Cash rules, without a rented till. Cash count protocol on the phone, TSE signature, DSFinV-K export for the auditor.
Since 2020 every cash register in Germany must sign its transactions with a certified technical security device. PilotOS connects to one — and states plainly what is not yet productive.
German law applies. This page explains the German rules in English so you can judge whether PilotOS fits. The legally binding version of every page, price and term is the German one.
What the module does
- Cash count protocol — counted on the phone, at the stall or the counter: notes and coins entered, total and difference to the change fund calculated.
- Cash book with opening balance, daily closing and the difference shown explicitly.
- TSE connection for the fiscal signature required by the KassenSichV.
- DSFinV-K export — the data format an auditor uses to read a cash register.
The honest part
In training mode the register signs with a built-in simulator. Those signatures are not legally valid. For real operation you need a BSI-certified TSE, either cloud-based or as hardware. We put that on the product page rather than in a footnote, because a shop owner should know before buying.
Why the cash count matters more than the signature
The unannounced cash inspection under § 146b AO does not test the register — it tests the documentation. A daily count with date, denomination breakdown and difference is what you can put on the table. Reconstructing it from memory the evening after is what fails.
Where it stops
PilotOS is not a restaurant POS with table plans, split billing and kitchen displays — that is a separate module. For a shop, a market stall or a small cafĂ© counter, the cash book plus TSE is enough. For a full-service restaurant, look at the hospitality module or a dedicated system.
Questions about the cash register
Do I need a TSE for one market stall?
The obligation depends on the type of register, not on the location. If you take cash with an electronic register, the KassenSichV applies. A simple cash book without a register has different rules — your tax adviser can classify your case in one sentence.
What is DSFinV-K?
The standardised export format in which an auditor reads a cash register. If your system cannot produce it, the audit becomes a manual reconstruction — which is where most findings start.
Is a cloud TSE allowed?
Yes, a cloud-based TSE is permitted if it is certified by the BSI. It requires a live connection, which is exactly the weak point at a market stall. That is why the local option matters here.
What is not included?
Restaurant features: table plans, split billing, kitchen displays. That is a separate module or a dedicated hospitality system — we will not sell you a cash book as a restaurant POS.
What an unannounced cash inspection looks at
The inspection under § 146b AO does not begin with the register. It begins with a question: what was in the till yesterday evening, and can you show it? What follows is a comparison between the recorded daily closing and what the documentation says should be there.
The failure mode is almost never fraud. It is a count written on a slip of paper, a difference noted in a notebook, and no link between the two. The register signs transactions correctly and the documentation still does not answer the question.
That is why the cash count protocol matters more than the signature: it is the part a person produces under time pressure. A count entered at the counter, with denomination breakdown and the difference calculated, is the difference between ten minutes and an afternoon of reconstruction.
What happens when the connection fails
A cloud TSE needs a connection at the moment of the sale. At a market stall, in a cellar restaurant or during a network outage, that moment is exactly when the connection is gone. A hardware TSE signs locally and does not care.
That is why the offline path matters more than the feature list: the sale has to be recorded, the signature has to happen, and the data has to arrive in the books later without a manual retype. If a system cannot do that, it is a register with a risk attached.
And the limit: PilotOS is not a restaurant POS. Table plans, split billing and kitchen displays are a different job, done by a different tool.