Switching from Another POS System¶

This guide leads step by step through the switch from another POS system to DiKAS — from preparation four weeks ahead to acceptance on installation day.

Checklist to take along

All items in this guide are also available as a fillable checklist — to print or to fill in directly on screen.

Not tax advice

The notes on reporting obligations and retention periods are meant as guidance and do not replace tax advice. Clarify legal details with your tax advisor or tax office.

At a glance¶

When	What
4 weeks before	Set the date, clarify the TSE, have the payment terminal activated, check hardware
1–2 weeks before	Get data out of the old system, set up DiKAS, train staff
The day before	Last end-of-day report, final data export, photos of the cabling
Installation day	Install the POS, printers, payment terminal, TSE, report to the tax office
Afterwards	Acceptance, archiving, cancel the old contract

Four weeks before¶

Choose the right date¶

Choose a closed day of your business for the switch — on a regular opening day the changeover can hardly be done without interrupting business. Prefer the start of a month or quarter: bookkeeping usually closes periods at month end, and a clean cut at that point saves you and your tax advisor needless queries across two systems. Also do not schedule the date directly before a weekend — if something is still open on installation day, you need a working day on which support and your specialist dealer are reachable to resolve it promptly. Inform your tax advisor early about the planned date, and plan a buffer day afterwards in your own schedule in case something slips.

Have the payment terminal activated¶

Apply to the network operator in good time

For DiKAS to communicate with your card terminal, the ZVT interface must be activated — this is not done by DiKAS but by your network operator, i.e. the provider through which your card payments are settled. This takes time and otherwise blocks installation day if it is not applied for in time.

Have ready: the terminal ID, the merchant ID and the hotline number of your network operator. You will find all three in the documents for your existing card contract or directly on the terminal.

The POS connection via TCP/IP must be enabled on the terminal; for Ingenico devices, port 5577 is often used. A terminal that is reachable on the network is not automatically set up for POS commands. If the message "NotSupported" remains after Check status, check the terminal password and have the POS connection checked by the network operator or terminal provider. Details: Card terminals.

TSE: adopt or new?¶

The existing technical security device (TSE) is usually adopted — it does not have to be replaced. A new TSE is only needed if the old one has expired or is full. Clarify this four weeks ahead, because both routes need lead time.

1. Which TSE do you have?

Type	Can it be adopted?
USB stick on the POS computer (Swissbit)	Yes — the stick moves with you
Cloud TSE with the current provider	No — it belongs to the old provider's contract

With a cloud TSE you need a new TSE for DiKAS. Both variants are described under Hardware.

2. Check the remaining term

The certificate of a TSE is time-limited — five years from commissioning is typical — and the signature memory is finite. Ask the current provider for the remaining term. If it is no longer enough, order a new TSE now.

3. Request the PINs

Without the PINs, adoption is impossible

A TSE from another POS system was set up by the current provider and is protected with its PINs. For adoption you need the admin PIN, admin PUK and time admin PIN. Do not change these PINs on your own — wrong entries lock the TSE, and three wrong PUK attempts render it permanently unusable. Request the PINs from the current provider early. If they do not hand them over, you need a new TSE.

4. What this means for the report to the tax office

If the TSE is adopted, you register the new POS with the same TSE serial number. No decommissioning of the TSE is then required. Only if a new TSE is actually used must the old one be reported as decommissioned and kept until the retention period expires (accounting records: eight years, § 147 para. 3 AO).

Check the BIOS password now¶

A short test is worthwhile even now, four weeks before the switch: on your existing POS computer, enter the BIOS (the computer's boot firmware) once as a test and exit again. This ensures you do not face an unexpected password prompt on installation day. If the BIOS password is unknown or was never noted down, your specialist dealer or the computer's manufacturer can usually reset it — this also needs lead time, so start it now. Which key leads into the BIOS at startup for which manufacturer is listed in Appendix B at the end of this guide.

Check the old contract — do not cancel yet¶

Determine now the remaining term and notice period of your current POS contract — notice periods of several months are common for POS systems, and anyone who cancels too late pays twice unnecessarily.

Cancel only after acceptance has passed

Do not cancel the old contract before the acceptance of your new DiKAS POS is complete. With cloud providers, access to your old data is often gone immediately after cancellation — but the statutory retention obligation (§147 AO) remains with the business owner regardless of the cancelled contract. This information is meant as guidance and does not replace tax advice.

Check hardware and network¶

Four weeks ahead, check which existing hardware can be reused and what is missing — this leaves enough time to order missing devices and adapt network or power supply.

Device / item	What to check
Receipt printer	Model, connection (USB, LAN or serial), paper width 58 or 80 mm
Cash drawer	Connected to the receipt printer — no separate connection needed
Customer display	Present? Reusable?
Barcode scanner	Present, connection type
Scale	Present, connection type
Card terminal	See above — ZVT activation requested from the network operator?
Network sockets	Enough LAN connections at the planned POS location?
Wi-Fi coverage in the dining area	Is the signal sufficient, e.g. for mobile POS or tablets at the table?
Power sockets	Enough sockets at each device location?
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)	Available for the POS computer and TSE?

Which devices DiKAS supports and how they are connected is described in detail under Hardware.

What you need on installation day¶

Have the following ready for installation day now:

a USB stick of 2 GB or more — it becomes the DiKAS installation medium,
a USB hard drive of 1 TB or more — for the complete backup of the old system,
a wired USB keyboard.

Why specifically a wired keyboard?

Wireless keyboards are often not recognized in the BIOS — without a working keyboard, no settings can be changed there. A mouse does not help here either: the BIOS is operated by keyboard only.

One to two weeks before¶

Get data out of the old system¶

The easiest way is the setup wizard: in the step "Where does your data come from?" you select your current POS system — the wizard shows an export guide tailored to that system and directly starts the matching import. Which route this is depends on the old system:

Old system	Route
ready2order	Direct import — no DSFinV-K export needed
orderbird, Vectron or another system	Import via a DSFinV-K export
Only an Excel/CSV list available	Article import directly from the spreadsheet

If you are coming from ready2order, the direct import takes over your articles directly from ready2order — the following DSFinV-K table does not apply to you.

If you are coming from orderbird, Vectron or another system, generate a DSFinV-K export there — this format is the legally prescribed standard export of POS data and is offered by practically every POS system. How the import into DiKAS works in detail is described under Data import.

Choose the period as long as possible (applies to the DSFinV-K export)

DiKAS builds the article list from the items actually sold that are contained in the export. Articles that were not sold even once in the chosen export period are missing entirely from the import. Therefore choose the longest period possible. An export covering only three summer months, for example, makes the entire winter menu disappear.

What the DSFinV-K import brings along — and what it does not¶

The following overview applies to the DSFinV-K route (orderbird, Vectron, other systems). If you are switching from ready2order, it does not apply to you — there the direct import takes over your articles in its own way.

Comes along automatically	Does not come along
Article name, article number, barcode	Side dishes, variants and additional choices
Article group (if the old system exports it)	Deposit, voucher and tip articles
Selling price	Price levels and takeaway prices
Tax rate	Images, allergens and additives
Payment methods and POS terminals	Customers, open invoices
Company name	Remaining voucher values, credit and points
	Stock levels, staff, table plan
	Printer assignment and key layout
	The sales history of the past years

The imported price is in each case the most frequently used selling price of an article. For articles with happy-hour or other discount prices, a price different from your expectation may therefore appear — spot-check the prices after the import.

Deposits, vouchers and tips are not articles in the DSFinV-K export but separate transaction types. They are therefore deliberately not created as articles and must be re-entered after the import.

The sales history remains only in the export

DiKAS shows a summary of the imported export (period, number of receipts, total) — but the individual past sales are not adopted. The archived export is therefore the only copy of your old sales. Keep it for the duration of the statutory retention period (accounting records: eight years, § 147 para. 3 AO). This information is meant as guidance and does not replace tax advice.

What else you need to back up¶

Not everything from the old system can be imported. Additionally back up manually:

the customer list,
open invoices,
remaining voucher values — real money is attached to these that you would otherwise owe your guests,
customer credit and points — likewise real money or a real promise to your guests,
stock levels,
staff with PINs,
a photo of the table plan,
receipt layout and logo,
the allergen list.

Gather access credentials¶

Collect in good time what you need at hand on installation day:

TSE PINs (admin PIN, admin PUK, time admin PIN) — if adopting the existing TSE,
ELSTER certificate with its password, if you want to send the cash register report electronically from DiKAS,
terminal ID and merchant ID of your card terminal,
the hotline number of your network operator,
the Wi-Fi password,
the access to your router.

Appendix C at the end of this guide is for noting down these details.

Set up DiKAS¶

With the data from the old system and your access credentials in hand, set up DiKAS now alongside the running old system — the existing system continues unchanged until installation day.

Register with DiKAS and choose your plan and number of device seats: Online registration.
Maintain your company master data — tax number, logo, receipt footer text and bank details — in the setup wizard.
Run the import from the old system and then rework the articles (cross-check prices, add side dishes and variants, recreate deposit and voucher articles): Creating articles.
Plan the printer assignment — which printer gets which article groups.
Create your staff with roles and PINs: Creating staff.
Set up tables and areas to match your dining area: Setting up tables.

Train staff¶

Train your staff one to two hours before the actual switchover day begins — not only on the day itself. There is plenty to do on installation day anyway; your team should already know the new POS when the first guests arrive. A compact guide for staff can be found under Staff training.

The day before¶

On the last day with the old system, prepare the actual switch:

Perform the last end-of-day report in the old system as usual.
Only then generate the final DSFinV-K export — only then does it really contain all data up to the end.
Take photos of the cabling before you dismantle anything.

Photos save time

A photo of every cable connection — printer, cash drawer, terminal, network — saves a lot of time when reconnecting the next day and prevents guessing which cable belonged where.

Installation day¶

Prepare the BIOS¶

Before the actual installation begins, check and adjust the following settings in the BIOS of the POS computer:

Setting	Value	Why
Secure Boot	off	The DiKAS installation medium is not signed for the Microsoft key
Fast Boot	off	otherwise the USB stick is skipped at startup
SATA mode	AHCI instead of RAID	otherwise the installation does not find the built-in hard drive
After power loss	power on	the POS restarts by itself after a power outage
Time and date	correct	a wrong time disturbs the TSE later

Create the installation medium¶

Download the current DiKAS installation image (ISO) and write it to the prepared USB stick. The exact procedure — including the download address and suitable tools for writing the stick — is described under Installation & Deployment.

Boot from the stick and try it out¶

Restart the POS computer and select the USB stick as the boot medium in the boot menu. First try DiKAS in the demo before you begin the actual installation: check the touchscreen — does it respond precisely, or does it need to be calibrated? — and check the screen orientation.

Back up the old system¶

Back up the complete old system to the prepared USB hard drive, label it clearly (business, date) and store it safely.

Do not wipe, sell or dispose of the old hard drive

The hard drive of the old POS computer must be kept — do not wipe, sell or dispose of it. The retention obligation for the old POS data (§147 AO) remains with the business owner, regardless of which system is currently in use. This information is meant as guidance and does not replace tax advice.

Install DiKAS¶

Choose the right drive

In the installer, explicitly choose the internal drive of the POS computer as the installation target. The connected USB hard drive with the old-system backup must not be overwritten — check the selection before you confirm the installation.

After the installation, set up the network — a fixed IP address is recommended so that the POS is always reachable on the network at the same address (for example for connecting the printer or card terminal). After the first start, activate your license: Activate license.

Printers, payment terminal and TSE¶

The POS is running — now connect the remaining peripherals and commission the TSE. Only when that is done as well is the POS ready for use.

Set up the receipt printer¶

Create the printer in DiKAS and give it a fixed IP address — if the address changes later on its own (e.g. after a router restart), the POS suddenly stops printing, see Appendix A.
Run a test print and check two things: are the umlauts correct (ä, ö, ü, ß), and does the paper width (58 or 80 mm) match the inserted roll?
Check that your logo appears correctly on the receipt — you already stored it one to two weeks ago in the company master data.
Check that the cash drawer is correctly connected to the kick port of the receipt printer (RJ11 cable) — it needs no separate connection. Whether it actually opens, you will see at the latest with the first cash payment in the acceptance test (see below).
Assign the kitchen printer to the matching article groups (e.g. "Food") and finally run through a complete test order — from booking at the table to the receipt in the kitchen.

More on kitchen printers and the optional kitchen display: Kitchen printer & monitor. How articles, article groups, printers and rules work together: Articles & printers (quick start).

Set up the payment terminal (ZVT)¶

Connect the terminal to the network and give it — like the receipt printer — a fixed IP address.
Create the terminal in DiKAS and establish the connection.
Make a test payment of 1 euro and then void it again. This way you have run through both paths — payment and void — once before the first guest.
Finally, check the cash-up directly on the terminal.

More on payment methods, void and credit note: Payment methods.

Commission the TSE¶

New TSE: DiKAS sets it up itself — you do not need to enter any PINs by hand.

TSE adopted from the old system: Have the PINs ready that you obtained four weeks ahead. Open Admin → Settings → TSE and tap "Activate TSE now". DiKAS detects that the set-up TSE is not yet assigned, without trying any PIN. Then enter the admin PIN, admin PUK and time admin PIN of the old system and save. This starts exactly one login attempt. On success, DiKAS adopts the TSE and automatically switches the credentials over for further operation. If details are missing or unclear, call DiKAS support before saving.

You have three attempts — please do not guess

The TSE allows three login attempts in a row. On the third wrong attempt it locks the login. Unlocking is then only possible with the admin PUK — and there are also only three attempts for that; after that the TSE is permanently unusable. DiKAS makes no further attempt on its own. Only saving actually corrected credentials starts exactly one new attempt (see TSE → Login locked). You must not take payments without a working TSE.

Some relief on one point: A successful login resets the counter. A single typo from weeks ago no longer counts; only three failed attempts immediately one after another are dangerous.

Trying is still not an option — with three attempts there is no room for guessing. That is why support takes over this step.

Afterwards check the time, make a first booking and verify that it was signed. The complete procedure in daily POS use is described under TSE in daily POS use.

Register the POS with the tax office¶

Two reports are due

Both the deregistration of the old POS system and the registration of the new POS must be reported to the tax office — each within one month (§146a AO). For electronic submission from DiKAS you need the ELSTER certificate, which you already gathered one to two weeks ago.

If the TSE was adopted, the separate decommissioning report for the TSE does not apply — see TSE: adopt or new?. This information is meant as guidance and does not replace tax advice.

How the report works in detail and which data DiKAS already pre-fills for it: Cash register reporting to the tax office.

Connecting further devices¶

Once the POS is set up, connect further devices to it as needed.

Second POS and operator terminals¶

Install the DiKAS app on each further device, choose the tile "Connect client to server" during first setup and log in with your usual credentials — the app finds the installed POS automatically on the network.

Tablets and phones¶

For taking orders directly at the table, set up tablets and phones in the same way: install the DiKAS app, choose "Connect client to server", log in. Details on setup and on the feature set of the app: Android app.

Kitchen monitor¶

A screen in the kitchen is also quickly connected: open the browser, enter the address of the POS and log in — the kitchen monitor runs as a pure browser page, no additional program needed. Details: Kitchen printer & monitor.

For time tracking you do not need a separate device: your staff clock in either directly at the POS (Menu → Time tracking) or identically on one of the Android devices already set up — even in offline mode.

Every device actually used for taking payments — second POS, operator terminals, tablets, phones — occupies one device seat of your license. How to manage seats, temporarily add more or reduce them again: Device seats & seats.

Acceptance and the first days¶

Acceptance test¶

Before the first regular opening, go through each of the following items once — only when all boxes are ticked is the POS considered accepted:

Archive the old system¶

The backup of the old system on the USB hard drive and the last, complete export are part of your accounting records. Keep both for the duration of the statutory retention period — accounting records eight years (§ 147 para. 3 AO), books and balance sheet documents ten years — readable (note down which program can be used to reopen the export if needed) and in a second location separate from the POS computer, such as a file folder or a securely stored second hard drive elsewhere on the premises. This information is meant as guidance and does not replace tax advice.

Only now cancel the old contract¶

Cancel only now

Only when the acceptance test above has been passed completely do you cancel the previous POS contract — not earlier. You already checked the remaining term and notice period four weeks ahead. Submit the cancellation in writing, and also keep the cancellation confirmation and the last, correctly prorated invoice from the old provider.

Tax advisor and bookkeeping¶

Now set up the DATEV export: consultant number, client number, account length and chart of accounts (SKR03 or SKR04) are to be requested once from your tax advisor. Then check at the first monthly handover that the export arrives at your firm and imports there without problems. More practical than manual sending is to invite your firm directly to the customer portal — it then retrieves the exports itself. Details: DATEV export and Tax advisor & firm.

Update the procedural documentation¶

The procedural documentation describes to the tax office how your cash handling is organized, and is one of the obligations of every business with an electronic POS. Add the system change there: date of the switch, old and new POS system, and whether the TSE was adopted or newly commissioned. This information is meant as guidance and does not replace tax advice — your tax advisor will help you with the wording.

Set up backup¶

Your data is backed up automatically via the DiKAS cloud as soon as the POS is connected to the internet — you do not have to back up or download anything manually. On installation day just check that this connection is actually working. More on this: Backup & Restore.

Fine-tune after one week¶

After the first days in real operation, a second look is worthwhile: adjust the key layout to the articles actually sold most, maintain frequently ordered articles as favorites, and actively ask for feedback from your staff — nobody notices faster than the servers at the POS what still snags in daily work.

Appendix A: When something does not work¶

Even with careful preparation, something sometimes jams on installation day. The most common cases:

Symptom	Likely cause	Solution
The computer does not boot from the USB stick	Secure Boot active	Turn off Secure Boot in the BIOS
The stick does not appear in the boot menu	Fast Boot active, or the stick is on a USB 3 port	Turn off Fast Boot, try another port
The boot menu shows two entries for the stick	one UEFI, one legacy	choose the entry with "UEFI"
The keyboard does not respond in the BIOS	Wireless keyboard	Connect a wired keyboard
The installation finds no hard drive	SATA mode is set to RAID	switch to AHCI in the BIOS
The screen stays black after installation	Monitor on the wrong port	try another display port
The touchscreen is off target	Calibration missing or screen was rotated	Recalibrate the touchscreen
The printer does not print	wrong IP address, or the address has changed	assign a fixed IP address at the printer
Umlauts on the receipt are wrong	Printer character set	change the character set in the printer settings
The cash drawer does not open	Cable not on the printer, or wrong voltage	check the connection at the printer
The payment terminal does not respond	POS connection via TCP/IP not active, wrong port or the IP address has changed	call the network operator; have the POS connection, port and fixed IP address checked
Bookings are not signed	TSE time wrong, or PINs are incorrect	check the time, check the PINs

If none of these points helps: Emergency help for the quick way out during ongoing operation, Troubleshooting for technical diagnosis.

Appendix B: How to get into the BIOS¶

Press the matching key repeatedly right after switching on, before the manufacturer logo appears — if the logo is already visible, it was usually too late and you must restart.

Manufacturer	Key for the BIOS	Key for the boot menu
ASUS	Del or F2	F8
Acer	F2	F12
Dell	F2	F12
Fujitsu	F2	F12
Gigabyte	Del	F12
HP	F10	F9
Lenovo	F1	F12
MSI	Del	F11

If your manufacturer is not in the list, look in the startup screen for a note such as "Press F2 to enter Setup" — or try Del, F2, F10 and F12 in turn.

Appendix C: For notes¶

Item	Entry
TSE serial number
TSE admin PIN
TSE admin PUK
TSE time admin PIN
IP address of the POS
IP address receipt printer
IP address kitchen printer
IP address payment terminal
Terminal ID
Merchant ID
Wi-Fi name
Date of acceptance

Keep safe

This sheet contains access credentials — do not leave it lying openly at the POS.