# Frequently asked questions about licensing {% hint style="info" %} If you have a question about licensing that is not answered below, please contact [**documentation@rmhpos.com**](mailto:documentation@rmhpos.com) to request an update to this topic. {% endhint %} ## How many license keys does my customer need? Customers require one unique license key for every licensed RMH app they purchase. The licensed RMH apps are RMH POS, RMH Store Manager, RMH Central Manager, and RMH Central Connector (RMH Central Client). Customers do not need license keys for the administrative apps (RMH Store Administrator and RMH Central Administrator) or the Central Manager communication apps (RMH Central Server and the Flash Bridge). License keys are also not required for the free loyalty apps (RMH Store Loyalty and RMH Central Loyalty). ## How many concurrent seats does my customer need to purchase? The number of concurrent seats that the customer needs to purchase depends on how many instances of the app they need to operate at the same time (concurrently). For example, if the customer is a grocery store that has 10 checkout lanes and 2 customer service terminals, they would need to purchase at least 12 concurrent seats for the RMH POS app if they want to operate the app on all 12 computers at the same time. ## What is the connection between license keys and activations? Each app's license key is assigned a maximum number of activations. The maximum number of activations is equal to the number of concurrent seats the customer purchases for the licensed RMH app plus 5 additional activations. For example, if a customer purchases 12 concurrent seats for RMH POS, they can install and activate the app on a maximum of 17 computers (12+5). ## When you say there are 5 additional activations, is that the same as 5 additional concurrent seats? No, the 5 additional activations are not the same as 5 additional concurrent seats. The 5 additional activations allow the customer to install and activate a licensed RMH app on 5 additional computers as a backup. These 5 additional computers are typically computers where the licensed RMH app is operated infrequently (such as back office, storeroom, or warehouse computers) or secondary computers that can be brought into operation if a primary computer fails. For example, if a customer purchases 12 concurrent seats for RMH POS, they can install and activate the app on a maximum of 17 computers (12+5), but they cannot operate the app on all 17 computers at the same time. They can only operate the app on 12 of the 17 computers at the same time, because they only purchased 12 concurrent seats. ## Why does RMH limit the number of activations? RMH limits the number of activations as a cybersecurity and fraud prevention measure. For example, if a customer purchases 12 concurrent seats for RMH POS and they activate the app on the maximum number of computers (17), if the app license key is stolen or fraudulently obtained it cannot be used to activate the app on any additional computers. ## Is an internet connection required during activation? Yes, when you activate a licensed RMH app, the computer must be connected to the internet so the app can contact the cloud licensing service and verify that the license key is valid, and so the app can create the unique activation signature. ## Is an internet connection required to start a licensed RMH app? Yes, an internet connection is required to start a licensed RMH app, because the app needs to contact the cloud licensing service to verify that the license key in the activation signature is valid, and to check whether the maximum number of activations has been exceeded. The app also checks whether a concurrent seat is available to take from the relevant pool in the cloud. If a seat is available, the app takes the seat from the pool. ## What happens if the internet goes down while a licensed RMH app is in use? When a licensed RMH app is being operated on a computer that loses its connection to the internet, or the cloud licensing service is unavailable, a warning message displays in the app. The app will continue to operate normally without interruption for up to **2 weeks (14 days)**. If the internet connection is restored or the cloud licensing service becomes available within the 2 weeks, the warning message is cleared, the app's seat is renewed, and the app will continue to operate normally. If the internet connection is not restored or the cloud licensing service is still unavailable after 2 weeks, the app shuts down. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.rmhpos.com/installation/licensing/licensing-faq.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.