How do I alphabetize the bar code pop-up screen?

[Danelle]

We use broad self-generated bar codes for product categories and therefore have a pop-up list for each bar code with a list of products from which we can select. With the recent Square update, these lists are no longer alphabetized and harder/slower/clunky to use. Can I alphabetize them myself? Thank you!

[BernadetteA]

Hi @Danelle Welcome to the Community! 😊

I'm not quite sure I understand the question. Can you post an image or screenshot of the screen you are viewing so we can get a better idea of what you are trying to do? Thanks in advance! 

[Danelle]

[Candlestore]

@Danelle ,

The reason you have this is because you are using the same SKU for Multiple Items.  Change your SKU to match the Item. Meaning:

"green cabbage 1lb",  "Green Cabbage 2lb",  "Romain Head", "Bok Choi" and "Red Cabbage" for SKU instead of "heads-1f"   

Also try to keep the SKU to the same length for characters, this will keep your barcode the same length, the more characters you use the longer and wider labels you may need. As you see between your Leafy-Greens-1-f and your heads-1f.  IF you have a 2D barcode scanner you could use a QR code as your barcode so all barcodes are roughly the same size square I do this. But it does require a 2D scanner that is compatible with Square.

So by doing this your scanner should go right to the item and not have you select a SKU.  SKU should be unique for each item.  Now I do use the same SKU for a few items but to me it does not matter since I only have to choose between 4 items and the difference is Scent not a $ amount.  Meaning from August till the end of the year I sell 70oz Pumpkin Jar candles in about 4 or 5 scents, the SKU is associated with the Jar and not the scent, but I choose to list the scent as different Items to track which ones sell better so next year I can make more Pumpkin Pecan Waffle than Pumpkin Patch etc.  

If you have any questions ask me.

[Danelle]

Hi Keith.

(I thought I replied to this, but now I don't see it.)

I appreciate your answer, but I actually WANT the dropdown list from which to select. I want one general barcode for "heads" with a list of products affiliated with it. My question is .... How do I alphabetize the list that pops up for each barcode. Before a Square update last fall, these lists WERE alphabetized.

Thank you,

Danelle

[Candlestore]

Danelle, I do not think you can since the drop down list is in alphabetical order by Item name not by SKU.  Most companies use numbers for SKU which is hard to tell which item is which by a 12 digit sku.  This is why I suggested changing your sku to match the item name.  This would be a feature request but not too many businesses would want the same SKU for multiple products, so this may be only a request from a small number of businesses and would be at the bottom of the priority list of feature requests.  I am unaware of any POS being able to sort by SKU on the checkout screen.   

May I ask why you want Heads as a SKU for multiple products? 

You could use Heads with a number behind it.  Like Heads001....to Heads999.... so there would be no searching for the sku at all.

[Danelle]

We have hundreds of types of fresh produce units, and so we are working to simplify the checkout system for ourselves and employees. We don't literally put a bar code sticker on each piece/unit of produce. (We are a small-scale vegetable farm with a local foods store.) Instead, we have a printed list of bar codes at our check out counter, so we are trying to limit the number of bar codes that we have to search through as we are checking out the customer. Therefore, if we have all "heads" lumped together, we only have to know where the one bar code is on the sheet.

Again, these lists WERE ALPHABETIZED before the last update. I don't know why the update caused them to shuffle so they are no longer alphabetized. This causes us to have to search and scroll through the dropdown list which is time consuming and awkward at checkout.

[Candlestore · Accepted solution]

Now I understand and see that the Items are not in Alphabetical order, by ITEM name not the SKU since the SKU is all the same.  I had this issue before after an update.  I would choose a category and all my Items were out of order on the POS but in order on the dashboard.  So when you choose the SKU "Heads", you actually want the Item Name "Romaine, Head", "Bok Choi" to be in order not the SKU of "heads-1f" to have an order because they are all 'Head-1F" which is why I was confused.   This you would have to get someone in the Feature requests or programing to get straightened out.  For me it took a week or two for them to get the fix in the next update.  Maybe @BernadetteA could point you in the right direction to who to contact since she is a Moderator here, I am just a Square user. 

[Danelle]

Perfect! Thank you so much. I'm getting hopeful. 🙂 I appreciate your time and input.

[Danelle]

@BernadetteA Any suggestions?

[Danelle]

Hi Bernadette. Sorry for the delayed response. It took me forever how to get a photo/screenshot of what I'm talking about. So the photos show how we have a sheet of bar codes at our checkout counter .... and then two of the "drop down" menus that are affiliated with the bar codes. I would like the drop down menus to be alphabetized. Any advice is appreciated!