Can't use GTIN with retail store and website

[StuartC]

I have a retail store and a website (both Square). I can't use the GTIN field to track products across both. GTIN does not sync with website. I can use the SKU field but it takes an extra step to enter a new item. We enter alot of products on a daily basis and the extra step adds up. We use Square for Retail.

Our problem:

1-Create new product in Square for Retail  app on Square Stand. Using bar code scanner, scan item, GTIN is added to GTIN field by default.

2-Item is passed to second station to add to website, add photo and website details. I scan the barcode of the product in the dashboard>Online>Items>Site Items and search suing the barcode scanner into the search field....search fails. I am told by Square that the GTIN field does not sync to the Online portion of the dashboard. How do I properly ID products across Square Retail store and Square website?

Can anyone provide a viable workaround or suggest a workable workflow?

Thanks for reading,

Stuart Cook

[Candlestore]

@StuartC ;

 Not sure if this could work in your situation but what I would do for a quick fix, would be Export my Items Catalog to CSV or Excel file.

Copy your GTIN field to your SKU field.  Save the file with a new name. Then Upload your updated csv file.  This only will work if you do not use GTIN and SKU fields differently.  Like for me I have some numbers in GTIN and a different number in SKU.  So before just coping and pasting your GTINs to SKU check those columns.  When Square just added the GTIN field I did not understand it, and already had a SKU for an item with a barcode, but was using my SKU to make my own Barcode that was more descriptive than just 12 digits or whatever the GTIN uses.  ie my sku is "10 inch blue taper" ---- GTIN- "9[Redacted]3" for example.  I did this because some of my items I could not read the GTIN barcode and it would no longer scan.  At Retail location I can scan either,  and it appears but putting on Square Online would or Could cause a problem from what your saying.   Then when you get a New item, Manually Create NEW items.  Meaning if you scan and it asks do you want to create a new item with GTIN say no unless this gets an update to choose a SKU instead of only GTIN.

Just add the New Item on the Dashboard or through ITEMS on your Square POS.  Then scan the Barcode under SKU not GTIN... or put it in as both GTIN and SKU.  I am not sure of a reason you need a different GTIN and SKU for the same exact item, but maybe some has a scenario for this that I am not aware of. 

[StuartC]

I would be happy using either as they both work for retail but the GTIN does not work for the website. When I create a new item in the square stand it defaults to GTIN, which is the problem. In our process I just scan at the create item window...which populates the GTIN field. I have to enter the create item page, scroll down to step into the SKU field and then scan, sounds easy until you are logging in 100 new items at a time (a real time suck). I wish square would add the GTIN field to the Online section of the dashboard and sync with the item library

[Candlestore]

@StuartC ;

Yes I do agree Square should let us decide when we Scan an item let us choose if GTIN or SKU.   Until then we need to figure out ways to do what we have to do as quickly and efficiently as possible.  Even if Square fixes this, it is time consuming typing and scrolling to the different screens on the Square Stand.  

When I add new Items even if only 25 new items from a Purchase order, I use the catalog export as a template and enter the data in that to upload to Square.   I do not use my Square Stand for that.  I download my Catalog Excel file, scroll to the bottom of my 6500 items... leave the first two columns blank (Reference Handle and Token) for NEW items and then use my items above where I am adding the new Items as a template of what information I need.  Sometimes I can just copy and paste the information from the invoice to the csv file to save time.  Then I upload the new csv file to Square using the Update Items upload.  This keeps my old items and creates the new Items I just added.  This also keeps me from tying up the Square Stand from customer sales.  Now if you already have the Items, you could connect your scanner to the computer to scan the Barcode into the SKU field on a computer. 

I am not sure how good you are with CSV or Excel but make sure you 'Freeze' the Top row Row 1 (Headers) of the columns so you know what each column is for.  Problem here is the Photo; you can not add to the CSV file or Excel file to upload to Square.  But you can do as I said above and after the Upload use your Scanner to Find the Item on Ipad , Iphone etc and then Take the Picture.  I use Android and have uploaded my csv then grab my cell, open Square app, Items, search for each New Item, then take picture, save and repeat till all new items are photographed.  Or I have downloaded photos from my Suppliers website of the item and have them already uploaded before I get the items.  

Last suggestion is to do what you have been doing and then export your catalog and copy paste your GTIN column into you SKU column, then upload again.  You can Copy the ENTIRE column at once not each item individually, and paste all them at once.  Just Do not Copy and paste the Row 1 (Header Row).

These are my only work arounds to save time entering the new items.  Since there is usually a delay in New Items arriving thanks to shipping from when I do a Purchase.  I may enter the fields for the new item EXCEPT the GTIN and SKU fields and mark it NOT for sale.  Then when I get the New Items I just go to Items and scan the barcode into the SKU field and take pictures then mark it ready for sale or whatever Square Terminology is.  This way I can add new items before getting them and do this while I have time.  This is just a way to be able to type the data in faster then tapping all those buttons and saves all the time that slows this process down on a Stand.  The stand is good for adding one or two items you missed but not for any quantity over say 5, IMO.

I know this seems harder but I have found out it is faster than entering items on a Square Stand.  The more you do it the faster it can become too.   

[StuartC]

Thanks for all of your thoughts!!

Stuart

[Candlestore]

@StuartC ;

You're welcome.