Who Is This For?
StoreHub merchants who want to identify products at checkout with barcodes, or track individual units (e.g., electronics, jewellery) using serial numbers.
Overview
This article covers two per-unit identification features in BackOffice.
Barcodes let you scan products at the register instead of searching by name. Available on any product with stock tracking enabled.
Serial numbers let you track each individual unit of a product (e.g., each phone or appliance by its serial number).
This guide also covers scanning barcodes on your POS register, exporting barcodes for label printing, and importing serial numbers in bulk via CSV.
Note:
If you sell products with size / colour / flavour options and need to track stock per option, see here instead.
Before You Begin
Access to BackOffice (log in at your StoreHub BackOffice URL).
Products already added in BackOffice. If not, see this article first.
For barcode scanning on POS: a barcode scanner connected to your register. See here for hardware setup.
For serial number import: a CSV-compatible spreadsheet program (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or similar).
A stable internet connection.
Note:
Serial number tracking is only available for POS transactions. It is not supported for Webstore orders.
Step-by-Step Guide
Set Up Product Barcodes
You can assign barcodes to your products so they are recognized by the StoreHub app, BackOffice, and barcode scanners.
1. In your BackOffice, go to 'Products'.
2. Select an existing product or click '+ Add Product'.
3. Scroll down to the 'Inventory & Variants' section and tick 'Track Stock Level' to reveal the barcode field.
4. Enter, generate, or scan the barcode:
If the product does not have an existing barcode:
Click 'Generate Barcode' to let the system create one automatically.
You can also type in your own barcode number manually.
If the product already has a barcode:
Plug your barcode scanner into your laptop or computer
Place your cursor in the 'Barcode' field, and scan the barcode. The number will be entered automatically.
5. Click 'Save'.
Notes:
The system generates barcodes using a running number. If you see a duplicate barcode error, delete the duplicate and click 'Generate Barcode' again to get the next number.
Even if a product is deleted, the system will continue generating barcode numbers higher than the last one used.
You can also update barcodes in bulk by adding them to a CSV file under the 'Barcode' column and importing the file back into BackOffice.
Learn more about Barcode here.
Export Barcodes for Printing
Once your barcodes are set up, you can export them to a CSV file for label printing.
1. In your BackOffice, go to 'Products'.
2. Click 'Export To CSV'.
3. Open the downloaded CSV file and locate the 'Barcode' column.
4. Use label printing software to print the barcodes as labels. Refer to these articles to learn how.
Note:
If you use a Bixolon Printer, refer to the Bixolon Printer App guide for label printing steps.
If you have a Socket Mobile S700 Barcode Scanner, learn how to set it up by referring to this article.
Scan Barcodes on Your POS Register
Once barcodes are set up in BackOffice, you can scan them on your Android POS register to quickly add items to the cart.
1. On the StoreHub app, tap the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of the register screen.
2. Scan the product's barcode with your barcode scanner.
3. If the barcode exists in your BackOffice, the item is automatically added to the cart.
Notes:
If you scan a barcode that does not exist in BackOffice, a prompt will appear to add it as a new item. You can enter the details on the spot.
When adding a new item by scanning, entering a quantity will also create simple inventory tracking for that product.
Set Up Serialized Inventory
Serialized inventory lets you track each individual unit of a product by its unique serial number. This is useful for high-value items (e.g., phones, laptops, electronics).
1. In your BackOffice, go to 'Products'.
2. Select the product you want to track with serial numbers.
3. Scroll down to the 'Inventory & Variants' section. Tick 'Track Stock Level', select 'Serialized' as the inventory type, and click 'Save'.
Note:
After saving, a table will appear showing the stock quantity for each store. You can also generate a barcode for the product to make it easier for cashiers to find.
4. In the table, click 'Manage Serial Numbers'.
5. Enter the serial numbers for each individual item you have in stock.
Note:
For example, if you sell an iPhone 20, you would create the product barcode and then add the serial number for each individual phone in stock.
How Serialized Products Work on POS
1. When a cashier scans the product's barcode, a pop-up will appear asking them to select the serial number of the specific unit.
2. After selecting the serial number, it will appear in the transaction column.
Import Serial Numbers via CSV
If you have many serial numbers to add, you can import them in bulk using a CSV file instead of entering them one by one.
1. In your BackOffice, go to 'Products', then select 'Import Serial Numbers CSV'.
2. Click the 'products CSV template' link to download your current product list as a CSV file.
3. Open the downloaded file and enter the serial numbers in the 'Serial Number' column. Save the file as CSV.
4. If you have more than one store, select the store you want to assign the serial numbers to.
5. Click 'Select File', choose your CSV file, and click 'Import'.
Note:
Make sure the products in the CSV file already exist in your BackOffice before importing. The import will match serial numbers to products based on the template.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Solution |
Duplicate barcode error when generating a barcode | Delete the duplicate barcode entry and click 'Generate Barcode' again. The system will assign the next available number. |
Barcode field is not visible on the product page | Make sure 'Track Stock Level' is ticked in the 'Inventory & Variants' section. The barcode field only appears when stock tracking is enabled. |
Scanned barcode not found on POS | Check that the barcode is saved correctly in BackOffice. If the product was recently added, sync your POS register. |
Serial number import fails | Make sure the products in your CSV file already exist in BackOffice. Check that the file is saved in CSV format (not Excel .xlsx). |
FAQs
1. Can I generate barcodes for all products at once?
Barcodes are generated per product. However, you can export your product list to CSV, add barcode numbers in the Barcode column, and import the file back to update barcodes in bulk.
2. Does serialized inventory work with Webstore orders?
No. Serialized inventory is only available for POS transactions. Webstore orders do not support serial number selection.
3. Can I use both barcodes and serial numbers on the same product?
Yes. You can assign a barcode to a serialized product. The barcode identifies the product type, and the serial number identifies the specific unit.
4. One barcode on the package but three different product names in my shop. How do I set that up?
Each product name usually needs its own SKU and barcode rules in BackOffice. If you truly share one physical barcode across three different products, speak with support to avoid duplicate barcode errors. See the duplicate barcode row in Troubleshooting.
Need Help?
Contact StoreHub Support via live chat in your StoreHub app or email [email protected].
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