Get Help With Discounts Not Appearing on POS

Last updated: May 13, 2026, 4:38 PM

Troubleshoot new discounts that aren't appearing on your Toast POS device.

If you created a discount in Toast Web but it isn't appearing on your Toast POS device, work through the steps below to identify and fix the issue without contacting Customer Care.

 

In this Article:

 

Overview Steps

Applies to: Toast Web, Toast POS

 

Permissions needed: 3.1 Discounts

 

What you'll accomplish: Identify why a discount you created in Toast Web isn't appearing on your Toast POS device and resolve it on your own.

 

Work through these steps in order. Steps 1 through 3 are in Toast Web. Steps 4 and 5 are on your Toast POS device.

  • Confirm the discount is active and within its availability window
  • Confirm your changes have been published to your POS devices
  • Confirm the item is configured for discounts (only if the discount applies to specific items)
  • Confirm the POS device has a default dining option assigned
  • Resync data on the POS device if changes still aren't appearing

 

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Quick Fix

Symptom

Most Common Cause

Quick Fix

Self-Service?

Discount doesn't appear on the order screen at all

Discount is set to inactive or saved but not published

Step 1 (active toggle) and Step 2 (publish)

Yes

Discount appears at some times but not others

Discount availability dates, days, or times exclude the current moment

Step 1 (availability)

Yes

Discount appears but only under the Discount button on the check, not under Discount Item

Discount is set to apply to an entire check, not an item

See Frequently Asked Questions

Yes

Discount appears in Toast Web but not on the POS after publishing

POS device hasn't received the latest data

Step 5 (resync)

Yes

Discount works on some items but not others

Item is not configured to allow discounts

Step 3 (item configuration)

Yes

Discount doesn't appear on a specific device only

POS device is missing a default dining option

Step 4 (dining option)

Yes

BOGO discount isn't applying as expected

BOGO date range, minimum, or maximum rule prevents the discount

Step 1 (availability)

Yes

 

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Step 1: Confirm the Discount Is Active and Available in Toast Web

A discount won't appear on your POS if it is set to inactive, or if the current date, day, or time falls outside the discount's configured availability.

  1. In Toast Web, navigate to Payments > Comps and promos > Discounts and promo codes.
  2. Find the discount in the list. Confirm the Active toggle is in the on position.
  3. Select the edit pencil next to the discount to open its detail page.
  4. Scroll to the Availability section.
  5. Confirm the current date falls within the specified Date range.
  6. Confirm the current day of the week is included in the Days of the week setting.
  7. Confirm the current time falls within the specified Time of day.
  8. If any of the availability settings exclude the current moment, update them or clear them, then select Save and Publish Now.

 

Note: Each discount can be assigned to only one date range. You cannot have a discount active for both January 1–5 and January 15–20. You can, however, set a discount to be available every weekday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and again from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

 

For BOGO (Buy One Get One) discounts, also check the Minimum and Maximum rules and the Required applicable items in the Advanced Settings section. A misconfigured rule will prevent the discount from applying even when the discount appears on the POS.

 

Expected outcome: After saving and publishing, the discount appears on the POS during its configured availability window.

 

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Step 2: Confirm Your Changes Are Published

A discount that has been saved in Toast Web but not published will not appear on your POS devices.

  1. In Toast Web, look for the cloud icon at the top of the page.
  2. If the icon shows an up arrow inside, you have unpublished changes.
  3. Select the cloud icon, or navigate to Toast account > Publishing > Publish Config.
  4. Review the unpublished changes and select Publish.

 

Expected outcome: After the publish completes, the discount appears on your POS devices the next time the order screen refreshes.

 

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Step 3: Confirm the Item Is Configured for Discounts

If your discount applies to a specific item or item group, the item must be configured to allow discounts. If the Can be discounted? setting is set to No, the discount will not apply to that item even if everything else is configured correctly.

  1. In Toast Web, navigate to Menus > Bulk management > Advanced properties.
  2. Open the Show/Hide drop-down and select Can be discounted?.
  3. Expand your menus until you find the item in question.
  4. Confirm Can be discounted? is set to Yes.
  5. Select Save and Publish Now.

 

Expected outcome: After publishing, the discount applies to the item when it is selected on the POS order screen.

 

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Step 4: Confirm the POS Device Has a Default Dining Option

If a Toast POS device is missing a default dining option, discounts that are restricted to specific dining options may not appear on that device.

  1. On the POS device, navigate to Setup > Device Setup.
  2. Scroll to Device Default Dining Options.
  3. If no dining option is assigned, select one from the available options.

 

Expected outcome: The discount appears on the POS for the dining option you selected.

 

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Step 5: Resync Data on the POS Device

If you have completed Steps 1 through 4 and the discount still isn't appearing, your POS device may not have received the latest data from Toast Web.

 

A "Resync All Data" forces the POS device to discard local data and reload everything from Toast Web. Important: Before resyncing, confirm there are no pending credit card payments or red checks on the device. Resyncing in this state will cause those payments to be lost permanently.

 

For full instructions — including how to check for pending payments before resyncing — see Resync All Data on Your Devices.

 

Expected outcome: After the resync completes, the discount appears on the POS.

 

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't my Discount Item button show on the order screen?

The Discount Item button only shows discounts that are configured to apply to an item. If your discount is configured to apply to an entire check, it will only appear under the Discount button on the check details — not under Discount Item.

 

To see all discounts that apply to a check (rather than to a single item), select the overflow menu (three vertical dots) in the top right corner of the check, then select Discount. To learn how to apply each type, see Discount Items and Checks.

 

Also asked as:

    • Why is my discount only showing under the Discount button?
    • How do I find an item-level discount on the POS?

 

Why doesn't my promo code work on the POS?

If you created a discount with a promo code but customers cannot find it by entering the code, Promo Code Search may not be enabled on your Toast Web settings.

 

In Toast Web, navigate to Front of house > Order screen setup > UI options. Scroll to Enable Promo Code Search and toggle to On. Select Save and Publish Now

 

Also asked as:

    • Why can't I find my promo code on the POS?
    • How do I enable promo code search?

 

Can I have a discount apply on a future order date only?

You cannot configure a discount to apply only to a future order. Discounts apply based on the date the order is placed, not the date a future order is scheduled for.

 

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Before You Contact Customer Care

If you have completed all five steps above and the discount still isn't appearing on your POS, contact Toast Customer Care. Some causes — including web-to-POS sync issues that persist after a resync, account-level configuration problems, and integration-related discount failures — can only be resolved by an agent with backend access.

 

Before reaching out, have the following ready:

  • The name of the discount, exactly as it appears in Toast Web
  • Whether the discount is item-level or check-level
  • The discount's configured availability (date range, days, time)
  • Whether the issue is happening on one POS device or all devices
  • Whether you completed each of Steps 1 through 5 and what the result was at each step
  • A screenshot of the discount's detail page in Toast Web (with sensitive information blurred)

 

As a final troubleshooting step, you can also try deleting and recreating the discount before contacting Customer Care.

 

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