Getting Started with AI

Getting Started with AI

Retailer integrates with 3 different AI engines: OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and as of Retailer 3.4.4, Anthropic's Claude. These integrations enable a number of features: you can get AI to write product descriptions for a website, write blog posts, suggest pricing based on online sales data, arrive invoices from PDF documents, provide report summaries (also for End of Shifts).
NOTE: These integrations require an account with either OpenAI, Google Gemini or Anthropic. Instructions for signup are included below.
WarningRetailer 3.4 and later cannot be installed on Windows 7. See HERE

Activating the AI Tools Module

To use the AI Integrations, the AI Tools module must be enabled. To check this:
  1. On the top menu bar of Retailer, click on Help → Register.
  2. Confirm that AI Tools is ticked. If it isn't, follow the steps below:
Notes
The Retailer AI integrations are only available to the Advanced or Ultimate Software Rental plans.
You can check your current plan on our Billing page. Log in and look under 'Current Subscriptions'.
If the plan is called 'Retailer Software Rental Standard', you will need to contact accounts@towersystems.com.au to request an upgrade to the Advanced Plan.
If the plan is called 'Support Plan...' followed by a colour, you have Legacy Support and will need to Switch to Rental to use the AI features.

Choosing an AI provider

This is a question we get a bit since within Retailer, you get to choose. The options are ChatGPT from OpenAI, Gemini from Google and Claude from Anthropic. 

Switching models is easy, so you don't have to lock in your choice as long term.

The AI model best for you will depend on the broader range of work you'd use it for. We suggest you doing your own research to consider other areas of your business and life where AI might be of use. For example, Gemini hooks in nicely with Gmail and Google Workspace.

For some folk, they love Claude because of it's name and more personable 'nature'.

If you are new to AI and are not sure where to start, we suggest you go with Gemini from Google. Go with pay by the month for 2 months ($6.49 / month as of April 2026). For the geeks: Gemini currently offers the largest context window.

You could also experiment. Open free accounts with each, run some reports from the software, save each as a PDF, load them to each AI model and use this prompt: What do you think? In my experience working small business retailers, the results will startle.

The issue with a free AI account is that it can hit what's called a token limit. Tokens are how you pay for the work the AI does.

When choosing an AI provider, you should also consider if you want to send the AI and their provider, information about your request or business to help it learn. Generally, the free AI models will use your information to help the AI learn and grow, while the paid AI models will give you the option for opting in/out of giving the AI information to learn.  So be aware that if you choose to share information with the AI provider your information may be available in the public domain.  

Getting Started with OpenAI's ChatGPT

Access to OpenAI's ChatGPT requires purchasing credit on their Billing page.
WarningAlert: Retailer requires the OpenAI API access. This is a separate billing process to a ChatGPT (Plus or Pro) subscription which is not required
  1. Click HERE, then click the Sign Up button.
  2. Follow the prompts to create an account. This will require verification with both an email address and a mobile phone number.
  3. Once you have created an account and logged in, it should take you to the API keys page. If not, click HERE.
  4. Click Create Secret API key. Copy the code here by clicking the green button at the end of the code. Note that this is your one chance to copy this code, if you make a mistake you will need to generate another key,
  5. From the main menu in Retailer, go to Setup → API Connection
  6. Scroll down the list here until you find OpenAI.
  7. Click OpenAI, then paste the code you copied into the 'API Key' field. Click Save.
  8. Close & re-open Retailer.
NotesOpenAI requires you to pre-purchase Credit. You can check your OpenAI Credit on their Billing page HERE
You can check your OpenAI Usage HERE
OpenAI have a Limit on the number of requests you can make per minute and per day. You can check your account limits HERE. They also have a guide on Rate Limits.
Interruptions to OpenAI services will be published on their Status Page HERE

Getting Started with Google's Gemini

Google Gemini does offer a free account, so you can certainly try it out that way. However, we recommend using a paid account for a more reliable experience.

Warning
Alert: If wanting to upgrade Gemini to the paid version, Retailer requires paid API access. This is a separate billing process to a Gemini (Pro or Ultra) subscription which is not required.
  1. Click HERE, then sign in with your Google account. You will need to create one if you do not have one already.
  2. Click 'Create API Key'. If prompted to select a project, do so from the drop down box.
  3. Click 'Copy' to copy the API key
  4. From the main menu in Retailer, go to Setup → API Connection
  5. Scroll down the list here until you find Gemini.
  6. Click Gemini, then paste the code you copied into the 'API Key' field. Click Save
  7. Close & re-open Retailer.
NotesInterruptions to Google Gemini API services will be published on their Status Page HERE

Getting Started with Anthropic's Claude

When signing up to Anthropic's Claude, you will be given $5 of free credit as a trial. Further usage beyond that point will require you to purchase credit. While using the initial free trial, it will not be possible to analyse larger invoices (5+ pages), as you will exceed Anthropic's uses-per-minute limit. This limit will not apply once you have purchased credit.
Warning
Alert: If wanting to use Claude, you will need to purchase API credits. This is a separate billing process to a Claude Plan (subscription) which is not required.
  1. Click HERE, then create an account via your email or Google account. It will only require a valid email address and a name.
  2. When prompted, make choose 'Individual' rather than 'Organisation'.
  3. After creating an account, you should be taken to the Dashboard. If not, click HERE
  4. Click Get API Key
  5. Enter a name for the key - 'Retailer' for example. Leave the workspace selection as 'Default' and click Add Key / Create Key
  6. Click 'Copy' in the top-right of the light blue box containing your API Key. You can now close this window.
  7. From the main menu in Retailer, go to Setup → API Connection
  8. Scroll down the list here until you find Anthropic.
  9. Click Anthropic, then paste the code you copied into the 'API Key' field. Click Save
  10. Close & re-open Retailer
NotesInterruptions to Anthropic's Claude API services will be published on their Status Page HERE

Settings

For each AI-based feature in Retailer, you will need to choose an AI Provider and then select a model. Some models are better than others at certain tasks, some may be unsuited entirely, and each model has different costs associated with it for each use.
Typically, newer models will give better responses, while older models will be cheaper to use. We have recommendations on which models to use on each AI feature's own article (see the links below), along with info on the other settings you can alter.

To select an AI model:
  1. Ensure you have entered an API key for either OpenAI, Gemini or Anthropic in API Connections and restarted Retailer
  2. From the Main Screen of Retailer, click Setup → AI
    If the option is greyed out, check the API Connection steps have been completed and restart Retailer.
  3. Read the Terms of Use. Click Yes to agree
  4. A list of Prompt Types will appear for each AI-based feature in Retailer
    Note: Previous Versions of Retailer had a tab for each AI-based feature. You should Update Retailer if your AI Settings screen still shows tabs
  5. Next to each Prompt Type, select a Provider then select a Model. Set Structure Response and Temp (Temperature) as required
    Note: See the specific article for each AI feature below for recommended settings
  6. Once finished, click Save and then Close

Next Steps

See the specific article for the AI feature(s) you wish to use:

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