FEATURE REQUEST - allow us to SCAN a barcode or QR code into the DISCOUNT field on POS

Retail & Point of Sale
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Topic summary

Merchants are requesting the ability to scan barcodes or QR codes directly into the POS discount field to apply coupons with negative values.

Current limitation: Shopify POS doesn’t support scanning coupons as items with negative values, unlike previous systems (e.g., QBPOS). Users must manually create and apply discount codes instead.

Key pain points:

  • Manual discount entry is time-consuming and complicates staff training
  • Particularly problematic during high-volume periods like Black Friday
  • Cannot combine automatic item discounts with POS-applied discounts
  • Negative item values are not permitted in the system

Workarounds suggested: Use built-in custom discount function or create discount codes for staff to apply manually at checkout.

Status: Multiple users express frustration that this standard retail feature remains unavailable. One participant recommends contacting Shopify support directly to escalate the feature request to developers. The issue remains unresolved with no official response.

Summarized with AI on October 24. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

We issue various coupons as well as accept certain manufacturer coupons that we know about in advance throughout the year. When we used QBPOS we were able to create and item with a negative value so that when we scanned the coupon it deducted the amount and tracked usage. Yes, I know we can create a discount & track the info, but I already have an unique code (the UPC) & I’d like to be able to SCAN the barcode into the discount field rather then create all kinds of discount codes, etc.

I will say I appreciate the improvements to Shopify POS - just a few more little things like this would make time at the register & staff training more time effective.

10 Likes
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Hi @RUSTICCORNER !

This is a great feature to all merchants. I highly suggest that you reach out directly to Shopify support team so, they forward this feedback to their Shopify developer team. They can check it out and might consider adding this feature in the future.

2 Likes
3

I’ve also set up a forum post asking for this as a feature request. Wait until you reach Black Friday and see what a nightmare that will be. You can’t have discounts set up automatically for some items and then also apply a discount at the POS.

2 Likes
4

Need this! Very surprised it doesn’t exist. That’s a standard thing I’ve done with dozens of retailers as a consumer.

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5

How is this still not a thing? They have spent hours of coding time making everything extremely tiny so no one can see anything on the POS, they have spent hours coding it so they could take away the save cart, but still we can’t scan a simple barcode for a discount or coupon?

6

This is very much needed.

1 Like
7

Shopify help! Please enable us to scan a coupon amount and have it set to a negative value. Why can’t we set negative values to an item? Help!

1 Like
8

You cannot set an item to a negative value in Shopify. The solution is to either use the built-in custom discount function in POS, or create a discount code/coupon system that staff can apply at checkout.