A merchant using Shopify POS for pop-up sales encounters an issue with products that have multiple variants sharing the same barcode. When scanning these barcodes, the POS displays only a truncated product name and small image—showing just the first matching variant—unlike the full variant selection dropdown available when searching by product name.
Confirmed limitation: Shopify POS does not natively support variant selection screens when scanning shared barcodes.
Recommended solutions:
Assign unique barcodes to each variant (Shopify’s preferred method)
Use descriptive SKUs or barcode labels that include variant identifiers (size, color)
Explore custom POS apps or extensions that can trigger variant selection after scanning
Status: The issue remains unresolved within native POS functionality; workarounds require either changing barcode structure or using third-party tools.
Summarized with AI on October 25.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
I have been using Shopify and Shopify POS for over 5 years. My business is primarily an online store, but I also run pop-up sales about five times a year.
I have a number of products where different variants share the same barcode. When I search for a product by name in Shopify POS, I can filter to the correct product through drop down menues. However, when I scan the barcode of the same product, the POS shows only the first few letters of the product name along with a small product image, which is too small for me to identify the correct variant.
Is there any way to get the same variant selection view when scanning a barcode as when searching for the product by name?
Hi @user605 ,
Shopify POS does not show the full variant selection view when scanning a barcode that’s shared across variants. It will only pull up the first product match with a small image. To fix this, you’d need to either:
Assign unique barcodes to each variant (Shopify’s recommended method).
Use a POS app extension or custom app to force a variant selection screen after scanning.
What you’re seeing is a known limitation of Shopify POS. When multiple variants share the same barcode, scanning the barcode only brings up the first matching product, along with a small image and truncated name. Unlike searching by product name, the POS doesn’t natively show a drop-down for all variants.
Here are some ways to solve this:
Assign Unique Barcodes for Each Variant – This is the cleanest solution. Each variant will scan directly to the correct product, eliminating confusion.
Use Descriptive Barcode Labels or SKUs – If creating unique barcodes isn’t feasible, include variant identifiers (size, color) in the barcode or SKU to help differentiate products.
Custom POS Apps or Integrations – Certain Shopify POS add-ons or custom solutions can modify scanning behavior to show all matching variants for selection. This is ideal if you frequently deal with shared barcodes.
Key point: For smooth POS operations, unique barcodes per variant are the most reliable fix.
Key point: For smooth POS operations, unique barcodes per variant are the most reliable fix.