Overview
Sharper MMS supports multiple ways to record a tip on a POS order. Each method routes the tip data differently in the system and appears in a different report. Using the wrong method will result in tips that do not show up in the Tips Payable report, which is the most common source of tip-related support questions.
This article explains every tipping method available, when to use each one, and exactly where each method appears in reporting.
The Three Tipping Methods
Method 1 - The Tip Button (Built-In Tip Tool)
This is the correct method for recording tips on paid orders. It attaches the tip directly to the payment record on the invoice and flows into the Tips Payable report.
How to use it:
Complete the order and process payment. The order status must be Partial, Paid, or Finalized for the Tip button to appear.
A Tip button appears in the lower-left corner of the order panel, displaying the current tip total (shown as .00 if no tip has been entered).
Click Tip. The order is saved and the payment edit screen opens.
Enter the tip amount for each payment on the order and click to confirm.
Important: The Tip button is not visible while an order is in Open status. If you are looking for the Tip button and cannot find it, check the order status. The order must have at least one payment applied - the Tip button appears only after the first payment is recorded.
Where it appears in reports: Tips Payable report (POS, then Reports, then Tips Payable).
Permission required: No special permission for Partial or Paid orders. To edit a tip on a Finalized order, the user must have the edit_finalized_payments permission.
Method 2 - Cash Tip Entry During Server Close Out
When a server performs their Server Close Out at end of shift, Sharper prompts them to enter a cash tip total for the session. This is used to record the aggregate cash tips collected by that server during their shift for payroll tracking purposes.
How to use it:
From inside the terminal, click Server Close Out in the left navigation menu.
Sharper checks that the server is eligible to close out and shows the Cash Tip dialog.
The dialog displays the server's total cash payments received during the session as a reference figure.
Enter the total cash tip amount collected and click Close Out.
Sharper prints the server's close-out report including orders, refunds, and the cash tip total entered.
Important: The cash tip amount entered here is a manual entry at the session level - it is not linked to any specific order or invoice. It is primarily used to generate the server close-out printout and Z-Out breakdown and does not feed into the per-invoice Tips Payable report.
Where it appears in reports: Server close-out printout and Z-Out. It does not appear in the per-order Tips Payable report.
Method 3 - Tip Added as an Order Item (Common Mistake)
Some users add a tip by ringing it up as a product on the order - for example, adding a POS item called "Tip" or "Gratuity" to the order items list. This is not the correct method and will cause the tip to appear in the wrong report.
What happens when a tip is entered this way:
The amount is treated as a regular product sale, not a tip.
It appears on the Item Sales report, not the Tips Payable report.
The accounting total on the order will still be correct - the money is captured - but it will not be attributable to the server as tip income through the tips payable workflow.
The accounting is correct, but the categorization is wrong. If a customer's tip was entered as an order item, you will not find it in the Tips Payable report. You will find it in the Item Sales report instead, categorized under whatever product was used.
If this mistake has been made: The transaction does not need to be voided for accounting purposes. The revenue is captured correctly. However, the tip will not appear in tipout calculations or the Tips Payable report for that server. If you need it to flow through Tips Payable, the order would need to be corrected by voiding the item and re-entering the amount using the Tip button.
Which Report Shows Which Tips
Tip button (Method 1) - appears in: Tips Payable report. Does not appear in: Item Sales, Server Close-Out / Z-Out.
Cash Tip at Server Close Out (Method 2) - appears in: Server Close-Out / Z-Out. Does not appear in: Tips Payable, Item Sales.
Tip added as order item (Method 3) - appears in: Item Sales report. Does not appear in: Tips Payable, Server Close-Out / Z-Out.
How to Check if a Tip Was Entered Correctly
If a server reports that a tip is not showing in their Tips Payable report:
Go to Reports, select Point of Sale, then Tips Payable.
Filter by the server and date range. If the tip is missing, it was likely entered as an order item.
Go to Reports, select Point of Sale, then POS Order Details or Item Sales.
Filter by the same date and server. If you see a line item named "Tip," "Gratuity," or similar, the tip was entered as a product on the order instead of through the Tip button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I see the Tip button on my order? The Tip button only appears after the order has been paid - when the order status is Partial, Paid, or Finalized. If the order is still in Open status, the Tip button is not shown. Process the payment first and then add the tip.
A customer's tip is not showing in the Tips Payable report. Where did it go? It was most likely entered as an order item rather than through the Tip button. Check the Item Sales report for a line item matching the tip amount on that order's date. The accounting is still correct, but the tip will not appear in Tips Payable.
Does adding a tip as an order item cause an accounting error? No. The revenue is captured correctly regardless of which method is used. The difference is categorization - a tip entered as an order item is reported as a product sale, not as tip income for the server.
Can I edit a tip after an order is finalized? Yes, if you have the edit_finalized_payments permission. Click the Tip button on the finalized order. Users without this permission will see the Tip button as disabled on finalized orders.
What is the Cash Tip entry during Server Close Out for? It is a session-level cash tip total entered at server close-out time. It records how much cash tip a server collected during their session for the server close-out report and Z-Out. It does not link to individual orders or flow into the Tips Payable report.
Where do I find the Tips Payable report? Go to Reports, select Point of Sale, then Tips Payable. You can filter by server and date range.
Can a single order have tips on multiple payments? Yes. If an order has split payments across multiple payment methods, the Tip button opens the payment edit screen where you can enter a tip amount against each individual payment.