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Set Up and Manage Terminal Profiles in Elite Cloud
Every workstation that signs in to Elite Cloud relies on a terminal profile. Elite checks that profile at each sign-in to decide which store the session belongs to, which printers and card payment device to use, and whether the workstation is a shared counter terminal. If no profile can be found, or the profile has no store assigned, sign-in fails. After following this article, you'll be able to set up a terminal profile for a new workstation, understand how Elite determines your working store, and resolve common terminal profile messages.
Applies To
Elite Cloud users setting up or troubleshooting workstations
Topics Included in This Article
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What is a Terminal Name and Profile?
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Personal Terminal VS Shared Terminal
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Where You'll See Your Terminal Profile in Elite Cloud
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Setting Up a Terminal Profile for a New Workstation
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Changing the Terminal Profile You're Signed In To
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Resolving Common Terminal Profile Messages
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More Information / FAQ
What is a Terminal Profile and Name?
The terminal name is the identifier, and the terminal profile is the set of settings attached to it.
| Terminal name | Terminal profile |
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The Terminal name is the workstation's Windows sign-in name. It's how Elite recognizes which physical workstation someone is signing in from.
Below is an image displaying the "Default" terminal name and the local profile selection window. |
A Terminal profile is the configuration record for a workstation. It holds the home store, printer assignments, payment device, and shared terminal settings. Each profile is identified by a terminal name.
Below is an image of a user's Terminal Profile displaying printer selections. |
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What a Terminal Profile Controls
A terminal profile tells Elite what a workstation is: which store it belongs to, which printers and payment hardware it uses, and whether it's a shared counter terminal or a personal workstation.
- Home store - Assign every terminal profile to a store. When an employee signs in at that terminal, Elite uses the profile's store to determine where they're working. Without a store, sign-in fails with the message "You must have a store assigned to your terminal profile."
- Printer assignments - The profile maps each document type to the right printer for that workstation:
| Document type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Contracts | Standard and laser contract forms, including separate forms for quotes, reservations, and closed contracts |
| Receipts and deposits | Receipt printer, cash drawer, deposit slips |
| Operations documents | Load slips, labels, instructions |
| Reports | Report printer, end-of-day / end-of-period printing |
| Fax | Fax output |
- Payment hardware - The profile can link the terminal to its card payment device, using the card reader's network address and terminal ID. Payments taken at that workstation then go to the right device.
- Shared terminal settings - A profile can designate the workstation as a shared terminal by linking it to a shared operator. A shared operator is the single operator account the workstation stays signed in under. The profile can also control whether employees must enter their operator ID as they work.
When No Profile Matches the Terminal Name
A profile named Default acts as a catch-all. If a workstation signs in and Elite doesn't find a profile matching its terminal name, the Default profile's settings apply. This gives every unconfigured workstation sensible printers and a home store. However, we recommend creating a named profile for each terminal you rely on day to day.
Personal Terminal VS Shared Terminal
Personal Terminal
On a standard workstation, each employee signs in with their own operator credentials. An operator is an employee's user record in Elite. Elite determines their working store in this order:
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Their default store, if one is set on their operator record.
- Elite Path: Search for an Operator in the Global search > Open an operator record > Press Store. To edit the record, press the pencil icon.
- Elite Path: Search for an Operator in the Global search > Open an operator record > Press Store. To edit the record, press the pencil icon.
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The terminal profile's store, if the employee has a relationship with that store.
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If the employee has never been linked to any store, Elite automatically links them to the terminal profile's store the first time they sign in there, and makes it their default.
| If the employee has store relationships but none of them match the terminal's store, sign-in is blocked with a message identifying the store. This protects you from staff accidentally transacting in a store they don't work in. |
Shared Terminals
A shared terminal is a counter workstation that stays signed in all day while multiple employees use it. This setup is typical for a busy rental counter. To learn more about shared terminals see the article Shared Users in Elite. If your company uses shared terminals, the Cloud sign-in screen recognizes this automatically and presents the shared sign-in experience for that workstation.
When a terminal profile has a shared operator assigned:
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The workstation signs in under the shared operator, so the terminal is always ready.
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Individual employees still identify themselves as they work. Contracts, payments, and changes are recorded under the right person, so you keep individual accountability without everyone signing in and out all day.
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When an employee identifies themselves on a shared terminal, they must have a relationship with the terminal's store. If they don't, Elite blocks the action and names the store.
| In-app messaging isn't available while on a shared terminal, because the session doesn't belong to a single person. Employees on shared terminals can use the POR One mobile app for messaging instead. |
Where You'll See Your Terminal Profile in Elite Cloud
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Sign-in: The profile determines your store and whether the terminal behaves as shared.
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Printing: Documents route to the printers assigned in the profile.
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Payments: Card transactions route to the payment device assigned in the profile.
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About screen: The Help/About page shows the Terminal name Elite matched you to, along with your home store. It's a quick way to confirm which profile a workstation is using.
- How to get there: Press Help in the right-menu > Press the info icon > Scroll down to Operator Information
- How to get there: Press Help in the right-menu > Press the info icon > Scroll down to Operator Information
Setting Up a Terminal Profile for a New Workstation
| Follow these steps before anyone signs in at the workstation. A profile with no store causes sign-in to fail. |
Terminal profiles are configured per company as part of your Point of Rental installation, typically during setup for each new workstation.
To add a terminal, change printer assignments, move a terminal to a different store, or convert a workstation to a shared terminal, use your system's terminal profile configuration or contact Point of Rental support.
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Decide whether the terminal is personal or shared. For more information on personal and shared terminals, see the section, Personal Terminal VS Shared Terminal.
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To begin, navigate to: Gear icon > Other Configurations > User Profiles.
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Press Add to create a terminal profile.
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Assign a name matching the workstation's terminal name (its Windows sign-in name). Press OK.
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Assign printers in the Contract Printing and Other Printing tabs for contracts, receipts, reports, and any other documents printed there.
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Go to the Advanced tab, and press Modify.
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Select the Store drop down to assign a home store.
- If the terminal will take card payments, select the VeriFone Terminal dropdown to link a payment device.
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If it's shared, assign the shared operator and confirm every employee who'll use it has a relationship with that store. Employees without a relationship to the terminal's store will be blocked.
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Sign in at the workstation and check the About screen to confirm the right profile was picked up.
Changing the Terminal Profile You're Signed In To
- Locate the terminal name in the top right of the Elite interface. This is the terminal profile you're currently signed in to.
- Click your terminal profile name. A selection screen appears.
Resolving Common Terminal Profile Messages
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal profile not found | Elite couldn't match this workstation to a profile, and no Default profile exists. | Create a profile for this terminal name, or set up a Default profile. |
| You must have a store assigned to your terminal profile. | The matched profile has no store. | Assign a store to the terminal profile. |
| Operator has no relationship with store … | The employee signing in isn't linked to the terminal's store. | Add a store relationship for that employee, or have them work at a terminal in their own store. |
| Shared operator not found / invalid | The profile points to a shared operator that no longer exists or is inactive. | Update the profile's shared operator to a valid, active operator. |
More Information / FAQ
Q: Can employees use in-app messaging on a shared terminal?
A: No. In-app messaging isn't available on a shared terminal, because the session doesn't belong to a single person. Employees on shared terminals can use the POR One mobile app for messaging instead.
Q: Can two employees work on the same shared terminal at the same time?
A: Yes. In Elite Cloud, each browser tab keeps track of which employee is working in it. Two employees can work side by side in different tabs on the same terminal, and each record they touch is attributed to the correct operator.
Q: Do employees need to do anything different to sign in at a shared terminal?
A: If your company uses shared terminals, the Cloud sign-in screen recognizes this automatically and presents the shared sign-in experience for that workstation.
Q: Who can help me set up or change a terminal profile?
A: Contact Point of Rental support, and they'll walk you through it.
- Phone (toll-free): (800) 944-7368
- Email: support@point-of-rental.com