Custody: a keep, written off or released
One kept item, whole. Who left it, the POS it was kept at, what was kept, every collection and write-off with its date and time, and how a manager writes a keep off or releases one that ran out, with "Where do the bottles go?".
On this page
Click a keep on the Custody page and its window opens. It tells the keep's whole story: who left it and when, who kept it and at which POS, what was kept, what has been collected and by whom, and what was written off. A customer who says they still have two glasses left is asking about the past, and this window answers it.
The window can change one thing: it ends a keep, with a reason. A keep that has run out is released. A keep that has not is written off, for example because the customer asked, or the bottle broke. Either way you choose where the bottles go.
Before you start
- You need Custody (kept items) in your back office access group to open the window.
- To end a keep, you need Write a kept item off too. Without it, the button is not shown.
Open a keep
- In the back office's menu, under MASTERS, click Stock, then Custody.
- Find the keep: search by phone, name or code. See Custody (kept items).
- Click its row. The window opens, titled with the keep's code and the customer.
The window, part by part
| Item | Kept | Collected | Written off | Still held4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chivas Regal 12 700ml | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| When6 | Item | Qty | POS | Handed back by | Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 2026, 21:05 / Business day 2026-10-18 | Chivas Regal 12 700ml | 1 | T01 | Ali | — |
- The title: the keep's code and the customer's name.
- The story line: the status (Kept, Part collected, Collected, Expired or Written off), what has happened (1 collected, 1 still held), and how long is left (69 days left, Ran out 3 days ago).
- The facts: Customer and Phone; Short code, as on the slip; Kept, the date and time it was kept (for one keyed in by hand, the day chosen and keyed in by hand); Kept by, the staff member chosen on the POS, with (signed in: Ali) when somebody else was signed in; POS, the code of the POS it was kept at, or — for a keep keyed in by hand; Collect by, the last day; Bill, the bill it was sold on; Outlet, where the bottle is. A Note typed on the keep is under the facts.
- What was kept: each item, with Kept, Collected, Written off and Still held. Kept is always the other three added up. When an item has been renamed since, Now called … is under the name the slip printed.
- The line under it: kept items are worth nothing in stock; the customer paid on the bill.
- What has been collected: every hand-back: When, the date and time, with the Business day it counted towards under it; the Item; the Qty; the POS it was handed back at; Handed back by; and the Bill. Nothing has been collected yet. when there is none.
- Write this keep off: opens the panel that ends the keep. On a keep that has run out it reads Release this keep. See End a keep.
- What was written off: shown once anything was: When (date and time, and the business day), Item, Qty, Who, Where it went (Back to the store room, Broken or spoiled) and Reason.
- Close: closes the window.
When a keep has been ended, a red box at the foot says Ended 23 Oct 2026, 21:14, the reason, and where the bottles went, such as 1 bottle went back to the store room.
End a keep
- Open the keep, and click Write this keep off (or Release this keep when it has run out).
- Under Where do the bottles go?, choose Back to the store room or Broken / spoiled.
- Read what will happen, such as 1 will come off the custody shelf and go back to the store room. This cannot be undone, and the customer cannot collect it afterwards.
- Type why, in the box. A keep that ran out starts with Not collected. Ran out on 2026-12-31.: change it if you like.
- Click Write it off (or Release it). Or Keep it to close the panel with nothing done.
Where do the bottles go?
- Where do the bottles go?: the question every write-off asks.
- Back to the store room: chosen to start with. What is still held goes back into your stock at this outlet, valued at the item's average cost there. It shows on the item's stock card as Custody returned, with the date and time.
- Broken / spoiled: written off as wastage. Nothing goes back into your stock.
- The question: Why is Tan Mei Ling's kept item being written off? On a keep that ran out: Tan Mei Ling did not come back for this. Why is it being released?
- What will happen: how much comes off the custody shelf and where it goes. With several outlets it names the keep's outlet: the bottle comes off that outlet's shelf, whichever outlet you signed in at.
- The reason: needed, up to 500 characters. It is kept with the write-off and shown on the stock card.
- Keep it: closes the panel. Nothing changes.
- Write it off (or Release it): ends the keep. It reads Saving… meanwhile.
The big green SAVED then says what happened, such as K-7QF3W2 is written off, and 1 went back to the store room., and the list reads again. The keep's status becomes Written off, and its bottles are no longer on the custody shelf.
Release a keep that ran out
A customer's claim lasts until Collect by. After that the keep reads Expired, but its bottle is still on your shelf until somebody says what happened to it.
- On the Custody page, choose Expired in the second list.
- Open each keep, and click Release this keep.
- Choose Back to the store room to sell the bottle again, or Broken / spoiled.
- Keep or change the reason Not collected. Ran out on …, and click Release it.