The fiscal printer does not print, beeps, is jammed or shows red in Troubleshoot - what to check

Applies to Invu POS 6.10.6 on cash registers with a fiscal printer, as in Panama. Labels are shown as they appear when the POS or the panel is in English. If your cash register uses electronic invoicing or direct printing, see "La impresora no imprime comandas o facturas - cómo revisarlo".

Most important:

• The POS does not talk to the fiscal printer directly. It sends the invoice to a small box that is connected to the fiscal printer. If either one fails, the invoice does not print.
• Do not charge the order again. It stays in Closed with Printing Error. When the fiscal printer works again, use Retry Print.
• If the invoice did print but the POS showed an error, do not retry it: another fiscal invoice would print. Use Add Fiscal Number.
• Do not open or try to repair the fiscal device. If it prints "EQUIPO FISCAL BLOQUEADO", see "Equipo Fiscal Bloqueado".

1. How fiscal printing works

• The invoice goes from the POS to the Raspberry over your network, and from the Raspberry to the fiscal printer. The Raspberry's address is in the cash register, in the Raspberry IP field of the Admin Panel.
• The pre-check: if the cash register has no pre-check printer of its own, the pre-check also prints on the fiscal printer (as a non-fiscal document). So if the fiscal printer is jammed, the pre-check does not print either.
• The cash drawer of a fiscal cash register opens through the fiscal printer.
• While the fiscal printer is working, the POS shows "Loading." and can wait up to 2 minutes before showing an error. Do not tap repeatedly.

2. Check Troubleshoot: Raspberry and Check

1. On the main screen, press and hold the Invu logo and choose Troubleshoot.
2. Under Printers and peripherals you will see two rows: Raspberry (the small box connected to the fiscal printer) and Check (the fiscal printer; in Spanish it is called "Fiscal").

• After each change, tap the Troubleshoot refresh button (Refresh diagnostics) and wait until the rows stop saying Checking.
• Print test and Find printers do not apply to the fiscal printer: they are for network printers.
• If you changed router or internet provider and the Raspberry turned red, it may have a different address or be off your network. Write to us.

3. The fiscal printer beeps, has a red light or shows an error

The most common cause is the paper or the cover:

1. Open the cover and check that there is paper and that the roll has not run out.
2. If paper is jammed, remove it gently by hand, without knives or metal objects.
3. Place the roll correctly and close the cover until it clicks.
4. If it keeps beeping with the paper correctly placed, turn it off, wait a few seconds and turn it on.
5. Check Troubleshoot again and retry the invoice.

The exact meaning of each beep or light depends on the model: [TO CONFIRM: meaning of beeps and lights on the fiscal printer models Invu installs]. If it keeps beeping or showing a red light after these steps, see section 8.

4. Change the paper or clear a jam

• Use a thermal paper roll of the width your printer takes.
• Place the roll as shown by the drawing inside the cover. If the invoice comes out blank, the roll is upside down.
• Leave some paper sticking out before closing the cover.
• If your roll has a colored stripe at the end, change it when it appears. That way it does not run out in the middle of an invoice.

5. Very faint or blurry print

• Try a new roll of good-quality thermal paper. Old, damp or sun-exposed paper prints faintly.
• Check that the cover is fully closed.
• If it still prints faintly or with lines on new paper, the print head may be dirty or worn. Request technical service (section 8) instead of cleaning it yourself.

6. The invoice did not print: what to do with the order

1. On the main screen, open the Closed tab and open the order. The affected account says Printing Error.
2. Check the paper and that the Raspberry and Check rows in Troubleshoot are Available.
3. Tap the Invu logo inside the order and choose Retry Print.

• If the invoice did print but the POS showed an error, do not use Retry Print. Tap the logo, choose Add Fiscal Number and type the number printed on the invoice. It asks for the PIN of an employee with permission to add the fiscal number.
• For a copy of a fiscal invoice that already has a number, tap the logo inside the order and choose Copy. It asks for the PIN of an employee with permission to copy invoices.
• If the fiscal printer will be out of service for repair, write to us. A direct printing cash register can be set up to hand out a temporary non-fiscal ticket. See "Creación de Caja para Impresión Directa".

7. Z Report and X Report with a fiscal printer

1. Tap the Invu logo and choose Fiscal Actions.
2. Choose Print Z Report or Print X Report and enter the PIN of an employee with permission for that report.
3. If there are open or unbilled orders, the POS warns You have open orders or You have orders unbilled. To continue you need an employee with permission to print the Z Report in that situation. It is best to close or invoice those orders first.

• If you see "Error to print the report", the fiscal printer did not answer or rejected the report. Check the paper and Troubleshoot.
• Before repeating a Z Report, check whether it printed.
• Open Drawer is in the same menu.
• The long report (shift close) is something else: see "Cerrar la caja y sacar el reporte largo (cierre de turno) en el POS".

8. When to request a repair

Request a technical review if:

• the printer prints EQUIPO FISCAL BLOQUEADO: see "Equipo Fiscal Bloqueado";
• it does not turn on, even on another outlet;
• it keeps beeping or showing a red light with the paper correctly placed and after turning it off and on;
• Check stays red while Raspberry is available, after checking cables and restarting it;
• there is jammed paper you cannot remove by hand;
• it prints faintly or with lines even on new paper;
• it turned off or stopped working after a power outage or a voltage surge.

A fiscal device is not opened or repaired at the store: an authorized company does the repair.

When to contact support

Write to us with:

• a photo of the Troubleshoot screen showing the Raspberry and Check rows;
• a photo of the fiscal printer (lights and display, if it has one) and of the last ticket it printed;
• the exact message the POS showed;
• the affected order number and the cash register name.