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Austrian cash register: migration from A-Trust to Fiskaly Sign AT

  • Updated

In this article you will learn how to migrate your Austrian cash register from A-Trust to Fiskaly Sign AT, which steps are required in FinanzOnline and in the software, and which obligations remain after the migration.

Contents

Fast lane

  1. Deactivate existing A-Trust cash registers under Settings / Cash Registers / Cash Registers and decommission them in FinanzOnline.
  2. Create a webservice user in FinanzOnline under Eingaben / Registrierkassen.
  3. Create a new cash register under Settings / Cash Registers / Cash Registers and activate it with Participant ID, User identification and PIN.

What changes

The software is switching the Austrian cash register fiscalisation under the Cash Register Security Regulation (RKSV) from A-Trust to Fiskaly Sign AT. Until now, A-Trust acted as the signature creation unit (SEE) for your receipts. Fiskaly takes over this role. After the one-off setup, most of the FinanzOnline registration runs automatically through the software.

Fiskaly Sign AT is the cloud-based signature creation unit. For every transaction, Fiskaly generates a cryptographic hash and a digital signature in real time, chains each new receipt to the previous one and stores the signed transactions in tamper-proof form in the Fiskaly Cloud (data collection log, DEP). A QR code with the signed transaction data is printed on every receipt. The verifiability of the receipt for your members and for tax audits remains identical.

Topic Before (A-Trust) New (Fiskaly Sign AT)
Signature creation unit (SEE) A-Trust certificate per facility, registered manually in FinanzOnline Fiskaly certificate, provisioned automatically per cash register and registered in FinanzOnline
FinanzOnline webservice user Not required Required once per company
Cash register identification number and AES-256 user key Entered manually in the FinanzOnline portal Reported automatically to FinanzOnline through the webservice
Start receipt Print manually and verify with the BMF Belegcheck app Not required. The start receipt is created and reported to FinanzOnline automatically via the Fiskaly Sign AT API
QR code on receipts Signed by A-Trust Signed by Fiskaly. Verifiability for members and authorities stays identical
Data collection log (DEP) Local storage in the database Tamper-proof storage in the Fiskaly Cloud, export still via the software
Annual, monthly and archive document Triggered, verified and stored manually Created automatically by Fiskaly and provided in the software under Finances / Cash Registers / Cash Register / Exports
Ongoing transmission to FinanzOnline None None. RKSV does not provide for ongoing transaction transmission

Requirements

Before you start the migration, check that the following data is maintained in the software. If any of these is missing, the software blocks the creation of a Fiskaly cash register with a matching error message.

  • Complete facility address under Settings / Master Data.
  • Legal organization unit (operating company) maintained under Settings / Legal Organization Unit.
  • Austrian VAT identification number (UID) stored on the legal organization unit under Taxes / General.
  • Valid FinanzOnline access as administrator or company user, so you can create the webservice user.

Deactivate existing A-Trust cash registers

Your A-Trust certificate has a fixed expiry date. You find it in the software under Settings / Cash Registers / Certificate. Two technical thresholds matter:

  • 30 days before expiry: from this point the software no longer attaches new cash registers to the existing A-Trust certificate.
  • 2 days before expiry: cash registers that are still attached to the expiring certificate are deactivated by the system automatically.

Recommendation: start the migration at the latest 30 days before the A-Trust certificate expires.

Deactivate cash registers in the software:

  1. Navigate to Settings / Cash Registers / Cash Registers.
  2. Select the cash register you want to deactivate.
  3. Click Deactivate cash register.
  4. The software automatically creates a closing document (zero receipt of 0.00 euro with a final signature). Print the closing document and keep it as proof of proper decommissioning.
  5. Repeat for every cash register attached to the A-Trust certificate.

Alternative: Under Settings / Cash Registers / Certificate / Deactivate you can deactivate the entire A-Trust certificate in one step. The software then deactivates all attached cash registers, creates a closing document for each one and provides the PDFs for download.

Report the decommissioning to FinanzOnline: The decommissioning must additionally be reported to FinanzOnline. Per BMF rule, a final decommissioning must be reported within one week.

Decommission cash registers:

  1. Log in to FinanzOnline.
  2. Go to Eingaben / Registrierkassen / Liste aller Registrierkassen.
  3. Click the Kassenidentifikationsnummer of the cash register you decommissioned.
  4. Click Ausfall oder Außerbetriebnahme melden.
  5. Choose the reason Außerbetriebnahme (endgültig), enter a reason (for example „Wechsel des Kassensystems") and the date and time of the deactivation.
  6. Click Absenden.

Decommission the signature creation unit (A-Trust SEE):

  1. Go to Eingaben / Registrierkassen / Liste aller Signaturerstellungseinheiten.
  2. Click the serial number of your A-Trust certificate.
  3. Click Ausfall oder Außerbetriebnahme melden and choose Außerbetriebnahme.
  4. Enter the date and time and click Absenden.

Only once all cash registers and the associated SEE are reported in FinanzOnline as decommissioned is the old registration cleanly closed.

Create a webservice user in FinanzOnline

For the software to register cash registers automatically through the registrierkassen webservice, you need a dedicated webservice user. You create this user once per company. All cash registers of your company use the same user.

Option A: through the „Registrierkassen" function (recommended)

  1. Log in to FinanzOnline.
  2. Navigate to Eingaben / Registrierkassen.
  3. Choose Anlegen eines Benutzers für Registrierkassen-Webservice.
  4. Fill in the mandatory fields:
    • Benutzer-Identifikation (User identification): 8 to 12 characters, at least one letter and one digit, no umlauts or special characters.
    • PIN: 8 to 128 characters, at least one letter and one digit. Allowed special characters: !#$%*+,-./:;=?@\_()[]{}|~
    • PIN-Wiederholung: confirm the PIN.
  5. Click Anlegen.

Option B: through the user management

Alternatively, create the user under Administration / Benutzerverwaltung and choose the user type Registrierkassen-Webservice.

Note for tax advisors and authorised representatives: Your tax advisor can create the webservice user on your behalf, regardless of whether you are a FinanzOnline participant yourself. The function is available under Eingaben / Registrierkassen for the respective client.

Note the following three values, which you enter in the next step in the software:

  • Participant ID (Teilnehmer-ID): The participant number that FinanzOnline assigned to your company. You find it after logging in to FinanzOnline in your profile.
  • User identification (Benutzerkennung): The user identification you chose for the webservice user in this step.
  • PIN: The password you chose for the webservice user in this step.

This webservice user can only be used for the registrierkassen webservice, not for the regular FinanzOnline login.

Create and activate a new cash register

With the FinanzOnline credentials from the previous step you can now create a new cash register and activate it in two phases: create and activate.

Create the cash register:

  1. Navigate to Settings / Cash Registers / Cash Registers.
  2. Click Create cash register.
  3. Enter a name (for example „Reception" or „Counter") and choose a receipt printer if needed.
  4. Click Save. The cash register is shown with the status Created and is not yet ready for use.

Activate the cash register:

  1. Select the newly created cash register and click Activate.
  2. Enter the FinanzOnline credentials in the activation dialog:
    • Participant ID
    • User identification
    • PIN
  3. Click Activate.
  4. The software checks the connection to FinanzOnline, registers the cash register with Fiskaly and reports it to FinanzOnline automatically. The cash register then moves to the status Active and is ready for use immediately.

Activate cash register dialog with the fields cash register name, Participant ID, User identification and PIN

The FinanzOnline authentication applies per facility (organization unit). For the first cash register of a facility you enter the credentials once, every additional cash register in the same facility is activated without re-entering them.

What happens in the background:

  1. Your organization is created at Fiskaly (idempotent, so only effective the first time).
  2. The cash register is registered at Fiskaly, including the assignment of a signature creation unit.
  3. The cash register identification number and the AES-256 user key are reported to FinanzOnline through the registrierkassen webservice.
  4. The start receipt is created and reported to FinanzOnline automatically via the Fiskaly Sign AT API.
  5. The cash register status changes to Active.

You no longer need to enter the cash register identification number or the user key manually in the FinanzOnline portal, and you no longer need to print a start receipt or verify it with the BMF Belegcheck app. The software handles this for you.

Error messages during activation:

Error Resolution
Facility address missing Add the address under Settings / Master Data.
Legal organization unit missing Create the legal organization unit under Settings / Legal Organization Unit.
VAT identification number missing Store the Austrian VAT ID on the legal organization unit under Taxes / General.
FinanzOnline authentication failed Check Participant ID, User identification and PIN. Typos in the PIN are the most common cause.
Cash register service unavailable The Fiskaly service is temporarily unreachable. Try again after a short wait.

Annual receipt and DEP export

After the migration, two recurring obligations under RKSV remain. Both run largely automatically.

Annual receipt and other periodic documents: Every year on December 31, every active cash register must have an annual receipt. The annual receipt is a zero receipt that confirms the integrity of your receipt chain. For Fiskaly cash registers, Fiskaly creates the annual receipt as well as further periodic documents (monthly and archive document) automatically. The software fetches these documents and stores them for you in tamper-proof form.

  • You find the created documents under Finances / Cash Registers / Cash Register / Exports for download. The display is being rolled out. Once it is available on your tenant, every periodic document is shown there.
  • You no longer need to create a receipt manually or verify it with the BMF Belegcheck app. A check via the app is still possible at any time but no longer required.
  • Keep the downloaded annual receipt as part of your cash register documentation.

DEP export on request: The data collection log (DEP) contains every signed transaction of a cash register in a tamper-proof chain. You do not need to transmit the DEP continuously, but it must be exportable at any time on request, for example during a tax audit.

  • For Fiskaly cash registers the DEP is stored in tamper-proof form in the Fiskaly Cloud.
  • You start the export in the software under Settings / Cash Registers / DEP Export with the desired date range.
  • The DEP is provided in the legally required format.

An ongoing transmission of your transaction data to FinanzOnline happens neither with A-Trust nor with Fiskaly. The tax administration reviews your cash register through annual receipts and, if needed, the DEP export.

FAQ

Do I still need an A-Trust certificate after the migration?

No. The signature creation unit is provided by Fiskaly and registered automatically with FinanzOnline. A separate A-Trust certificate is no longer required. Existing A-Trust certificates remain valid until they expire or until you deactivate them manually. After the migration, new A-Trust certificates can no longer be created in the software.

Do I need a separate webservice user in FinanzOnline for every cash register?

No. One webservice user per company is enough. All cash registers of your company use the same webservice connection. In the activation dialog you only enter Participant ID, User identification and PIN once per facility.

What happens if my A-Trust certificate expires before I have completed the migration?

30 days before expiry, the software no longer attaches new cash registers to the existing A-Trust certificate. 2 days before expiry, any remaining cash registers are deactivated by the system automatically. Receipts created after the certificate has expired carry the note „Sicherheitseinrichtung ausgefallen". Plan the migration in good time.

Do I have to decommission my existing cash registers manually in FinanzOnline?

Yes. The decommissioning of the old cash registers and the A-Trust SEE has to be reported to FinanzOnline by you. The software only handles the internal deactivation and the creation of the closing documents.

Can I reactivate a deactivated cash register?

No. A deactivated cash register cannot be reactivated. Create a new cash register instead. Through the Fiskaly process this only takes a few clicks.

Can A-Trust cash registers and Fiskaly cash registers run in parallel?

Yes, temporarily. During the migration a facility can run both existing A-Trust cash registers (with an active certificate) and new Fiskaly cash registers at the same time. The software signs each cash register through the provider it is bound to. Once the A-Trust certificate enters the 30-day expiry window, only Fiskaly creations are possible.

Do I need to print a start receipt manually or verify it with the BMF Belegcheck app?

No. For Fiskaly cash registers the start receipt is created and reported to FinanzOnline automatically via the Fiskaly Sign AT API. Once activation is complete, the cash register moves directly to status Active and is ready for use.

Does anything change for the daily cash closing?

No. The daily cash closing works as usual.

Do I have to transmit my transaction data to FinanzOnline regularly?

No. Austria has no ongoing transaction transmission. The tax administration reviews your cash register through annual receipts and, if needed, the DEP export.

Who do I contact for support?

Reach out to support through the usual ticket system or your customer success contact.

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