Card payment with SoftPOS (RS2 Beyond)¶

With SoftPOS, the Android device that runs DiKAS becomes a card terminal itself: the guest holds a card, phone or smartwatch to the device and the payment is processed contactlessly. No separate terminal, no cable and no pairing are needed. The card is processed by the certified app RS2 Beyond SoftPOS from our partner RS2; DiKAS only hands it the amount and receives the result. This page shows which devices can do this, what must be arranged beforehand and how to set it up step by step.

In the terminal list this type is called SoftPOS.

Who is SoftPOS for?¶

SoftPOS suits businesses that want to take contactless card payments without an extra device, for example with a tablet at the counter or a handheld on the floor. An existing ZVT terminal, Stripe or SumUp reader is not affected: several terminal types can be set up side by side. An overview of all card solutions is under Payments and Hardware → Card Terminals.

Supported devices and operating modes¶

Device or operating mode	SoftPOS	Note
Android device with NFC, DiKAS app as full register (with its own licence)	✅ Supported	The card is read directly on the device.
Cloud register in the browser together with a paired Android device (device agent)	✅ Supported	The paired device reads the card. Without a paired device DiKAS reports "Kein SoftPOS-Gerät gekoppelt." (no SoftPOS device paired). Background: Hardware in cloud operation.
iPhone / iPad	❌ Not possible	SoftPOS exists for Android only.
Windows PC, Linux server, DiKAS box	❌ Not possible	These devices have no NFC. DiKAS reports "SoftPOS auf diesem Host nicht verfügbar." (SoftPOS not available on this host).

Euro and countries

SoftPOS settles in euros only. In which countries a merchant account with RS2 or your payment service provider is possible is determined by the contract with the provider, not by DiKAS.

Prerequisites¶

Prerequisite	What it is for
Contract or merchant access with RS2 (or the payment service provider that supplies SoftPOS to you)	This provides the terminal ID (e.g. `RS2001C5`), the activation code and the merchant email. The provider issues these, not DiKAS.
RS2 Beyond SoftPOS installed and activated on the device	The app reads the card. There is a production variant and a test variant (QA). Real payments need the production variant.
NFC switched on	Contactless reading of card, phone and smartwatch.
Android developer options switched off	For security reasons (PCI certification) SoftPOS does not start while developer options are active.
Internet connection	The payment is authorised online.
Current DiKAS app on the device	Download and choice of operating mode: DiKAS on Android.
A user with access to Admin → Settings	To set up the terminal.

Developer options

You find the developer options in the Android settings under System → Developer options (the name varies by manufacturer). Switch them off before taking payments.

Set up in 8 steps¶

Set up on the device

Set up SoftPOS directly on the Android device that is to take payments. Only this device knows the installed RS2 app and can check readiness (step 8).

Install and activate RS2 Beyond SoftPOS — as described in the documents from RS2, using terminal ID, activation code and email address. This activation takes place in the RS2 app, not in DiKAS.
Prepare Android: switch NFC on, switch developer options off.
Open the DiKAS app and log in — as described under DiKAS on Android.
Open the payment options: Admin → Settings → Hardware → Payment options.
Tap Add terminal, enter a name (e.g. "Tablet counter") and choose SoftPOS under Type. DiKAS first sets Environment to QA (test) and switches off the terminal's own printing, because SoftPOS has no receipt printer.

Fill in the fields:

Field	Entry
RS2-Terminal-ID	The terminal ID from the RS2 activation, e.g. `RS2001C5`. If the field stays empty, DiKAS uses the internal terminal ID of the entry.
Environment	Production for real payments. QA (test) only for trying things out with the RS2 test variant.
Merchant email	The email address of your merchant account with RS2.

Save. A saved terminal appears in the list and can then be selected.
Tap Check status. When the dot in the status column turns green, the RS2 app is installed and ready. If it is red or yellow, the tooltip text and the table Errors and remedies help.

Own printer off

In the card view on a smartphone the SoftPOS terminal also has the switch Terminal prints receipt itself. Leave it off: DiKAS then prints the card receipt on the receipt.

Default terminal and several devices

Under Default terminal you set which terminal DiKAS uses for card payments when no other assignment applies. Every device that takes payments with SoftPOS needs its own terminal entry with its own RS2 terminal ID. During payment the payment window shows the terminal by name, so it is noticeable when someone pays at the wrong device.

How to take a payment¶

Enter the sale as usual and choose Pay.
Choose Debit card or Credit card.
DiKAS shows the Card payment window with the amount and the terminal name. Right after, the payment screen of the RS2 app opens with the same amount.
The guest holds card, phone or smartwatch to the device. If the card asks for a PIN, it is entered in the RS2 screen.
After a successful payment DiKAS shows Payment successful with the card brand and masked card number. Shortly afterwards the register returns to the sale and the receipt is created.

Cancelling¶

In the RS2 payment screen the guest or staff cancel. DiKAS reports "Zahlung abgebrochen." (payment cancelled); nothing was charged.
Cancel in the DiKAS window only closes the DiKAS window. DiKAS cannot end an RS2 screen that is already open; it keeps running for up to two minutes. Close it on the device before starting a new attempt.

When the outcome stays unclear¶

If the RS2 screen does not answer within two minutes (for example because Android closed the app) or the connection to a paired device drops, DiKAS shows Payment unconfirmed:

Do not charge again

The card may have been charged anyway. The window therefore offers only Close. Ask the guest whether a charge was shown before you continue. On the next attempt on this terminal DiKAS first asks RS2 what became of the earlier transaction and does not blindly charge a second time:

If the earlier payment is still open, DiKAS reports "Zahlung unbestätigt — wird geprüft. Bitte NICHT erneut versuchen, sondern kurz warten." (payment unconfirmed, being checked; please do NOT retry, wait briefly).
If it went through and the amount matches, it is assigned to the current sale.
If it went through but the amount does not match, DiKAS reports "Unbestätigte frühere Zahlung über … gefunden — bitte klären (Storno/Abgleich), bevor der Vorgang wiederholt wird." (earlier unconfirmed payment found; please clarify by void/reconciliation before repeating). This is a case to clarify: the earlier payment must be voided or assigned to the right sale.
If it was declined or cancelled, a clean new attempt is possible.

This automatic check only applies as long as the DiKAS app has not been restarted. After a restart, please check the transaction with the guest and in your card transactions.

Tips¶

SoftPOS does not ask for a tip on the device and never reports one back. The amount shown in the payment window is what is booked.

Receipt, void and credit¶

Card receipt¶

SoftPOS has no printer of its own. With the default setting (Terminal prints receipt itself off) DiKAS prints the customer card receipt on the receipt, via the printer set up for receipts (see Items & Printers). Card sales appear in the reports as card payments; the End-of-Day Report gives an overview.

End of day¶

Unlike a ZVT terminal, SoftPOS has no end-of-day cut-off on the device. The End of day button is deliberately missing in the terminal list, and no card end-of-day report is requested from the terminal.

Void¶

You void a receipt with a card payment like any receipt, via the receipt overview (see Payments → Voiding a Card Payment). DiKAS first reverses the card with RS2 and only then creates the void receipt.

Only on the original device

A card void is only possible at the register with the terminal that was used to pay. At another register DiKAS shows: "This card payment was made on terminal … It can only be voided at the register with this terminal." With SoftPOS the terminal is the device itself, so the void belongs on the same device.

If RS2 rejects the void, DiKAS shows the message from RS2 and the receipt stays unchanged.

Card refund¶

A credit is an independent refund to a card, without reference to a particular receipt. You start it at the register via Menu → Card Credit, or in the payment options via Card refund at the terminal; the guest holds the card to the device. Whether RS2 allows a refund without reference to the original payment depends on your agreement with RS2. If it is rejected, DiKAS shows the message from RS2. The usual way remains the void of the original receipt.

Limits¶

Topic	Behaviour
Currency	Euro only.
Simultaneous payments	One payment at a time per device. A second start reports "Es läuft bereits ein SoftPOS-Vorgang." (a SoftPOS transaction is already running).
Foreground	The DiKAS app must be in the foreground when paying, otherwise it reports "Keine aktive Android-Activity für SoftPOS." (no active Android activity for SoftPOS).
Offline	Not possible, the payment needs internet. Cash payment still works without internet.
Tip on the device	Not asked for.
End of day	Not applicable.
Several devices	Each device needs its own RS2 app activation and its own terminal entry.
iOS	Not possible.

Errors and remedies¶

What you see	Cause and remedy
"Beyond SoftPOS-App nicht gefunden. Ist sie installiert und aktiviert?" (Beyond SoftPOS app not found. Is it installed and activated?)	The RS2 app is missing or deactivated, or the Environment in the terminal does not match the installed variant (set to Production but only the test variant installed, or the other way round). Install the RS2 app or correct Environment, Save, try again.
"Beyond SoftPOS-App ist nicht installiert." (on Check status)	As above. Also check that the terminal is saved and that you are working on the device itself.
"SoftPOS-Terminal ist nicht bereit." (SoftPOS terminal is not ready)	The RS2 app is installed but not yet activated or does not report ready. Open the RS2 app, complete the activation, then Check status again.
"SoftPOS-Terminal '…' nicht gefunden." (terminal not found)	The terminal has not been saved yet or has been deleted. Save in the payment options.
"Kein SoftPOS-Gerät gekoppelt." (no SoftPOS device paired)	The register runs in the cloud, but no Android device with DiKAS is paired and online. Pair and connect a device, see Hardware in cloud operation.
"SoftPOS auf diesem Host nicht verfügbar." (SoftPOS not available on this host)	The payment is executed on a machine that cannot read a card (server, PC, box). Take the payment on an Android device running as full register, or pair an Android device with the cloud register.
"Keine aktive Android-Activity für SoftPOS."	The DiKAS app is not in the foreground. Open the app, start the payment again.
"Es läuft bereits ein SoftPOS-Vorgang."	An RS2 screen is still open. End it on the device or wait up to two minutes, then try again.
The RS2 payment screen does not open or closes immediately	Switch developer options off, check NFC, restart the app.
"Zahlung abgebrochen."	Cancelled in the RS2 screen. Nothing was charged, start the payment again.
Payment declined with a text from RS2, or "Kartenzahlung fehlgeschlagen." (card payment failed)	The card was declined. Offer another card or cash. Nothing was charged.
Payment unconfirmed, "Zeitüberschreitung an der RS2-Maske — Ergebnis wird geprüft." (timeout at the RS2 screen, result being checked) or "Zeitüberschreitung: keine Antwort vom SoftPOS-Gerät." (timeout: no answer from the SoftPOS device)	Outcome unknown. Do not charge again; procedure under When the outcome stays unclear.
"Unbestätigte frühere Zahlung über … gefunden …"	An earlier unclear payment with a different amount exists. Clarify (void or assign) before paying the sale again.
"This card payment was made on terminal … It can only be voided at the register with this terminal."	Void on the device that was used to pay.

Next step¶

→ Payments — card payment in daily use, void and credit → Settings → Terminals — all terminal types at a glance