Troubleshooting: Configuring Your Till Keyboard

Having issues with your till keyboard setup? Find solutions to common problems below.

Common Issues#

Problem: Keyboard Looks Stretched or Squashed on the Till#

Symptoms:

• Buttons appear distorted
• Keyboard doesn’t fit screen properly
• Everything looks stretched vertically or horizontally

Solution:

Your screen aspect ratio doesn’t match your device.

1. Check your device’s actual aspect ratio

   • Look up device specifications
   • Common ratios: 16:9 (widescreen), 4:3 (iPad), 3:4 (iPad portrait)

2. Create a matching screen

   • Go to Site → Keyboard
   • Create new screen with correct width and height ratio
   • Reassign keyboard to use the new screen

✅ Best practice: Create separate screens for each device type you use.

Problem: Can’t Place a Button - Space Turns Red#

Symptoms:

• Dragging button onto grid shows red border
• Button won’t drop in desired location
• Can’t position button where you want

Solution:

The space is occupied or restricted. Check for:

1. Another button is using that space

• Move or resize the existing button first
• Make sure there’s enough green/available space

2. Template items blocking the space (when editing a layout)

• Template items show as grayed out
• You cannot place layout buttons over template items
• Move your button to green space only

3. Layout items blocking the space (when editing a template)

• Used layout space shows as black
• You cannot place template buttons over layout items
• Leave those areas for layouts

💡 Tip: Add a button and select it to see the grid clearly.

Problem: Changed Keyboard But Till Still Shows Old One#

Symptoms:

• Made changes in HQ but till doesn’t update
• Till shows outdated keyboard layout
• New buttons don’t appear

Solution:

1. Check till is online and synced

• Verify network connection
• Check sync status in till settings

2. Complete any active sale

• Keyboard won’t update while a sale is in progress
• Finalize the sale first

3. Restart the till app

• Close the till app completely
• Reopen it
• Check if keyboard updates

4. Force a sync

• On the till, go to Settings
• Look for sync or refresh option
• Wait a few seconds for changes to apply

Problem: When I Paste a Button, Nothing Happens#

Symptoms:

• Copied button with Ctrl+C
• Pressed Ctrl+V but button doesn’t appear
• No visible change after paste

Solution:

There’s not enough empty space for the button.

How paste works:

• Button pastes with same size as original
• System looks for first available space that fits
• If no space fits, nothing happens

Fix it:

1. Make a larger empty area

   • Move or delete buttons to create space
   • Button will paste in first area big enough

2. Copy a smaller button

   • If target has limited space
   • Resize the button before copying

💡 Tip: Select an area to see grid dimensions before pasting.

Problem: Can’t Reduce Template Grid Size#

Symptoms:

• Want to shrink grid rows or columns
• System won’t let you reduce numbers
• Error when trying to save smaller grid

Solution:

You have buttons using space beyond where you want to shrink.

Example:

• Want to reduce from 30 rows to 25 rows
• Have buttons that span to row 28
• System won’t allow reduction

Fix it:

1. Find buttons beyond your target size

   • Look for buttons in the area you want to remove
   • Check Row Span property of each button

2. Remove or resize those buttons

   • Delete buttons you don’t need
   • OR move them to fit within target grid size
   • OR reduce their Row/Column Span

3. Try reducing grid size again

Problem: Product Doesn’t Appear in Products List#

Symptoms:

• Looking for product in keyboard editor
• Product exists in HQ Products page
• Can’t find it in right sidebar list

Solution:

1. Ensure product is saved

• Go to Products page in HQ
• Verify product exists and is saved
• Check product has a name and short name

2. Try refreshing the keyboard editor

• Close keyboard editor
• Reopen it
• Search for product again

3. Check product is not archived

• Archived products don’t show in lists
• Unarchive if needed

4. Search by typing

• Use search box in right sidebar
• Type partial product name

Problem: Accidentally Made Changes and Don’t Want to Keep Them#

Symptoms:

• Made unwanted edits to keyboard
• Want to undo changes
• Worried about losing work

Solution:

Click Reset Changes button to revert to your last save.

⚠️ Important: This undoes ALL changes since you last clicked Save.

✅ Best practice: Save regularly while editing to avoid losing lots of work.

Recovery options:

• If you already saved unwanted changes, you’ll need to manually redo the keyboard
• Consider duplicating screens/templates before major edits

Q: Do I need a different screen for each till?#

A: Only if your tills have different aspect ratios.

• Three widescreen monitors can share one 16:9 screen
• An iPad needs a separate 4:3 screen
• Landscape vs portrait orientations need separate screens

Q: How many layouts should I create?#

A: As many as you need to organize products logically.

• Most businesses use 3-8 layouts
• Too many makes navigation tedious
• Group by category: Drinks, Food, Desserts, Functions, etc.

Q: Can I have different keyboards on different tills?#

A: Yes. Assign different screens, templates, and layouts in each till’s device settings.

Use cases:

• Bar till with drink-focused layouts
• Kitchen till with food-focused layouts
• Retail till with product-focused layouts

Q: What’s the difference between template and layout?#

A:

Template:

• Permanent items always visible
• Order view, number pad, payments
• Cannot switch during sales

Layout:

• Changeable product button pages
• Switch between layouts during sales
• Multiple layouts per template

Q: Can I test my keyboard before using it live?#

A: Yes, several options:

1. Assign to a test/training till
2. Use preview in keyboard editor (view-only)
3. Test during slow periods on actual till

Q: What grid size should I use?#

A:

Gives good flexibility without being too complex.

Q: Can I use same keyboard on devices with slightly different ratios?#

A: You can if the difference is small and buttons remain legible.

• Minor differences (16:9 vs 16:10) may work
• Large differences (16:9 vs 4:3) will look distorted
• For best results, create separate screens for each ratio

Still Having Issues?#

If your problem isn’t listed here:

1. Check the full guide for Configuring Your Till Keyboard for detailed instructions
2. Verify you have the correct permissions
3. Test on a different device to isolate the issue
4. Contact Paimnt support for assistance