---
title: Layaways
description: "Layaway Sales Guide – WinSale POS On this page 1. [How layaway works in WinSale](#overview) 2. [Creating a new layaway](#new) 3. [Taking a payment on a layaway](#payment) 4. [Modifying an existing layaway](#modify) 5. [Forfeiting a layaway](#forfeit) 6. [When a layaway…"
url: "https://winsale.net/docs/how-to-create-a-layaway/"
updated: "2026-03-11"
category: WinSale FAQ
tags:
  - sales
  - winsale
---

# Layaways

Layaway Sales Guide – WinSale POS       On this page

1. [How layaway works in WinSale](#overview)
2. [Creating a new layaway](#new)
3. [Taking a payment on a layaway](#payment)
4. [Modifying an existing layaway](#modify)
5. [Forfeiting a layaway](#forfeit)
6. [When a layaway is paid in full](#paidinful)
7. [Keyboard shortcuts](#shortcuts)
8. [Tips & best practices](#tips)

     01

## How Layaway Works in WinSale

A layaway lets a customer reserve merchandise by making a deposit, then pay the balance off over time before taking the goods home. WinSale tracks the layaway number, all payments made, and the items reserved, and automatically adjusts inventory commitment counts.

### The layaway lifecycle

    1    Create the layaway Cashier opens **Register → Layaway**, assigns a customer number, scans items, takes a deposit. WinSale auto-generates a layaway number (e.g. LY000042) and commits the items in inventory.     2    Take additional payments On return visits the customer provides their layaway number. Cashier selects **Make Payment** and tenders any amount. The remaining balance updates automatically.     3    Modify if needed Items can be added or removed at any time by selecting **Modify / Add / Remove Items**. The layaway total adjusts accordingly.     4    Paid in full → convert to sale When the final payment clears the balance, WinSale prompts to convert the layaway into a completed sale. Inventory commitment is released and a final receipt is printed.

### Key rules to know before you start

| Rule | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| **Customer number is required** | A layaway cannot be finalised without a valid customer number assigned. WinSale will block the transaction and focus the Customer Number field if it is blank. |
| **Layaway number is auto-generated** | WinSale finds the next available number (format LY######) and pre-fills it. You can change it at the prompt, but it must be unique. Previously used numbers cannot be reused. |
| **Items are committed in inventory** | When a layaway is created, the item quantities are marked as committed. They will not show as freely available until the layaway is either completed or forfeited. |
| **All existing layaways are looked up by number** | When you enter an existing layaway number, WinSale loads the items and payment history from that record automatically. |

      02

## Creating a New Layaway

1. From the main WinSale screen, click the **Register** menu in the menu bar.
2. Click **Layaway**. If there are items already in the grid from a previous transaction, WinSale will clear them automatically before continuing.
3. The **Layaway Number** prompt appears with the next available number pre-filled. You may accept it by pressing `F9` or clicking OK, or type a different number if your store uses a specific numbering scheme. Click the **Search** button to look up an existing layaway instead.
4. The transaction type bar at the top will show **Layaway – LY######**.
5. Enter the customer's number in the **Customer Number** field. This is **required** — the layaway cannot be saved without it.
6. Enter each item: type or scan the item number into the **Item Number** field, confirm the quantity, and press `Enter`. Repeat for each item.
7. When all items are entered, press `F9` or click **End Sale** to proceed to the payment screen.
8. On the Split Tender screen, enter the deposit amount the customer is paying today. A layaway does **not** need to be paid in full — enter whatever amount is being tendered now.
9. Complete the tender. A layaway receipt is printed and the items are committed in inventory.

  ℹ️  **Taking a deposit vs. a full payment** If the customer pays the entire balance in full during the initial layaway setup, WinSale will ask whether to keep it as a layaway or convert it to a regular sale immediately. Choose **No** (convert to sale) if the customer is taking the merchandise with them today.        03

## Taking a Payment on an Existing Layaway

Use this process each time a customer returns to make a payment toward an existing layaway balance.

1. Click **Register → Layaway**.
2. At the Layaway Number prompt, type the customer's layaway number (e.g. LY000042) or click **Search** to look it up by customer name or number. Press `F9` or click OK.
3. WinSale loads the existing items and payment history onto the screen. The current balance is shown in the **Due** field.
4. The layaway options dialog appears. Click **Make Payment / Remove Payment**.
5. Press `F9` or click **End Sale** to go to the tender screen.
6. Enter the amount the customer is paying today and complete the tender. A payment receipt is printed.

### The layaway options dialog

This dialog appears every time you look up an existing layaway. It has four choices:

   Please Choose an Option below   Layaway LY000042 — Smith, John

| Option | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Make Payment / Remove Payment** | Takes a payment toward the remaining balance. Also used to reverse a payment if one was entered in error. |
| **Modify / Add / Remove Items** | Lets you edit the items on the layaway — add new items, remove items, or change quantities. See Section 4. |
| **Remove Layaway from all Files** | Forfeits the layaway and removes it from the system. Inventory commitment is released. See Section 5. |
| **Cancel** | Closes the dialog and returns to the main register screen without making any changes. |

  🔍  **Looking up a layaway number** If the customer does not know their layaway number, click the **Search** button on the Layaway Number prompt. You can search by customer name or customer number to find their open layaway.        04

## Modifying an Existing Layaway

You can add items, remove items, or change quantities on a layaway at any time before it is paid off. Prior payments already made are preserved — the balance simply recalculates based on the updated item list.

1. Click **Register → Layaway** and enter or search for the layaway number.
2. From the layaway options dialog, click **Modify / Add / Remove Items**.
3. The existing items load into the grid. The Register and Clear Sale toolbar buttons are temporarily disabled to prevent accidentally starting a new transaction.
4. Make your changes: add new item numbers in the entry field at the bottom, or click on an existing row in the grid to remove or edit it.
5. When finished, press `F9` or click **End Sale**.
6. WinSale saves the updated layaway. You will be automatically taken to the payment screen to make a payment if the balance has changed — or you can tender $0 and just print an updated receipt.

  ⚠️  **Do not use Stop Sale or Exit while modifying** While a layaway modification is in progress, using Stop Sale or attempting to exit WinSale will display a warning. Always complete or properly cancel the modification first. Use the **D – Left Open** option from the tender screen to safely exit a modification in progress without losing data.        05

## Forfeiting a Layaway

A forfeit removes the layaway entirely from the system. Inventory commitment is released. Any money already paid by the customer must be accounted for — you specify how much is refunded in cash, returned as store credit, and kept as a forfeit fee.

1. Click **Register → Layaway** and enter the layaway number.
2. From the options dialog, click **Remove Layaway from all Files**.
3. The **Layaway Forfeit** dialog opens, showing the total amount paid to date.
4. Fill in how the payments should be distributed across the three fields. The OK button only becomes available once all three amounts add up to the total paid.
5. Click OK to proceed. If any cash is being returned, the tender screen opens so you can record which method was used to return funds.
6. If reason codes are enabled for layaway forfeits, the reason picker will appear. Select the appropriate reason and confirm.
7. A forfeit receipt is printed and the layaway is removed from all files. Inventory quantities are restored.

### The forfeit distribution dialog

   Layaway Forfeit    Total paid to date $150.00   Cash back to customer $100.00   Store credit (A/R) $0.00   Forfeit / keep fee $50.00

### The three distribution fields

   💵 Cash Back Amount returned to the customer in cash or original payment method. Triggers the tender screen.   🏪 Store Credit Amount credited to the customer's accounts receivable balance for future purchases.   ✂️ Forfeit Fee Amount kept by the store as a cancellation fee. Recorded as layaway income in the transaction file.    ℹ️  **All three fields must sum to the total paid** The OK button stays greyed out until Cash Back + Store Credit + Forfeit Fee equals the total amount paid to date. You can enter any combination as long as the numbers balance — including returning the full amount to the customer with a $0.00 forfeit fee.    ⚠️  **Forfeiture cannot be undone** Once confirmed, the layaway record is permanently deleted from all files and inventory is released. If you accidentally forfeit a layaway, contact Magnum Software Support — recovery may be possible from backup files depending on your setup.        06

## When a Layaway Is Paid in Full

When a payment brings the remaining balance to zero, WinSale detects this automatically and prompts you to decide what to do next.

### The paid-in-full prompt

WinSale will ask: *"Convert this Layaway into a sale now?"*

| Your answer | What happens |
| --- | --- |
| **Yes – convert to sale** | The layaway is closed and recorded as a completed sale. A final sale receipt is printed. The customer takes their merchandise. Inventory commitment is cleared. |
| **No – keep as layaway** | The layaway remains open even though the balance is zero. Useful when the store needs to hold the goods a little longer before the customer picks them up. A payment receipt is printed instead of a sale receipt. |

  ✅  **Automatic conversion (no prompt)** If the file AutoConvertLayaway.flg exists in the WinSale data folder, the system will automatically convert the layaway to a sale without asking. Contact Magnum Software Support if you want this behaviour enabled or disabled at your store.

### Overpayment handling

If a customer tenders more than the remaining balance, WinSale handles the overpayment through the standard change/overpay logic on the tender screen — the same as a regular sale. The excess amount can be given as change or applied to the customer's account.

      07

## Keyboard Shortcuts

    Key Action `F9` Confirm / OK in any layaway dialog; also triggers End Sale on the main screen `F10` Cancel in any layaway dialog `Esc` Cancel and close the current layaway dialog `Enter` Advances to the next field in dialogs (acts as Tab) `Tab` Move to the next field in the forfeit distribution dialog       08

## Tips & Best Practices

- 👤 **Always assign a customer before adding items.** WinSale will not let you complete a layaway without a customer number, and prompting for it before the items are entered saves time. If the customer is new, add them to the system first via the Quick Add option on the customer number field.
- 🔢 **Give customers their layaway number on a printed receipt.** The number is their key to making future payments. If they lose it, you can still search by customer name or number from the Layaway Number prompt screen.
- 📋 **The layaway number cannot be reused.** Even after a layaway is completed, forfeited, or converted to a sale, that number is permanently retired. WinSale will warn you if you attempt to use one that has been previously assigned.
- 📦 **Inventory is committed at layaway creation.** Items on layaway count as committed stock and will not show as freely available in inventory reports. This prevents double-selling. When a layaway is forfeited or converted to a sale, the commitment is cleared.
- 💳 **Any tender type can be used for payments.** Cash, credit card, check, store credit, gift cards, and other tender types are all valid for layaway deposits and payments. The tender screen behaves the same as for a regular sale.
- ⚡ **Keep forfeit fees consistent.** If your store charges a cancellation fee, enter a standard percentage or flat amount in the Forfeit field and document your policy so all cashiers apply it uniformly.
- 🔄 **A restored backup layaway can be recovered.** If a layaway was cancelled in error before being fully removed, WinSale checks for a backup copy and will offer to restore it when you enter that layaway number again.

      **Magnum Software Support**
 Questions about WinSale layaway? We're happy to help.  [(843) 476-4767](tel:8434764767)   **About this article:** This is part of WinSale's free knowledge base. WinSale is a point-of-sale system built specifically for independent shoe and safetywear retailers — 10M+ UPC database, industrial account invoicing, mobile shoe truck support, no per-transaction fees. [See if it's a fit for your store →](https://winsale.net/shoe-store-pos-system/)