Getting Started with AlpacaRMS

Author:

This guide is for those that self-host AlpacaRMS on a local LAMP or Docker build to get a brand-new store from zero ➜ live quickly. This guide can be used as a reference to companies hosted with AlpacaRMS.com, but your instance will be built by AlpacaRMS staff.

Outline

  1. What is AlpacaRMS?
  2. What you need (hardware & accounts)
  3. Create your store (onboarding form)
  4. Accessing your instance
  5. First-login checklist (company, security, users, registers)
  6. Set up payments
    6.1 Credit cards (BlockChyp or CardConnect)
    6.2 Bitcoin (IBEX)
    6.3 Gift cards & vouchers
  7. Configure tax (U.S. destination-based or VAT/GST)
  8. Add items & inventory (imports, receiving)
  9. Accounting (QuickBooks Online)
  10. Printers, scanners, and terminals
  11. Staff training (cashiers)
  12. Go-live tests and daily close
  13. Multistore (optional)
  14. Support & resources

Getting Started with AlpacaRMS

1) What is AlpacaRMS?

AlpacaRMS is a retail management and point-of-sale system for brick-and-mortar, and hybrid stores that have both a physical location and a webstore on WooCommerce. It supports credit card payments, Bitcoin & Lightning, gift cards, invoicing/ePay, inventory control and receiving, QuickBooks Online detail and summary sync, a basic CRM, shipping via EasyPost.com, multi-store functions, and more. Reference more features at alpacarms.org.

2) What You Need (Hardware & Accounts)

Minimum hardware and software

  • AlpacaRMS can be run on a native Linux PC as a LAMP build (Linux, Apache2, MariaDB, PHP), or a Docker container run on a Linux or a Windows PC. A self-sovereign option is to run AlpacaRMS on a Start9 Personal Server where AlpacaRMS is available on the Community Registry Marketplace.
  • Computer hardware specifications recommended are a quad-code 3.2+ghz CPU, 16 GB ram (32+ is better), a 500 GB hard drive (SSD is best).
  • A 21″ LED monitor (touch recommended).
  • A modern browser (Firefox and Chrome preferred)
  • 80 mm thermal receipt printer (USB or network or BT).
  • Cash drawer (standard RJ-11 kick).
  • Barcode scanner (USB HID).
  • Optional:
    • label/price-tag printer – we only support the idPRT SP310 (an inexpensive USB printer) but it does work with some preference settings and label configs for the Zebra ZD411.
    • inventory scanner (e.g., CipherLab 8000) for fast counts and imports.
      (Inventory Count Import Directions)
    • Credit card terminal (see below) – card swipes do not work, and are not supported. Integrated processing is only available via Blockchyp, or CardConnect/FiServ/Clover, and devices purchased through them for your specific account. Both can process chip insert, debit, manual entry, and Card on File tokens.

Credit Card terminal options

Bitcoin payments (optional)

  • Bitcoin can be integrated at any time. You have to decide if you want a service to provide the integration or if you will run the integration yourself with BTCPay Server. There are several options to accept Bitcoin in AlpacaRMS.

3) Create Your Store (Onboarding Form)

Fill the Alpaca RMS Onboarding form once per location. You’ll enter your company info, payment types (cards, Bitcoin, ACH, gift cards), employees, sales-tax locations and rates, return policy, departments, and vendors. This information seeds your instance so you can start faster.

4) Accessing Your Instance

Accessing your site depends on how you built it.

  • Start9 – Use the link in the Start9 Dashboard for the AlpacaRMS app.
  • Windows Docker – typically you can bring up a browser and on the PC and go to https://localhost:82
  • Linux Localhost: bring up a browser and go to https://localhost:80
  • Linux Docker: bring up a web browser and go to https://localhost:82

Default Login: Username: alpaca Password: alpacapassword

Bookmark the URL and share appropriate logins with staff.
Cashier basics (login ➜ sales ➜ payments ➜ returns) are covered in the training guide.

5) First-Login Checklist (10–20 minutes)

As an Admin user, you will setup the store. This includes sales tax, items, employees, suppliers, registers, payment methods, etc… The majority of these settings are in the Office > Configuration menu. Also review the Taxes menu item, Employee menu item and Items menu item.

  1. Information: Company profile & branding
    Add logo, address, phone, email, return policy.
  2. General: set general config settings such as Country, enable time tracking, enable touchscreen, enable gratuity/tips, show Bitcoin sats in pricing, other choices to enable usage features.
  3. Security
    Change the default admin password; add managers; require strong passwords.
  4. Users & roles
    Create users for each employee you wrote down for onboarding. Assign roles (manager/cashier) and a default register if applicable.
  5. Registers
    Create one register per lane/device; map to receipt printer and credit card device.
  6. Payment types
    Enable only the types you plan to use on day one (Cash, Credit Cards, Bitcoin, Gift Cards, ePay, Checks, etc…).
  7. Tax defaults
    Pick “Tax Included” (VAT/GST) or “Tax Excluded” (U.S. style) as your default stance. Taxes are are configured in two locations: 1) the Taxes menu bar and 2) the Tax tab in the Office Config tabs.
    • You have to build the base tax information in the Taxes menu to set the tax codes, jurisdiction and sales tax rates.
    • You then assign the default tax settings in the Office > Config > Tax tab.

6) Set Up Payments

6.1 Credit Cards

Pick one path (you can change later):

Option A — BlockChyp (integrated processing + gift cards + woocommerce plugin)

  • Submit the BlockChyp interest form; a Blockchyp rep will follow up to complete your merchant application.
  • Hardware: Equinox LUXE 8500i. See device tips (volume/brightness/date and time/reset).
  • Create credentials in the Blockchyp Dashboard, add them in AlpacaRMS EnvVars and pair the terminals to registers or use as a default device, optionally enable card-on-file and manual keyed processing for phone orders.

Option B — CardConnect/CardPointe (integrated + CNP + WooCommerce)

  • Apply using the CardConnect partner link (mention “AlpacaRMS”).
  • Hardware supported: Ingenico Lane 7000 or 9000, and Clover Compact.
  • Add credentials in AlpacaRMS EnvVars; pair terminals to register devices; optionally enable card-on-file and manual keyed processing for phone orders.
  • PCI note: If you accept cards, you must complete PCI compliance tasks appropriate to your setup.

6.2 Bitcoin & Lightning

  • TBD

6.3 Gift Cards & Bitcoin Vouchers

7) Configure Sales Tax

AlpacaRMS supports two models:

  • Tax Included (VAT/GST) — tax embedded in the shelf price. Set in Configuration → Tax and define your Tax 1 & 2 rates.
  • Destination-Based (U.S.) — configure Tax Codes, Jurisdictions, Categories, and Rates, then choose your global defaults in Configuration → Tax. (Example: County 7.00%, City 7.50%, Food 2.00%.)
    The support article walks through screen-by-screen setup and common nuances (e.g., gift cards and most services are not taxed at time of sale—confirm with your tax authority).

8) Add Items & Inventory

  • Create departments/categories/product types (you can submit these in onboarding to pre-seed). (alpacarms.com)
  • CSV imports: bulk-load items or counts (barcode, qty, location).
  • Receiving vouchers & purchase orders: build POs, receive against them, and update on-hand quantities. (alpacarms.org)
  • Fast counts: optional CipherLab 8000 workflow for scanning → CSV → import. (alpacarms.org)

9) Accounting (QuickBooks Online)

Connect QBO in minutes: Office → Configuration → Integrations → Accounting → QuickBooks → Connect to QuickBooks. After linking, set defaults (income/asset/COGS accounts, bank account) and use the I Want To Sync button to backfill daily in chunks to avoid rate limits. Review sync logs in the Logs tab. (alpacarms.org)

10) Printers, Scanners & Terminals

  • Receipt printer: install vendor driver if required; set default printer in browser; enable auto-print in Alpaca if desired.
  • Label/price-tag printer: optional for shelf labels and tags.
  • Barcode scanner: USB HID works out of the box (acts like a keyboard).
  • Inventory scanner: CipherLab 8000 workflow supported. (alpacarms.org)
  • Card terminals: BlockChyp Equinox LUXE 8500i; adjust volume/brightness so customers hear card-removal beeps. CardConnect supports Lane 5000/7000. (alpacarms.org, alpacarms.com)

11) Staff Training (Cashiers)

Share the Cashier Training guide that covers login, the Sales view, payments (split tenders, checks, cards), returns/exchanges, the “I Want To” menu (gift cards, open drawer, etc.), and daily reports (Daily Sales, EOD Cash Drawer, Z-Out). (alpacarms.org)

12) Go-Live Tests & Daily Close

Before opening day:

  • Ring a $0.01 cash sale and print a receipt.
  • Run a $1.00 test card sale and void/refund.
  • Scan items, print labels (if used), perform a small receiving voucher.
  • VOID all of these transactions.

Every day:

  • Cashiers run Daily Sales to reprint/confirm receipts.
  • Count drawers and run End of Day (EOD) Cash Drawer.
  • Managers review Z-Out Sales Summary for totals by tender. (alpacarms.org)

13) Multistore (Optional)

Enable Multistore in Office → Configs → Stock/Item/Multistore to manage multiple locations, transfers, and consolidated reporting. (alpacarms.org)

14) Support & Resources

  • Documentation & how-tos: support site (training, integrations, reports, hardware tips). (alpacarms.org)
  • Credit-card onboarding: BlockChyp interest form; CardConnect application link. (alpacarms.com)
  • Bitcoin payments: IBEX Pay setup & what to email us (BPT URL + Refresh Token). (alpacarms.org)
  • Shipping: set carriers/services and enable item dimensions; optional EasyPost integration. (alpacarms.org)

Quick Checklist (copy for your back office)

  • Submit onboarding form (one per location). (alpacarms.com)
  • Receive URL + admin login; change password; add users. (alpacarms.org)
  • Create registers; map printers/drawers.
  • Choose BlockChyp or CardConnect; complete merchant application; pair terminals. (alpacarms.com)
  • (Optional) Enable IBEX for Bitcoin/Lightning; send BPT URL + Refresh Token to support. (alpacarms.org)
  • Configure tax (VAT/GST or destination-based). (alpacarms.org)
  • Import items/inventory; set categories/departments; set receiving. (alpacarms.org)
  • Connect QuickBooks Online; set account mappings; verify logs. (alpacarms.org)
  • Train cashiers; test sales/returns; confirm EOD and Z-Out reports. (alpacarms.org)
Categories: AlpacaRMS