A customer brings in a collection with 42 singles, a small vintage binder, and two sealed boxes. The buyer estimates $1,200 in resale value. Shop policy recommends 60% cash or 70% store credit, which produces a $720 cash option and an $840 credit option.
That example gives the team something concrete to approve, explain, pay, and reconcile.
Describe what the shop is buying
The trade record should identify the lots well enough to match the digital offer with the physical items.
Example intake:
- Lot A: 42 sleeved singles, priced individually, estimated at $760;
- Lot B: black four-pocket vintage binder, 68 cards, estimated at $260;
- Lot C: two sealed booster boxes, estimated at $180;
- condition notes: four singles held for second review;
- received by: Jordan K.;
- physical location: Intake Cabinet, Shelf 2;
- customer response promised by 5 p.m.
"Binder and cards" is not enough if the customer questions what was included later.
Show the offer math
Using the shop's example policy:
| Option | Calculation | Recommended offer |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | $1,200 x 60% | $720 |
| Store credit | $1,200 x 70% | $840 |
These percentages are an example, not an industry standard. A shop may use different rules by game, condition, rarity, demand, or stock level.
If the buyer requests $760 cash because several cards are already wanted by customers, record the $40 exception and the manager who approved it. Do not silently change the estimated value to make the percentage look normal.
Confirm the customer decision
Pricing is not acceptance. The record should distinguish:
- offer prepared;
- manager approval completed when required;
- customer chose cash, store credit, mixed settlement, or declined;
- employee recorded acceptance;
- exact time acceptance became final.
Only acceptance should trigger the payout. A printed quote or text message asking the customer to call back should not move cash.
Choose the physical cash source
Before handing over $720, the employee needs to know where the bills are coming from.
Possible sources include:
- Front Register 1;
- Main Safe;
- Trade Payout Bag;
- another approved cash account at the active location.
Suppose Front Register 1 holds $485 and needs to keep a $200 operating floor. It cannot safely fund a $720 payout. The manager may choose Main Safe or transfer an approved amount first.
The recorded source must match the physical source. Otherwise the drawer will look short and the safe will look high.
Record one settlement
The accepted trade should produce one connected settlement even if a device refreshes or an employee clicks twice.
Example cash settlement record:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Trade | T-642 |
| Accepted payout | $720.00 cash |
| Source | Main Safe |
| Paid by | Jordan K. |
| Approved by | Sam P. |
| Business date | Aug. 16 |
| Money transaction | MT-19044, -$720.00 |
If the employee retries the same acceptance, the system should return this settlement rather than create MT-19045 for another $720.
Handle a mixed settlement explicitly
If the customer instead accepts $500 cash plus $250 store credit, preserve both parts:
- one $500 cash payout from the named source;
- one +$250 entry in the customer's credit ledger;
- one trade showing the full $750 settlement;
- links from both ledger records back to the trade.
Do not put $750 in the cash paid-out total. Do not issue $250 credit through a freehand adjustment after the trade is complete.
Reverse only after the real-world return
An accepted trade should not be changed back to "cancelled" after cash has moved.
If the merchandise is returned and the customer physically returns the $720, record a current-dated inverse movement:
| Date | Record | Cash effect |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 16 | Original trade payout | -$720.00 |
| Aug. 18 | Settlement reversal after returned cash | +$720.00 |
Keep the original payout on Aug. 16. The Aug. 18 return belongs on Aug. 18. Link the records and retain the reason and employee.
If the customer has spent issued store credit or the linked inventory has already been processed, stop before mutating anything. The shop needs a different resolution, not a partial reversal.
Reconcile the payout at closeout
If the Main Safe started with $4,000, received a $900 drawer drop, funded the $720 trade, and sent $100 in change to a register, expected safe cash is:
$4,000 + $900 - $720 - $100 = $4,080
The trade payout should appear once in that calculation. If the employee also recorded it as a generic safe withdrawal, the safe will be understated by another $720.
Use this payout control sheet
- Trade ID and lot description:
- Estimated resale value:
- Cash and store-credit recommendation:
- Exception amount and approval:
- Customer decision:
- Cash source and available amount:
- Accepted settlement ID:
- Cash transaction ID:
- Store-credit entry ID, if any:
- Employee who delivered value:
- Physical items moved to:
- Closeout account reviewed:
A fast payout is good customer service. A linked payout is what keeps that good experience from becoming a duplicate payment or an unexplained shortage at closing.