# How to open a session

> Published: 2026-06-16
> Updated: 2026-07-08
> Category: Run
> Canonical: https://finalpos.com/help/open-a-session

A session is a single trading period at a Station. To open one, get to Station Home — open the Final POS app and sign in on a Native Station, or open the Station's URL on a Virtual Station — then tap Open New Session. Enter your PIN if required, and your opening float if Cash Management is on.

## Key takeaways

- A session is a single trading period at a Station; sales are recorded against an open session.
- On a Native Station, open the Final POS app and sign in; on a Virtual Station, open the Station's URL in a browser and sign in.
- From Station Home, tap Open New Session to start the session.
- If your flow requires a PIN to start a session, enter your PIN when prompted.
- If Cash Management is on, enter your opening cash float before the session opens.

## What is a session?

A session is a single trading period at a Station — usually one shift. Sales are always recorded against an open session, so you open a session at the start of your shift and close it at the end. Opening a session works the same way on a Native Station and a Virtual Station; only how you get to Station Home differs.

## Step 1 — Get to Station Home

**On a Native Station** (the Final POS app on a device): open the **Final POS app** and sign in. The app loads the Station it's bound to, and Station Home appears. (See "How to set up a Native Station.")

**On a Virtual Station** (in a web browser): open the **Station's URL** and sign in. The browser loads that Station and shows Station Home. (See "How to set up a Virtual Station.")

> **Virtual Stations are single-session:** if the Station is already open in another browser, you'll be blocked until that session is closed. Only one session can run a Virtual Station at a time.

## Step 2 — Open the session

1. On **Station Home**, tap **Open New Session**.
2. If your flow requires a PIN to start a session, enter your **PIN** when prompted. (This is set per flow under Run → Your Flows → Station Home → PIN Requirements.)
3. If **Cash Management** is on, enter your **opening cash float** — the cash already in the drawer at the start of the shift. You can also add a note. (You'll only see this step if Cash Management is on for the flow and your role has cash access.)
4. The session opens, the Station shows as **in use**, and you're taken into the flow to start selling. The session is recorded under your name.

If Cash Management is off, the session opens straight away after you tap Open New Session — there's no float step.

## Resuming vs. opening a session

If a session is already open on the Station — for example, after the app was closed, or because a coworker started the shift — Station Home shows **Resume Session** instead of Open New Session. Tap **Resume Session** to go back into the flow and keep selling; you don't open a new one.

## FAQ

**Q: Is opening a session different on a Native vs. Virtual Station?**
A: The session itself opens the same way. The difference is access: a Native Station opens in the Final POS app on its bound device, while a Virtual Station opens from a URL in a browser. A Virtual Station also allows only one session at a time.

**Q: Why am I asked for an opening float?**
A: Because Cash Management is on for your flow. Enter the cash already in the drawer so the till can reconcile at close.

**Q: Why don't I see the opening float step?**
A: Either Cash Management is off for the flow, or your role doesn't have cash access.

**Q: The button says Resume Session, not Open New Session.**
A: A session is already open on this Station. To start fresh, close that session first, then open a new one.

**Q: Do I need a PIN to open a session?**
A: Only if your flow requires a PIN to start a session.