Can I backdate, edit, or delete a transaction?

[AC]

The title of this post has been edited from the original:  Can you delete a transaction?

How do you delete a completed "Cash" transaction? I ran it just as a test.

[AC]

The title of this post has been edited from the original:  Can you delete a transaction?

[#3]

Hi @TheGlencafe,

Right now we have no plans to add the ability to backdate, delete or manipulate transaction information after a sale is complete. 

For context, the ability to manipulate transactions can cause issues for reporting and chargebacks. Also, it would make it easier for fraudsters and scammers to commit crimes using Square Point of Sale. 

If you have test cash transactions in your transaction history, you can always refund these payments to balance your books. See our help article on how to refund a payment.

Hopefully this has provided some transparency on this request, and why it's not available. 

[#4]

Hello @alexaiezza, welcome to the Seller Community! 

Currently adding the ability to delete a transaction is not on our road map. The reasoning behind this is we use this information to submit 1099-K's to the IRS. I'm not saying you would do this, but it would be easy to cook your books if this ability was available. 

Another request on this thread is to be able to void transactions so they don't show on reports. Currently we are in the process of collecting feedback for this request. I don't have a timeline on when it might be available. 

If you have any other questions please let me know! 

[#5]

@TomTr

I appreciate your feedback in regards to this. I know you've probably read this multiple times within the Seller Community, but we really do send customer feedback over to our Product Teams, and advocate for changes for you.

I absolutely agree that a void feature would help with training and testing, and also make reporting look a lot cleaner as well. You make a great point that with test payments, or payments made by mistake, nothing is ever actually sold, so your gross sales report shouldn't reflect a sale (which is what results when issuing a refund).

As you've alluded to in your previous post, there are two different requests within this thread. Some folks are looking for the ability to completely remove or delete a transaction, which isn't possible at this time. We don’t have any new information around whether or not this will ever become available.

The other option that folks are looking for, having an option to mark payments that have been completed as voided/cancelled rather than refunded, would help sellers a ton and we’ll continue to reiterate that to the team on your behalf.

We know this request is important to you, so as soon as there are updates that we’re able to share publicly, we will.

I hope this provides more clarity, and thank you all, again, for your feedback!

[#6]

Maybe the Square team can find a way to mark the transactions as Void, so that they do not affect sales totals, but neither are the transactions erased.

From an accounting standpoint, I can see why they would not let a transaction just be deleted. There has to be a documentation trail.

When I have to make test transactions, when I refund the transaction I make note that it was a test transaction and that is why it was refunded. There is also the "Accidental Charge" notation available.

Then when I download my sales reports, I sort the test transactions out and make a note in my saved spreadsheet.

[robertblueeyes]

Customer wrote a bad check.  Came back paid with credit card.  How do I delete the first transaction paid by check so it doesn't post twice in my reports?

[Russell]

Hey there - sorry to hear about this but glad you sorted it out with your customer. 👍

For situations like this, you will want to refund the original transaction and keep the new transaction. From the Point of Sale app, tap the three horizontal lines:

• Tap Activity.
• Select the payment you’d like to refund (make sure it is the one tendered by check).
• Tap Issue Refund.
• Enter the amount of the refund (in this case, the total).
• Tap Refund.

[BVottero]

George:

Is you answer still true?  I spent some time yesterday learning and exploring Square so I would be able to set it up correclt and train our employees.  All of the transactions were non-existent and now I am supposed to return to each of them and "refund" money that I never took?

[Chad]

This is still true, @BVottero. You can refund these fake transactions from the activity section of the app. If you processed them as cash it will just balance your reports to reflect that no money was taken. If you used a personal credit card to run test transactions the refund will put the funds back on the car

[SmartyPantsJane]

That is SO discouraging! You realize we are businesses that need to run reports that show what our businesses are actually doing, right?? We are not ACTUALLY making those sales, nor are we ACTUALLY refunding any money, and ACTUALLY doing those things DOES affect our businesses. When our reports show we've sold something ... and then it looks like what we sold was returned, and that we refunded the money ... that does affect our reporting. So, so discouraging.

[SmartyPantsJane]

The answer is no. No, Square does NOT let you delete mistakes, errors, transactions you enter as a test or for training purposes, etc. No, no, no. You can not delete it. (Can you tell I'm super frustrated about this?!?)

[SmartyPantsJane]

Simple answer: you can't. Don't waste any more of your valuable time as a business person trying to figure out how to get rid of a transaction you didn't intend to have as part of your records. Square won't let you.

[tpmd]

I read this thread with amusement. I can understand why this is a popular request, I too would love the ability to delete selected transactions, especially cash transactions, so that they won't show up on my sales report and deposits!!! Until Square wants to take on the US Govt and IRS for supplying owners a way to skim cash sales by "deleting" selected transactions, I don't think any amount of aggravated replies will make Square change it's answer.

[Dcyphert]

This isn't about skimming cash sales with my own request, it was about removing several test entries I've input while learning the app soon after getting Square (and before using it on an actual customer)...lol.

[Helen]

We hear you @SmartyPantsJane, @tpmd, and @Dcyphert! I'll share your requests with our Product Team.

Even if we can't promise a feature will be available soon, knowing how it would help your business is extremely useful.

If there are any changes in future we'll update this thread! Thanks for your posts 👍