: Date Range
Set the default date range for different parts of the system.
This lets you control what time period is shown by default when a user opens:
- Dashboard, Reports, Sales, Purchases, Expenses, and more
For each section, choose from: Today, This Week, This Month, This Quarter, This Year, etc.
📸 [Screenshot: The Date Range settings tab]
Tab 13: Prefixes
Customise the reference number prefixes for all transaction types.
| Transaction | Example Prefix | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sale | INV | INV-0001 |
| Purchase | PUR | PUR-0001 |
| Expense | EXP | EXP-0001 |
| Stock Transfer | ST | ST-0001 |
| Customer Payment | RV | RV-0001 |
| Supplier Payment | PV | PV-0001 |
| Sales Order | SO | SO-0001 |
| Quotation | QT | QT-0001 |
📸 [Screenshot: The Prefixes settings tab with all prefix fields]
💡 Tip: Set meaningful prefixes that match your existing numbering system. This makes it easier to identify transaction types at a glance.
Tab 14: Email Settings
Configure how Actuary POS Software sends emails (invoices, notifications, etc.).
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Mail Driver | How emails are sent (SMTP, Sendmail, etc.) |
| Host | Your email server address |
| Port | The email server port (usually 587 or 465) |
| Username | Your email login |
| Password | Your email password |
| Encryption | Security type (TLS or SSL) |
| From Address | The email address that appears as the sender |
| From Name | The name that appears as the sender |
Click Send Test Email to verify your settings are working.
📸 [Screenshot: The Email settings tab with the test button]
Tab 15: SMS Settings
Set up SMS (text message) notifications.
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| SMS Gateway URL | The web address of your SMS service provider |
| Parameters | Key-value pairs required by your SMS provider |
| Send To Parameter | Which parameter carries the phone number |
| Message Parameter | Which parameter carries the message text |
| Request Method | GET or POST |
You can also configure Zekli SMS integration with separate username/password fields.
Click Send Test SMS to verify your settings.
📸 [Screenshot: The SMS settings tab]
Tab 16: Reward Points
Set up a loyalty programme for your customers.
| Setting | What It Does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Reward Points | Turn the loyalty system on or off | Off |
| Reward Point Name | What to call your points (e.g., "Stars", "Points") | Points |
| Amount Per Unit RP | How much a customer spends to earn 1 point | 1 |
| Min Order Total | Minimum sale amount to earn points | 0 |
| Max RP Per Order | Maximum points earnable in one transaction | Unlimited |
| Redeem Amount Per Unit RP | How much each point is worth when redeemed | 1 |
| Min/Max Redeem Points | Limits on how many points can be redeemed at once | None |
| Expiry Period | How long points last before expiring | Never |
📸 [Screenshot: The Reward Points settings tab]
Tab 17: Modules
Enable or disable major features of Actuary POS Software.
| Module | What It Does |
|---|---|
| POS Sale | The point-of-sale screen for quick sales |
| Add Sale | Direct sale/invoice creation |
| Products | Product management features |
| Purchases | Purchase and supplier management |
| Stock Adjustment | Stock level corrections |
| Stock Transfers | Move stock between locations |
| Expenses | Expense tracking |
| Reports | Business reports |
| Accounts | Payment account management |
| Tables | Restaurant table management |
| Quick Menu | Quick menu/order board |
| Kitchen | Kitchen display screen |
| Service Staff | Service staff assignment |
| Booking | Table/appointment bookings |
| Subscription | Recurring invoice management |
| Notification Templates | Email/SMS notification setup |
Toggle each module on or off. Disabled modules won't appear in the sidebar.
📸 [Screenshot: The Modules tab with toggle switches]
💡 Tip: Disable modules you don't use to keep the sidebar clean and simple for your staff.
Tab 18: Custom Labels
Rename default field labels throughout the system to match your business terminology.
For example:
- Rename "Brand" to "Manufacturer"
- Rename "Category" to "Department"
- Change custom field labels to track industry-specific info
📸 [Screenshot: The Custom Labels settings tab]
Other Settings Pages
Business Locations
Go to Settings → Business Locations to manage your physical locations (shops, warehouses, etc.).
Invoice Settings
Go to Settings → Invoice Settings to configure invoice numbering schemes and layouts.
Barcode Settings
Go to Settings → Barcode Settings to configure how barcode labels are printed.
Tax Rates
Go to Settings → Tax Rates to create and manage tax rates.
Receipt Printers
Go to Settings → Receipt Printers to set up thermal or network printers.
Common Questions
Q: I changed a setting but it doesn't seem to work. What should I do? A: Make sure you clicked Update Settings at the bottom of the page. Some settings may also require you to refresh the page or log out and back in.
Q: Will changing settings affect my past transactions? A: No. Settings only affect new transactions created after the change. Past records stay as they were.
Q: Can different locations have different settings? A: Yes! Many POS and sale settings can be configured per location under Settings → Business Locations → [Location] → Settings.
Tips & Best Practices
- 📌 Review all settings when you first set up the system — getting them right from the start saves time later
- 📌 Disable unused modules to keep the interface clean
- 📌 Set meaningful prefixes for all transaction types
- 📌 Test your email and SMS settings before relying on them
- 📌 Keep your financial year start month accurate for correct reports