Bug 30940

Summary: Add ability to skip hold fee when placing hold via the staff client
Product: Koha Reporter: Sally <sally.healey>
Component: Hold requestsAssignee: Bugs List <koha-bugs>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact: Testopia <testopia>
Severity: enhancement    
Priority: P5 - low CC: gmcharlt
Version: Main   
Hardware: All   
OS: All   
GIT URL: Change sponsored?: ---
Patch complexity: --- Documentation contact:
Documentation submission: Text to go in the release notes:
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Description Sally 2022-06-10 10:36:10 UTC
We have some patron categories which are charged a hold fee.

The hold fee is applied to the patron's account when they collect the item and check it out.

However, there are occasions when the staff place a hold and agree to waive the hold fee as a goodwill gesture.

At the moment, this happens:

- Staff member offers the patron a free hold
- Staff member puts a note on the patron account
- Item arrives to fill the hold and is checked in
- Patron collects the item and checks it out
- A hold charge is applied
- Patron has to go to the desk to have the charge waived

It gives the impression that the staff forgot to waive the charge - and it can be frustrating for the patron to have to wait in a queue to speak with a staff member to resolve this, whereas the rest of the transaction was self service.

It would be great if we could have a check box on the place hold process, where staff can choose to override the hold charge so that it doesn't generate as a one-off.

For example:

- Staff member places a hold and checks a box to say 'free hold'
- Hold arrives and is collected
- Patron checks the item out
- No hold charge is applied