Products and stock: frequently asked questions
Questions about products without barcodes, changing barcodes, automatic product creation, updating prices and VAT, bulk Excel uploads, stock movements, resetting stock and stock counts.
The most common questions about product cards, barcodes, prices, bulk changes with Excel and stock. For answers that differ by app, choose your app at the top of the page. For the steps to add a product, see How do I add a product?
Product cards and barcodes
How do I save a product that has no barcode (bread, loose products)?
On the "Products › Add & Update Products" page, press New Barcode; BenimPOS generates a unique barcode for the product. Enter the product name and price, then save.
On the product card, press New Barcode, enter the details and save.
The format of the generated barcode (including leading zeros) is set by the system. Add barcode-less products you sell often to a quick product list; if you like, print their labels and scan them. To sell an item that isn't saved, just by its amount, use a miscellaneous amount: Miscellaneous and barcode-less products.
I entered the product's barcode wrong. How do I change it?
On the product card, use Product actions › Change Barcode. This menu is visible when you are logged in as an admin.
Press Change Barcode in the PRODUCT ACTIONS section of the product card; an internet connection is required.
Change barcodes from the web panel or the desktop app.
The product's past activity stays with the new barcode; old receipts show the old barcode.
Can I give one product more than one barcode?
Yes. On the Additional Barcodes tab of the product card (Add. Barcode on mobile), you can link the product's second or old barcode and its case and pack barcodes to the same product. If you enter qty 1, scanning that barcode adds 1 pc; if you enter 24 for a case of 24, scanning the case adds 24 pcs. Stock stays on one card. The same barcode can't be used on two different products or as another product's additional barcode. See Additional barcodes. For size / colour, use a product with variants. There is no feature to merge two product cards: you can update one and delete the other.
I enter the barcode and save, but the product isn't saved or doesn't appear in the list.
A barcode must contain only digits, with no spaces at the start or end. Correct a barcode that has letters or spaces and save again. If the same barcode is already saved on another product, no new product is created; the existing product card opens. If the problem continues, send the product barcode and a screenshot to our WhatsApp support line.
Products I didn't add show up in sales on their own, with a different price. Why?
BenimPOS's product database has more than 3.2 million ready-made products. If Automatic product creation is on, scanning a barcode that isn't in your account but is in the database adds the product to your account with its name and average price. If you only want your own saved products to be recognised, turn the setting off:
Change the setting from the web panel; it applies to your whole account.
The ready-made product list can't be downloaded in bulk or copied to your account; products are added to your account as you scan or add them.
My product prices changed on their own. What could cause this?
- If Automatic price change is on, your price is updated automatically when the product's nationwide price in Turkey changes (e.g. cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol products). You can turn it off on the My Profile › Other Settings tab in the web panel; the setting only affects changes after it was turned on.
- The price may have been changed during a sale with the "update permanently" option.
- The sale price may have been changed by an Excel import or a purchase invoice.
You can see who changed it, from which app and when on the Activity Log page in the user menu of the web panel. For price change notifications: Notifications.
Should I enter prices including VAT? Why does the VAT rate show 0 or the wrong value?
Sale prices (Price 1, Price 2) are entered including VAT; the system doesn't add VAT to a price you entered without VAT. Choose the VAT rate in the VAT field on the product card.
If a product's VAT became 0, it is usually because of a purchase invoice with the VAT field left empty, a purchase invoice imported from Excel, or an automatic purchase invoice created by a stock count. Correct the VAT on the product card and save; you can see which transaction changed it in the stock movement report. Confirm the correct VAT rates with your accountant.
How do I change prices and VAT rates in bulk?
- Bulk increase / discount for a group: use the bulk product update icon on the group's row on the Products › Product Groups page; raise or lower prices by a percentage or an amount, and update the VAT rate too if you like. See Product groups.
- With Excel: on the Products page, download the list with Excel Import / Export › Export, edit the price / VAT columns and upload it back with Import. See Bulk products with Excel.
Bulk price and VAT changes aren't available in the desktop app; make them in the web panel and they reach the desktop app through sync.
Bulk price changes aren't available on mobile; use the web panel.
Price changes don't affect past sales or customer balances.
Can I set a third price (Price 3) for certain customers?
Yes. The product card has Price 3 next to Price 1 and Price 2; you enter it on the Other Details tab of the product card (Details on mobile). You can rename the prices, e.g. "Retail", "Wholesale". If you set the price type on a customer card to Price 2 or Price 3, that customer always gets that price. A product without a Price 3 is sold at Price 1 in a Price 3 sale. For a customer-specific discount, use the Discount rate on the customer card; a separate price for each product per customer isn't available at the moment. See Price 1 / Price 2 / Price 3.
Bulk changes with Excel
How do I upload my products in bulk with Excel? Can I move over from my old software?
Yes. On the Products page, upload a file that follows the BenimPOS template with Excel Import / Export › Import. Just export the stock list from your old software as Excel and move the columns into the template order; there is no direct transfer from one program to another. You can also import customers and suppliers with their balances: Moving from another program.
Excel import / export isn't available in the desktop app; do it in the web panel and the products reach the desktop app through sync.
Excel features aren't available on mobile; use the web panel (in a computer browser).
Bulk Excel import is available on licensed accounts and during the trial; it isn't in the free version. Our team doesn't edit your file, but you can send it to us to check before uploading.
The Excel file won't upload, or products end up in the wrong columns.
- The column order must match the template exactly (A barcode, B product name, C stock, D unit, E Price 1, F VAT, G purchase price…). One shifted column shifts all the data.
- The file must be .xlsx; cells must not contain formulas, "Format as Table" or symbols like #. Paste the values into a new, empty Excel file using "values only".
- The product name (column B) can't be empty; a barcode that appears twice in the file is shown as a duplicate.
- If you include a header row, copy the template's header text exactly into A1 (product barcode) and B1 (product name); otherwise the header is added as a product.
Product images can't be imported with Excel; add them one by one from the product card. Product discounts aren't imported with Excel either.
Stock
My stock looks wrong or has gone negative. How do I find out why?
When a product is sold, its stock goes down automatically; if you sell more than you received, stock goes negative. To see which transaction changed the stock:
On the product card, open Product actions › Stock movement report and move the start date back (e.g. to the year 2000). Sales, returns, purchase invoices, manual stock additions / deductions, counts and transfers are listed with the remaining stock; click a transaction code to open the receipt.
The stock movement report isn't available in the desktop app; check it in the web panel. If desktop and web differ, make sure sync has finished: Sync problems.
On the product card, tap the Last 100 transactions icon at the top right.
Common causes: selling before the purchase invoice is entered, back-dated or future-dated receipts, stock counts, returns and records on the desktop app that haven't synced. See Stock movement report.
Can I stop a product from being sold when it's out of stock?
Yes. With the setting on, an out-of-stock product shows a warning on the sales screen and isn't added to the cart; with it off, the sale goes ahead and the stock goes negative.
It isn't possible to turn off stock deduction on sales.
Why does adding stock from the product card create a purchase invoice?
Every stock increase is recorded as a movement: when you add stock from the product card, a purchase invoice is created in the background and you are asked for the payment type. If you choose Do not affect earnings, the till, profit and supplier balance aren't affected; only the stock and purchase price are updated. These records can't be turned off. Details: Stock entry and critical stock.
I want to reset the stock of all products to zero.
There are two ways: (1) On the Stock Count page, start a new count, press Finish Count without adding any products and tick "Reset the stock of products I didn't count in the selected group". (2) Export the products to Excel, set the stock column to 0, and select only the Stock field when importing.
Resetting stock isn't available in the desktop app; do it in the web panel.
The option to reset uncounted products isn't available on mobile; use the web panel.
These actions can't be undone. Back up your product list by exporting it to Excel first. Product cards aren't deleted; only the stock is reset to zero.
In a stock count, the quantity I enter is added on top of the old stock. Why?
If Add to existing is on in the count, the quantity adds up each time you scan the same product. If you want the quantity you counted to be written as it is, turn this option off when you start the count. See Stock count.
What happens to the stock of products I didn't scan in the count? Can I undo a finished count?
If you don't tick "reset the stock of products I didn't count" when finishing the count, the stock of uncounted products doesn't change. A finished count can't be undone or edited; before finishing, you can delete a wrong count with Cancel (a cancelled count's list doesn't come back either). We recommend not selling the products you're counting while the count is in progress. Stock counts are done in the web and mobile apps, not in the desktop app; several phones can add products to the same count.
I get an error or timeout when finishing a count.
This is usually caused by a brief internet outage or very large count data. Refresh the page, log out and back in, or try again in a different browser. If the problem continues, you can finish the count from the mobile app with Complete count, or message our WhatsApp support line.
Cases, variants and more
Can I sell a product I buy by the case / pack as single items?
Yes, with a sub-product definition ("Products › Sub-Product Definitions" in the web panel). Link the pack to the single product with a multiplier; when you scan the pack in a sale, you choose whether to sell the pack or single items. When you open a pack and start selling single items, enter the number of opened packs with Transfer Stock in the definitions list; the pack's stock goes down and the single item's stock goes up. This transfer isn't done automatically.
Can I set up recipes? (selling a latte deducts milk stock, bills / tables)
No. Deducting raw materials by recipe, composite products and tables / bills aren't available at the moment; only the stock of the product sold goes down.
How do I add a product with variants such as size / colour?
First define the variants (e.g. Size: S, M, L) on the Products › Product Variants page, then create the product with Products › Add Product with Variants. If you add the product before defining variants, the variant list is empty. See Products with variants.
Creating products with variants isn't available in the desktop app; do it in the web panel. When a variant label is scanned during a sale, the Select variant window opens.
Products with variants can't be created on mobile; create them in the web panel. You can sell each variant on mobile with its own barcode.
Products with variants aren't included in the Excel template.
Is there warehouse or shelf location tracking?
There is no separate warehouse / shelf module. For a warehouse you want to keep separate stock for, you can open a branch account and make product transfers between branches (each branch is licensed separately). You can write the shelf location in the stock code field on the product card and find it by searching.
A product I just added doesn't appear in the quick list on the sales screen, or the order is mixed up.
On the product card, choose the list in Show on sales page (SHOW ON SALES SCREEN in the desktop app) and save; set the order with the number in the Quick Product Order field (lower numbers come first). If the setting to block sales when out of stock is on, out-of-stock products may not appear in the list. See Quick product lists.
Can I sell a product saved in kilograms by the gram?
A product is sold in the unit it was saved with. For a product with the unit KG, you can type a decimal quantity (e.g. 0.250) in the quantity field or use a scale. See Selling with a scale.
Can you restore a product I deleted by mistake? How do I delete products in bulk?
A deleted product can't be restored; our team can't restore it either. You can save the product again with the same barcode. Past sales stay in the reports.
To delete a few products, tick the boxes on their left in the Products list and press Delete on the bar at the top; for all products, use My Profile › Delete My Data (with an SMS code). See Deleting data in bulk.
You can delete a single product with Delete Product on the product card; bulk deletion is in the web panel.
You can delete a single product from the product card; bulk deletion is in the web panel.