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Scan to Receive

Admin Manager

Use this page to count a delivery into stock by scanning each item's barcode.

Quick steps​

  1. Go to Products, open More Actions, and under Ordering & Transfers choose Scan to Receive.
  2. If the delivery has a purchase order, pick it in Link to Purchase Order (optional). Otherwise leave it on — None —.
  3. Scan each item into the Scan or type barcode / SKU box. Scanning the same product again adds 1 more.
  4. Check the list. Fix any Qty to Receive, and fill in Cost each if you know it.
  5. Add a note if you like (for example, the invoice number), then click Receive All. Stock goes up right away.
Not in your Products menu?

Scan to Receive has to be switched on first: Settings → Products & Inventory tab → Stock Management → tick Enable Scan to Receive. Only managers and admins can open it.

Common questions​

I scanned something and it says "Product not found". If you already stock it, search for it in the panel that appears and pick it — the new barcode is added to that product. If it's really new, fill in Product Not Found — Quick Create and click Create & Add.

Why should I link the purchase order? Then what you scan is checked against the order: short, over and never-ordered items are all flagged, and the order's received counts are filled in for you.

More arrived than the order says. Scan what is really there. The extra is recorded as an over-receipt and your stock stays correct.

I received the wrong amount. Can I undo it? There is no undo. Fix it afterwards with a stock adjustment.

More detail: opening Scan to Receive

Scan to Receive is a fast, barcode-driven workflow for receiving inventory. Instead of navigating through purchase orders or editing products one by one, you scan each item as it arrives and the system builds a receiving list in real time. When you are done scanning, click Receive All to update stock levels in a single batch.

This is the step that actually moves stock. If you point it at a purchase order, it is also the step that records what physically turned up, so shortages and overages can be argued with the supplier later.

Switch it on first

Scan to Receive must be switched on for your store. Go to Settings, open the Products & Inventory tab, find the Stock Management section, and check Enable Scan to Receive. While it is off, Scan to Receive doesn't appear in the Products menu. Only managers and admins can open it.

Accessing Scan to Receive​

  1. Go to Products.
  2. Open More Actions and, under Ordering & Transfers, choose Scan to Receive.
More detail: every step, costs and variance messages

The Scan to Receive Workflow​

If you are receiving a shipment against an existing PO, select it from the Link to Purchase Order (optional) dropdown at the top of the page. Only orders you can still receive against appear — pending, confirmed, shipped and partially received ones, the 20 most recent. If you have no such orders, the dropdown isn't shown.

Picking the order changes what happens. What you scan is checked against that order line by line, and the results are written straight onto it:

What you scannedWhat happens to the order
A product that is on the orderThe quantity received on that line goes up by what you scanned, in the order's own units. If the line was ordered by the case of 24 and you scan 48 cans, the line records 2 cases received.
More than was orderedThe extra is recorded, not discarded. The line is flagged over.
Less than was orderedThe line is flagged short and stays open — you can receive the rest later.
A product that is on no line of the orderA new line is added to the order for it. It is not dropped: the message after you receive says Not on this order and names the product.

Once anything has been received, the order moves to Partially Received, or to Received once every line is complete.

If you are receiving items without a PO (walk-in stock, samples, transfers), leave this set to — None —. Everything still gets scanned in and stock still updates — there is just no order to reconcile it against, and no variance to report.

Without an order, there is nothing to compare against

A receipt with no purchase order attached cannot tell you that a case was missing, because nothing said how many were meant to come. If a PO exists, link it.

Step 2: Scan Items​

  1. Click in the Scan or type barcode / SKU box (it is already selected when the page opens).
  2. Scan a product barcode, or type a SKU and press Enter.
  3. Brother POS finds the product by its barcode, its SKU, or any extra barcode saved on the product.

If the product is found:

  • It is added to the receiving list below with a quantity of 1.
  • Scanning the same product again adds 1 more.
  • A green status message confirms: "Added: Product Name".

If the product is not found:

  • A red status message shows: "Product not found for: BARCODE".
  • A panel headed This code isn't on any product yet appears. If it's something you already stock (a new supplier label, a case barcode), search for it in the box at the top and pick it: the code is added to that product so it scans next time, and the product goes on the list. If it really is new, use Quick Create below it.

Weight Barcodes​

Scan to Receive understands barcodes with a weight on the end, such as 12345-3.5G. Brother POS looks up the product by the part before the dash and adds the weight (3.5 in this example) to the quantity instead of 1.

Step 3: Review and Edit the Receiving List​

The receiving list table shows all scanned items with:

ColumnDescription
ProductProduct name.
SKUAuto-generated or manually set SKU.
BarcodeThe product's barcode.
Current StockStock level before receiving.
Qty to ReceiveEditable — change the quantity if the scanned count does not match. A line left at 0 or blank is not received; Remove takes it off the list.
Cost eachEditable — what one unit on the shelf cost you. When the product is on the linked order it starts at the order's price for one unit; otherwise it's blank, with the product's current cost shown faintly as a hint.
Lot #(Cannabis stores only) Editable lot/batch number.
THC%(Cannabis stores only) Editable THC content percentage.
CBD%(Cannabis stores only) Editable CBD content percentage.
(no heading)A Remove button to take the item off the list.
  • Click Clear All (beside the scan box) and confirm to empty the whole list.
  • The heading above the list shows how many products and total units you have scanned.

Receiving Into a Location​

If your store tracks stock by location, a Receive into box sits under the receiving list. It starts on the Sales Floor, which is ready to sell. Pick a back-stock location instead if the delivery is going to the back; it can be moved to the floor later.

Step 4: Add Notes (Optional)​

Enter any notes in the Notes (optional) box (e.g., "Shipment from Green Valley Farms, invoice #12345"). The note is saved on every stock adjustment in the batch.

Step 5: Receive All​

Click Receive All to process the batch. Brother POS:

  1. Creates a stock adjustment for each product in the list, so every unit is traceable.
  2. Adds the received quantity to each product's stock.
  3. Records what the stock cost: the Cost each you typed or, if you left it blank, the price on the linked order's matching line. An order price is worked out per unit on the shelf — a case of 12 ordered at $120 is recorded as $10 a can. The cost is kept with the movement and shows on the product's Inventory tab, in the Recent check-ins and check-outs list, under the Cost per unit (or Cost per gram) and Value columns. A line with a blank Cost each and no order price records no cost, rather than guessing one.
  4. Updates the lot number, THC% and CBD% if you filled them in.
  5. Gives the whole receipt one batch number (it starts with RCV-), saved with each of its stock adjustments.
  6. If a purchase order was linked, records the receipt against that order's lines and re-checks whether the order is now complete.
  7. Returns you to the Scan to Receive page with a green Stock received box at the top, such as "Received 36 units across 4 product(s). Batch: RCV-…", plus "Applied to [order number]." when an order was linked.
The cost updates the product's cost

When a cost is recorded, it is also averaged into the product's Cost per unit, weighted by how much you already had — the same as receiving the order from the purchase order page. With 10 on hand at $4 and 10 more scanned in at $5, the cost becomes $4.50. A scan with no cost leaves the product's cost alone. See Purchase Orders.

Variance Messages​

If you linked a purchase order and anything did not match it, a second message appears alongside the success message, while you are still standing next to the boxes:

  • "Not on this order: [product names]. Added as unexpected items." — those products were not on any line of the order. They have been added to it as unexpected items, and they show up on the Receiving Variance report as Never ordered.
  • "Quantity variance: [product] (ordered 24, received 20)…" — the count did not match the order. That line is flagged short or over.

These are shown at the moment of receiving on purpose. The person holding the box is the only one who can still check the pallet, phone the driver, or look behind the shelf.

More detail: Quick Create for unknown barcodes

Quick Create: Inline Product Creation​

When you scan a barcode that does not match any product in your catalog, a panel appears below the scan box. Under the search for an existing product is the Product Not Found — Quick Create section. This lets you create a new product and add it to the receive list without leaving the page.

Quick Create Fields​

FieldRequiredDescription
BarcodePre-filledRead-only. Pre-filled with the scanned barcode.
Product NameYesThe name of the new product.
PriceYesRetail price (pre-tax).
Unit TypeNoDefaults to Individual Units. Other options: Grams (g), Ounces (oz), Pounds (lb), Kilograms (kg), Weight, Box, Case, Pack, Litre, Gallon.
CategoryMarked requiredSelect one or more categories. Hold Ctrl/Cmd to select several. If you leave it empty, the product still saves and goes into a default category (usually General or Uncategorized), so pick one to keep your catalog tidy.

How It Works​

  1. Scan an unknown barcode — the Quick Create panel appears with the barcode pre-filled.
  2. Enter the product name, price, and select a category.
  3. Click Create & Add.
  4. The product is created in your catalog with:
    • The scanned barcode assigned.
    • An auto-generated SKU.
    • Stock set to 0 (the receipt adds the stock when you click Receive All).
    • Set up as a simple product (no variations).
  5. The product is immediately added to the receiving list with quantity 1, and a "Created & added" message confirms it.
  6. The Quick Create panel closes and the scan box is ready for the next scan.

Click Cancel to dismiss the panel without creating a product.

When to use Quick Create vs. the full product form

Quick Create is designed for speed during receiving. It captures the minimum fields needed to get the product into your catalog and onto the receive list. You can always edit the product later to add images, descriptions, variations, cannabis details, or other fields.

More detail: cannabis store columns and best practices

Cannabis Store Features​

When cannabis features are enabled for your store, Scan to Receive includes additional columns in the receiving list:

  • Lot # — Enter the batch or lot number from the supplier's certificate of analysis.
  • THC% — Enter the THC content percentage.
  • CBD% — Enter the CBD content percentage.

The boxes start with the product's current values. Whatever is in them is saved to the product when you click Receive All. A box left blank doesn't clear the product's existing value.

Best Practices​

  1. Scan every item. Do not estimate quantities. Scanning each item ensures an accurate count.
  2. Review before receiving. Check the quantities in the list before clicking Receive All. There is no undo — to fix a mistake afterwards, make a manual stock adjustment.
  3. Always link the PO if one exists. It is what turns a scan into a checked delivery: shortages, overages and items nobody ordered are all recorded against the order instead of quietly disappearing.
  4. Scan what is really there, not what the paperwork says. If 12 arrived against an order for 10, scan 12. The extra two are recorded as an over-receipt and your stock is correct. Trimming to match the order is how shelves stop agreeing with the system.
  5. Use Quick Create sparingly. If you are receiving a large shipment of entirely new products, consider using CSV Import first, then Scan to Receive for the stock update.
  6. Update Quick Created products afterward. Products created with Quick Create have minimal details. Open each one later to add images and a description (Details tab) and cannabis details (Cannabis tab).

What's Next?​