Collecting and returning keg deposits can be done easily through Toast - it just requires a quick setup. Use the following steps to create a keg deposit button for your POS menu.
Create a Deposit Button in Your Menu for a Keg Deposit
Creating a keg deposit button will enable you to collect deposits with ease. This button can be created in Toast Web.
Navigate to the Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties.
You'll see your restaurant's menus that have already been set up in Toast. Select the menu you'd like your keg deposit button to exist in - this can be something as simple as your Drinks menu.
Once inside the menu, navigate to the Groups section and select the + Add button to create a new group. Name this new group Keg Deposit, Can Deposit, or whatever best fits your business.
Save your work. Then select the Keg Deposits group you've just created.
Inside the Keg Deposits group, navigate to the Items section. Here you can create the specific deposit items with their costs or refunds.
Select the + Add button to create menu items. If you plan to offer cash refunds, you can also add a menu item that will serve as a deposit refund. For example, if a full keg costs $70, make an item called Full Keg with the charge of $70. If you want to be able to return the deposit in cash, you'll then create an additional item called Full Keg Return with a return value of -$70. Be sure to include the "-" to assign the negative balance for your return buttons.
Save and publish your changes.
Note that there is an option to create this as an open item instead. If you're interested in learning more, see Create an Open Item or Open Priced Menu Item.
Charge a Deposit Fee for Kegs
When a guest wishes to purchase a keg, simply charge them with your deposit button. On the Toast POS, select the menu you've nested the Keg Deposit button in, and then select the corresponding charge.
Then, select the Pay button and take your guest's payment as usual.
Back to top
Return a Keg Deposit Fee to a Guest
When a guest returns their keg and wishes to retrieve their deposit there are a few steps you need to take to give them their refund. This can be done in two different ways:
Looking up the check on the POS where the guest paid their keg deposit and issuing a refund, or
Creating a new check using the Keg Return item you added to your menu and refunding your guest's keg deposit in cash (as a separate transaction).
Both options are described below.
Look Up a Check With a Keg Deposit to Issue a Refund
Looking up your guest's original check in the Toast POS is important to keeping sound reporting for your business. Depending on your business, you may have limited return times for your kegs and will only need to search over a short period of time.
Start on the Quick Orderscreen in the Toast POS and search the check at the top of the screen. Select the three-dot overflow menu and select Lookup Check.
A number pad will appear on the screen. Enter or swipe the guest's card they used to purchase the keg. If the guest paid with cash, select the Advanced Search button.
If you're using the Advanced Search, you'll be brought to a new screen. You can select Find by Customer Info or Find by Check Number (if they have a receipt on hand), while also searching specific dates
Once the closed check is located, select the Keg Deposit item on the check and then select the corresponding return button to refund your guest. This value will appear as a negative, which is an amount you'll be refunding your guest. For step-by-step instructions on issuing a credit card refund, see the Issue a Credit Card or Cash Refund via the POS section of this Support Center article, Issue a Refund.
Refund Cash Keg Deposits
Your business may also refund cash deposits, especially for smaller items such as growlers. If this is the case, you may refund your guests by selecting the corresponding deposit return item button in your Toast POS as a new transaction.
It's important to note this will only work for cash refunds - card transactions will need to be looked up, as explained in the previous section Look Up a Check.
Open a check and select the Keg Deposit Return item you created. This will have a negative balance.
For example, if the guest is returning a full keg, you would select the Full Keg Return button. You'll see on the screen it has a negative balance which is to be refunded to your guest.
Select the Pay button and refund your guest in cash. This will be the only way of refunding your guest using this method.
A Keg Deposit Return item can also be used to redeem a deposit against a new keg (or other items), functioning like a discount. For example, if you have a guest that returns one keg and purchases two new ones, the deposit return will act like a discount and the guest will only pay the remaining balance for the second new keg.