How to Turn Business Central into a Powerful Point-of-Sale System for Trade Desks

Tired of clunky, disconnected POS systems? If you’re using Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and you run a trade desk or parts counter, you already have everything you need—just add Counter Sales. This app from Insight Works turns Business Central into a professional point-of-sale solution (POS) tailored for trade desks, parts counters, and smaller retail operations. It’s not a cash register toy for high school students—it’s built for serious, high-volume, high-accuracy transactions with customers who know exactly what they want (and need it now).

Let’s break it down with screenshots and use cases that show the power behind this simple but mighty extension.

Listen to the Podcast: From Chaos to Counter Clarity: Streamlining Sales with Business Central

Why Use Counter Sales?

Counter Sales extends Business Central to handle the nuances of a retail-like environment while maintaining full visibility into inventory, pricing, order history, and financials. You get:

• A clean, simplified sales order entry interface
• Barcode scanning support
• Integrated payment processing (cash, credit card, cheque, deposits, split payments)
• Customer history tracking—even for walk-ins
• Cash drawer reconciliation
• Full warehouse and fulfillment integration

1. A Purpose-Built Dashboard for Counter Sales

When a sales rep logs in, they see a tailored Counter Sales Processor Activities dashboard. This streamlines access to everything they need: pending orders, sales wizards, returns, tasks, and quick item search tools.

The layout minimizes clicks and confusion, allowing fast order processing without digging through Business Central menus.

2. Enhanced Item Search that Actually Works

Need to find a “front wheel” but can’t remember if it’s listed as “Wheel, Front” or “Front Wheel Assembly”? No problem.

Counter Sales includes Enhanced Item Search, a search bar that actually understands keywords—it parses item descriptions, extended text, and even attributes (like size, color, material). And yes, it shows inventory by location so you can tell the customer if it’s in stock locally or at another branch.

3. Professional Payment Processing with Flexibility

Whether the customer is paying cash, card, cheque—or splitting payments—Counter Sales handles it without breaking stride. You can even apply deposits and take partial payments for layaways or special orders.

Don’t want integrated card processing? Use your own terminal and just record the authorization. Want full integration? You can use devices that connect directly to Business Central, including receipt printing and cash drawer management.

4. Real-Time Price & Availability Checks

Need to check stock and pricing before creating a sales order? Just use the built-in Price Check window.

You’ll see:

• Price (including any customer-specific pricing or discounts)
• On-hand and available inventory
• Inventory at all your key “My Locations”
• A one-click option to convert the price check into a new order

5. Streamlined Sales Order Management

Order entry in Counter Sales is optimized for speed. Use the Take Order Wizard to search by customer name, phone number, or email. If the person isn’t in the system, you can create a contact (not a full customer card) to track their purchase history for future visits or marketing.

You can:

• Add items via barcode scanning or keyword search
• See frequently bought items for upselling
• Suggest substitutes when items are out of stock
• Capture sales rep information at every step (with optional passcode login)

6. Secure and Trackable Salesperson Login

When using shared terminals, you can still track who processed each order. Users simply select their name and enter a passcode.

This is great for environments where multiple reps use the same terminal—but you still want accountability and tracking without needing separate Business Central licenses for each user.

7. Easy End-of-Day Cash Reconciliation

Close out your register in minutes—not hours. Counter Sales includes a Cash Register Reconciliation Worksheet that supports:

• Starting/ending balances
• Denomination breakdown (coins and bills)
• Cash payment tracking
• Adjustments and GL posting

It posts to the GL and creates audit trails—no more sticky notes and calculators at the end of the day.

Final Thoughts: POS Built for Business Central, Not Bolted On

What sets Counter Sales apart from third-party POS systems is its seamless integration with Dynamics 365 Business Central. There’s no syncing, exporting, or middleware. Everything—from inventory to customer history to GL entries—lives within Business Central, ensuring data consistency and real-time visibility.

Key Takeaways:

• For trade desks, not toy stores: Built for professionals, not retail newbies.
• Fast setup: Use the built-in Setup Wizard to be up and running quickly.
• Flexible payments and returns: Accept anything, return anything, track everything.
• Barcode scanning, cash drawers, and receipt printing: Optional, but available.
• Built-in upselling, lost sale tracking, and pricing overrides: Smart features that drive revenue.

Learn more about Counter Sales: POSforDynamics.com