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Retailer Features

Admin Manager

Use this page to order from a distributor that runs Brother POS and get what arrives into your stock.

Quick steps​

To place an order:

  1. Go to Distributor Connections and click Place order on the distributor's card. (Managers: on the Purchase Orders list, click Order from [distributor].)
  2. Search or filter the catalog. Type a quantity and click Add for each product you want.
  3. Add Order Notes (optional) if needed, and click Place Order.

To receive it (once the distributor has approved it):

  1. Open the purchase order and click Receive Order.
  2. Check the Quantity Received for each product — change it if a different amount arrived, or enter 0 for anything that didn't come.
  3. For each New product, check Your price and the Category.
  4. Click Complete Receiving and confirm. The stock is added.
Use the distributor's catalog, not New Purchase Order

New Purchase Order is for suppliers outside Brother POS — nothing is sent to anyone. Always use Place order so the order reaches the distributor.

Common questions​

My order was refused. The message names the product and the problem (below the minimum, not enough stock, no longer offered, or over your credit limit). Your order stays on the page so you can fix it.

Can I change or cancel an order? While it's Pending, click Cancel Order. Once the distributor approves it, only they can cancel or change it.

Why is the tax not my store's rate? The distributor is the seller, so the order is taxed at their rate.

A received product isn't on the register. It arrived without a price. Open it, set its price and tick Product is available for sale.

More detail: before you start, and the whole flow

When your Brother POS store is set up as a retailer, you can connect to distributors (or a co-op) that also run Brother POS, order from their wholesale catalogs, and receive what arrives straight into your stock. This guide covers the retailer side from start to finish.

Before You Start​

  • Your store must be set up as a retailer.
  • Enable Distributor Connections (ordering) must be ticked in Settings > Edit Settings > Sales & Integrations tab, under Wholesale Feature Controls.
  • You need an admin account to see Distributor Connections in the top navigation. Managers can order from the Purchase Orders list (see Placing an Order), and track and receive orders there.

The Whole Flow at a Glance​

Here is what happens from the moment you order until the stock is on your shelf. Each step is explained in detail further down.

  1. You place the order from the distributor's catalog. A matching purchase order appears in your store as Pending.
  2. The distributor approves it. Your purchase order changes to Approved. The distributor's invoice is normally created at the same moment, emailed to your store and shown on the purchase order.
  3. The distributor packs it and marks it ready for pickup. You get a "ready for pickup" email.
  4. You collect it. When the distributor marks it picked up, your purchase order shows Picked up.
  5. You receive it. Open the purchase order, click Receive Order, check the counts, set your shelf price for any new products and click Complete Receiving. Products you've never stocked are created for you with their photo, description and details.
  6. You pay the invoice the way you've agreed with the distributor. They record the payment and your purchase order shows the balance going down.
More detail: connecting to a distributor

Connecting to a Distributor​

Adding a Distributor​

  1. Click Distributor Connections in the top navigation.
  2. Click Connect to Distributor.
  3. Enter the Pairing Code — the 6-character code your distributor gave you.
  4. Enter a Distributor Label so you can recognise this distributor (for example "Green Leaf Wholesale").
  5. Click Connect to Distributor.

Your request goes to the distributor, who reviews and approves it. Once approved, you can start ordering. If you already have a connection to that distributor, Brother POS takes you to the existing one instead.

  • The distributor gets an email about your request, and you get one when they approve it.
  • A pairing code works only once. A code that has already been used, has expired or was deleted is refused with Invalid or expired pairing code.
  • If you leave the label blank, the connection is named after the distributor.
  • You can be connected to several distributors at once, but only once to each.
No pairing code?

When the Distributor Directory is switched on, Find Distributors in the admin menu (and the "Looking for new suppliers?" banner on the Distributor Connections page) opens the directory, where you can find distributors on Brother POS and request a connection without a code — even before you have any connections. See Pairing.

Viewing Your Distributors​

The My Distributor Connections page lists each connection with its status, when it was connected and when it last synced. An active connection's card leads with Place order, then Orders (which opens Orders from [distributor] — your purchase orders with that distributor) and View Details. Click Export CSV to download the list of connections.

StatusMeaning
Pending ApprovalWaiting for the distributor to approve your request
ActiveConnected — you can order
DisconnectedYou disconnected from this distributor

Checking a Pending Connection​

  1. Click View Details on the connection.
  2. Click Check status now.

A message tells you straight away whether you're connected or still waiting for their approval.

Contact your distributor

If a connection has been pending for a while, reach out to the distributor directly. They may not have seen the request.

More detail: placing an order — the catalog, quantities, tax, refusals and credit

Placing an Order​

The connection must be Active. You can start an order from any of these places — they all open the same New Wholesale Order page with that distributor's catalog:

  • Distributor Connections > Place order on the distributor's card (or View Details > Place New Order).
  • Wholesale Orders > Create Order, which takes you to Distributor Connections to pick the distributor.
  • Distributor Connections > Orders on the distributor's card > New order from [distributor].
  • The Purchase Orders list, which has an Order from [distributor] button for each active distributor, next to New Purchase Order.
Use the distributor's catalog, not New Purchase Order

New Purchase Order is for suppliers outside Brother POS: you type the lines in yourself and nothing is sent to anyone. To order from a connected distributor, always use one of the buttons above so the order actually reaches them.

Building the Order​

  1. Find products with the search box (it searches name, SKU and brand) and the Category, Strain Type and Brand filters, then click Apply Filters. Brand lists every brand the distributor sells you, so you can pick one and see just that brand's products. The catalog shows 20 products a page.
  2. Choose how the list is ordered with Sort by: Name (A–Z) (the default), Brand (A–Z), Price (low to high) or Price (high to low). The list re-sorts as soon as you pick one.
  3. Enter a quantity and click Add for each product you want (or press Enter in the quantity box). It goes into the Order Summary on the right, and "Added 24 to your order" shows under the box.
  4. Add Order Notes (optional) — special instructions, a preferred pickup time, and so on.
  5. Click Place Order. The button stays greyed out until your order has at least one product.

Your filters and sort stay in place as you move between pages. Clear removes the filters but keeps your sort. Your order is kept in the summary as you move between pages or filters, and even if you leave the page and come back, until it is placed.

The Quantity Box​

Each quantity box starts at the product's minimum order and can't go below it. If a distributor sells a product by the case of 12 and you type 5, the box goes back to 12 and a small note under it says "Minimum order is 12". You can order any amount above the minimum — 13 or 20 is fine, it doesn't have to be a multiple of 12.

After you click Add, the box goes back to the minimum, ready for the next product. If adding would take you over what the distributor has, nothing is added and the note says how many are in your order already and how many are available.

What the Catalog Shows​

Each product shows its photo (click it to see it full size), name, SKU, brand, categories, strain type, THC and CBD, and a Show description link. Under that you see:

  • Wholesale: $X / unit — the price you pay: the distributor's wholesale price with your pricing tier's discount already taken off.
  • min N — shown when the distributor has a minimum order above 1 for that product. The quantity box starts at the minimum.
  • Volume pricing: 12+ $9.00 · 24+ $8.00 — shown when the distributor charges less per unit for bigger orders. These are your prices, with your pricing tier's discount already taken off. Your order is charged the price your quantity reaches: order 24 or more and every unit is $8.00; order 20 and every unit is $9.00. The Order Summary shows the price your quantity reaches, and adding more of the same product can move the line to a lower price.
  • Stock: In Stock or Out of Stock. Out-of-stock products can't be added.

Only products the distributor sells wholesale, and hasn't removed from your catalog, appear.

Tax on the Order​

The order is taxed at the distributor's tax rate, because they are the seller. The Tax (X%) line in the order summary shows their rate, and the order, invoice and your purchase order all carry that tax.

When an Order Is Refused​

Brother POS checks every line against the distributor's own catalog when you click Place Order. If something is wrong, nothing is placed, the page tells you why (the message starts "Failed to place order:"), and your order is still in the summary so you can fix it and try again.

MessageWhat to do
"[Product]: the minimum order is 12"Raise that line to the minimum.
"[Product]: only 8 available."The distributor doesn't have that many. Lower the quantity.
"[Product] is no longer offered to you. Remove it from the order."The distributor removed it from your catalog or stopped selling it. Take it out of the order.
"[Product] is ordered in whole units."Use a whole number (only weighed products take decimals).
A message about exceeding available creditThe order would take you over your credit limit with this distributor. See Credit Limits.
The same order can't be placed twice

If you click Place Order twice, or have the order page open in two tabs, only one order is placed. The second attempt takes you to the distributor's page with "This order was already placed as #WO-…".

Credit Limits​

If the distributor has set a credit limit for your account, the order total is checked against it when you place the order. An order that would take your balance over the limit is not placed, and the message shows the order total, your available credit, current balance and credit limit. If no credit limit is set, there is no check.

Your balance with a distributor goes up when they approve an order. It comes back down as they record your payments, or if they cancel an approved order.

After You Place an Order​

  • You return to the distributor's connection page with "Order placed successfully! Order #WO-20260915-0001".
  • A matching purchase order is created in your store with status Pending. It uses the same order number as the distributor's order, so you can both refer to it.
  • The purchase order carries each product's full details from the distributor, so there's nothing to type in when you receive it.
More detail: tracking, invoices, changing or cancelling an order

Tracking Your Orders​

Where to Find Them​

  • Distributor Connections > Orders on a distributor's card opens Orders from [distributor]. Its filters (status and dates) stay on that distributor, and All purchase orders takes you back to the full list.
  • On a distributor's connection page, Recent Purchase Orders shows the last five orders. Click View all for the rest.
  • The full Purchase Orders list (from Orders, click Purchase Orders) shows orders from every distributor and supplier.

Order Statuses​

As the distributor works on your order, your purchase order shows the same status they see, in the same words: Pending, Approved, Packing, Packed, Ready for pickup, Shipped (or Out for delivery), Picked up or Delivered, Rejected or Cancelled.

When you receive the order, your purchase order shows Partially received or Received — and the distributor's order is completed for them (marked picked up, or delivered) with a "Received by [your store]" note.

If the distributor rejects an order and gives a reason, your purchase order shows it ("[distributor] said: …").

Once you have received some or all of an order, it keeps its Partially received or Received status even if the distributor later cancels their side.

Emails You Get​

These go to your store's Email (in Settings > Edit Settings, General tab), or to your first admin's email if that is blank:

  • The invoice, when the distributor approves the order: "Invoice INV-… from [distributor]", with the balance due, the due date and a View it on your purchase order link.
  • Ready for pickup: "Your order WO-… is ready for pickup".

The Distributor's Invoice​

Once the distributor has invoiced the order, your purchase order shows an Invoice box: the invoice number, Issued and Due dates, Total, Paid (once anything is paid) and Balance due, with a status badge (Issued, Partially paid, Paid or Overdue). Pay the distributor the way you have agreed. When they record the payment, the box updates. Paid by e-Transfer, EFT or cheque? Click Send payment notice in the box to tell them. The balance goes down once they confirm it. See Payment Notices and Statements, which also explains your Statement with each distributor.

Changing or Cancelling an Order​

An order with a distributor on Brother POS belongs to both of you, so what you can do depends on where it is:

Where the order isWhat you can do
Pending (not yet approved)Click Cancel Order on the purchase order. It is cancelled at the distributor too.
Approved or laterOnly the distributor can cancel it. Ask them.

You can't edit the lines, remove a line, or change prices on a distributor order yourself — there is no Edit Order button on it. If you try, you see "This order is with [distributor]: its lines and prices are theirs. Cancel it, or ask them to change it." To change a pending order, cancel it and place a new one, or ask the distributor: if they edit it while it is pending, your purchase order changes to match.

Delete Order only works once the order is cancelled, rejected, picked up or delivered. While it's still open with the distributor you see "This order is still open with [distributor]. Cancel it first." A distributor order you've received (even partly), or that the distributor has invoiced, has no Delete Order button at all — it stays on record for both of you.

More detail: receiving an order, new products, your price and categories

Receiving an Order​

Receiving the order adds the stock to your inventory. You can receive once the distributor has approved the order — you don't have to wait for it to be picked up or delivered.

When there's no Receive button
  • Before the distributor approves: "[distributor] hasn't approved this order yet. Receive it once they have."
  • After the distributor cancels or rejects it: "[distributor] cancelled this order, so there's nothing to receive."

Step by Step​

  1. Open the purchase order and click Receive Order.
  2. If your store keeps stock in more than one spot, pick where it goes under Receive into (the Sales Floor to start with).
  3. Check each product on the receive page. Each one is marked:
    • Already stocked — it goes onto one of your products. The page says which ("Goes into your … (brand: …)") and shows your Current stock and what it will be After.
    • New product — you don't stock it yet. It will be created for you (see below). If it looks like something you already carry, the page lists it ("You may already stock this") so you can receive into that instead, or use Already stock this under another name? Find it to search for it.
  4. Enter the Quantity Received for each product. It starts at what you ordered; change it if fewer or more arrived. Enter 0 for anything that didn't come.
  5. Check the cost (Cost per unit, Cost per case or Cost per g). It starts at the order's price; change it if you were charged something different.
  6. For each New product, check Your price and the Category (see below).
  7. Click Complete Receiving and confirm.

Stock is added for everything you received. If only part of the order arrived, the order is marked Partially received; click Receive Remaining Items when the rest comes in. Once everything is received, the status changes to Received.

How Brother POS Recognises Products You Already Stock​

A product on the order counts as one you already stock if one of your products has the same SKU or the same barcode (including any additional barcodes you've added to a product). Failing that, the same name counts too (capitals don't matter) — but only when the brands agree (or one of them has no brand) and the size doesn't differ. So a co-op's Afghan Kush – 28g from one grower doesn't land on your Afghan Kush – 28g from another; the page shows both brands so you can check.

If you already carry a product under your own SKU, give it the manufacturer's barcode and the distributor's delivery lands on it instead of creating a second product.

New Products Arrive Finished​

A product you've never stocked is created with everything the distributor has on it:

  • Name, SKU and barcode.
  • Description, brand, strain type, THC and CBD, and format and package size.
  • The distributor's photos, copied into your store (they stay yours even if the distributor later deletes their product).
  • Categories (see below).
  • Its cost: what you paid per unit on your shelf.

On the receive page, a new product shows a small photo, its brand, strain and THC, and "Photo, description and details come with it."

If the distributor sells a product by the case, the page shows, for example, "12 per case = 24 retail units", and the Quantity Received box is in cases. Your stock goes up by the units inside.

Your Price​

Each new product has a Your price box — the price it will sell for in your store. It is filled in for you:

  • With the distributor's suggested shelf price, if they have one ("[distributor] suggests $24.99."), or
  • With your usual markup on what you paid ("Your usual markup (×1.8) on what you paid."), worked out from your own products' prices and costs and rounded to end in .99. Brother POS needs at least 10 active products with both a price and a cost to work this out.

As you type, the box shows You pay $X · margin N% so you can see your margin.

Leave it blank and the product is not for sale

If you clear Your price (or there's nothing to suggest), the product is still created and its stock is added, but it is not for sale until you price it. The message after receiving lists these products ("Not for sale until priced: …"). Open each one, set its price and tick Product is available for sale.

Categories​

The distributor's category is picked for you:

  • If you already have a category with that name, it is ticked — even if the capitals or plural are different ("Pre-rolls" matches your "Pre-Rolls", "Edible" matches "Edibles").
  • If you don't have it, the page says "will be filed under [category] (added to your categories)" and the category is created when you receive. When the distributor has several categories and one of them is already ticked, the product goes only into what's ticked, and the one you don't have isn't created.
  • Tick a different category if you want it filed elsewhere. Once you pick one, the distributor's suggestion no longer applies.
  • With no category from the distributor and none picked, the product goes into Uncategorized.

See Purchase Orders for more on receiving.

When Less Arrived Than You Were Billed​

If you received fewer than you ordered, the purchase order shows a Short delivery box listing each short line (for example "Pre-roll 5-pack: 20 of 24 received (4 short)"). Once the distributor has invoiced the order:

  1. Click Report shortage to [distributor]. The box explains that they still bill the full order until you do.
  2. The distributor sees a Short delivery reported note, with a credit request, on their copy of the order and on the invoice.
  3. When they issue the credit, your purchase order says "[distributor] credited $X on [date]. It comes off what you owe them." Until then it says "Waiting for [distributor] to issue the credit."
More detail: managing a connection and common workflows

Managing a Connection​

Disconnecting​

  1. Open the connection with View Details (Disconnect is on the details page, not on the card).
  2. Click Disconnect and confirm.
  3. The status changes to Disconnected and you can no longer order from that distributor. This only changes your side: the distributor still sees you as connected until they suspend or delete you.

Your purchase orders stay in your store.

Deleting a Connection​

Once a connection is disconnected (or was turned down), open it and click Delete Connection, then confirm, to remove it permanently.

Before disconnecting

Make sure outstanding orders are received or cancelled before you disconnect.

Common Workflows​

Weekly Restock​

  1. In Products, set the stock filter to Low Stock.
  2. Go to Purchase Orders and click Order from [distributor].
  3. Add the products you need and place the order.
  4. When the distributor approves it and you've collected it, receive it to update your stock.

Comparing Distributor Prices​

  1. Start a new order with each distributor and search for the same products.
  2. Compare the wholesale prices. Each distributor's page shows your price with them, after your tier discount.
  3. Order each product from the distributor with the best price.
More detail: troubleshooting

Troubleshooting​

ProblemSolution
"Distributor ordering feature is not enabled."Ask your admin to tick Enable Distributor Connections (ordering) in Settings.
Distributor Connections isn't in the menuIt's shown to admins only, and only when your store is a retailer with Enable Distributor Connections (ordering) ticked.
"Distributor connection is not active"The connection is still pending or was disconnected. Check its status.
"Invalid or expired pairing code"The code was typed wrong, has expired, or has already been used. Ask the distributor for a new code.
"That pairing code belongs to your own store."You entered a code your own store created. Use the code the distributor gave you.
The order was refusedRead the message — it names the product and the problem (minimum, stock, no longer offered, whole units, credit). Your order is still on the page to fix. See When an Order Is Refused.
The tax isn't my store's rateCorrect — the distributor is the seller, so the order is taxed at their rate.
Order stuck on PendingThe distributor hasn't reviewed it yet. Contact them directly.
No Receive Order buttonThe distributor hasn't approved the order yet, or cancelled it. The purchase order says which.
Can't edit or cancel the orderYou can't edit a distributor order. Once the distributor has approved it, only they can cancel it.
Didn't get the invoice or pickup emailThey go to your store's Email in Settings (General tab), or your first admin if that's blank. Check it's filled in, and check spam. The invoice is also on the purchase order.
A received product isn't on the registerIt arrived without a price, so it isn't for sale yet. Set its price and tick Product is available for sale.
A delivery created a second copy of a product I already sellYour product didn't share its SKU, barcode or exact name with the distributor's. Add the distributor's barcode to your product so future deliveries land on it.
Stock didn't go upOpen the purchase order and click Receive Order. Stock is only added when you complete receiving.

What's Next?​