# Convenience store step 2: fast scanning checkout

> Make the POS as fast as possible for a convenience store - POS V2, barcode scanning, keyboard shortcuts, express cash and card, and quick cash amounts.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/convenience-store/step-2-fast-scanning-checkout/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

In a convenience store most baskets have one to five items and most customers are in a hurry. The goal is: scan, scan, one key, next customer. This page sets up POS V2 for that.

## Before you start

- Products have barcodes ([step 1](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/convenience-store/step-1-catalog-and-barcodes/)).
- A USB or Bluetooth barcode scanner is connected (it works like a keyboard). See [devices and printers](https://docs.smartposhub.com/start/devices-and-printers/).

## Set up the shortcuts

1. Open **Settings › Business Settings** and the **POS** tab.
2. Under **Keyboard shortcuts**, click **Use recommended keys**, or click a field and press the keys you want.
3. Set at least **Express checkout: cash**, **Express checkout: card**, **Hold (suspend) the sale** and the **Quick cash amount** keys (POS V2).
4. Click **Update Settings**.

![Business Settings POS tab with keyboard shortcuts for open payment, express checkout cash and card, save as draft, save as quotation, hold and resume a sale, add a payment, complete the payment, exact amount and quick cash amounts](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/pos-settings.CsznfpZf.png) (web app page: `/business/settings`)
*Settings › Business Settings › POS: keyboard shortcuts. Keys marked V2 work only in POS V2.*

## A typical sale

1. The cursor waits in **Search or scan**. Scan each item.
2. For hot food or coffee, tap the category tab and the item.
3. Press the **Express checkout: cash** key, or **Cash** and a quick cash amount, and give change. For card, press **Card**.
4. The receipt prints (if a printer is set) and the POS is ready for the next customer.

![POS V2 ready for a sale with the scan box, category tabs and an empty cart with Card, Cash and Pay buttons](https://docs.smartposhub.com/_astro/pos-v2.D7-vptrz.png) (web app page: `/pos-v2/create`)
*POS V2: scan box at the top, tabs for unbarcoded items, one-tap payment at the bottom.*

## Useful extras

- **Hold** parks a sale while a customer fetches something; resume it from the held list.
- **Customer display:** show the cart and total on a second screen ([screens and displays](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/screens-and-displays/)).
- **Offline POS:** keep selling if the internet drops ([offline selling](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/offline-selling/)).
- **Cash denominations:** count notes in the payment window, set on the **Payment** tab of Business Settings.

**Tip:** 
Set **Sales Item Addition Method** (Sale tab) to **Increase item quantity if it already exists**, so scanning three cans gives one line with quantity 3.

Next: [step 3: shifts and cash registers](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/convenience-store/step-3-shifts-and-cash-registers/).

  - [POS V2](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/pos-v2/)
  - [Mart fast checkout](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-types/mart/step-5-fast-checkout/)
  - [Camera scan](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/camera-scan/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Which POS should a c-store use?

POS V2. It is built for scanning and keyboard shortcuts. Sell › POS opens whichever version is set as the default; switch to V2 from the POS V1 top bar with Try POS V2.

### Can a sale be finished with one key?

Yes. In POS V2 set Express checkout cash and Express checkout card shortcuts (for example shift+e and alt+k). The sale is paid in full with that method.

### What are quick cash amounts?

POS V2 buttons for common notes (for example 10, 20, 50). Set the keys for Quick cash amount 1 to 4 in the POS settings.

### What happens if the same item is scanned twice?

Depending on Sales Item Addition Method in the Sale settings, the quantity goes up or a new line is added.

### Can I use a phone camera as a scanner?

Yes. The POS has a camera scan button, and the SmartPOS Business app scans with the camera.