Barcodes (EAN/GTIN)

The barcode is the number under the bars on the item, usually an EAN or GTIN code of 8, 12, 13 or 14 digits. When you add it to the item, you can scan the item straight into the sale at the till. The barcode is a separate field from the SKU (your own item number) – an item can have both.

Before you start

• You need permission to manage products.
• If the item has variants, each variant has its own barcode.
• If the item is synchronised from Shopify, the barcode comes from Shopify and cannot be changed here.

How to do it

On a new item

When you create the item under «Katalog» (Catalogue) → «Produkter» (Products) → «Nytt produkt» (New product), fill in «Strekkode (EAN/GTIN)» (Barcode) under «Organisering» (Organisation).

On an existing item

1. Open the item and go to the «Varianter» (Variants) tab.
2. Open the variant.
3. Fill in «Strekkode (EAN/GTIN)» and save.

The «Strekkode» column in the variant list shows which variants have a barcode.

Checks that are made

• Unique barcode and SKU. Two variants cannot have the same barcode or the same SKU. Cmerce also stops you if your barcode equals another item's SKU, or the other way round. The message tells you which item already uses the code.
• Check digit. If the code looks like a GTIN (digits only, 8, 12, 13 or 14 characters) but the last digit doesn't add up, you see «Sjekksifferet stemmer ikke med en gyldig GTIN-kode (EAN/UPC) — kontroller strekkoden.» (The check digit does not match a valid GTIN code – check the barcode.) This is only a warning – you can still save.
• Older duplicates that existed before the check was introduced are left alone until you edit them.

Scanning at the till

• When you scan with a barcode scanner, the item goes straight into the sale.
• The till looks for the barcode first, then the SKU. It also understands that the same code can be written with and without leading zeros, for example a 12-digit UPC-A and an EAN-13 with a leading zero.
• If you type the code by hand in the search field, it becomes an ordinary search. You tap the item yourself to add it to the sale.
• If the till cannot find the code, it shows «Fant ikke varen» (Item not found) with the code you scanned. If the item exists but cannot be sold at the till – for example because it is a draft or not active in the «Kasse (POS)» channel – it shows «Varen finnes, men er ikke tilgjengelig i kassen» (The item exists but is not available at the till). The message closes itself after a couple of seconds, and you can keep scanning.

Read more about setting up the scanner itself in Barcode scanner.

Good to know

• Shopify: The barcode in Shopify becomes the item's barcode in Cmerce. Shopify allows the same barcode on several items; the import does not stop because of that, but the items are flagged under «Trenger gjennomgang» (Needs review) on the Shopify page.
• WooCommerce import: The GTIN field from WooCommerce is imported as the barcode.
• Search: The product search in the webshop, the till and the admin also finds items by barcode and SKU. See Product search.
• Items without a barcode can be added to the sale with search or the category buttons.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the same code as SKU and barcode on one item?

Yes, on the same variant that is fine. Only collisions with other variants are stopped.

The till can't find an item I know has a barcode. What do I do?

Check that the barcode is on the right variant, that the item is published and active at the till, and that the scanner sends the whole code. Try scanning the code into a text field to see what the scanner actually sends.