Barcode billing for wholesale needs three things a retail counter machine was not built for: billing by the box, billing a named party on credit, and landing every bill in the same Tally your accountant files GST from. A retail POS machine is designed for one walk-in customer paying cash for a basket of pieces, and it usually keeps its own item list and its own bills, which then have to be brought into Tally. A USB barcode gun at the Tally desk keeps everything in Tally but still makes the clerk type every quantity, because a scan only finds the item. Phone-camera scanning moves billing to the godown or the road, and when the sticker carries the box quantity, one scan bills the whole box. The right setup depends on where your bills get made and what you sell by. Below is the side-by-side for the three setups, the questions to ask before buying hardware, and an example of what changes for a wholesaler.
Three setups side by side
| Counter POS machine | USB gun at the Tally desk | Phone app with box stickers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built for | Walk-in retail, cash | Desk billing in Tally | Godown, counter and road |
| Party on credit | Often limited | Yes, Tally voucher | Yes, bill reaches Tally |
| Box quantity in one scan | Rarely | No, quantity typed | Yes |
| Bill lands in Tally | Usually by import or retyping | Directly | As a normal voucher |
| Where it works | At the counter | At the computer | Anywhere with the phone |
| Extra hardware | The machine, printer, drawer | A USB gun | A phone, optionally a Bluetooth gun |
Why retail POS fits wholesale poorly
A POS machine bills one piece per scan, prints a small receipt and expects payment on the spot. A wholesale bill is different: 30 lines, each in cartons or cases, a party with its own rates and credit days, and a GST invoice that goes with the goods. When the POS keeps its own records, someone retypes or imports the day's bills into Tally, and every mismatch between the two becomes an evening job.
What a USB gun at Tally gives you
A USB gun is the cheapest step. It types the code into Name of Item and Tally picks the item from its alias. Everything stays inside Tally. The quantity is still typed, so on box billing the gun saves the item search and little else. Our post on using a barcode scanner in Tally Prime covers the setup.
What changes with box stickers and a phone
Take an example: a Guwahati FMCG distributor billing 400 cartons a day, with the godown packing orders while the desk types bills. With a sticker on each box that carries its quantity, the godown scans boxes as they are packed and the bill builds itself, line by line. The desk checks it rather than typing it. The same scan works when stock comes in, against the purchase order, and when it moves between godowns.
Questions to ask before buying hardware
- Where are bills made today: the desk, the godown or the road?
- Do you sell by the piece or by the box?
- Does the bill have to land in Tally without retyping?
- How many people need to scan at the same time?
Takkada's barcode labels for Tally Prime print stickers with the box quantity from a purchase bill or an item, and scan them by phone camera, Bluetooth gun or USB gun into sales invoices, purchases, challans, GRNs and stock journals. Nothing is installed inside Tally, and each bill reaches it as a normal voucher. The carton barcode post goes deeper on box stickers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is a POS billing machine suitable for a wholesale business?
A: It suits walk-in retail better. Wholesale billing by the box, on credit, to a party in Tally usually fits a Tally-linked setup better than a separate POS machine.
Q: Can I do barcode billing directly in Tally?
A: Yes, with a USB gun scanning codes saved in the stock item alias. The scan picks the item and the quantity is typed.
Q: Can I bill with a barcode scanner on my phone?
A: Yes, with an app that scans by camera or a paired Bluetooth gun. Check that the bills it makes reach Tally as normal vouchers.
Q: What should a wholesaler's barcode sticker carry?
A: The item and the quantity in the box, so one scan bills the whole box. MRP, batch and expiry can be printed alongside when you need them.
Talk to us
WhatsApp us at https://wa.me/919435977777 and we will walk your billing desk through box scanning on one of your own bills.