Inventory Features
Part of Multi-store POS operations
Transferring stock between locations
Plan dispatch, receipt and discrepancy handling for stock transfers between stores, with Square and Shopify workflow limits.
A stock transfer needs a record of what left one location, a count of what arrived at another, and a way to resolve any difference. Agree who requests, dispatches, receives and closes each movement. A POS transfer record does not replace the physical handover.
Record the request and selling status
Identify the source, destination, item or variant, quantity, reason and expected arrival. Check the source quantity and whether the destination is meant to stock and sell the item. Put a reference on the movement and the accompanying paperwork so staff can match delivery to record.
For a Shopify POS dispatch, an optional packing slip PDF can list items and variant names, quantities, origin and destination locations, and transfer details such as reference name, date, notes and tags.
Shopify says a transfer can record quantity at a destination without activating the product for sale there. Square requires location availability for items in its documented transfer workflow. Check destination selling status separately from the quantity moved.
Follow the provider’s actual transfer path
| Provider | Documented path | Limit to account for |
|---|---|---|
| Square | Select source, destination, items and quantities in Dashboard, then complete the transfer. A transfer number appears in the history log. | Listed subscriptions or retail mode and item and inventory permissions apply. |
| Shopify POS | Create the transfer in Shopify admin. Origin staff fulfil it and destination staff receive it in POS. | Both POS locations need Pro for this workflow and an active internet connection. |
For Square’s one-step system movement, decide how staff will match the completed record to the later physical count. For Shopify, decide who creates the admin transfer and who accepts the received quantities. If a courier or warehouse system also records the movement, identify where its reference connects to the POS record.
Count at dispatch and receipt
Have the sending store pick by item identity, confirm the quantity and attach the reference. The receiving store checks what arrived before accepting or reconciling quantities. If a variant is short, record the quantity received and investigate the remainder against the dispatch record.
Shopify POS lets staff receive the transfer in POS. Build a physical receiving check around whichever workflow is available.
Close discrepancies
Keep the transfer reference, item, quantity sent, quantity received, condition, owner and resolution together. A shortage might require a follow-up shipment, a corrected count or another documented adjustment. Avoid unexplained corrections at both branches simply to make totals agree.
When evaluating a system, ask staff at each location to demonstrate a partial or short delivery using the controls available to them. Include multiple shipments only where the provider supports that workflow.
