I would love to see the following features added to Shopify and Shopify POS. Each would make daily operations easier for merchants and their staff. I hope this is the appropriate place to submit feature requests for consideration that developers will actually see. I realize some of these functions are available through paid third-party apps, but merchants should not need an additional paid app for a basic Shopify or POS function.
- Variable-Priced Items with a Fixed Name
Shopify should allow merchants to create a product or POS tile with a fixed name but no set price. When staff select it, they would enter the price for that transaction.
Currently, custom sales require staff to enter both the product name and price every time. This can lead to inconsistent naming, slower checkout and less useful reporting.
For example, a merchant selling products with varying prices could create a fixed POS tile for each product or vendor. Staff could select the appropriate tile, enter the current price and complete the sale.
This would keep product names consistent, improve reporting and make it easier to track sales by product or vendor.
- Inventory Counts Within Shopify POS
Shopify POS should allow staff to scan products into a saved inventory count that can be reviewed before inventory quantities are changed.
Currently, Quick Count immediately adjusts inventory once it is submitted. There is no proper review or approval step if something was missed or double counted. There is also no clear saved record showing exactly what was changed afterward.
Staff should be able to complete and submit a count, and the owner or manager should then see the expected quantity, counted quantity and difference. They could approve the adjustment or correct the count before any inventory changes are made.
This would allow staff to help with inventory counts without giving them the ability to accidentally overwrite official inventory records. It would also be helpful if counts could be paused and completed later, saved for future reference and exported as a report.
- Remote Manager Approval
Shopify should allow an owner or manager to approve restricted Shopify POS actions remotely from their phone.
Currently, manager approval may require the manager to physically enter their PIN on the store’s POS device. This is not practical when the owner or manager is away from the store.
For example, if an employee needs approval for a refund, discount, return-policy override or price change, the manager could receive a notification showing the order and requested action. The manager could approve or decline it through the Shopify app.
The approval should be connected to the transaction and recorded in the activity log.
- Customizable Return, Refund and Restocking Fee Workflows, and POS Permissions
Shopify should allow merchants to customize which return options staff can offer, which actions require approval and when restocking fees apply.
Merchants should be able to:
- Allow staff to process exchanges
- Allow staff to issue store credit
- Make store credit the default return option
- Prevent staff from refunding the original payment method
- Require manager approval before money is refunded
- Apply a restocking fee to refunds
- Waive the restocking fee for exchanges or store credit
- Control who can override return rules
Currently, these actions are not separated clearly enough within Shopify POS permissions. A staff member may need authority to issue a refund simply to process an exchange or store credit. Staff may also need to remember the store’s rules and apply them manually, creating a risk that the return policy will not be followed.
Many stores do not offer refunds and only allow exchanges or store credit. A merchant should be able to reflect that policy directly within Shopify POS.
For example, staff could process an exchange or issue full store credit without approval. A refund to the original payment method could require manager approval and automatically include a 5% restocking fee.
- Item-Specific Return Information on Receipts
Shopify should clearly display each item’s return eligibility on printed and emailed receipts.
This should include:
- The exact return deadline for eligible items
- “Final Sale” beside items that cannot be returned
- Any product-specific return conditions
Currently, receipts may include a general return policy, but they do not always clearly show which items are final sale or the exact date each item must be returned by.
This would give customers a clear record at the time of purchase and make it easier for staff to confirm whether an item is eligible for return.
- Scheduled Product Sale Prices
Shopify should allow merchants to schedule product prices and compare-at prices to change automatically when a sale begins, then return to their original prices when the sale ends.
Currently, merchants must manually change product prices or use discounts. Discounts do not always display the same way as an actual sale price, and manually changing prices creates extra work and the risk of forgetting to change them back.
For example, a merchant could schedule a weekend sale to begin Friday morning and end Sunday night. The sale price would appear online and in Shopify POS during that period, then automatically return to the regular price afterward.
- Discount Preview and Testing Mode
Shopify should provide a private testing mode that allows merchants to test active and scheduled discounts using sample carts before customers can access them.
Currently, it can be difficult to confirm how multiple discounts, exclusions and promotion requirements will work together without temporarily activating them or testing them during a live sale.
A merchant should be able to create a sample cart, choose a customer and location, and see exactly which discounts would apply. Shopify should also explain why a discount did not apply, such as an excluded product or a minimum purchase amount that was not reached.
- Automatic Promotional Items and Bonus Gift Cards
Shopify should automatically add a qualifying free item to the cart once the promotion requirements are met. Merchants should also be able to automatically issue a separate bonus gift card as part of a promotion.
Currently, a customer or staff member may need to manually add the promotional item to the cart. This can cause confusion, missed promotions and extra work at checkout.
For example, a promotion could automatically add a free item when a customer spends $100. Another promotion could issue a separate $10 bonus gift card when a customer purchases $100 in gift cards. The bonus gift card should be tracked separately and could have its own activation or expiry date.
- Better Discount Exclusions
Shopify should allow merchants to include or exclude products from discounts using more detailed conditions.
These conditions should include vendor, product type, tag, collection, sale status, cost, margin or whether another discount is already applied.
Currently, merchants may need to manually create collections or manage long product lists to control which products qualify. This becomes difficult when carrying many brands or products with different discount restrictions.
For example, a store could run a sitewide sale while automatically excluding specific vendors, already discounted products and items below a chosen profit margin.