An electronic cash register provides printing data printed on a recording sheet in the form of a receipt or a journal. The electronic cash register is provided with a single printer to print printing data on a recording sheet to issue a receipt, and memory means for temporarily storing the printing data for a journal inputted with the receipt issuings. The printing data is read out from the memory means by operating a specified key and the read-out data is printed on a recording sheet to thereby issue a journal with the same single printer.

A cash processing method is disclosed for aggregating sales data from cash processing units. Each cash processing unit has a coin counter and bill counter for accepting coins and bills received from sales, sorting the coins, and counting the coins and bills. Each cash processing unit aggregates sales data by "lot", which is a designation for a grouping of data, where the grouping of data may be according to a particular sales department, having at least one cash register, or according to a particular cash register used for processing sales transactions from at least one sales department. The aggregated sales data is identified by identification codes associated with each lot of data. Each cash processing unit collects sales data and aggregates the sales data, identifying it with a particular code number. This data is then sent to one of the cash processing units that has been designated the master unit.

An electronic cash register comprises: a keyboard including a group of entry keys for entering input data representing the price of a merchandise item; a read only memory; a memory section including an entry data memory for temporarily storing the input data, a counter for counting number of the digits of the input data and a totalizer for accumulating the input data; a central processor unit coupled to the keyboard, the read only memory, the digit number counter, and the memory section; and prohibiting means for prohibiting registration of a specific input data with a digit number larger than a predetermined one. The keyboard further includes at least a release key for releasing the registration prohibition for such specific input data and the cash register further includes means for permitting at least one of the specific input data to be registered when the release key is actuated.

An electrical cash register is disclosed, which is provided with a numerical data memory in which sales data input from a keyboard are successively accumulated, and also in which commodity data for different items input from said keyboard are stored when a particular key on the keyboard is operated. When a data transmision key on the keyboard is operated, the sum of sales data and commodity data stored in the numerical data memory are transmitted to an external apparatus. Before commodity data is transmitted, its format requirement (digit number length) is checked and commodity data memory availability for the particular requirement is also checked.

A computer-implemented method for automatically controlling and tracking information related to business transactions occurring between a provider and a receiver of goods. The business transactions are tracked via an electronic system that includes a provider computer, at least one receiver computer and a business controller in electrical communication with the provider computer and the at least one receiver computer. The method includes an initiation step, step of receiving and retrieving the electronic information by the business controller and processing the electronic information to generate updated electronic information. The information is stored and rendered mutually accessible to the provider computer and the at least one receiver computer substantially simultaneously.