# Troubleshooting SmartPOS Hub - fixes for common problems

> Fix the most common SmartPOS Hub problems - a missing menu, sign-in and 2FA, slow POS, printer, wrong stock, sales that won't save, sync, app updates and e-mails.

Source: https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/troubleshooting/  
Last updated: 2026-10-30  
Product: SmartPOS Hub (https://smartposhub.com)

This troubleshooting guide fixes the most common SmartPOS Hub problems in the web app and the POS: a missing menu, sign-in and two-step sign-in, a slow POS or a printer that won't print, wrong stock, a sale that won't save, offline sync, app updates and e-mails that don't arrive. Find the symptom, read the cause, then follow the fix.

Problems that happen only in the phone app are covered in more detail in [Troubleshoot the SmartPOS Business app](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/troubleshooting/).

## A menu, button or feature is missing

SmartPOS Hub hides anything that one of three **gates** keeps closed. Check them in this order:

| Gate | Where to check | Who can fix it |
|---|---|---|
| **1. Plan** | **Settings › Package Subscription** › **Modules in your plan** shows **Included** or not | The owner: change plan, or [contact support](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/contact-support/) |
| **2. Switch** | **Settings › Business Settings › Modules** (some features have their own settings page) — then press **Update Settings** | Anyone with the Admin role |
| **3. Permission** | **User Management › Roles** › edit the user's role and tick the permission | Anyone with the Admin role |

What each closed gate looks like:

- **Not in your plan**: the module card in **Modules** has a dashed border and a **Not in your plan** chip, and the page says it isn't included in your plan.
- **Switched off**: admins see a "*module* is turned off" page; other staff see a plain "not allowed" message.
- **No permission**: the menu item is hidden and the page shows **Unauthorized action**.

Other things that hide menus and buttons:

- **Location access.** A user who is not allowed at a location doesn't see its stock or sales. Check **Access locations** on the user in **User Management › Users**.
- **A setting hides one button.** For example, the **Credit Sale** button disappears when **Disable credit sale button** is ticked in **Business Settings › POS** or **Disable credit sale** is ticked on the role.
- **The plan has expired.** Selling, purchases and new records pause until you renew. See [Plan expired or a limit reached](#plan-expired-or-a-limit-reached).

After an admin changes the plan, a switch or a role, reload the page. In the SmartPOS Business app pull down on **Home**, or sign out and back in.

See [All modules and how to turn them on](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/) and [Users and roles](https://docs.smartposhub.com/start/users-and-roles/).

## Can't sign in

| Message or symptom | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| **These credentials do not match our records.** | Wrong username, e-mail or password | Check Caps Lock and the keyboard language. Use **Forgot Your Password?** on the sign-in page. |
| **Too many login attempts** / **Too many attempts. Try again in … minutes.** | Wrong-password lockout after several tries | Wait the time shown. An admin can set the number of tries and the lockout time in **Settings › Security**. |
| Your account is switched off or inactive | **Is active ?** or **Allow login** is off on your user | The owner or an admin edits your user in **User Management › Users**. |
| Sign-in is refused from one network but works from another | The business uses **Allowed networks (IP allow-list)** | An admin adds your address in **Settings › Security**, or signs in from an allowed network. |
| You are signed out while working | **Sign out after inactivity** or **Maximum session length** in **Settings › Security** | Sign in again. Ask an admin to change the times if they are too short for your counter. |

**Tip:** 
Staff who have no e-mail address on their user can't use **Forgot Your Password?**. An admin sets a new password for them on **User Management › Users › Edit**.

## Locked out by two-step sign-in (2FA)

After the password, users with two-step sign-in must enter the 6-digit code from their authenticator app.

- **The code is refused.** Codes change every 30 seconds. Make sure the time on your phone is set automatically, then enter the newest code.
- **You don't have your phone.** Click **Use a recovery code** and type one of the codes you saved when you turned on two-step sign-in. Each code works once. If your business allows it, **E-mail me a code** is offered too.
- **No phone and no recovery codes.** Ask your business admin to open **User Management › Users**, open your user and click **Reset two-step sign-in** in the **Security** card. You set it up again at your next sign-in.
- **You are the only admin and you're locked out.** [Contact support](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/contact-support/) from the e-mail address on the account.
- **"Two-step sign-in is required" every time you sign in.** Your role requires it. Set it up before the grace period ends.

Full guide: [Account security](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/account-security/).

## The POS is slow or freezes

1. **Check the internet.** Open another website. If the connection is weak, sales still work with [Offline POS](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/offline-pos/) when it is in your plan and set up on the device.
2. **Reload the POS page** once. This clears an old cart or a stuck window.
3. **Use an up-to-date browser** such as Chrome or Edge, and close tabs you don't need. Very old tablets and browsers struggle with any modern POS.
4. **Search or scan instead of scrolling.** With thousands of products, type a few letters or scan the barcode rather than browsing the product tiles.
5. **Try POS V2.** Click **Try POS V2** in the POS top bar. See [POS V2 and how it compares](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/pos-v2/).
6. If only one device is slow, the problem is that device or its network. If every device is slow at the same time, [contact support](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/contact-support/) and say when it started.

## The receipt printer does not print

| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Nothing prints after a sale | Open **Settings › Business Locations**, click **Settings** next to the location and check **Receipt Printer Type** and **Auto print invoice after finalizing**. |
| The browser's print window opens but nothing comes out | Set the receipt printer as the default printer on the computer, pick it in the print window, choose its paper size and turn off headers and footers. |
| Text is cut off at the edge or squeezed | Check the paper size in the print window. For direct printing, set **Characters per line** (42 or 48 for 80 mm paper, 32 for 58 mm) in **Settings › Receipt Printers**. |
| A network printer worked yesterday and stopped today | Its address changed. Give the printer a fixed IP address in your router and update it in **Settings › Receipt Printers**. |
| The cash drawer doesn't open | The drawer usually opens through the receipt printer. Check its cable and that the printer supports a drawer. |
| The phone app can't print | Turn on Bluetooth, allow nearby-devices access for the app and pair the printer in the app's **Settings › Printers**. |

More: [Devices and printers](https://docs.smartposhub.com/start/devices-and-printers/) and [Receipt printers and barcode printers](https://docs.smartposhub.com/settings/receipt-printers-and-barcode-printers/).

## The barcode scanner doesn't add products

- **Nothing happens when you scan.** Click in the POS product search box first. USB and Bluetooth scanners type like a keyboard, so the cursor must be in the search box.
- **"No product found".** The barcode isn't on any product yet. Use **Add new product with this barcode** or **Link to an existing product** (if your role allows it). See [Barcodes and labels](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/barcodes-and-labels/).
- **The camera button doesn't start.** Allow camera access for the site in the browser, and close other apps that use the camera. See [Camera scan](https://docs.smartposhub.com/modules/camera-scan/).

## Stock numbers look wrong

Stock is always counted **per location** and changes only when something is final. Most "wrong stock" questions have one of these causes:

| Cause | How to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| You are looking at another location | The location filter on the stock list or report | Choose the right location, or **All locations** |
| The purchase is not received | **Purchase Status** is **Ordered** or **Pending** | Change it to **Received**. See [Purchases](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/purchases/). |
| The transfer is not completed | The transfer is **Pending** or **In Transit** | Set it to **Completed**. See [Stock transfers](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/stock-transfers/). |
| Opening stock went into the wrong location | The product's opening stock | Correct it. See [Opening stock](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/opening-stock/). |
| Sold in a sub-unit | The sale line shows Box, Strip or another unit | Stock is kept in the base unit: one Box (12) takes 12 pieces. See [Categories, brands and units](https://docs.smartposhub.com/catalog/categories-brands-units/). |
| Stock isn't managed for the product | **Manage Stock?** is unticked on the product | Tick it for goods you count; leave it off for services. |
| Offline sales haven't synced yet | **Offline POS › Offline devices** shows waiting sales | Bring the device online and let it sync. |
| Breakage, theft or expiry was never recorded | Shelf count is lower than the system | Record a [stock adjustment](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/stock-adjustments/) or run a [stock count](https://docs.smartposhub.com/inventory/stock-counts/). |

**Product stock history** (in the products list, open **Actions** on the product) lists every movement, so you can see which sale, purchase, transfer or adjustment changed the number.

## A sale won't save

| Message | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Credit limit reached: *Limit … · Already due … · This sale …* | The unpaid part would take the customer above their **Credit Limit** | Take more payment now, collect an older due first, or raise the limit on the customer. See [Credit limits](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/customer-credit-limits-and-advances/). |
| A credit sale for **Walk-In Customer** | Walk-In Customer can't owe money | Pick or add a named customer. See [Credit sales](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/credit-and-partial-payments/). |
| **Minimum Selling Price is …** | **Sales price is minimum selling price** is on in **Business Settings › Sale**, and the price was lowered below the selling price | Sell at or above the selling price, or ask an admin. |
| **You can give max …% discount per sale** | The user has a **Max sales discount percent** | Give a smaller discount, or a manager with a higher limit finishes the sale. |
| **Product out of stock** | Stock at this location is zero and overselling is off | Receive the stock, transfer it in, or an admin turns on **Allow Overselling** in **Business Settings › Sale**. |
| The POS opens **Open Cash Register** first | No register is open for you at this location | Enter the cash in the drawer and open the register. See [Cash register and closing](https://docs.smartposhub.com/selling/cash-register-and-closing/). |
| *Paid amount is less than the payable amount* | Not an error: you are saving a part payment | Press **OK** to save it as a **Partial** sale. |

## Offline sales don't sync

- **Sales are waiting.** Make sure the device is online. Sales sync by themselves within a minute; press **Sync now** to send them at once.
- **A sale is under Sync issues.** A manager opens **Offline POS › Sync issues**, checks the sale (price, discount, stock or register problem) and marks it resolved. Nothing is lost: if the money was taken, the sale is recorded and flagged.
- **The device stopped selling offline.** It was offline longer than **Maximum hours without a data refresh**, or has too many unsynced sales. Go online once to refresh.
- **A cashier forgot the offline PIN.** While online, they sign in with their normal password and set a new PIN. Unsynced sales are kept.
- **In the phone app** a sale shows **Needs review**, **Stock conflict**, **Rejected** or **Blocked**: see [Offline sales in the app](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/offline-sales/).

**Caution:** 
Don't clear the browser data, uninstall the app or sign out on a device while sales are still waiting to sync.

## The app says "not genuine" or asks for an update

- **This copy of the app is not genuine.** Uninstall it and install **SmartPOS Business** from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartposhub.business). Copies from file-sharing sites or modified apps are refused. Customers install **SmartPOS Shopper** from [Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.smartposhub.shopper).
- **Time for an update.** Your version is too old. Open the app in Google Play and tap **Update**. Your sign-in and settings are kept.
- **This phone looks rooted or modified.** If the owner turned on **Block rooted or modified devices** in **Settings › Mobile app**, use another phone.
- **The business has reached its limit of signed-in phones.** The owner signs out an old phone or raises **Maximum signed-in devices** in **Settings › Mobile app**.
- **SmartPOS Connect** (the shop-phone gateway) isn't on Google Play. [Contact support](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/contact-support/) to get it.

More: [Install and sign in](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/install-and-sign-in/) and [Devices and security](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/devices-and-security/).

## E-mails or SMS don't arrive

1. **Check the contact.** The customer or supplier needs an e-mail address (or mobile number for SMS) on their contact.
2. **Check the template.** Open **Notification Templates**, pick the message (for example **New Sale**) and check that **Auto Send Email** or **Auto Send SMS** is on. Other messages, such as quotations and ledgers, are only sent when someone presses the send button.
3. **Send a test.** On the template page use **Send test e-mail** or **Send test SMS** to send it to yourself.
4. **Check the sending method.** In **Business Settings › Email Settings**, **Use SmartPOS Hub e-mail** needs no setup. With **Use my own e-mail server**, check **Host**, **Port**, **Encryption**, **Username**, **Password** and **From Address**.
5. **Ask the customer to look in spam or junk**, and to add your address to their contacts.
6. **SMS stopped mid-month?** The SMS allowance shown on **SMS Settings** may be used up. Connect your own SMS gateway or wait for the next month.

Two-step sign-in and password e-mails go to the e-mail address on the user. If they don't arrive, check that address with your admin.

See [Notification templates](https://docs.smartposhub.com/settings/notification-templates/) and [Business settings reference](https://docs.smartposhub.com/settings/business-settings-overview/).

## Plan expired or a limit reached

- **Your plan expired.** You can still sign in and see your lists and reports, and your data is safe, but selling, purchases and new records pause. Renew in **Settings › Package Subscription**.
- **Limit reached** on **Business Locations**, **Users**, **Products** or **Invoices**: upgrade the plan, or deactivate what you no longer use (a location, an inactive user).
- **Payment Waiting for approval**: bank-transfer and cash payments are activated after the payment is confirmed.

See [Subscription and billing](https://docs.smartposhub.com/settings/subscription-and-billing/).

## Still stuck?

[Contact support](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/contact-support/) with the exact message, the screen you were on and what you already tried. From the phone app, use **Settings › Help & support › Copy diagnostic info** and paste it into your message.

## Related pages

  - [FAQ](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/faq/) — Quick answers about setup, selling, credit, stock, apps and billing.
  - [Troubleshoot the Business app](https://docs.smartposhub.com/business-app/troubleshooting/) — Phone-specific messages and fixes.
  - [Glossary](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/glossary/) — What every POS term in these docs means.
  - [Contact support](https://docs.smartposhub.com/help/contact-support/) — What to include so we can help fast.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why can't I see a menu or feature that the guide shows?

One of three gates is closed. The plan may not include it (Settings › Package Subscription), it may be switched off (Settings › Business Settings › Modules), or your role may not have the permission (User Management › Roles). Check them in that order.

### I forgot my password. How do I get back in?

On the sign-in page click Forgot Your Password?, enter your e-mail and open the link we send you to choose a new password. Staff without an e-mail address ask the owner or an admin to set a new password on their user.

### It says Too many attempts. What now?

Wait the number of minutes shown and try again with the correct password. The lockout is a protection against guessing and clears by itself.

### I lost the phone with my authenticator app.

Click Use a recovery code on the code screen and enter one of the codes you saved. With no codes left, ask your business admin to use Reset two-step sign-in on your user. If you are the only admin, contact support.

### Why won't the POS save a sale for this customer?

Usually the sale would take the customer above their credit limit. The message shows the limit, what is already due and this sale. Take more payment now, collect an older due first, or raise the limit on the customer.

### The stock number is wrong. Where do I start?

Check the location first, then whether the purchase is Received and the transfer is Completed. Stock only changes when goods are received or a transfer is completed, and it is always counted per location.

### Customers are not getting invoice e-mails.

Check that the customer has an e-mail address, that Auto Send Email is on in the New Sale template, and use Send test e-mail on the template page. If you use your own mail server, check its details in Business Settings › Email Settings.

### The app says this copy is not genuine.

Uninstall it and install SmartPOS Business from Google Play. Copies from other places or modified apps are refused.

### Where do I send a problem I can't fix?

Use the contact form at smartposhub.com/contact/ and choose Help with my account. Say what you tried, the exact message and the screen, so we can help on the first reply.