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Barcode Variant Picker

Updated

Overview

When a barcode you scan or search matches two or more items, the POS opens a large, touch-friendly popup so you can pick the right item before it rings into the cart.

This happens when you scan a barcode (or type one in and press Search) that is shared by two or more items in the system, for example a single 16oz can and a 6-pack that share a UPC. The popup makes the variants easy to tell apart, gives you a single large button per match, and only adds the item when you tap Add to Cart.

How to Use

  1. From the register, either:
    • Scan a barcode with your hardware scanner, or
    • Type the barcode into the search bar at the top of the register and press Enter (or tap Search).
  2. If the barcode resolves to a single item, it rings in directly with no popup.
  3. If the barcode resolves to two or more items, the Multiple Items Match This Barcode popup appears over the register.
  4. Each match is shown as a large button. The button shows:
    • The item name (large, bold)
    • A short subtitle that helps you tell variants apart (for example "6-Pack", "Single Can", "Beer / Singles", or the item's SKU)
    • The price on the right side
    • For an item tracked in inventory, its stock on hand after the subtitle, for example "Beverages | 22 on hand". The figure is the total across all your locations.
  5. Tap the variant you want. It highlights with a cyan border and a check mark in the top-right corner.
  6. Tap Add to Cart to ring it in. The popup closes and you return to the register.
  7. If you change your mind, tap Cancel to dismiss the popup without ringing anything.

If more than four variants share the barcode, the popup shows the first four and gives you < and > arrows with an "x of y" page counter to step through the rest.

Removing a duplicate item

The popup's footer has three buttons: Cancel, Deactivate and Add to Cart. If one of the items is a duplicate that shouldn't share the barcode, select it and tap Deactivate to stop it ringing up for that barcode. This needs the Scan Create Sales Item permission or an approval, and it never removes the last item for a barcode. When the duplicate's inventory product has no stock at any location and no other sale item or recipe uses it, the product is deactivated too. For the full steps and rules, see the article "Deactivate a Duplicate Item from the Barcode Picker".

Choosing a sort order

You can pick how the variants are ordered in the popup. The sort is a store-wide setting, configured in the Back Office (not on the POS), so every terminal in the same location uses the same order.

To change it:

  1. Log into the Back Office.
  2. Go to Settings > Ordering > Order Entry.
  3. Find Variant Picker Sort Order (in the Items and Modifiers section).
  4. Pick one of:
    • Name (A-Z)
    • Name (Z-A)
    • Price (Low to High) (default)
    • Price (High to Low)
  5. Click Save Settings at the top of the page.

The order you pick takes effect the next time the popup opens on each terminal.

Setting up a shared barcode (Back Office)

For the picker to appear, the same barcode needs to be on more than one item. You set this up in the Back Office:

  1. Log into the Back Office and open the inventory product you want to sell.
  2. In the Barcode Overrides section, add a row for each version you want to offer, each with its own name and price.
  3. Give the version the barcode you want it grouped under, then click Save at the top of the page.

The Back Office accepts a barcode that is already in use by another item, so you can point several items at the same scan code. At the register, scanning that barcode opens the picker so the cashier taps the right one.

You can even give the same barcode to more than one version of the same product. By default, a version cannot use the same barcode as the product's main Sales Item barcode. To allow that, go to General System Settings, find Allow Barcode Override to Match Main Barcode in the Inventory section, set it to Yes, and save. Scanning that barcode at the register then asks the cashier which one to ring up. Setting it back to No stops new matches but leaves any versions you already saved as they are. The same setting applies to the inventory import: with it on, an imported Barcode Override can match the Direct Sale Barcode.

Limitations

  • The popup only appears when you scan a barcode at the register or search a barcode at the register search bar. The popup does NOT appear when you type into the search field inside the Order Functions > Search Items dialog - that dialog shows its standard grid.
  • It also does not appear for name searches that happen to return multiple rows. It is barcode-specific.
  • A variant must be marked active in the back office to show up in the popup.
  • The popup does not change the price, tax, or printer settings on any of the items that share a barcode.
  • Picking a variant adds one of that item to the cart. If you need a larger quantity, use the quantity keypad or multi-select as usual.
  • The sort order is a store-wide setting in the Back Office. Changing it affects every terminal at that location. You need Back Office access to change it.
  • To put the same barcode on more than one item - or on more than one version within a single product - you need Back Office access to the Barcode Overrides for that product. The product main Sales Item barcode stays unique unless Allow Barcode Override to Match Main Barcode is turned on in General System Settings.

FAQ

Q: Can a version use the same barcode as the product itself?

Yes, once Allow Barcode Override to Match Main Barcode is set to Yes in General System Settings. It is off unless you turn it on. When it is on, scanning that barcode shows this picker with both the product and the version, so the cashier picks the right one.

Q: One of my items has the matrix size set ("Single Can", "6-Pack"). Will the popup show that?

Yes. If the item is linked to a matrix size, the size name appears as the subtitle. If not, the popup falls back to Department / Category, then the SKU, then "Option 1", "Option 2", etc., so you always see a visible difference between rows.

Q: I use the Search Items grid to find items by name. Does the popup change that?

No. Order Functions > Search Items keeps its grid. The popup appears only when you scan or search a barcode with several matches.

Q: I scanned a barcode and only one item came up. Will I still see the popup?

No. Single-match barcodes ring in directly.

Q: Can I cancel out of the popup if I scanned something by accident?

Yes. Cancel closes the popup and nothing is added to the cart. You can rescan or use a different lookup method.

Q: Why does the Add to Cart button look greyed out when the popup first opens?

By design - no variant is pre-selected so you can't accidentally tap Add to Cart and ring an item you didn't mean to. Tap a variant first; Add to Cart turns on once you have a selection.