Glossary of terms and concepts

This article explains the key terms and concepts you’ll encounter when using BANA. Use it as a quick reference whenever you come across an unfamiliar term.

Organization & Account

Organization

The top-level business entity in BANA — it represents your company or business. An organization owns one or more shops (merchants). For example, Minh Nguyễn’s company is the organization that owns the Cà Phê Sài Gòn chain with Branch 1 and Branch 2. If you only have one shop, your organization and shop are the same thing.

Merchant (Shop)

A brand or business unit operating under an organization. Each shop has its own product catalog, staff, settings, and reports. For example, Cà Phê Sài Gòn, Thời Trang Hà Nội, and Tiệm Tóc Bella are three different shops.

Business Type

The operating model of a shop, which determines the POS interface and available features. BANA supports:

• Retail (default) — fashion stores, grocery shops, mini-marts
• F&B — restaurants, cafés, food stalls — with kitchen management and table layouts
• Ticketing / Events — cinemas, events, sports courts (pickleball, badminton)

Sale Channel

The source of orders. Each channel can be activated or deactivated independently, and can have its own pricing, tax, and promotion settings. Common channels include:

• Point of Sale — direct sales at the checkout counter, where staff operate the POS
• Kiosk — a self-service screen placed in the store, where customers browse, order, and pay on their own
• Online Ordering — orders placed through the store’s website or mobile app
• Catering — pre-orders for large quantities for events, banquets, and corporate meals. Typically involves advance scheduling, custom menus, and bulk pricing
• Delivery App Integration — orders from delivery platforms like GrabFood or ShopeeFood, automatically synced into BANA

User

A login account for BANA. Each user has an email, password, and is assigned a role in one or more shops.

Role

A set of permissions assigned to a user. BANA provides default roles: Owner, Manager, Cashier, Accountant. You can create custom roles to fit your needs.

Permission

A specific action that a role is allowed to perform. For example, the “refund” permission allows cashiers to process returns, while “delete product” is reserved for managers.

Products & Catalog

Product

An item or service that you sell to customers. Each product has a name, description, images, and a price. For example, Cà phê sữa đá (iced milk coffee) and Bánh mì thịt (pork banh mi) at Cà Phê Sài Gòn are two products.

Variant

A version of a product that differs by size, color, or other attribute. Each variant has its own price and stock level. For example, Cà phê sữa đá — Size M (35,000 VND) and Cà phê sữa đá — Size L (39,000 VND) are two variants of the same product. A product with variants cannot be sold directly — customers choose a specific variant.

Category

A grouping used to organize products. Categories can be nested in a hierarchy. For example, Beverages > Coffee > Iced Coffee.

SKU

Short for Stock Keeping Unit. A unique code you assign to each product or variant for inventory tracking. For example, CFSD-M for Cà phê sữa đá size M.

Barcode

A code printed on a product or label that can be read with a scanner. When scanned at the POS, the product is automatically added to the order — faster than searching manually.

Product QR Code

A QR code generated by BANA for a product or variant. Customers or staff scan it to view product information or add it to an order.

Product Status

The activity state of a product: Activated (available for sale, shown at POS), Deactivated (temporarily hidden, not shown), Archived (permanently discontinued, cannot be reactivated).

Promotion

A discount program applied to products or orders based on conditions. For example: buy 2 get 1 free, 15% off orders over 200,000 VND, 10,000 VND off Cà phê sữa đá between 2PM-4PM. Promotions have a start and end date.

Price Level

A price configured for a product. BANA lets you set multiple prices for the same product — for example, 35,000 VND at the counter but 40,000 VND on delivery apps. You can create separate price sets for each sale channel or customer group.

Sales & POS

POS (Point of Sale)

The sales system where staff create orders, accept payments, and print receipts. BANA POS runs on desktop, tablet, and phone.

POS Session

A work shift at the POS. Staff open a session at the start of their shift (usually counting the starting cash), process transactions during the shift, and close the session at the end. When closing, the system requires counting cash for reconciliation. Session statuses: Open → Closed → Reconciled.

Pay-In / Pay-Out

Cash operations at the POS register that are not related to orders:

• Pay-In: adding petty cash at the start of a shift so you have change
• Pay-Out: withdrawing cash for incidental expenses (buying ice, supplies)
• Safe Drop: moving excess cash to the safe during the shift to reduce risk

Order

A sales transaction recording the products sold, total amount, payment method, and timestamp. Each order has a unique identifier.

Order Lifecycle

Orders move through statuses: Draft (not yet paid — staff can still add or remove products) → Processing (payment in progress) → Partial (partially paid, waiting for the rest) → Completed (fully paid). An order can also be Cancelled at any stage before completion.

Sale Check

A separate bill within the same order, used for splitting the bill. For example, Table 5 has 6 guests: 3 pay together on one bill, the other 3 pay a separate bill. The order has 2 sale checks. Each sale check is paid independently, but they all belong to the same order. After all sale checks are paid, the order is completed. A receipt is printed for each sale check.

Custom Item

An item not in the product catalog, added manually to an order with a custom name and price. For example: gift wrapping 15,000 VND, birthday party service fee.

Checkout

The final step of the sales process — confirming the order, selecting a payment method, and completing the transaction.

Partial Payment

When a customer pays only part of the total amount. The order moves to Partial status and waits for the remaining payment. For example: 200,000 VND order, customer pays 100,000 VND now, will pay the rest later.

Void

Cancelling an order when no payment has been collected yet. The order is removed and no money changes hands. If the order has already been partially paid, it cannot be voided — you would need to cancel the order and process a refund for the amount already collected.

Customer

A buyer whose information is saved in BANA (name, phone, email). Linking a customer to orders lets you track their purchase history, apply loyalty rewards, and send marketing messages.

Tip

An extra amount the customer pays beyond the order total to thank the service staff. BANA records tips separately and does not include them in sales revenue.

Receipt

A printed document given to the customer after payment, showing product details, prices, taxes, and payment method. One receipt is printed per sale check. If the order is not split, there is one sale check and one receipt.

Loyalty Program

A points or rewards program for returning customers, linked to their customer profile. For example: collect 10 coffee stamps for 1 free drink, or 5% off for VIP customers.

Allocation Layout

A physical space plan of your store, used to manage service positions. Only available for F&B and Ticketing business types.

Service Position (Allocation Unit)

A specific position assigned to an order, depending on your business type:

• Restaurant / Café: table — e.g., Table 5, Table 12
• Events / Cinema: seat — e.g., Seat A5, Seat B12
• Sports courts (pickleball, badminton…): court — e.g., Court 1, Court 3

Each position has a status: Available (ready), Occupied (in use), Reserved (booked).

Kitchen Ticket

When an F&B order is placed, BANA automatically creates a kitchen ticket for each item that needs preparation. The ticket appears on the Kitchen Display System (KDS) so cooks know what to make. Statuses: Pending → Processing → Ready → Completed. A ticket can be Voided if the order item is cancelled.

Kitchen Display System (KDS)

A screen displaying kitchen tickets in real time at the kitchen area. Cooks view orders, update dish statuses, and receive alerts for long-waiting orders.

Kitchen Station

A specific preparation area in the kitchen (drinks, grill, salad, etc.). Kitchen tickets are automatically routed to the appropriate station based on dish type.

Inventory

Location

A place where goods are stored — a store, warehouse, or branch. Each location tracks its own stock levels. For example, Branch 1 (123 Nguyễn Huệ) and Central Warehouse (789 Trường Chinh) are two different locations.

Stock

The quantity of a product or variant at a location. BANA tracks three stock quantities:

• On-hand: total goods physically present
• Reserved: goods held for orders not yet completed (e.g., a draft order holding 2 t-shirts)
• Available: on-hand minus reserved — the quantity you can actually sell right now

For example, if you have 50 Áo thun basic Size M on-hand and 5 are reserved for pending orders, the available stock is 45.

Unit of Measure

The measurement unit for goods: piece, kg, liter, box, etc. Affects how stock is counted and displayed at the POS.

Vendor

A supplier that provides goods to your business. Each vendor has contact information and a purchase order history.

Purchase Order

An order sent to a vendor to buy goods. Lifecycle: Draft → Processing → Received → Completed → Closed. When goods arrive, stock levels update automatically.

Stock Take

The process of physically counting goods at a store or warehouse, then comparing with system records to identify discrepancies and adjust.

Transfer

Moving goods from one location to another. For example, transferring 20 basic t-shirts from Central Warehouse to Branch 1 at Thời Trang Hà Nội.

Reorder Point

A minimum stock level you set for a product. When stock drops below this threshold, BANA sends an alert so you can reorder in time and avoid running out.

Movement Type

The reason for a stock change. Common types include: Sale (stock decreases when sold), Receiving (stock increases when goods arrive from a vendor), Return (stock increases when a customer returns goods), Damage (stock decreases for broken or spoiled items), Transfer (stock moves between locations), Adjustment (manual correction after a stock take). BANA supports over 20 movement types in total.

Costing Method

How the cost of goods sold is calculated. Choose the method that matches your accounting practice:

• FIFO (First In First Out) — oldest stock is sold first. Best for perishable goods (food, beverages)
• LIFO (Last In First Out) — newest stock is sold first. Less common, used in specific industries
• Average — cost is the weighted average of all purchases. Simplest option for most retail businesses
• Time-based — cost is recorded at the exact time of receipt. Useful when prices fluctuate frequently

Tip: If you are unsure, Average is the safest choice for most small businesses.

Payments

Payment Method

How a customer pays: cash, bank transfer, QR payment, card via POS terminal. BANA supports multiple payment methods in a single order.

Payment Provider

A third-party service that processes electronic payments. For example, VNPay provides QR payments and SmartPOS for BANA.

QR Payment

Paying by scanning a QR code displayed at the POS. Customers use their banking app or e-wallet to scan and transfer funds. BANA integrates with VNPay QR.

SmartPOS

A VNPay smart POS terminal with a built-in receipt printer and card reader. Connects directly to BANA to process card and QR payments.

Phone POS

POS mode on a mobile phone, used for mobile sales or small shops that don’t need a dedicated POS terminal.

Split Payment

Paying for a single order using multiple payment methods. For example, an order of 103,000 VND paid with 50,000 VND cash + 53,000 VND via QR.

Refund

Returning money to a customer when they return goods or cancel part of a paid order. Refunds can be full or partial. Different from void — refund happens after money has been collected.

Reconciliation

Comparing revenue recorded in BANA with actual amounts received from payment sources (cash, bank, VNPay) to ensure they match. Usually done when closing a POS session at the end of the day.

Settlement

An end-of-day summary report showing total revenue, order count, cash on hand, and reconciled electronic payments.

Pricing & Tax

Pricing Rule

A rule that automatically adjusts product prices based on conditions: quantity discounts, time-based pricing, customer group pricing. BANA evaluates rules by priority order.

Tax

A tax applied to products or orders. BANA supports: VAT (value-added tax — most common, usually 10%), Excise tax, Environmental tax.

Tax Type

A reusable label for a kind of tax — for example VAT. You create a tax type once under Pricing > Tax Type, then attach it to product variants with a specific rate. The same tax type can appear on every product in your catalog.

Tax Rate

The percentage of tax applied. For example, 10% VAT on a product’s sale price. The rate lives on the variant’s tax row, not on the tax type itself, so you can change it per product or for specific date ranges. Tax can be charged to the customer (added on top) or absorbed by the shop (included in the price).

Discount

A one-time price reduction that a cashier applies manually at the counter. Two types: Fixed (10,000 VND off) or Percentage (15% off). A discount requires the cashier to have the “discount” permission.

Tip: Use a discount when a manager approves a one-off price reduction on the spot. Use a promotion when you want the system to automatically apply deals based on rules (see Promotion under Products & Catalog).

Finance

Wallet

An account that tracks a money balance. Each payment method is linked to a separate wallet. Wallet types: Cash, Bank, E-Wallet, Credit Card. Wallets help you see how much money is where.

Income

Money coming in — primarily from sales revenue, but can also include other sources you record manually (subletting space, side services).

Expense

Money going out — rent, staff salaries, supplies, service fees, and so on.

Financial Transaction

A ledger entry recording money in or out. Each transaction belongs to a category, is linked to a wallet, and has a status: Pending → Completed or Cancelled.

Financial Category

A grouping for income and expenses used in reports: “Rent”, “Supplies”, “Staff Salary”, “Sales Revenue”. Helps you see where most money is going.

Internal Transfer

Moving money between wallets — for example, transferring from the cash wallet to the bank wallet when making an end-of-day deposit.

Cash Flow

An overview of money coming in and going out over time — helps you track liquidity and plan finances.

E-Invoicing

VAT Invoice

A value-added tax invoice — an official document required by Vietnamese law that records a taxable sales transaction. Required when selling to businesses or when a customer requests one.

E-Invoice (Electronic Invoice)

An invoice that is issued, stored, and managed electronically. Under Vietnamese regulations, businesses must use e-invoices instead of paper invoices.

Invoice Series

A code identifying the type and number range of invoices. For example, 1C26TAA means: 1 = type 1 invoice, C = no tax authority code, 26 = year 2026, TAA = your business suffix. Each series has its own number range and must be registered with the tax authority before use.

Invoice Provider

A licensed e-invoice issuance service. BANA integrates with providers to automatically issue invoices when orders are completed.

Auto-Release

A feature that automatically issues e-invoices as soon as an order is completed, without manual intervention.

Digital Signature

An electronic signature that authenticates an invoice. E-invoices must be digitally signed before transmission to the tax authority under Vietnamese regulations.

T-VAN

Short for Tax Value Added Network — a network that transmits e-invoice data to the General Department of Taxation. BANA connects to T-VAN to transmit invoices automatically after digital signing.

Tax Authority (CQT)

The General Department of Taxation of Vietnam — the government body that receives and validates e-invoices via the T-VAN system.

Reporting & Ledger

Dashboard

An overview page displaying key business metrics: today’s revenue, order count, top-selling products, trend charts.

Sales Report

A detailed report of revenue by time period, product, staff member, or payment method.

Ledger

A financial record book following Vietnamese government regulations. BANA exports ledgers as PDF and Excel files in standardized formats.

Ledger Form

A standardized financial report template — cash receipts journal, cash disbursements journal, general ledger account, and more. BANA automatically generates these from transaction data.

Reporting Period

The time span for a report: Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly. Determines the data range included in ledgers and financial reports.

Settlement Report

An end-of-day report summarizing revenue, payment reconciliation, and cash balance at the register.

Devices & Hardware

Device

A computer, tablet, or phone running BANA POS. Each device is registered in the system and can be deactivated or suspended remotely if lost.

Receipt Printer

A thermal printer connected to the POS for printing sales receipts. Supports USB, Bluetooth, or LAN connections.

Barcode Scanner

A device that scans product barcodes and QR codes, connected to the POS to quickly add products to orders.

Subscription & Licensing

Subscription

A recurring payment plan for using BANA (monthly or yearly). Each plan provides different feature limits, device counts, and support levels.

Trial

A free trial period with full BANA features, allowing you to evaluate the system before committing to a paid plan.

License

The right to use BANA for a shop. A license can be activated, renewed, suspended, or expired.