Item categories help you organize your POS products and are essential for accurate reporting. Before you can add any products to sell, you need to create at least one category.
Why Item Categories Matter
Categories serve two important purposes:
Organization - Group similar items together (Food & Beverage, Classes, Pro Shop, etc.)
Reporting - Sales reports break down revenue by category, making accounting easier
Important: Items without a category assigned will not display correctly on reports, so don't skip this step.
How to Create Item Categories
Log in to your Member Splash dashboard
Navigate to Products > Point of Sale > Item Categories
Click Add New Category (or similar button)
Enter a descriptive category name
Save your changes
Your new category will now appear in the dropdown when you create products.
Recommended Category Examples
Choose categories that match how your club operates and how you want to track revenue:
For Swim Clubs:
Food & Beverage
Swim Lessons
Merchandise
Pool Rentals
For Tennis Clubs:
Pro Shop
Court Fees
Tennis Lessons
Tournaments
Food & Beverage
For HOAs:
Amenity Rentals
Classes & Programs
Merchandise
Services
Best Practices
Keep it simple - Use 3-7 categories that align with how your treasurer tracks revenue
Be consistent - Use the same category names year over year for easier comparison
Think about reporting - Categories appear on your Sales Details report, so name them how you want to see them in financial reports
Match your fee types - If you already use fee types for memberships or other charges, consider using similar category names for consistency
Managing Your Categories
Editing a Category
Navigate to Products > Point of Sale > Item Categories, find the category you want to change, and update the name.
Deleting a Category
You can only delete categories that have no products assigned to them. If you need to retire a category, first reassign all products to a different category.
What Happens If I Don't Use Categories?
If you add products without assigning them to a category:
The products will still appear in the POS system for ordering
Orders can still be placed and invoiced
However, these items will not display properly on your Sales Summary or Sales Details report, making reconciliation and accounting difficult
Bottom line: Always assign a category to every product.
Next Steps
Now that you've created your categories, you're ready to add products:
→ Adding Products and Items to Point of Sale