Program Setup

In order to function properly, PPSS needs to know about your business - the business name, address and contact information (for completing forms), which printer(s) are to be used, what loan, check-cashing and pawn fees and interest to apply, and so on.

Access Program Setup in PPSS by clicking on File (upper left) then 'Program Setup'.

General Settings

Set which Work Area PPSS should open in - Pawners, Inventory, Sales or Pawn. In other words, when PPSS first starts, which Work Area should it present? (For PCs used primarily for sales, check the box to have a new sales invoice opened when PPSS first starts. For PCs used in the back office, select Pawners, Pawns or Inventory.)

Enter as much shop information as desired. Only the shop name is required.

Select how many checks per page will be printed: 1 or 3.

Check Inventory Quantities to allow inventory items to be counted in fractional units.

Confirmation Messages are messages that appear throughout PPSS as training aids. So as to not be annoying, they are shown only once. Force them to appear again by checking this option.

A large database of pawns, pawners, sales, inventory items etc. can make PPSS run slower. Check the options for Print Preview Off and Automatic Lists Off. PPSS will stop using those features and will run faster. A better option is to increase computer resources and use Batch Delete in the Inventory and Pawners Work Areas to reduce database size.

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Inventory Settings

If inventory pictures will be used, store them in one folder and enter the path of the folder on the field named Default Picture File Location. When a picture is being added to an inventory record, PPSS will open that folder. (The storage location can be online.)

Check options for the information to appear on sheet price labels and which format to use, wide or narrow. (This does not apply to thermal price labels.)

A Default Category may be set here. Doing so saves having to reenter the inventory category when adding new inventory items.

Before choosing a default category, close Program Setup. Open Inventory on the Main Menu, click on Categories and enter at least one category, then return to the Inventory page in Program Setup and select a category for the default.

Bar-Code Symbology determines if bar codes are to be 7 (UPC-E) or 11 (UPC-A) digits. Most bar codes are 11 characters. That is the default setting in PPSS Diamond and 24karat. If barcodes are 12 digits, refer to the scanner's manual to calibrate the scanner to 'cut' the 12th digit (so 11 digits are sent to PPSS) or see Bar Code Settings.

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Pawners Settings

The city and state entered here will be used by PPSS to auto-fill fields on entry screens. When creating a New-Pawner Record, for example, the city and state will be auto-filled with the city and state set here.

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Pawn Etc. Settings

PPSS includes editable tickets for customizing pawn, check-cashing, buy-outright and loan forms. They may be printed on plain paper, saving thousands of dollars over time in pre-printed forms. (The forms should be submitted to authorities for approval.) Alternatively PPSS support can customize tickets your shop ($99 each). Please contact support for details.

BOXES MUST BE CHECKED and the paths to tickets must be correct for tickets to work properly. Click on Find File and navigate to each ticket's location. Click on it to select it. The correct path will be entered.

Enter the FF (Federal Firearms) License Number if applicable.

Ticket numbers for Direct Buys can use a different range of numbers (from pawns). Check the box and indicate what the number should be for the first Direct-Buy Ticket.

Direct Buys (or Buy-Outright items) are entered on the New-Pawn Screen and the box on the New-Pawn Screen must be checked for a Direct Buy. To avoid having to check the box each time, put a check in this box:

Enter the L.E.A.D.S. Online Store Number or the Charlotte Police Store ID Number. For Charlotte police reporting, enter the server name, username and password provided by the police.

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Network Settings

Networking connects multiple computers to the same PPSS database. Skip this section or refer to Networking for instructions.

Printer Settings

Settings on this page will configure PPSS to correctly print documents (letters, sheets of labels, tickets, checks, etc), receipts and thermal price tags.

Select a printer to print documents on 8.5" x 11" paper. A second printer can be used to print pawn tickets only. Using two printers eliminates having to switch paper in the paper tray. (A printer must be installed before it will appear in the list.)

The A4 paper size is to be used only in countries where applicable. (not the US and Canada)

Note that a PDF printer driver can be installed on the computer and that printer can be used to print PDF documents. PDF Creator is a free program for this purpose.

Print Receipts

If receipts are to be printed on 8.5" x 11" paper, leave the dot in 'Document Printer'. The first printer set in 'Print Documents' will be used.

A receipt printer (about $300) is a special printer which prints 3"-wide receipts. (See Receipt Printers.) They are used to save on paper and ink. If a receipt printer is being used, select a printer for 'Receipt Printer'. The header and text font size can be adjusted. Entries (of up to 50 characters) made in Program Setup on the General tab in the Email and Web-Address fields will appear on the receipt, so phrases may be entered in those fields like, "All Sales Final" or "Thank You for Your Business!"

Use the drop-down menu to select a receipt printer if one is to be used. (A printer must be installed before it will appear in the list.)

Print Thermal Price Labels

The TSC TDP-247 is a special thermal printer used to print price tags one at a time (or by the thousands). Make selections here if it is to be used. Hang tags are nonadhesive labels, some with tear-off stubs and holes in one end for hanging. Font sizes can also be adjusted. (PPSS also supports the Zebra 2824 and 2844 models.)

Print-Preview Screens

Check 'Don't display print-preview screens' to avoid previewing printouts. Of course print previews should not appear when using a thermal label printer. There is no need to elect this option if the computer has sufficient resources and is running at satisfactory speed.

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Sales Settings

Check 'Automatically enter 'Cash Sale' for Buyer Name' if Cash Sale is to be auto-entered for the Buyer Name each time a New-Sales Screen (sales invoice) is opened, or check 'Show complete bill-to fields' if customers' names and addresses are to be entered at the point of sale.

Sales Taxes

Set the Sales Tax description(s) and amount(s). To disable tax collection, set the rate(s) to zero. Tax computation may be disabled by selecting 'Tax-Free' when completing the New-Sale Screen (F7). Individual categories can also be designated as Tax Free or they may be set for tax above a stipulated amount. Individual categories can be assigned different tax rates. (See Sales Tax.)

Buyer Information (PPSS Diamond and 24karat Only)

If Buyer names and addresses had been collected previously, click this button to have that information transferred to the Buyer Work Area:

The Buyer Work Area may be hidden by removing the check from the box named Show Buyer Work Area.

Buyer 'Pick List'

Check this box to have a list of customers presented when a sales invoice is opened.

Invoice Header and Footer

Headers and Footers are text which can appear on an 8.5" x 11" sales invoice. These are text files (.txt) which can be edited to suit shop requirements. By default they are located at C:\PPSS.)

The height of the header is set at .55" and can be adjusted here in Program Setup to change the vertical location of the header/footer on the invoice.

A POS-X Cash Drawer can be connected directly to the PC (with a special adapter) and it can be opened in PPSS by pressing the F12 key (except in some HP and Acer machines). Enter the COM Port #. (Find the COM Port # in Device Manager. Click on Start then type Device Manager.)

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Pawn Fees Settings

Any and all fees set here will be applied to each pawn and they may be adjusted for individual pawns when pawns are entered in PPSS.

To turn proration of pawn fees off, on the Pawn-Opt tab, enter the 30-day rate in the field 'Do not prorate 1st month interest'. For example, if the 30-day rate is 10% enter 0.10000:

Pawn Opt (Options)

Make settings on this page to instruct PPSS on how to calculate the amounts of loan interest and other fees.

To turn proration of pawn fees off, on the Pawn Opt tab, enter the 30-day rate in the field 'Reduced rate for the 1st 5 days'.

The 'Amount to Loan' can be auto-computed on the New-Pawn Screen by entering the 'Percentage of Item Value' here:

When entering a new pawn, enter the Item Value. The Amount to Loan will be auto-displayed in the field named 'Total Loaned'.

Gold Calculator (Diamond and 24karat only)

PPSS will compute the amount to loan on gold based upon the entry here for Based Loan per Gram of Gold combined with the Carat selection made on the New-Pawn screen:

Variable-Rate Loan Schedules

Make entries in the table to establish loan types (or loan schedules). Loan types entered here will appear in selection menus when making entries in PPSS.

In the table...

...enter a range of loan amount to which the fees will apply. For example, for loans from $0 to $100, enter 0 in the From-Amount Field and enter 100 in the Thru-Amount Field.

The settings made for Finance Charge, 30-Day %, APR (annual percentage rate), Flat Late Charge and % Late Charge will apply to loans up to and including $100 (through $100).

Click Save to save the settings. Click Save/Exit to exit setup, or click other tabs to enter other information.

Payday Tab (Diamond and 24karat only)

Check-Cash Fees

Settings make here will apply to all checks cashed.

Payday Loans Fees & Interest

Make entries in the table to establish loan types (or loan schedules). Loan types entered here will appear in selection menus when making entries in PPSS.

With the settings made on these screens, PPSS now has a clear understanding of how you run your business and what to generate for you when adding entries, making reports and processing transactions.

Click Save to save settings and click Save/Exit to save changes and exit Program Setup.

For support please Email the Help Desk