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Barcodes

Every item can carry one or more barcodes, so scanning a product at the register rings the right item. To manage the barcodes on a single item, use the item's own Barcodes tab — see Item Barcodes.

Where new barcodes come from

Barcodes accumulate in the system from a few places:

  • The item page. Staff add codes on an item's Barcodes tab — see Item Barcodes.
  • The register. When a scanned code isn't recognized and the cashier then rings the item another way, the register can offer to save that code as a barcode for the item (see "Add a barcode at the register" below).
  • Imports. Barcodes can arrive in bulk through inventory imports, for example during onboarding or a vendor catalog load.

Add a barcode at the register when a scan isn't recognized

When a cashier scans a code the system doesn't know, the register shows INVALID PLU. If the cashier then rings the item another way (by typing its PLU or finding it with item search), the register offers to attach the unrecognized code to that item:

  1. Scan the product. The register shows INVALID PLU because the code isn't in the system yet.
  2. Ring the item another way — type its PLU or use item search.
  3. The register asks: "Code 812345678901 was previously entered. Add it to this item?" and shows the item's PLU and description.
  4. Confirm. The register shows Barcode Added! — "The barcode 812345678901 was added for ..." — with an Undo button in case it was a mistake.

From then on, scanning that code rings the item directly.

Requirements and configuration:

  • The signed-in employee must have the Edit Inventory permission.
  • The unrecognized code must be at least 6 characters long.
  • By default the register asks with a simple OK/Cancel confirmation. VMX can change this behavior for you — either requiring the word "yes" to be typed (to prevent accidental adds) or turning the prompt off entirely. Contact help@vmxllc.com.

Barcodes added this way record the employee who added them, so additions can be audited later.

Export all barcodes to CSV

To download a spreadsheet of every barcode in the system, open the Reports page and choose Barcodes (CSV) under the Inventory report group. The file (barcodes.csv) has one row per barcode with these columns:

  • Department and Sub. Department — where the item lives.
  • PLU and Description — the item the barcode belongs to.
  • Barcode — the code itself.
  • Primary — 1 if the barcode is marked as the item's primary barcode.
  • Retail Price — the item's unit price.
  • Added — when the barcode was created.
  • Added By (ID) and Added By (Name) — the employee who added it.
  • Archived — 1 if the item is neither sellable nor orderable.

This export is useful for auditing barcode coverage, sharing codes with a vendor, or preparing data for label printing.