When searching for a specific product variant using its specific barcode or SKU, the Shopify POS system does not show me the exact product variant, instead it shows me the main product only, and I have to manually select the variant that I want.
This is an issue because:
It takes a lot of time at the shop having to manually select each variant when customers are checking out
Leads potentially to too many human errors by staff accidently clicking the wrong variant
I tested the barcode / SKU scanning function in 4 areas of the platform and the results are so mind boggling I find it hard to believe I am the only one experiencing this. Surely, this simple feature should be a basic requirement for any E-Commerce / POS system?
I mean, the platform behaves completely differently based on if you’re scanning a barcode or an SKU. Secondly, the different areas on Shopify where you can search for a product all behave differently. Let me illustrate:
Platform
Scanning SKU
Scanning Barcode
POS Camera Scan
X Says product not recognized
âś“ Shows Product + Specific Variant
POS Product Search
X Shows Product but no variant
X Shows Product but no variant
Shopify Product Search
X Shows Product but no variant
X Shows Product but no variant
Shopify Draft Orders
âś“ Shows Product + Specific Variant
X Shows Product + All Variants
For illustration purposes, I will use an item called “A10 Leather Girth” which has 3 Variants. The details are as below.
Variant
SKU
Barcode
145 cm
PRE000000044
726367442443
140 cm
PRE000000045
726367442450
130 cm
PRE000000046
726367442467
Here are the 4 different case scenarios I test
Case 1: On the POS System using a barcode scanner and also manually writing the barcode/sku
When I search for the variant SKU or Barcode it only shows me the main product but NOT the variant.
Am I missing something here our does this system seem completely broken? Does anybody have a solution for this? I mean it would make sense if the simple barcode/sku scanning function worked consistently the same throughout the platform.
Hi Ken!
Thanks for this recommendation! I just checked it out and installed it. Is the App something that is integrated into Shopify, or do you have to open a separate browser window to scan and use?
We have the same problem. Support says there was a programming change and suggests using a two part process of entering sku/upc, etc, then filtering - this is of course a labor and time adding process versus what used to work. Maybe one day, programmers will be forced to gain some user insight before making these detrimental changes that damage functionality.
Thank you for putting this information together Xebu13 - I am experiencing the same issue.
I am helping a client connect a scanner to their POS device. When scanning a particular variant (example Hoodie, 3XL) it will only bring up the parent variant, then I have to manually drill down to the variant, however, when I use POS device camera (ipad or iphone), it scans perfectly to the variant.
Does not work = Bluetooth scanner connected to POS, when scanning variant barcode, it only brings up the parent product SKU, not the product variant.
Works = scanning with the POS devices camera allows me to scan to the variant level. Problem is, it has a wide field and often scans the wrong barcode (we use scan cheat sheets with all the barcodes for warehouse orders)
Dear Shopify UX team,
Please fix this issue - scanning devices should have the ability to scan down to the product variant SKU via barcode, not just to the parent level SKU.
i have the same issue with barcode scanning which forces me to pick the exact variant when there is already a barcode for the exact variant. Manually narrowing down to the variant is time consuming and promotes human error, defeats the purpose of having barcode/scanner/speedy checkout.
Shopify, fix this.
This shouldn’t be a feature for app developers to milk us users on a monthly basis.
This is basic scanning functionality for a POS. Scanning the barcode should bring up the variant! Having to manually select the variant is time consuming and error prone. Any idea when this will be fixed?
good news! Latest update for the POS using iPad, barcode scanning using the device camera brings up the product variant itself, BRAVO shopify.
unfortunately, barcode scanning using the barcode scanner, doesn’t bring up the exact variant, still needs to choose the variant manually with additional steps.
also, once the barcode scanner is connected to the ipad while scanning barcode, the keyboard disappears without the ability to bring it up again for a manual keyword search. the barcode scanner needs to be disconnected in order to be able to bring up the keyboard again.
I have the exact same experience - what is particularly annoying is the fact that it locks the keypad and you have to disconnect it to launch again. Scanning is integral to POS - I cannot understand how this software is released without testing with their recommended (expensive) scanners!
I agree. So good to see this post as I thought I must have set up the system incorrectly. I bought the bar code scanner to avoid human error when checking out an item. What’s the point in having it if doesn’t find the exact item? I don’t think you can add a bar code to the product on the App either which is really annoying and I have a really hard time switching the scanner between using it on the ipad and my lap top or from app to website (haven’t figured out where the problem lies yet!).
Shopify needs to up their game. This is a really basic functionality. We have variant barcode so that we can find the variants through the barcodes.
Even when creating transfers on the website. If you put the barcode it returns a list of all the variants in the product instead of the specific variant.
