Options & Barcode Aliases

Admin Manager

Use this page to sell several flavours, or scan several barcodes, as one product with one stock count.

Quick steps

To add flavours or extra barcodes:

1. Go to Products and open the product.
2. On the Details tab, open Product Codes (Optional) and find Options / Flavours.
3. In What are these called?, type a name for the group, like Flavour or Variety.
4. Click Add option for each flavour. Type its name, and scan or type its barcode if it has one. For an extra barcode with no flavour, fill in only the barcode.
5. Click Update Product.

To attach an unknown barcode at the register:

1. Scan the item. The Unrecognized barcode window opens.
2. Type at least two letters of the product's name or SKU, and tap the right product.
3. Tap Attach to (product name). From now on, that code scans straight to the product.

Don't see Product Codes?

Turn on Enable Barcode Scanning in Settings → Products & Inventory.

Common questions

Do the flavours each have their own stock? No. They all share the product's one stock count and one price. If each needs its own stock or price, use Variations.

Saving says the code "is already used by another product". That code is already the barcode, SKU or extra barcode of a different product. Remove it there first.

A clerk can't attach an unknown barcode. Attaching needs the Manage Products permission and an internet connection. Ask a manager to do it.

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More detail: options vs. variations, and how options work

Sometimes several things are really one product: the same drink in five flavours, or a single item that arrives with a different barcode on every case. Rather than create a separate product (and a separate stock count) for each, Brother POS lets you attach named options and extra barcodes to a single product. They all ring up the same product and share one pool of stock.

This is the lightweight alternative to Variations. Use variations when each size or pack needs its own price and its own stock count. Use options and barcode aliases when everything is the same price and shares one stock count, but scans (or is named) differently.

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Options vs. Variations — Which to Use?

Situation	Use
Same product, different flavours/varieties, one shared stock count and price	Named options (this page)
One product that ships with several different barcodes/UPCs	Barcode aliases (this page)
Different sizes/weights, each with its own price and its own stock	Variations

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Named Options (Flavours / Varieties)

Named options let you list the flavours or varieties a product comes in — for example a sparkling drink that comes in Lime, Berry, and Cola. All the options are the same product with the same price and one shared stock count; the names are just there so staff and customers can tell them apart.

Adding named options

1. Go to Products and open the product.
2. On the Details tab, open the Product Codes (Optional) section and find Options / Flavours.
3. In What are these called?, enter a label for the group — e.g. Flavour, Strain, or Variety. This is what the choice is called on the storefront.
4. Click Add option for each variety.
5. For each option, enter its name (e.g. "Lime") and, optionally, scan or type its barcode.
6. Click Update Product.

You can also add options on step 3 of the new product wizard.

Don't see Product Codes?

The Product Codes section only appears when Enable Barcode Scanning is turned on in Settings → Products & Inventory.

Each option name shows on your storefront and is searchable at the register — a clerk can search "Lime" and land on the right product. Because there is only one product underneath, you keep one simple stock count instead of juggling five.

Shared stock

Every named option draws from the product's single stock number. Selling any flavour reduces that one count. If you need each flavour tracked separately, use Variations instead.

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Barcode Aliases (Many Barcodes, One Product)

A barcode alias is an extra barcode that scans to the same product. This is for the common case where the same item arrives with a different UPC depending on the supplier, the case, or a packaging change — you want every one of those codes to ring up the one product.

You add barcode aliases in the same Options / Flavours area: add an entry and fill in only the barcode (you can leave the name blank if it is purely an alias). A product can carry as many aliases as you need.

• Every alias scans to this product — at the register, scanning any of the codes adds the same product to the cart.
• Barcodes stay unique — a code can't be used as an alias if another product already uses it as its barcode, SKU or alias. Saving shows an error such as "…is already used by another product".
• Searchable too — aliases are checked alongside the product's main barcode and SKU during search and scan.

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Attaching an Unknown Barcode at the Register

When a clerk scans a barcode the system doesn't recognize, they don't have to leave the register or create a duplicate product. They can attach the scanned code to an existing product on the spot:

1. Scan the item. If nothing matches, an Unrecognized barcode window opens.
2. Type at least two letters of the product's name or SKU, and tap the product this barcode belongs to.
3. Tap Attach to (product name). The code is added as a barcode alias, the product goes into the cart, and from then on the code scans straight to that product.

This keeps your catalog clean — new case UPCs get folded into the right product instead of spawning near-duplicate entries.

Permission required

Attaching a barcode changes a product, so it requires the Manage Products permission. A clerk without it sees "Ask a manager to attach it to the right item."

Needs a connection

Attaching only works while the register is online. Offline, the register says the barcode wasn't found and to reconnect to attach it.

More detail: merging duplicate products

Merging Duplicate Products

Even with aliases, duplicates creep in — especially after a CSV or third-party import that created two entries for the same item. Brother POS can merge two products into one through the AI assistant (Big Brother):

• One product is the keep product — it is preserved and stays active.
• The other is the merge product — its stock is added to the keep product, and it is then deactivated and renamed with [MERGED] in front of its name.

Ask the assistant to merge the duplicates, telling it which entry to keep (the one with the better name and data).

Keep the best record

When merging, keep the product that has the cleaner name, correct category, and any photos or cannabis attributes already filled in. The other one's stock rolls into it. Its barcodes are not moved over, so check the kept product scans the codes you need.

More detail: best practices and troubleshooting

Best Practices

• Reach for options before variations. If flavours share a price and a stock count, named options are simpler than variations — one number to manage.
• Label the group clearly. Set "What are these called?" to something customers understand (Flavour, Strain, Variety) since it shows on the storefront.
• Attach, don't recreate. When a new case scans as unknown, attach the barcode to the existing product rather than creating a new one.
• Merge after every import. Imports are the usual source of duplicates — do a quick pass to merge any pairs so stock counts stay accurate.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
"…is already used by another product"	That code is the barcode, SKU or an alias of a different product. Remove it there first, or attach it to that product instead.
Scanning an alias doesn't find the product	Confirm the alias was saved (open the product's Options / Flavours area) and that the code matches exactly.
A flavour needs its own price	Named options share one price. Switch to Variations if each option needs a different price or its own stock.
Clerk can't attach an unknown barcode	Attaching requires the Manage Products permission and an internet connection. Have a manager do it or grant the permission.

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What's Next?

• Variations — Use these when each size needs its own price and stock count.
• Barcode Labels — Print labels for your products.
• Creating Products — Full guide to adding a new product.
• CSV Import — Bulk-add products (a common source of duplicates to merge).