Firmware Update Swissbit Hardware TSE

A firmware upgrade is available for the Swissbit hardware TSE. We recommend that all customers who use a Swissbit hardware TSE in Germany to comply with the KassenSichV and received it before 01 July 2021 upgrade to the current firmware. According to swissbit, the new firmware (version 1.1.0.) increases product reliability and should be installed to prevent hardware defects that may occur in rare cases.

The functionality of the TSE is not affected by the firmware update, downward compatibility is confirmed by swissbit. The testing of the new software version by the BSI has already been successfully completed.

Replacement of TSE, in case of hardware defects will only be carried out if they already contain the new firmware. In principle, Swissbit only delivered TSEs with the new firmware version after 01 July 2021. Due to scheduling overlaps in hardware shipping, it cannot be ruled out that TSEs with older firmware still arrived at customers shortly after 01 July.

We therefore recommend checking the firmware version of swissbit hardware TSEs in use.

We have created a solution article for you in the RetailForce Support Portal, which describes how to check the firmware version of the TSE and perform the firmware update. You can find the article at: https://support.retailforce.cloud/hc/de/articles/4411327044497-Firmware-Update-swissbit-Hardware-TSE-1-1-0-

The new firmware version can be found in the download section of the RetailForce website at: https://www.retailforce.cloud/downloads/Swissbit/TseFirmwareUpdate/

2nd November Maintenance window FinanzOnline

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance informs about extensive maintenance work on the network, servers and databases at the Federal Computing Centre and asks for your understanding. Due to this maintenance work, the FinanzOnline portal will not be available on Saturday 20 November 2021 in the period from 09:00 to 20:00 CET. Furthermore, the operation of FinanzOnline may also be affected outside of this period, from Saturday 20.11.2021, 0:00 hrs to Sunday 21.11.2021, 23:00 hrs.

As usual, the RetailForce system forwards any cash register messages (registrations, deregistrations, message of failed signature creation devices) to FinanzOnline as soon as the portal is available again without restrictions. We recommend that planned cash register registrations are carried out at a later date, if possible.

New release of the Fiscal Client – Version 1.2.4.

On 17.11.2021 we unscheduledly published a new release of the Fiscal Client – version 1.2.4. The version is dominated by the Swissbit hardware TSE in the USB form factor.

Seamless TSE exchange

The current update enables a seamless replacement of the swissbit Micro USB TSE if, for example, the certificate has expired. All data on the TSE can be exported. After the new TSE has been plugged in, cashiering can continue without interruption. The function is also available for defective TSEs. If no more data can be retrieved from the memory of the TSE, however, it must be confirmed to continue working without exporting data. Furthermore, improvements to the daily TAR file backup have been implemented in the current version of the middleware.

Firmware Update TSE

The new version 1.2.4. offers a function to upgrade the firmware of the swissbit Micro USB TSE to a new version. The update must be carried out intentionally.

Client recovery

Another security feature is the new Restore by Cloud function. This enables the complete recovery of a Fiscal Client after a hardware defect of the cash register.

Config by Cloud

Furthermore, we have improved the well-known function of configuring Fiscal Clients centrally in the RetailForce Cloud so that configurations can now be validated. After creating a configuration, it can be checked in the terminal view whether the configuration would run without errors when downloaded by an installed client or whether it would lead to an error.

As always, you can find an overview of all changes and improvements in the release notes for the new version at: https://www.retailforce.cloud/downloads/Version%201.2.4/ReleaseNotes1.2.4.md

Fiscal Client – new version 1.2.3.

The new version of the Fiscal Client (v. 1.2.3.) has recently been made available for download at https://retailforce.cloud/downloads/ .

Especially for fiscalisation in Germany, version 1.2.3. is providing several stability fixes. We therefore recommend that all our clients upgrade their installed clients to the latest version. Furthermore, we have significantly improved the start-up time of the client compared to previous versions.

In the RetailForce Cloud, some monitoring functions have been added in the area of notification. Please check whether a technical contact has actually been defined at the organisation so that notifications – e.g. about the expiry of TSE certificates, TSE failures, etc. – are also forwarded to the appropriate persons within the organisation.

The display of digital receipts in the RetailForce portal has been supplemented with further search and filter criteria (available from product “Digital Voucher – Professional”). In addition, the receipt display has been visually improved.

All changes can be found, as usual, in the Release Notes at: https://www.retailforce.cloud/downloads/Version%201.2.4/ReleaseNotes1.2.4.md.

FinanzOnline maintenance window – beginning of November 2021

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance asks for your understanding and informs you that FinanzOnline will not be available on Wednesday, 3 November 2021 in the period from 15:30 to 18:30 (CET). Furthermore, operations may be disrupted between 18:30 and 19:30.

As usual, the RetailForce system forwards any cash register messages (registrations, deregistrations, message of failed signature creation devices) to FinanzOnline as soon as the portal is available again without restrictions. We recommend that cash register registrations are carried out at a later date, if possible.

Return to Standard Time FinanzOnline

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance informs: Due to the changeover from daylight saving time to standard time, FinanzOnline will not be available on Sunday, 31 Oct. 2021 from 02:00 summer time (CEST) until presumably 03:30 standard time (CET).

As usual, the RetailForce system forwards any cash register messages (registrations, deregistrations, message of failed signature creation devices) to FinanzOnline as soon as the portal is available again without restrictions. We recommend that cash register registrations are carried out at a later date, if possible.

Extensive maintenance work FinanzOnline

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance informs: Due to extensive maintenance work at the Federal Computing Centre, FinanzOnline will not be available on Sunday 24.10.2021 from 07:00 to 21:00. The maintenance work affects the network, servers and databases. Furthermore, the operation of the platform may also be affected outside of this time already on Saturday 23 Oct. 2021 07:00 until Sunday 24 Oct. 2021 07:00.

As usual, the RetailForce system forwards any cash register messages (registrations, deregistrations, message of failed signature creation devices) to FinanzOnline as soon as the portal is available again without restrictions. We recommend that cash register registrations are carried out at a later date, if possible.

Fiscal Client – new version 1.2

As of today, 14/10/2021, the new version 1.2 of the Fiscal Client is available.

Besides some fixes, the current version also provides several new functions. In parallel with the new version, we have also added a number of features to the RetailForce Cloud. The update also provides some new functionalities for the “digital receipt” within the client as well as in the cloud portal.

  • RestoreByCloud – Restore configuration data of a client
  • Terminal archiving
  • Seasonal management for cash registers
  • Contract management in the cloud

Extension for Digital Receipts

As of the 1.2 update, digital receipts can be displayed within the RetailForce Cloud Portal. In order to find the corresponding document, a document search has been integrated.

Receipt search and display are components of the new product “Digital Receipt Advanced”. While the “Digital Receipt Light” package stores electronic receipts for 30 days, the Advanced package offers a receipt archive for storage in accordance with the original document for a period of 10 years. The same goes for analysis functions – from now on, you can track which receipts were actually retrieved by the customer. In the course of the next updates, we will expand the range of functions in this area.

Digital Receipt – offline

With the “Offline digital receipt”, you can now send your customers digital receipts even if the internet connection is not available for a short period of time. This feature can be used when utilizing the Fiscal Client. If the client cannot connect to the RetailForce Cloud at the moment, it generates a QR code (receipt reference) at the checkout, which the checkout displays to the customer – for example via the customer display. As soon as the connection to the cloud is re-established, the client transmits the receipt reference together with the actual receipt to the RetailForce Cloud. If the customer scans the QR code at the checkout and the digital receipt is not yet in the cloud infrastructure, they are redirected to a page. On this page, the customer can enter his or her e-mail address. As soon as the receipt arrives in the cloud, it is forwarded to the email address entered. The e-mail address will only be used for this purpose and will be deleted after the receipt has been sent.

For an overview of the changes and new functions, see the Release Notes at: https://www.retailforce.cloud/downloads/Version%201.2.0/ReleaseNotes1.2.0.md

October Maintenance Window FinanzOnline – Austria

The Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance asks for your understanding and informs, that the FinanzOnline portal will not be available on Wednesday 6 October 2021 in the period from 15:30 to 18:30 due to maintenance work. Further disruptions in the operation of the portal may occur in the period from 18:30 to 19:30.

As usual, the RetailForce system forwards any cash register messages (registrations, deregistrations, message of failed signature creation devices) to FinanzOnline as soon as the portal is available again without restrictions. We recommend that cash register registrations are carried out at a later date, if possible.

Cloud Archivierung powered by RetailForce

Principles of orderly accounting

If the question arises as to how documents relevant to tax law are to be kept, the German Fiscal Code (AO) refers in §147 to the principles of proper accounting. This set of rules consisting of partly written and unwritten conventions developed from case law, recommendations by associations of business people, but also from economic practice.

In addition to the probably most important legal construct, the German Commercial Code (HGB), the tax law requirements of proper accounting are concretized and interpreted in detail by the “Principles of Proper Keeping and Retention of Books, Records and Documents in Electronic Form and of Data Access – GoBD”). This letter, published by the Federal Ministry of Finance, was last updated on 28 November 2019 and has been valid since 1 January 2020.

For a smooth audit by the tax office, such as a cash inspection, the company’s digital records should in any case comply with the GoBD.

Which impact does the GoBD have on companies?

The principles on which the GoBD is based are taken from the German Commercial Code. Specifically, these are:
Principle of:

  • Comprehensibility and verifiability
  • Completeness
  • Correctness
  • Timely entries and recording
  • Orderliness
  • Inalterability

These principles must be demonstrably met for the entire duration of the statutory retention period. However, many things can change in 10 years, so a necessary, major update of the Pos system because the software house – long overdue – has switched to a current technology is the least of the changes. In order to be able to provide the records at all in the case of an audit, a legacy system would have to continue to be operated if no complete data transfer was made from the old cash registers. Once all hurdles have been overcome, the question arises as to whether the system itself complies with the principle of the immutability of records.<

Revision proof

The term revision proved, or revision-proof archiving, is nowadays often used generally for tamper proof long-term archiving of digital content. In addition to the technical solution to store data in an unchangeable way, revision security also includes the organisational mechanisms that serve to ensure the secure operation of the solution.

In order to be considered audit-proof and thus meet the requirements of the German Commercial Code (HGB) and the GoBD, archives must in any case ensure that the data transferred to the archive is stored in a complete, unchangeable and tamper-proof manner.

RetailForce Cloud Archive

In the RetailForce Cloud Archive, the company’s valuable data is not only stored unchangeably. Rather, the decision to entrust RetailForce with data management is about risk management: RetailForce is responsible for ensuring that data integrity is maintained, i. e. that the data is available in full at the right time should an auditor enter the premises unannounced.

A piece of software transmits the receipt data from the cash register to the RetailForce cloud system immediately after it is created, for audit-proof long-term archiving in an unchangeable storage area. The geo redundant storage of the data provides additional effective protection against destruction.

Using the RetailForce Cloud Archive is an essential contribution to compliance and an efficient protective measure against the intended and unintended falsification of data.<
In addition to the audit-proof cloud archiving of the basic digital record, RetailForce also offers the fiscalization of cash register and other electronic recording systems. This means full compliance with legal fiscal regulations – soon for 21 countries!
In the next article, we will look at what other added value can be generated from the RetailForce Cloud Archive.