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Creating a new item

3 min read ·Updated

The item is the basis of every invoice and every stock movement. This article walks through the tabs of the item form and explains when you need each field and when to leave it alone.

On this page
  1. The minimum to sell today
  2. The Basic tab
  3. The Stock tab
  4. Bundles
  5. Import and export

The minimum to sell today

Open Items, then Items and click New. To start you only need the Name, the Barcode and the sale price in the default list. Everything else has a sensible default: the SKU is generated when left empty, the base unit is "piece", the tax class is the company default and stock tracking is on.

The form has four tabs: Basic, Units, Barcode aliases, Stock, plus a fifth, Bundle components, for bundles only.

The Basic tab

  1. Name and English name: the second prints on the invoice when the print language is English.
  2. Barcode: the primary one. For weighed items read Barcodes and units. A barcode already used by another item is refused with ERR_BARCODE_TAKEN.
  3. SKU: your internal code; unique, and generated from automatic numbering when left empty.
  4. Type:
    • Stock: goods with a balance and a cost.
    • Service: delivery, repair, labour; no balance and no cost of goods.
    • Bundle: several items sold as one line (a "meal" offer). On sale, the stock of the components is consumed, not the bundle itself.
  5. Item group and Manufacturer: for classification, reports and cashier scopes. See Groups, manufacturers and units.
  6. Base unit: the unit the balance is kept in. It cannot change once conversion units exist (ERR_BASE_UNIT_LOCKED).
  7. Tax class: shown with its rate. "No tax" for exempt items. See Company details and tax.
  8. Prices by price list: one price per active sales list, marked tax inclusive or tax exclusive. A price "derived from the parent list" means the list is a percentage child and needs no entry. See Price lists.
  9. Item image: JPG, PNG or WebP up to 4 MB, shown on the POS buttons.
  10. Sellable, Purchasable, Active: an inactive item disappears from search and cashier devices but keeps its history.

The Stock tab

  • Track stock: turn off for stock items you do not want counted (bags, wrapping tissue). An untracked item always sells and generates no movements.
  • Negative stock: "empty = per the general setting", or "allowed" or "blocked" for this item alone. The general setting is under Settings, then Company, then Allow negative stock.
  • Minimum, Maximum, Reorder quantity: feed the "below minimum" report in Balances and inventory reports.

Negative stock

Blocked by default: selling an item with a zero balance is refused with ERR_INSUFFICIENT_STOCK. If you allow it, the sale is valued at the last average cost and corrected automatically at the next purchase. Allow it for shops that enter supplier invoices late; block it if you rely on balances to order from suppliers.

Bundles

Choose the type Bundle and the Bundle components tab appears: add each component and its quantity. A bundle cannot contain itself (ERR_BUNDLE_SELF). The bundle price is entered like any item and is unrelated to the sum of component prices.

What happens in the books

Defining an item creates no entry. The first financial effect comes from the first movement: a purchase raises the inventory account by its cost, and a sale leaves at weighted average cost into cost of goods sold. A bundle on sale consumes its components' stock at each component's cost. Costing details in Balances and item card.

Import and export

Above the items list are Import and Export buttons for users with those permissions. A CSV with a fixed header: sku,name,name_en,group,unit,barcode,sale_price,cost,tax_rate,min_stock. A row whose SKU already exists is updated, not duplicated, and errors are collected per row without stopping the valid rows. Export first to see the template filled with your own items.

Tip

Start with your best sellers, barcode and price only, and sell from day one. Minimum levels, manufacturers and images can be completed later without stopping work.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the base unit later?

Yes, as long as the item has no extra conversion units. Once a carton or dozen is added the base unit is locked because the balance is kept in it.

What is the difference between turning off Active and turning off Sellable?

An inactive item disappears from every screen and device. A non-sellable item stays visible in purchasing and inventory but cannot be sold, which suits packaging and shop supplies.

How do I define a delivery or repair item?

Choose the type Service. No balance and no cost of goods, and it appears on the invoice like any line.

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