How to Set Up a Visual Checkout Station – Mashgin Support Articles

📋 Overview

A Visual Checkout Station displays a grid of tappable item photos on the kiosk screen. It's the right choice when the kiosk camera can't reliably identify an item by scanning — think deli counters, made-to-order stations, or any item sold without a barcode.

When to set one up:

You're adding a deli, hot foods, or made-to-order counter to a Mashgin kiosk

You have items without barcodes that need to ring up manually

You want to offer a curated tap-to-select experience for a specific category of items

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New to Creator or stations? See What is Creator? and What are Stations? before starting.

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Before you publish: Every item on the station needs a clear photo. A tile with no image will confuse customers. Complete the photo step before going live — see How to Add Photo to Visual Checkout Station Item.

📋 How to Set Up a Visual Checkout Station

Step 1. Navigate to Creator

Go to creator.mashgin.com and log in

Confirm you're in the correct location at the top of the screen

Step 2. Create a new station

In the left sidebar, click Stations

Click + Add Station (or the + icon at the top of the stations list)

In the station type selector, choose Visual Checkout

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If you don't see a Visual Checkout option in the type list, contact Mashgin Support — this station type may need to be enabled for your account.

Step 3. Configure the station details

Enter a Name for the station (e.g. "Deli Counter", "Hot Foods") — this is what staff see in Creator, not what appears on the kiosk

Set Visible On — leave this set to All unless you need to restrict the station to specific kiosks

Set Status to Active to make the station live

Click Save

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Setting Status to Inactive hides the station from the kiosk entirely. Use this while you're still building out the item list and photos — flip it to Active only when the station is ready.

Step 4. Add Categories to the station

With the station open, click ➕ in the top-left corner.

Enter the Name. This is not visible so “Visual Station” can be used.

Save the new Category

Step 5. Add items to the station

With the station open, click + Add Item (or the add button inside the station grid)

Search for or browse to the items you want on this station

Select each item — it will appear as a tile in the station grid

Press Create to add the items to the station.

Repeat until all items are added

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Items must already exist in your menu before you can add them to a station. If an item isn't showing up in search, create it in the menu first.

Step 5. Add photos to each item

For each item tile in the station grid, click the item and upload a photo

Use a clear, well-lit JPG or PNG — square photos with a plain background work best

Save after each photo upload

For detailed steps on uploading photos, see How to Add Photo to Visual Checkout Station Item.

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Don't skip this step. A tile with no photo will show a blank or broken image on the kiosk — customers won't know what to tap.

Step 6. Verify on the kiosk

Wait 1–2 minutes — Creator syncs to the kiosk automatically

Walk up to the kiosk and confirm the Visual Checkout Station grid appears with all items and photos

Tap a few tiles and confirm the correct items ring up

If the station isn't showing, enter Manage Mode on the kiosk and press Sync DB to force a refresh

💡 Tips

Build the station with Status = Inactive first. Add all your items and photos before flipping it Active — customers won't see an incomplete grid.

Keep item names short. Long item names can truncate on the kiosk tile. Test how they look on-screen before going live.

Use consistent photo framing. Shoot every item from the same angle (typically top-down or straight-on) so the grid looks uniform.

Limit tile count per station. Very large grids (20+ items) can be hard to navigate on a kiosk touchscreen. Consider splitting into multiple stations by category if needed.

Test with a real transaction before announcing the station is live — confirm price, item name, and receipt all look right.

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Visual Checkout Station doesn't appear on the kiosk

Issue: You saved the station in Creator but it's not showing on the kiosk screen.

Fix:

Confirm the station's Status is set to Active — an Inactive station is hidden from the kiosk

Confirm Visible On is set to All (or includes the specific kiosk you're checking)

Wait 1–2 minutes for the automatic sync, then check again

On the kiosk, enter Manage Mode → Sync DB to force a refresh

Confirm you're checking the correct location — changes made to one location don't affect others

Items appear on the station but photos are missing

Issue: The station grid shows tiles but some or all items have no photo.

Fix:

In Creator, open the station and click each item missing a photo

Upload a JPG or PNG for each — see How to Add Photo to Visual Checkout Station Item

Save and wait for the sync

Station type "Visual Checkout" not available

Issue: You don't see a Visual Checkout option when creating a new station.

Fix:

This station type may not be enabled on your account

Contact Mashgin Support at help@mashgin.com or (855) 475-0889 to have it enabled

🔗 Related Articles

What are Stations? — overview of how stations work in Creator

How to Add Items to Stations — add more items after initial setup

How to Add Photo to Visual Checkout Station Item — upload or replace item photos

How to Remove Items from a Visual Checkout Station — take items off the grid without deleting them

What is Creator? — Creator overview

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Need help? Contact support at 📧 help@mashgin.com or call (855) 475-0889