Display sub-categories as an item in POS library

[AurorAlimentari]

Hiya! I recently saw that you can categorize items in the POS as a sub-category. However, and that defies the whole thing, you CANNOT see that subcategory as a folder in the parent library.

When defining my favorites in the POS it would be logical for that subcategory to be displayed at the top of the items list in the parent category (as a folder) but it's not working that way.

Am I missing something super obvious or is this a major overlook from Square?

i.e. I have a category named Pantry, also saved as a favorite on my POS library. Would be great to click on that and see all the subcategories associated with that library. It would make it sauper easy to find the right product when charging the customer.

Thanks for any light shed on this....😸✌🏻

[Candlestore]

@AurorAlimentari ;

It is a Major oversight of the Square Team that developed this feature.  I pointed this out awhile ago to that team.  You can hae the Subcategory as the folder on the POS, and I think I looked at this a month ago also.  I had a Parent as Cedar Lanterns -  Sub categories of Halloween and Christmas.   I am thinking recently this got fixed in an update fro Square for Retail (Paid) but I am not sure if it is in all versions of Square.

Which version of Square POS are you using and is it the newest updated version?

[Candlestore]

@AurorAlimentari ;

I did check this, on Square for Retail version 6.31 on my Square Stand the Parent Category Does have the Subcategories as a Folder, and when you tap the Folder it shows each Item in that Subcatagory.  This might be a feature only for the Paid version since I can do as you are asking and say you can not do it.

I chose All ProductsParent Category Cedar LanternsSub Category Halloween Cedar LanternsWhen I press the subcategory it shows my 6 different Halloween Cedar Lanterns

[AurorAlimentari]

Why this doesn't surprise me? 

Square sucking money from me for a basic feature...of course it might be available just for the paid version 😃

[_Violet]

Hi there, @AurorAlimentari and @Candlestore

I'm not sure whether this feature is only available for Square for Retail Plus. I'm going to consult with the Retail team on this one to get the best answer for you. I'll reach back out to you here once I gather more info.

[Candlestore]

@_Violet ;

I know this is/was in a Beta test but I am not even sure if this was fully released yet and I can find no documentation in Square's help on how to setup subcategories etc.  So without even finding documentation on how to set this up I am unable to see where subcategories applies for Square for POS or Retail etc.  Most everything points to them for Online.  So you finding this out and providing link to a how to article would be very helpful.

[AurorAlimentari]

Appreciate it _Violet. 

Looking forward to some guidance and/or push for release if not. Thx

[_Violet]

Hi again, @AurorAlimentari and @Candlesore. Thanks for your patience here.

Here's what the Retail Team let me know: 

"This is not a paid feature and is out for everyone on Square for Retail….except for Sellers that already had online stores set up - The omnichannel commerce team is rolling out to them later next year, that’s the only reason why I can think that two Sellers on new app versions would be seeing different features."

@AurorAlimentari - Can you confirm what type of device you are using? Is this a Square Stand, iPad, or Square Register?

[Melonieann]

I have the same issue with Subcategories not showing up on my Square Point of Sale Register. 

I purchased the POS system from Square. 

In my Square Dashboard I can now create subcategories, assign them to parent categories and I can finally move/rearrange the categories as well as the variations. 

However, nothing changes on my Square POS screen. The changes I make do not sync to my actual POS Register screen. 

I spent hours in my Square Dashboard, over the course of a few days, rearranging my Categories, creating Subcategories, moving variations up and down to my liking. 

And the disappointment I had when I went to my shop, and realized that it was all for nothing was devastating. 

Are all these new lovely features only for online stores only? 

Did brick & mortar businesses get the short end of the stick with these new updated features? 

I spend 8-10 hours a day on my feet servicing clients and standing in front of my Square POS Register.

Why wouldn't the developers allow syncing the changes made on the Square Dashboard to the Square POS Register screen? 

Any insight would be helpful. 

[Candlestore]

@Melonieann ;

Which Point Of Sale Register did you purchase from Square?  The Square Register or Stand version?

On the Register which App are you using a Retail or just the POS app.  

I know for most of these apps you can select Checkout -then Favorites LONG Press then an edit screen will appear asking if you want to edit your favorites.   Then you can select either a Category or a Subcategory or even just the Item itself to place in your Favorites.  I do not have the Register but I just tried this on my android phone with both the POS app and the Beta app and this worked for adding a Sub category and a parent category that showed the Sub categories and their items.  Categories and Subcategories do not automatically show on the POS you need to Edit them to add them to Favorites from what I have been seeing.  I could be wrong because I have ALOT of categories and Subcategories and do not use them all for Quickly finding items.  I do alot more of scanning SKU's or GTIN's to find my items.

[Melonieann]

I have the Square Register with the 2 displays. The app on it is whatever it came with. Bought the whole setup, with cash drawer, in in 2019.

I do know how to use/edit the favorites. I currently have it setup as a "Piercings" shortcut page so when a client comes in just for a Piercing, I can check them out more efficiently. The only Categories on that "favorites" (we named it Piercings) are for myself & other Piercers with a Category items list of their services offered and then Categories with the jewelry we actually pierce with so that we can keep track of piercing jewelry inventory by adding the jewelry used to pierce the client to the sale. 

The problem is that when I add a parent category to the favorites and finish setting up the favorites, the subcategories are not there when I open the parent category to do a sale from the "favorites" menu. So it's all just Categories with items in it. No subcategories. 

I have a lot of merchandise. Primarily over a thousand different styles of Body Jewelry. Most pieces are threadless tops sized between 1.5mm & 3mm. And threadless bases as small as 20G. 7/32 with 2mm bases. Literally thousands of styles, colors, & shapes & different metals such as Titanium & 14K Gold. 

Being that there is no way to actually tag or SKU these items, (too tiny) having Parent Categories & Subcategories has always been a very desirable feature for me to streamline checkout. 

Someone a while back suggested making a book of SKU's, but it'd literally be the size of a 1990's big city yellow pages. 

I spent about an hour with a Square representative last week and didn't really get an answer other than them saying that syncing the work done on the Dashboard, to the app on my android, as well as to the Square Register (with 2 displays, not a stand with ipad) is a good idea and they'd pass the suggestion to the developers. It doesn't make sense to me that it would be an issue at all. 

Also, I don't understand why I can move/rearrange the Categories and the Variables of items in my Dashboard but not on my POS Register with 2 displays (not a stand with ipad)

[Candlestore]

@Melonieann ;

After I read this:

I spent hours in my Square Dashboard, over the course of a few days, rearranging my Categories, creating Subcategories, moving variations up and down to my liking. 

And the disappointment I had when I went to my shop, and realized that it was all for nothing was devastating. 

I was under the impression that you setup your subcategories and parents and just thought they would appear on your Register.  I had to go through the Process of adding another Favorites page or Icon through the Edit Favorites to get my Parent and Sub categories to show up.  That was more my point.  Found out when you do things on the Square Dashboard things do not appear the same right away on your POS, weather it is Android or Apple based.  You need to log out of the app or restart the machine and log back in to get the newest data from Square.  Sometime I cheat this by opening my Items (More-Items) and search for the new item, not from the checkout screen as Square just returns Item not found would you like to create it now.  

I just looked on my Cell phones App and my Parent Cedar Lanterns is still not there and had to manually add that parent category to my favorites.  As you can see in images above, on my Square Stands images on Dec 17th 2023 the Parent and Child categories were there.  But as of 1-20-2024 they still had to be added to my android device running Square app.  So your hard work was not in vain.  Try adding then again from your Library or Favorites Tab on your Register tomorrow. 

[Melonieann]

Thank you, truly. I do appreciate your responses & suggestions to my questions and will definitely try your suggestion of logging out, or restarting my Square POS register tomorrow and let you know what happens. 

My inventory is massive and efficiency & organization are my toxic traits, lol. The struggle is real and has consumed my free time. 

[Melonieann]

Well logging out and then restarting my Square POS Register worked.

The subcategories are there now when I open the Categories on my Piercings (favorites page) Even the library Categories are working! They have the subcategories and it shows how many subcategories are in the parent category. 

I am so thrilled. Thank you for your help!! 

[Candlestore]

@MelonieaWhat I think happens is Squares app may look for certain changes but not everything.  When you close the app or force it to look for new items, this helps Square update less looked at items and categories.  By Logging out then in Square I believe updates everything.  Not sure what the technical term is but glad this simple thing fixed your problem.  I too have a big library with over 6500 items.

[Mferrari82]

So I’m having the same issue. Created a parent category (using iOS iPad) put said parent category on my favorites. Created several subcategories under the parent category. 

Go back to my favorites screen, click on the parent category and it says no items and does not show the subcategories. I did sign out and back in. What am I missing? 

[Candlestore]

@Mferrari82 ;

Did you assign any items to the categories (parent and child)   I do most of my items on my computer through Square Dashboard.  There are a few more advantages there from what I have noticed.  It is easier to set categories and subcategories for an item in my opinion.  

Here would be my suggestion , on your Ipad tap the blue edit under the search bar on the right side.  Then you will see all your categories that were added already have a (-) sign in them.  Scoll down to the end of your icons and there will be a tile wit a + symbol in the middle of it.  That is to Add a Category or subcategory or even just an item to that Main tab.  You can also create more tabs for certain categories.  I have ones for Smudges and incense plus a few others.

The Parent Category I have always set up on my Square dashboard then assigned a Sub to that Parent.  But you also need to assign Items to the Subcategories or there are no items to display.

[Mferrari82]

Having the same issue. Did you find a solution?