Get Help With Checks That Will Not Close on POS

Last updated: Apr 15, 2026, 4:02 PM

Troubleshoot open checks that won't close on Toast POS, including remaining balance, negative balance, missing approval, auto-fire device issues, permission errors, and phantom shift review checks.

Most checks that won't close fall into one of six categories. The most common is a remaining balance — the check has unpaid items or a voided payment, and another form of payment is needed to close it. Toast will auto-capture any leftover unclosed checks overnight at 4:00 a.m. ET. Unclosed but paid checks will be set to close and then auto-capture.

Note: Toast will resolve unclosed checks without applying any tip, so you may want to manually update or modify tips for payments as needed. Checks from previous days can be adjusted, but only tip amount, refunding items, or adding items. Adding items will require a new payment.
 
Use the table below to find your specific situation.

Applies to: Toast POS device (all scenarios). Toast Web is referenced only for credit card adjustments and permissions. Not applicable to Toast Payroll or online-only orders unrelated to POS checks.

In this Article:

 

Find your issue

What you're seeingGo to
Check shows a balance still owedRemaining balance
Check shows a negative balanceNegative balance
Online order check won't closeOrder was never approved
Online orders not firing to kitchen; tickets stuckAuto-fire device not logged in
No option to close a paid checkMissing permission to close checks
Shift review shows open check, but Close checks shows nothingPhantom open check in shift review

 

Back to top

 

Remaining Balance is Due on a Check

If you can't close a check because of a remaining balance, one of the following likely occurred:

  • A payment applied to the check was later voided.
  • A guest used a payment method (such as a gift card) that didn't cover the full amount.
  • An item was added to the check after payment was taken.
  • A credit or debit card payment was declined — when this happens, Toast cannot re-run the card or adjust the payment attempt.
  • A syncing issue prevented the payment from linking to the check.

 

Resolution: The outstanding balance must be covered to close the check. Ask the guest for another form of payment, or take payment again if the original payment was voided.

 

If additional items were added after payment was taken on the same day, the guest's credit card payment can be adjusted for that day. See Adjust Credit Card Payments for steps.

 

If you suspect a sync issue, before contacting support, try resyncing the device first:

  1. From the passcode screen, select Switch user to return to the passcode screen if needed.
  2. Select the three-dot overflow menu in the upper-right corner.
  3. Select Resync ALL Data.
  4. Confirm when prompted.

 

If the check still shows a remaining balance after resyncing, contact Customer Care.


Back to top
 

Negative Balance is Due on a Check

If you can't close a check because of a negative balance, the order was likely adjusted after payment was already taken.

 

Common causes:

  • Voiding items after payment: Removing an item post-payment creates an imbalance between the check total and the payment applied.
  • Refunds: Issuing a refund without leaving the item on the check can leave a negative balance.
  • Duplicate payments: Recording a payment twice and then refunding one can produce a negative balance.
  • Adjusted or failed payments: Failed transactions or payment adjustments can prevent balances from resolving automatically.

 

Resolution: Adjust the payment to the correct balance using Adjust Credit Card Payments.

 

If the payment has already been captured or batched, you'll need to add any voided items back to the check to bring the balance to zero before closing. If you don't want to re-add a menu item, you can add an open item as a placeholder.


Note: Adjustments made after the check and sale date will affect reporting and may cause discrepancies.

 

Back to top
 

The Order Was Never Approved

If an online order check won't close, it may still be waiting for manager approval. This happens when the approval method is set to Use rules and an order hasn't been approved and fired to the kitchen yet.

 

Resolution:

  1. On your Toast POS device, navigate to Main Menu > Pending Orders > Needs Approval.
  2. Select the order.
  3. Select Approve.

 

If it's past the prep time for the order, the check will fire immediately. If the check has a payment on it, it will close automatically after approval.


Back to top
 

My Auto-Fire Device is Not Logged In or Updating

If your auto-fire device isn't logged in to Toast, some tickets may not fire to the kitchen and may generate errors when trying to close them.

 

This occurs when:

  • The auto-fire device was powered off or was offline
  • No one has logged in to the auto-fire device since it was last turned on

 

When a device is updated or rebooted, it logs out of Toast automatically. Log back in to the auto-fire device to ensure online orders are approved and sent to the kitchen.

 

Good habit: Any time Toast performs an overnight update or you power down your devices, log back in to the auto-fire device first thing in the morning before service begins.

 

For all other auto-fire issues, see Troubleshoot Your Auto-Fire Device.

 

Back to top

 

Unable to See an Option to Close a Paid Check

If you can't find the option to close a paid check, you may be missing the required POS permissions. Here's what's needed:

ActionRequired permission
Close multiple checks1.1 Table Service Mode, 1.2 Quick Order Mode, or 1.4 Payment Terminal Mode
Close a single check1.1 Table Service Mode or 1.2 Quick Order Mode
Update another employee's check1.9 Edit Other Employee's Orders

 

If you don't have the necessary permissions, a manager or admin at your restaurant will need to add them to your employee profile in Toast Web. See Get Help With User Permissions for Toast POS for troubleshooting steps, or the Permissions Reference Guide for a full list.

Back to top

 

Shift Review Shows an Open Check, but Close Checks Shows Nothing

Occasionally, a shift review cannot be completed because Toast shows an open check, but when you select Close checks, no open checks appear. This is a syncing issue and can be corrected directly on the POS.

 

The Close checks button and the shift review screen show the employee's check list. If the button shows no open checks but the shift review still flags one, the check record and the shift are out of sync — removing and resaving the shift forces a resync.

 

To resolve:

  1. On your Toast POS device, navigate to the main menu of the Toast app by selecting the arrow in the upper-left corner. You may need to select the arrow more than once.
  2. In the Manager Activities section, select Review Employee Shifts.
  3. Locate and select the employee in question.
  4. On the right side of the screen, select Remove next to Clock out.
  5. Select Save changes.

This restarts the shift review process for that employee and resyncs the check, which should allow the employee to complete their shift review.

Note: Shifts created in Toast Web instead of on the POS will not appear in the Review Employee Shifts function on your POS.


Back to top

 

Before you contact support

If you've worked through the steps above and still need help, have the following ready:

  • The check number or order details (date, time, server name)
  • The specific symptom: remaining balance, negative balance, shift review phantom check, etc.
  • Whether a payment was already taken on the check and whether it was captured or batched
  • Whether this is happening on one device or multiple
  • Steps you've already tried (resync, log out/in, etc.)
  • Screenshot of the check or error, if available


Back to top