Is it possible to skip quantity amount when a unit is selected?

[ndixon]

I have most of my inventory with different sized units for each item. I have certain barcodes point to different pack sizes that are in as units (4pks, 6pk, 12pks, etc.) When I scan a pack in, it forces me to enter a quantity. Is there any way to default to one of the units so it would just add one of that pack size to the cart from just scanning it?

[TheRealChipA]

HI @ndixon.  Every once in a while, a question like yours is posted that makes me think “there has to be a way to do this.”  Then I review what I know, scour the help articles and look for other posts here that might give me the answer. 

I’m sorry to say that in your case, I came up with a total blank!  It seems that there is a) no way to specify a default quantity either at the item level or the store level, b) there is no way to skip quantities and make them assume “1”, or c) any other mechanism that I couldn’t think of.  So….

My only suggestion is for you to submit a feature request here.  I assume you are using Square for Retail, so submit it on that board. The product team will review it and let you know if they feel it is something they are compelled to add to the product roadmap.  I’ll mention that you need to really sell it!  Tell them why that extra step is causing you frustration, lost time and angst.  Tell them (with real world examples) why other sellers would love this so much that they would sing Square’s praises! (LOL.  OK I’m being hyperbolic, sort of).  The point is convince them that this is not only a good idea for you but that it could make Square’s products stand out above the rest.  Just be convincing and give them great examples!

Anyway, I wish you well.  For now, you’ll just have to resign yourself to entering that blasted “1” after you scan.  Sorry.

[HotSpot]

Mine use to function perfectly. Scan a can of beer, select single/6pk, and boom, into the cart the item goes. As of about a month ago, If I select the 6pk it will ask me a quantity every single time. This slows the process sooo much. Some days I think square needs to direct updates to specific types of business's. They do these updates and sure, it might help one business, but it just  makes it worse for another. Some days I wish I never switched to square. Every update is a gamble on whether or not a critical function will be lost. After 3 years, I'd say more negative/not usable functions have been created than actual useful ones. I'm a liquor store by the way. 

[MayaP]

Hello there @HotSpot thanks for reaching out with this feedback and letting us know these updates have not been working out for you. Do you mind providing a little more details on the change before the update on how you were able to scan your single/6pk, I am sorry I wasn't quite understanding. Thank you!

[HotSpot]

Attempted to attach photos and videos. Apparently square also can't accept those right from a phone->dropbox->attachment because of the file type. Another win for square.

Best I can explain:

I have a 6pk of 16oz bud light cans. They sell in the little plastic rings. We sell them as singles & 6pks -> which share the same barcode.

For the last 3 years I've been able to scan the barcode and then square prompts a Single/6pk option. Select one and it does directly into the cart as 1 item. No additional prompts.

Now, I scan the barcode, it prompts with a different menu screen where 'Single' is the default (also option to + or - the quantity on the top right) I click to add to cart, and it does. Essentially the same function as before. 

However, If I select the 6pk option (the + or - in the top right disappear and it changes to say 'set quantiy') and also the bar at the bottom that said 'add to cart' now also says 'set quantity and add to cart' -> taking you to yet again another screen to input the quantity before finally putting it into the cart. 

It seems like a small issue, but it was much quicker before. Scan barcode, select 'single/6pk' and it adds 1 item to the cart. If I needed to change a quantity, I could always scan again, select single/6pk and add another very quickly.

[MayaP]

Thanks for your patience guys @HotSpot @Candlestore . I spoke with the Retail Team and they did roll back the skip quantity feature. It was tied to another body of work the team did have to roll back. That was all the information I have been provided for now. They do expect the feature to be enabled again on 5/16/23 with the new update 6.17. 

I know having disruptions like these are not easy at all, so I appreciate you guys sticking with us while we work through this! 

[Candlestore]

@MayaP ;

This is a question on clarification of what you are saying.

When the 5-16-2023 update 6.17 comes out would I be able to scan 1 Taper and 1 goes into the cart for each scan, and if I scan 1 Dozens barcode the quantity will also go to 1 for each scan?

Not sure which feature or how it will work with the new update, or is this a wait till update comes out to see?

Anyway thank you for getting back to us.

[MayaP]

I asked the team verbatim your follow-up question, this was their reply: 

Every time you scan an item it will be added to the cart. As long as there are no modifiers or variations. Granted they can always tap on the item in the cart they just scanned and increase the quantity that way if they still want to. 

Does that address your question @Candlestore? 

[Candlestore]

@MayaP ;

My question and example were for the Sell by Units which I could not remember at the time.  But my barcode for a single taper might be 054635010255 and the barcode for a box of 12 might be 054635001215 ... So two different Barcodes taking out of the same inventory pool.  

Would each scanned Barcode enter the Checkout Cart when scanned as 1 unit?   Currently when I scan the 12 pack barcode of 054635001215 it asks me how many, instead of placing 1 Pack in the cart of that Barcoded item and removing 12 items with barcode 054635010255 from inventory for example.

As you can see in the below image I have 1 Item 10 inch Black Tappers.

I can sell them individually    1 at a time with a unique barcode 054635010255 for 1 taper.

I can sell them by the Dozen which as another barcode 054635001215 for selling 12 at a time.

Or I can sell them by the Case which is 144 at a time and currently has no barcode but that is on me. Threw the case with Barcode on it away when I was stocking these.  Square did not have the Sell by Units Feature when I received these.  Glad you have it now.

Example 1)

• When I first setup sell by units If I scanned the Barcode on a Taper, 1 single taper would show in the cart.
• Also when 1 scanned the Barcode on a box pack of 12 it rang up 1 pack of 12 Tapers and removed 12 from inventory.    This all worked great as I expected it to.

Example 2)

• Now somewhere in an update since then and now, things changed.
• When I scan 1 Taper 054635010255, 1 goes in the cart as before.  Scan 5 single Tapers 054635010255, 5 Tapers go in the cart.  This works for singles.
• But now when I have a customer bring up a Pack of 12, scan the barcode 054635001215 for the Pack a popup asks for me to input the quantity.   

So with the up coming update how will the scanning work for Sell by Units?   As example 1 or 2?  

For me most of my customers would bring up 1 or 2 packs of these at a time, and just scanning the barcode 2 times is quicker than stopping to look at the Ipad after each scan.  We hear the beep and think it is scanned in, not a popup asking How many?  So there would be no Variations except the Item scanned is already the Variation..... no other modifier or variation to that variation.  

I hope I made this somewhat clearer, hard to do with everything being called variations by Square.  

Variations of an Item I create, Variations for Sell by Units, Variations when I create an Option Set... but all show under an Item as a Variation.  So not sure what type or types of Variations you were referring to in this statement.

"As long as there are no modifiers or variations."

And I know I can scan any item with a Barcode and then once it is in the cart tap on it and add to the quantity, I actually love this when people bring up 6 or 8 candles that are the same..... oh 6 Apple Pie... scan 1 and adjust the quantity.  But I should not have to change the quantity when its a barcode for the Sell By Units which has been setup already is my point.   

It would be like you going to Walmart and buying singles of Toilet paper .... you scan 1 ... 1 rings up..

Then you scan a Family pack of 24 etc and you are asked How many?   Well I scanned in 1 - 24 pack..... or is Walmart asking how many are in the 24 pack  Well I only have this one 24 pack which scanned because I scanned it's unique barcode..... Time for a manager so they can get this fixed.   

 

[HotSpot]

Squares structure of how they built the system is in complete chaos. They can never change 1 thing without hindering 10 others. I've been around long enough to witness it with each "update".

You can only keep piecing the thing together for so long before it all falls apart. The system has no foundation, and its starting to show. trying to cater to all business types and not focusing on specific industries with specific builds.

And for that, I'm out. Been a fun run, but I'm on to greener pastures with lower card fees, no more predatory square loans and never ending pricing structure changes to services.

To many other good systems out there that target specific industries.

[MayaP]

Hey @Candlestore it looks likes @Harsh-SqProduct has reached out on your Ideate submission providing some more information. Our team has stated they are working to address this but there is no ETA right now for when that will be. 

I know this isn't ideal but thank you for all for your patience and for working with us to get this resolved! 
 

[Candlestore]

@MayaP ,

Somewhere in this forum I posted a video of basically what @HotSpot is saying.

I use to scan a Tapper that had a Barcode on it and when I repeatedly scan the single Taper Barcode it enters it as 1 Unit like it should.  But when I scan the Barcode for a 12 pack of these tappers I have to add the qty too, it does not default to 1 of that Barcode??   If someone walks to the counter with an item that has a Barcode, there is at least 1 of said item to scan and checkout.  It is not like someone is going to walk up to a register with a barcode and say scan this I want ZERO of these.   Hang on with some of the brain dead people in this world maybe someone would walk up to buy Zero of an item, I just can not for the life of me figure out who.  

I also remember right after I set up the Sell By Count items of tappers I could scan the individual item say 5 times and it put 5 of the single tapper in my cart, and if I scanned 5 of the barcodes for a Dozen pack, it showed 5 Dozen in the Checkout cart.

This was done on Square for Retail with Square Stands.

My question is why would this upgrade (down grade) say that people want to checkout an own known number of a Barcoded item.   Any place I go to buy Toilet Paper I can buy a roll or a pack of 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 etc..... when I scan 1 roll it reads as 1 Roll...... if I scan 1 pack of 48, It does not ask me How many I have...... do you put in 48 or just 1 pack of 48?   More confusion.  

Us business owners want to scan a Barcode and for each scan of said Barcode enter 1 of that Barcode to the Checkout Cart.   Why is that difficult?  Even if we have 20 of them.... I could Scan one of them 20 times to get 20 OR touch the Item in the cart and then Adjust the quantity if needed after scanning the Barcode 1 time.  This works for a single Item but as soon as you enter it to use the same inventory pool for different quantities, it gets broken.

[MayaP]

Ah gotcha @HotSpot, I appreciate the follow-up.  I am reaching out to our Retail Team, this might be the new process with the update but as soon as I have a better idea I will let you know!

[Candlestore]

@ndixon ;

I put an Ideate in for this before.  Here is the Link and no one else seems to need this because no one else like my feature request even though others were looking for this same thing. 

 Here is the link:

Up-date-the-Quantity-for-Sell-By-Units-when-Scanning-more-than-1