Failure of the signature or seal creation unit

Supplementary information can be found in the article "Failure scenarios".

In Austria, the signature or seal creation device is responsible for providing an electronic signature for further processing by the software component of the technical security device. 

The RKSV defines failures in communication between the software and the signature or seal creation device as a "failure of the security device" (cf. § 17 para. 1 RKSV and 3.6. Decree).

This can lead to confusions, as the failure of the actual security device is equivalent to the failure of the cash register. More information on this in the above linked article.

According to § 17 para. 1 of the RKSV (Cash Register Security Ordinance), any "not merely temporary failure [...] of the security device [...] must be reported without unnecessary delay" to the competent tax office or via FinanzOnline (=portal of the Austrian Ministry of Finance).

Although the RKSV refers to the security device, this case concerns scenarios related to the signature or seal creation device:

1. Theft or other loss of the signature or seal creation device or
2. Loss of function of the signature or seal creation device.

The "Decree on the individual recording, cash register and receipt sharing obligation" specifies the provisions of the RKSV (cf. 3.6. Decree):

• According to the decree, a temporary failure of the signature or seal creation unit is assumed if it does not last longer than 48 hours. These are, for example, operational disruptions due to power failure, scheduled maintenance work and other events.
• The decree defines "without unnecessary delay" as within one week at the latest.

Failure report

As described above, such a loss of function of the signature or seal creation device must be reported via FinanzOnline or to the competent tax office.

In addition to failure reports, the (planned) decommissioning of a signature or seal creation device also falls under the reporting obligation.

The RetailForce fiscal solution automatically takes over these reports, provided that you or your customer (the company operating the cash register) uses a paid variant of the service. The reports are submitted centrally to FinanzOnline via the RetailForce Cloud. The RetailForce Cloud is not available in the free "Start Edition" variant.

In order to send the notification of a planned decommissioning of a signature or seal creation unit, this must be triggered in the RetailForce portal.

Cashier operations

Checkout operation (cashier process) can also be continued with a failed signature or seal creation unit.

In addition to the notification, however, the note "Security device failed" must be printed clearly visible on each receipt that is cashed with a failed signature or seal creation device. (cf. § 17 para. 4 RKSV).

This note is reported back to the POS system by the RetailForce Fiskal middleware Fiskal AT in the Fiscal Response in the UserMessage and PrintMessage fields.

After the end of the failure of the signature or seal creation unit, i.e. when it is put back into operation, a so-called "collective receipt" (= receipt with an amount of zero - a so-called "zero receipt") must be created and saved in the data capture log. The creation of the collective receipt is done automatically by Fiscal AT. The collective receipt combines all receipts that were issued during the period of failure of the signature or seal creation device. The collective receipt must document the beginning and the end of the failure, e.g. by indicating the respective receipt numbers. Both information (time and receipt numbers) are included in the FiscalResponse from the Fiscal Middlware to the POS software.

Sources

• Ordinance of the Federal Minister of Finance on the technical details for security devices in cash registers and other measures serving data security (Cash Register Security Ordinance, RKSV): https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/GeltendeFassung.wxe?Abfrage=Bundesnormen&Gesetzesnummer=20009390 
• Decree on the individual recording, cash register and receipt sharing obligation: https://findok.bmf.gv.at/findok?execution=e1s1