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How to Apply BIR Special Discounts on Your POS

Who is this for?

StoreHub cashiers and managers in the Philippines who need to apply BIR-mandated special discounts (like Senior Citizen, PWD, Solo Parent, etc.) to customer transactions on the StoreHub POS app.

Overview

This guide is a step-by-step walkthrough on how to apply BIR-compliant special discounts directly on your StoreHub Point-of-Sale (POS) app. You will learn how to select the correct discount category, enter the required customer details, see how the discount amount is worked out, and understand the difference between 'Standard' and 'MEMC' (Most Expensive Meal Combination) discounts for Senior Citizens and Persons With Disability (SC/PWD).


Before You Begin


Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding Standard vs. MEMC Discounts

Before you apply a discount, it helps to know which method to use:

Discount Type

How it works

Standard Senior/PWD Discount

A 20% discount on the actual eligible items the Senior Citizen or PWD buys for their own use. The discount amount changes depending on what they order.

MEMC Discount (Food & Beverage only)

A 20% discount on a fixed amount called your 'MEMC Base Value', instead of on the actual order. This is used for take-out, delivery, or shared group meals, where one person's exact share is hard to work out.

What "MEMC" means. MEMC stands for 'Most Expensive Meal Combination'. The price of the most expensive single, complete meal one person would order, not your most expensive shareable item. You set this value once in BackOffice. For how to choose and set it, see How to Configure MEMC Base Value for Senior/PWD Discounts.

Note: For a shared group meal you can use either method. The POS works out the discount from the number of eligible people (pax) you enter.

Apply a Special Discount to a Transaction

1. Add the customer's items to the transaction cart on your StoreHub POS app.

StoreHub POS transaction cart with items listed.

2. There are two ways to access the 'Special Discount' options:

  • Tap the '...' (ellipsis) button on the transaction screen, then tap 'Special Discount'.

POS transaction screen showing the ellipsis menu with 'Special Discount' selected.

  • Or, tap the 'Discount' button on the transaction screen. A pop-up will appear; tap 'Special Discount'.

POS transaction screen showing the 'Discount' button and the 'Special Discount' option in a pop-up.

3. Select the correct 'Category' for the special discount, for example 'Senior Citizens/Persons with Disability', 'Solo Parent', 'National Athlete/Coach', 'Medal of Valor', or 'Diplomat'.

Screen for selecting the special discount category.

1. It removes the 12% VAT from the eligible items to get the 'VAT-exempt' (net) price.

2. It then takes the 20% special discount off that VAT-exempt price.

  • Remove the 12% VAT: ₱280 ÷ 1.12 = ₱250 (VAT-exempt price)

  • Apply the 20% discount: ₱250 × 20% = ₱50 discount

  • The customer pays ₱250 − ₱50 = ₱200

Apply Senior Citizen (SC) / Persons With Disability (PWD) Discount

For SC/PWD discounts, you can choose between 'Standard' or 'MEMC' (Most Expensive Meal Combo) options.

1. After selecting 'Senior Citizens/Persons with Disability' as the category, choose either 'Standard' or 'MEMC'. The default option is 'Standard'.

Senior Citizen/PWD discount options with 'Standard' and 'MEMC' choices.

2. For 'Standard Discount':

a. Select 'Standard'.

b. Enter the number of 'Senior Citizens' and/or 'Persons with Disability' as well as 'Regular Customers' in the transaction.

c. For each eligible person, new fields will appear. Fill in their 'Name', 'SC ID' (for Senior Citizens) or 'PWD ID' (for Persons with Disability), and 'Tax Identification Number' (TIN).

Standard Discount form for Senior Citizens/PWDs with required customer details.

Note: The 'TIN' field is optional. If a customer does not have a TIN, the cashier can leave it blank, only the customer's 'Name' and 'SC ID / PWD ID' are required to apply the discount.

3. For 'MEMC (Most Expensive Meal Combo) Discount' (F&B only):

a. Select 'MEMC'.

b. Enter the number of 'Senior Citizens', 'Persons with Disability', and 'Regular Customers' in the transaction.

c. Enter the required details for each eligible person: 'Name', 'SC ID / PWD ID', and 'Tax Identification Number (TIN)'.

MEMC Discount form for Senior Citizens/PWDs with required customer details.

Note:

  • The MEMC discount can only be applied if the total bill is equal to or greater than your 'MEMC Base Value' multiplied by the number of eligible customers.

Retail stores:

The discount only applies to products you marked as eligible in BackOffice. Set this up before you start. See How to Set Up BIR Tax Codes and Product Eligibility. F&B stores do not use per-item eligibility.

  • Food & Beverage: per-item eligibility does not apply. The Senior/PWD discount applies to the eligible order. You do not mark individual products.

  • Retail: mark only the products that qualify as Basic Necessities and Prime Commodities (BNPC) under BIR rules. Do not mark all products eligible. Only BNPC goods qualify for the Senior/PWD special discount.

Apply Other Special Discounts

1. For 'Solo Parent Discount':

Enter the 'Customer Name', 'SPIC Number', and the 'Name of Children' (aged 6 years and under).

Solo Parent Discount form showing fields for customer name, SPIC number, and children's names.

2. For 'National Athletes/Coaches Discount':

Enter the 'Customer Name' and the 'PNSTM ID'.

National Athletes/Coaches Discount form showing fields for customer name and PNSTM ID.

3. For 'Medal of Valor Discount':

Enter the 'Customer Name' and the 'Medal of Valor ID'.

Medal of Valor Discount form showing fields for customer name and Medal of Valor ID.

4. For 'Diplomats Discount':

Enter the 'Customer Name', 'Address', and the 'DFA ID / VIC'.

Diplomats Discount form showing fields for customer name, address, and DFA ID/VIC.

Confirm and Complete the Discount Application

1. After entering all required details for the chosen special discount, tap 'Confirm'.

Confirm button to apply the special discount.

2. If manager approval is required for discounts (as set in BackOffice), the system will prompt you to 'Enter Manager PIN'. A manager must enter their PIN to approve the discount.

POS screen prompting for Manager PIN to approve discount.

Notes:

  • If a non-manager PIN is entered, a message 'Employee does not have manager access' will appear.

  • If an incorrect PIN is entered, an error message will be displayed.

3. Once approved (if required), the special discount amount will be deducted from the transaction total and displayed in the cart (e.g., 'SC MEMC', 'PWD MEMC', or 'SC/PWD MEMC').

POS transaction cart with the special discount applied and visible.

4. Proceed with payment as usual to complete the transaction.

Edit or Remove an Applied Special Discount

1. On the transaction cart screen, tap on the 'Discount' line item that has been applied.

POS transaction cart showing the applied discount line item selected.

2. A pop-up will appear, giving you options to 'Edit' or 'Remove' the discount.

Pop-up menu with options to edit or remove the applied discount.

3. Select 'Edit' to change the discount details (e.g., number of eligible customers, IDs) or 'Remove' to take the discount off the transaction.


Where Special Discounts Appear in Your Records

How the Special Discount Amount Is Calculated

Senior Citizen and PWD purchases are exempt from the 12% VAT. So the POS does not simply take 20% off the shelf price. It works out the discount in two steps:

1. It removes the 12% VAT from the eligible items to get the 'VAT-exempt' (net) price.

2. It then takes the 20% special discount off that VAT-exempt price.

Worked example. A Senior Citizen buys eligible items with a shelf price of ₱280 (VAT-inclusive):

  • Remove the 12% VAT: ₱280 ÷ 1.12 = ₱250 (VAT-exempt price)

  • Apply the 20% discount: ₱250 × 20% = ₱50 discount

  • The customer pays ₱250 − ₱50 = ₱200

This is why the discount on screen is not exactly 20% of the shelf price. The VAT is taken out first. If the amount looks different from what you expect, check that the right items are marked as eligible and that you selected the correct category.

You do not need to switch anything on. Once the sale is completed, the discount is listed on the customer's BIR receipt and included in your reports. For the breakdown, see How to Understand Your Z-Reading Report.

  • On the customer's BIR-compliant receipt, where the discount is listed separately (for example 'SC/PWD Discount').

  • In your reports, you can see the breakdown of Senior/PWD special discounts in your Z-Reading or Sales Summary. No extra setting is needed, but BIR Compliant Settings must be enabled first.


Troubleshooting

Issue

Solution

Special discount option is not available on POS.

1. Make sure your StoreHub POS app is updated to version '1.96' or above.

2. Check that BIR compliance is enabled in your BackOffice (see StoreHub BIR Compliance Updates: Quick Start Guide).

3. Tap 'Sync' on your POS to refresh the settings.

Cannot apply MEMC discount.

1. Confirm that the 'MEMC Base Value' is set in your BackOffice (see How to Configure MEMC Base Value for Senior/PWD Discounts).

2. Check that the total bill is equal to or greater than the 'MEMC Base Value' multiplied by the number of eligible customers.

3. Confirm you selected 'MEMC' and not 'Standard' when applying the discount.

Manager PIN required unexpectedly, or manager PIN not working.

1. Check the 'Discount' setting under 'Cashier Access Control' in BackOffice. Go to 'Settings', then 'Stores', select your store, then open 'Cashier Access Control'. It may be set to 'Require Manager Access' or 'Disable'.

2. Make sure the manager is entering the correct PIN.

3. Check that the staff member applying the discount has the correct role assigned.

The discount amount looks wrong.

1. Remember the 12% VAT is removed before the 20% is applied, so the amount is not exactly 20% of the shelf price. See 'How the Special Discount Amount Is Calculated' above.

2. Check that only the eligible items are marked as eligible in BackOffice.

3. For MEMC, confirm your 'MEMC Base Value' is set correctly.


FAQs

1. Is it mandatory to enter a TIN for these discounts?

No. The 'TIN' is optional and can be left blank. Only the customer's 'Name' and 'SC ID / PWD ID' are required to apply a special discount.

2. Can the TIN requirement be disabled?

There is no TIN requirement to turn off, the 'TIN' field is optional and is not enforced by StoreHub. If the customer has a TIN you can enter it, but the discount will still apply if it is left blank.

3. What if there are multiple customers eligible for different special discounts in one transaction?

You can apply multiple special discounts to a single transaction. The system will prompt you to enter details for each eligible discount category separately.

4. Why can't customers redeem Cashback when applying a special discount?

BIR regulations for special discounts (like SC/PWD) often have specific rules regarding other promotions or loyalty benefits. To ensure compliance, the system prevents Cashback redemption during transactions where special discounts are applied. Customers can still accumulate and use their Cashback in future non-discounted transactions.

5. Is a manual (ad-hoc) discount the same as a Senior/PWD special discount?

No. A manual amount entered through the regular 'Discount' button is recorded as a regular discount, not as a Senior Citizen or PWD discount, and it is not VAT-exempt. To give a Senior Citizen or PWD their legal discount, always use 'Special Discount' and pick the correct category.

6. My most expensive menu item and my most expensive meal combo are different. Which do I use for MEMC?

Use the most expensive complete meal for one person (a set or combo), not a shareable item. For example, use the ₱118 2-piece chicken with rice combo, not the ₱330 whole chicken. See 'Understanding Standard vs. MEMC Discounts' above.

7. My city has its own local discount rule for solo parents. Can the POS handle that?

StoreHub has a national 'Solo Parent' category. Local-government rules (for example a city ordinance with its own percentage, day, or bill limit) are not a separate preset. Please contact StoreHub Support for the best way to record a local-government discount.

8. I don't see the Senior Citizen / PWD special discount option on my POS. Why?

The special (SC/PWD) discount options appear only after BIR Compliant Settings is enabled for your account. If you don't see them, enable BIR first. See How to Enable BIR Compliance and Configure Receipt Details, then sync your POS.


Need Help?

Contact StoreHub Support via live chat in your StoreHub app or email [email protected].


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