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Register Key Mapping

The Register Key Mapping page lets you assign keyboard keys (including Ctrl, Alt, and Shift combinations) to register functions such as Payment, Void, or $ - Cash. Once a key is mapped, pressing it on the register screen triggers that function — so cashiers can ring sales from the keyboard without touching the on-screen buttons. Key maps are saved per register: each register keeps its own set of assignments.

Opening the Register Key Mapping page

There are two ways to reach the Register Key Mapping page:

  1. From the register screen, scroll to the bottom and click the Keymap link in the footer.
  2. From the Register Configuration page, expand the Settings & Tools section near the bottom of the page, then click Configure Key Mapping.

Notes:

  • If the browser does not yet know which register it is, the page redirects you to Register Configuration first. Select the register number there, save, and then return to key mapping.
  • If a register has no keys mapped at all, opening the register screen automatically sends you to the Register Key Mapping page so you can set one up.

A Register Configuration button at the top of the key mapping page takes you back to the register's configuration settings. See Register Configuration for those settings.

Assigning a key to a register function

On the Register Key Mapping page, each register function is listed in a table with a Set button and its currently assigned key(s):

  1. Press the key or key combination you want to use on your keyboard. You can include the Ctrl, Alt, and Shift modifiers (for example, Alt + P). Pressing a modifier key by itself is ignored — press it together with a regular key.
  2. Click the Set button next to the register function you want to assign to that key.
  3. The assignment appears next to the function (for example, "Alt + P"), and the change is saved automatically — there is no separate save button.

Tips:

  • A single function can have more than one key assigned to it; all of its keys are shown in its row.
  • Each key combination can only trigger one function. If you assign an already-used key to a different function, the key moves to the new function.

Clearing a key assignment

To remove a key assignment on the Register Key Mapping page:

  1. Press the key or key combination you want to unassign.
  2. Click the Clear button in the last row of the table.
  3. The key is removed from whichever function it was assigned to, and the change is saved automatically.

If you click Clear without pressing a key first, the page shows the message: "Press a keyboard key, then press this button to clear it's function."

Copying the key map from another register

To set up a new register quickly, you can copy an existing register's entire key map instead of assigning each key by hand:

  1. On the Register Key Mapping page, click Copy from other Register (below the function table).
  2. At the prompt "Enter register number to copy keymap from (e.g., 1):", type the register number whose key map you want to copy.
  3. Confirm the message "Are you sure you want to use the keymap from Register 1? If so, the current mapping will be lost." (with the register number you entered). Copying replaces this register's current key map entirely.
  4. The page reloads showing the copied assignments.

Some businesses are configured by VMX to share a single company-wide key map: key changes made on any register apply to every register, and the Copy from other Register button does not appear. Contact help@vmxllc.com if you'd like to discuss this setup for your store.

Register functions you can map to keys

The Register Key Mapping page lists these register functions, any of which can be assigned a keyboard key:

  • Return Item
  • % Discount
  • @ (quantity)
  • +
  • Edit Quantity
  • Void
  • Void All
  • Hold Sale
  • Payment
  • Reprint Receipt
  • No Sale
  • Tax Shift
  • Subtotal
  • GC Issue
  • GC History
  • Account #
  • PO #
  • $ - Store Coupon
  • $ - GC Used
  • $ - House Charge
  • $ - Reward
  • $ - Credit Card
  • $ - Check
  • $ - Cash
  • Manual Price
  • Manual Sale
  • Warranty Item
  • Consolidate Items
  • INV Key
  • Emp #
  • X/Z
  • Division
  • Clear
  • Enter
  • Escape
  • Left Key / Right Key / Up Key / Down Key
  • Delete Key

When mapped keys work on the register screen

Mapped keys trigger their register functions while you are on the main register (sales) screen. They are deliberately ignored in a few situations so they don't interfere with typing:

  • While a dialog or pop-up window is open
  • While the cursor is in a text box (for example, typing a customer name)
  • While the register screen is locked

If a mapped key doesn't seem to fire, close any open dialog and click on an empty area of the register screen first, then try the key again.