> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.now-os.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> From creating your account to cashing your first sale, in one sitting.

This guide takes you from zero to your first sale: account, organization,
menu, main register, start of day, first checkout. Plan for under an hour.

<Note>
  Before you start, you need:

  * an iPad for the main register (a second one if you want a secondary device);
  * in-store Wi-Fi, the same network for every iPad;
  * a computer with a browser for the backoffice.

  See [recommended hardware](/en/setup/hardware) for details.
</Note>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your account">
    Open the backoffice in your browser, then go to the **Create an account**
    page.

    Fill in **Full Name**, **Email**, **Password**, and **Confirm Password**,
    then tap **Create account**. The password must be at least 8 characters.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your organization and location">
    On first sign-in, the backoffice shows the **Welcome to NowOS** wizard,
    in three steps:

    1. **Organization** — enter your business name in **Organization name**,
       then **Continue**.
    2. **Team** — describe your first location: **Location name**, **Mode**
       (**Restaurant** or **Retail**), **Currency**, **Display locale**, and
       optionally the country, address, and timezone. Tap **Continue**.
    3. **Receipt identity** — what prints on every receipt: **Legal business
       name**, **Address**, **Tax ID label** and **Tax ID value** (SIRET,
       ICE…), plus **VAT number** and **Footer text** as options. Tap
       **Finish setup**. You can edit this later under **Settings →
       Receipts**.

    <Warning>
      The **Mode** (restaurant or retail), the currency, and the display format
      cannot be changed after the location is created. Restaurant mode adds table
      service and kitchen tickets; retail mode follows a cart-then-pay flow at the
      counter. See [the two modes](/en/modes).
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a minimal menu">
    You need at least one item placed on a POS tile, then published, to sell. In the
    backoffice:

    1. Open **Menu → Items** (in retail mode: **Products**) and tap **New
       item** (**New product** in retail mode). Give it a name and a price.
    2. Open the **Menu Builder** (in retail mode: **POS Layout**). Add your
       item as a tile on the home screen from the library on the right.
    3. In restaurant mode, leave the catalog as a draft for now so you can configure
       its preparation destinations before publishing it.

    To go further: [the catalog](/en/backoffice/menu) and
    [the POS layout](/en/backoffice/pos-layout).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up preparation stations (restaurant mode)">
    Before the first send, open **Settings → Preparation stations**:

    1. Create every real destination — for example **Kitchen**, **Bar**, or
       **Pass**. A station can be created empty, even before the catalogue is
       finished.
    2. Choose its mode: **Verbal handoff** when staff call orders out, **Printer**
       for a dedicated ticket, or **No preparation** for ready-to-serve items.
    3. Assign every item from the station or from its item page under **Menu →
       Items**.
    4. Check that **Unassigned** shows **0**. While an item has no active station,
       the register blocks sending it.

    See [location settings](/en/backoffice/settings) and [receipts and
    printing](/en/pos/receipts-printing).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish the catalog">
    Tap **Publish all changes** in the backoffice's global header. The dialog
    confirms that the catalog, its layout, its taxes, and the other saved settings
    will be published together. After confirming, open the main register and tap
    **Refresh** to download the new configuration — changes only appear on the
    register after both steps.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set your PIN">
    On the register, you sign in with a PIN, not a password. Each team member
    has their own.

    In the backoffice, open **Staff → Team members** and set a PIN for
    yourself. The code is shown **only once**: write it down. Owner and
    manager PINs are 6 digits; staff PINs are 4 digits.

    If you forget it, the PIN can only be reset from the backoffice. See
    [staff](/en/backoffice/staff).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pair the main register">
    The main register is the iPad in charge at your location: other devices
    connect to it, and it syncs your sales with the backoffice. That is why
    it must stay on, plugged in, and on the store Wi-Fi during service.

    1. In the backoffice, open **Settings → Devices** and tap **Generate
       claim token**. A QR code appears, valid for 5 minutes.
    2. On the iPad, open the NowOS app. On the **How should this iPad run?**
       screen, choose **Primary POS**.
    3. Tap **Open camera** and scan the QR from the backoffice (or paste the
       token under **Or paste the token**), then **Continue**.
    4. Give the iPad a name (for example "Front counter"), then tap **Claim
       as Primary**.

    The iPad then shows up under **Settings → Devices** in the backoffice,
    with its status in near real time. For details:
    [pairing a device](/en/setup/pairing) and
    [the main register](/en/pos/main-register).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Pair secondary devices (optional)">
    You can stop here and sell with a single iPad. To add a secondary device:

    1. On the main register, sign in as a manager or owner, then open
       **More → Add a device** and tap **Show pairing QR**. The QR shown expires
       after a few minutes.
    2. On the new iPad, open the NowOS app and choose **Secondary POS**.
    3. Tap **Scan QR code**, scan the QR shown on the main register, name the
       device, and confirm.

    The secondary device picks up the published menu and stays in sync with
    the main register, even without internet. See
    [pairing a device](/en/setup/pairing).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in and open the day">
    On the register, the home screen shows the roster. Tap your name, then
    type your PIN.

    Before the first sale, the register asks you to open the business day:
    the **Open the day** window shows the default opening float under
    **STARTING FLOAT**. Count the cash in the drawer, adjust the amount on
    the keypad if needed, then tap **Open day**.

    For details: [signing in](/en/pos/sign-in) and
    [start of day](/en/pos/start-of-day).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Take and pay your first order">
    Tap your item in the grid: it is added to the order in the right-hand
    panel.

    * **In restaurant mode**: tap **Send** to fire the lines to the kitchen,
      then **Pay** when the customer settles up. You can also attach the
      order to a table — see [tables](/en/pos/tables).
    * **In retail mode**: no kitchen step — go straight to checkout.

    On the payment screen, choose **Cash** or **Card**, then confirm. Card
    payments are recorded in NowOS; the amount is charged on your usual card
    terminal.

    Your first sale is done. The receipt can be printed or reprinted — see
    [receipts](/en/pos/receipts-printing).
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next

* [Taking orders](/en/pos/taking-orders) — the daily flow, in detail.
* [Payments](/en/pos/payments) — cash, card, splitting the check.
* [Close of day](/en/pos/close-of-day) — count the drawer and seal the day.
* [NowOS concepts](/en/concepts) — how your devices stay in sync, even without internet.