Scan to receive
Use a USB barcode scanner (or type a barcode/SKU) to add one unit at a time while receiving a purchase order.
While you are in Receive inventory on a purchase order, Inventory Mate can increment Qty received by +1 each time you scan a barcode or SKU. Scans use a USB keyboard-wedge scanner (or typed input + Enter)—the same style of hardware many warehouses already use at a packing station. Nothing is pushed to Shopify until you Save.
For the full receive workflow (partial receipts, rejected qty, unreceiving, and Shopify incoming), see Purchase order management.
When the scan field appears
- Open a non-draft purchase order.
- Choose Receive inventory.
- In the Products header, use the field labeled Scan to +1 received.
The scan field is only available during a receive session. It does not appear while you are creating or editing a draft PO.
How to scan
You can receive units in either of these ways:
- USB barcode scanner — Click into the scan field (or leave focus elsewhere if your scanner types into the page as a keyboard). Scan the product barcode. Each successful scan adds one to that line’s additional qty received for this session.
- Type and Enter — Type a barcode or SKU into Scan to +1 received and press Enter.
Repeat for each unit (or each carton unit you want counted) until the line is fully received or you are ready to save.
Scans only adjust the receive quantities on screen. Shopify on-hand, incoming, and open PO quantities update when you Save—the same as entering qty received by hand.
Matching rules
Inventory Mate matches the scanned value to lines on this PO:
| Priority | Match | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcode | Exact match, case-insensitive |
| 2 | SKU | Exact match, case-insensitive, only if no barcode hit |
If more than one line could match (for example duplicate barcodes), Inventory Mate prefers a line that still has remaining quantity to receive.
Feedback on each scan
| Result | What you see / hear |
|---|---|
| Match with remaining qty | Green flash on the scan field, success beep, last-scan label like +1 Product → total, and the matched line scrolls into view and highlights briefly |
| No matching barcode or SKU | Red flash, error beep, label like No match: … |
| Line already fully received | Red flash, error beep, label like Fully received: …, and the line still highlights so you can find it |
Each successful scan is capped by remaining ordered qty for that line (ordered − already received − additional qty in this session). Scanning past that limit does not over-receive.
Tips
- Keep barcodes and SKUs on PO lines accurate so scans resolve on the first try.
- Mix scanning with manual Qty received / Qty rejected edits on any line, then Save once.
- Use negative qty received to correct a mistake after save—see Unreceiving inventory in Purchase order management.
- Phone camera scanning on the stock-take flow is separate; PO receive uses USB / keyboard-wedge (or typed) input only.
Related
- Purchase order management — create, receive, partial receipts, unreceive, Shopify incoming
- Automatic cost sync at PO receipt — optional WAC cost update when you save a receive