An eligibility rule caps how much of a specific item a client can claim, regardless of how many points they have. Points answer "can they afford it." An eligibility rule answers "are they allowed it."
A rule like "one car seat per client per year" blocks a second car seat this year even for a client with a full points balance. The checkout is blocked at the register, not flagged for cleanup later.
Each eligibility rule applies to one inventory item and sets:
• Maximum quantity allowed within the window. A max of 0 means the item is never allowed for that scope.
• Window type: lifetime (counts every past claim), calendar year (resets every January 1), or rolling days (a sliding window, for example the last 180 days).
• Rolling day count, required only when the window type is rolling days.
• Center and program scope, both optional. Leave either blank to apply the rule everywhere or regardless of program enrollment. Scoping narrows a rule, it does not add to it.
• Active from / active through dates, for rules that should only apply during a specific period. Leave blank for an open-ended rule.
• Active toggle, to turn a rule on or off without deleting it.
• Explanation, the plain-language reason staff see and can read to a client when the rule blocks a claim, for example "One car seat per family per year, per our supply agreement."
CoolFocus checks every applicable rule both when a cart is quoted and again when the checkout commits, so a rule can't be satisfied at quote time and then bypassed by a delay before commit.
The count behind a cap only includes completed, non-voided claims. Voiding a claim removes it from the client's usage immediately, freeing up the cap for a future claim.
If a claim would breach a cap, the checkout is blocked with the rule's explanation plus the client's usage numbers, for example "2 of 2 already provided this calendar year." Staff never see a bare "not allowed" message.
A regular boutique operator cannot get past an eligibility cap. Only a supervisor can approve an exception, the same PIN-based approval used for points overdraws. See Boutique Operators: PINs and Supervisor Approval for how operators and supervisors sign in.
A supervisor's approval is bound to the exact cart it was given for. If the cart changes afterward (a line is added, removed, or its quantity changes), the approval no longer applies and the operator needs a fresh one from a supervisor. This stops one approval for a small cart from being reused on a larger one.
An approval also requires a reason from the supervisor. Both the reason and the rule that was overridden are saved on the completed claim for audit and reporting, so a past decision can always be reviewed on its own terms, even if the rule is edited or the item is renamed later.
• Claiming Items With Points
• Boutique Operators: PINs and Supervisor Approval
• Points & Inventory Overview
• Inventory Tracking
