IMEI & Serial Number Tracking

Section 7.13 - Track Individual Items by Unique Identifier

Chapter 7: Advanced Features | 8 min read | Phone Sellers

Overview

IMEI and Serial Number Tracking lets you track individual items by their unique identifiers. This is essential for businesses selling phones, electronics, and other serialized products where each unit is unique and must be tracked individually.

💡 Perfect For:
  • Mobile phone shops
  • Electronics retailers
  • Computer/laptop sellers
  • Appliance stores
  • Any business with serialized inventory

What is IMEI/Serial Number?

Type Description Example
IMEI International Mobile Equipment Identity - unique 15-digit code for mobile phones 351234567890123
Serial Number Manufacturer's unique identifier for any product SN-2024-ABC-12345

Enabling Serial/IMEI Fields

Before using this feature, you need to enable the Serial Number and/or IMEI columns on your purchase sheet:

1 Open Settings

Go to Settings in the main menu.

2 Find Sheet Settings

Look for Purchase Sheet Columns or Sheet Display Fields.

3 Enable Columns

Check the boxes to show:

  • Serial Number - For general serial tracking
  • IMEI - For mobile phones specifically

4 Save Settings

Your changes take effect immediately.

Recording Serial Numbers During Purchase

When you record a purchase, you can now enter the serial number or IMEI for each item:

Adding a Phone with IMEI

  1. Open Purchase Sheet
  2. Add the product (e.g., "Samsung Galaxy S23")
  3. Enter quantity (usually 1 for serialized items)
  4. Enter the buying price
  5. In the IMEI column, enter the 15-digit IMEI
  6. In the Serial Number column, enter if different
  7. Save the purchase
⚠️ One Serial Per Line:
Each item with a unique serial number should be on its own line. If you're buying 5 different phones, add 5 separate lines with their individual IMEIs.

Quick Lookup During Sales

The real power of serial tracking is during sales. Simply scan or type the IMEI/Serial Number, and GSK POS automatically finds the product:

Selling by Serial/IMEI

  1. Open the Sales interface
  2. In the search box, type or scan the IMEI or Serial Number
  3. System automatically finds the matching product
  4. Product name, price, and details auto-populate
  5. Complete the sale as normal
✅ Benefits of Lookup:
  • No need to remember product names
  • Eliminates selection errors
  • Faster checkout process
  • Automatic price from purchase record
  • Complete audit trail per item

Tracking Serial Numbers

Each serialized item creates a complete history:

What's Tracked Where to Find It
When Purchased Purchase records show date, supplier, cost
Current Location Stock Lots view shows unsold items
When Sold Sale records include IMEI/Serial
Who Bought It Customer linked to sale record
Profit Made FIFO links sale to specific purchase cost

Viewing Stock Lots with Serial Numbers

The Product Details page shows all purchase records (stock lots) including their serial numbers:

Stock Lots Display

When you click Manage on a product, the Stock Lots section shows:

  • Purchase date
  • Cost per item
  • Serial Number (if entered)
  • IMEI (if entered)
  • Batch Number (if used)
  • Expiry Date (if applicable)
  • Remaining quantity

Best Practices

Common Use Cases

📱 Phone Shop Scenario

Purchase: You receive 3 iPhones from supplier. Enter each with its unique IMEI.

Sale: Customer wants a specific color. Scan IMEI from the box - system finds it instantly and records the sale.

After Sale: Full record: when you bought it, how much you paid, who bought it, and your profit.

💻 Laptop Retailer Scenario

Purchase: Enter laptop with serial number from manufacturer label.

Warranty Claim: Customer returns with issue - look up serial to find purchase date and verify warranty.

Support: Track which customer has which specific unit for after-sales support.

Troubleshooting

Serial/IMEI column not showing?

Go to Settings → Sheet Display Fields and enable the Serial Number and/or IMEI columns for purchase sheets.

Lookup not finding the product?

Verify the IMEI/Serial was entered correctly during purchase. Check for typos or missing digits. The number must match exactly.

How to correct a wrong serial?

Contact support or edit the purchase record directly if you have admin access. It's important to fix errors early.

Continue Learning

Explore more GSK POS advanced features.

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