Shopify POS inventory count with phone scanning

How it works

Built around the shelf you are looking at

Illustration of a shop shelf split into a counted section and an uncounted section

Count the places where stock really ends up

In a clothing store, inventory can sit on a rail, in a fitting room and behind the register waiting to be put away. A count of the rail alone may miss part of the stock you intended to check. Decide what belongs in the job before anyone starts scanning. Binly lets you count a shelf, a section or the whole store.

Several people can count at once, which helps when you have separate areas to cover.
Give each person a clear boundary so the fitting room pile does not get counted twice.
Good Shopify POS inventory management includes this physical preparation.

For a first POS stock count, a defined area such as the denim section is a useful starting point. Gather the related items from nearby holding areas and agree who will handle anything that moves during the count. Several people can count at once, which helps when you have separate areas to cover. Give each person a clear boundary so the fitting room pile does not get counted twice. Good Shopify POS inventory management includes this physical preparation. The app can record a count, but the team needs to know which items the count is meant to represent.

Illustration of a variance report card with one flagged row before it is applied

Work through a count before updating Shopify

Imagine a hardware store checking the display of drill bits after staff notice repeated mismatches. Loose packs have migrated between hooks, and spare boxes sit under the counter. Bring that stock into the plan before beginning. Follow this sequence in Binly: Choose the shelf, section or entire store you will count. Count the physical products using a phone camera or USB barcode scanner.

Review the variance report before anything changes in Shopify.
Apply the finished count to Shopify with one tap.
A completed scan is a recorded observation.

Review the variance report before anything changes in Shopify. Investigate unexpected differences while the products are still nearby. Apply the finished count to Shopify with one tap. If one size appears short and another appears high, check the labels and the nearby hooks. Do not assume every difference has the same cause. The important pause comes before applying. A completed scan is a recorded observation, and the variance report gives you a chance to check it. Use that point to settle the odd results instead of carrying the uncertainty into the next shift.

Illustration of three people each counting a different part of a shop floor

Keep location counts separate from stock movements

Suppose a retailer has a downtown store and a second shop across town. The downtown team is short of tote bags, while the other location has spare stock. That is a stock movement question as well as a counting question. Binly supports multiple locations and transfers between locations. It also supports counting stock, so you can check the physical quantities before deciding what to move.

Keep the location in mind when planning the work.
Make sure the people handling the transfer and the people counting know what is happening.
Clear timing prevents a physical handoff from becoming a confusing result.

Keep the location in mind when planning the work. For example, decide whether a carton waiting to leave the second shop is still part of its count. Make sure the people handling the transfer and the people counting know what is happening. Clear timing prevents a physical handoff from becoming a confusing result. Start with a process both stores can repeat: confirm the stock, arrange the transfer and keep the movement clear to the team. A shop total alone does not tell someone at the register which location has the product they need.

Illustration of an open delivery box being scanned unit by unit

Make receiving part of the store routine

A reliable count can become outdated in practice if the next delivery is recorded badly. Picture a bookshop receiving a box of journals during a busy afternoon. The temptation is to enter the packing slip quantity and leave the unpacking for later. Binly supports receiving by scan. Scan every incoming unit, each scan adds one, and use one tap to write the new quantities to Shopify.

Receiving by scan also works inside a purchase order, and purchase orders support partial deliveries.
Binly also provides email low stock alerts.
Once counting and receiving are routine.

Receiving by scan also works inside a purchase order, and purchase orders support partial deliveries. Set aside a receiving spot where checked journals can be separated from the ones still in the box. That makes it easier to record the delivery that actually arrived before moving items onto the shelves. Binly also provides email low stock alerts, reorder points and reorder suggestions using real supplier lead times from past deliveries. Once counting and receiving are routine, those tools help the person buying stock see what needs attention without relying on a walk around the shop alone.

Start to finish

From install to your next reorder

Choose

Choose the shelf, section or entire store you will count.

Count

Count the physical products using a phone camera or USB barcode scanner.

Review

Review the variance report before anything changes in Shopify.

Apply

Apply the finished count to Shopify with one tap.

Inside Binly

See the screen behind the workflow

Click a tab to see that screen inside Binly.

Counting a shelf with live variance while scanning

Size grid view for counting variants by size

Reorder suggestions grouped by supplier with lead times

A purchase order with receiving and a partial delivery

A cost change alert comparing supplier prices

Pricing

Simple, honest pricing

Binly has Free for small shops, Starter at $19/month or $190/year, Pro at $39/month or $390/year, and Growth at $99/month or $990/year. Installation includes a 7 day Pro trial. A small POS shop should check Free first for its counting needs, then assess Starter if paid access is needed. For multiple locations, confirm the required plan before choosing. Cancel any time, with no contracts.

Recommended for you

Free

Start counting today.

$0

free forever, no card

Barcode stocktakes on your full catalog
Live variance in units and dollars
Low stock alerts by email
No credit card required

Add Binly to Shopify

Starter

Everything a single location store needs.

$19/mo

or $190/yr

Up to 500 products, one location
Unlimited stocktakes with barcode scanning
Purchase orders, suppliers and receiving
Barcode and price label printing

Start 7-day free trial

Pro

For larger or multi location stores.

$39/mo

or $390/yr

Everything in Starter, plus

No catalog cap, every product you have
All your locations plus stock transfers
Landed cost and weighted average cost
Inventory value report (CSV)

Start 7-day free trial

Growth

For stores that live by their purchase orders.

$99/mo

or $990/yr

Everything in Pro, plus

Supplier price lists and cost change alerts
Order by dates from real supplier lead times
Month end COGS pack
Done for you Stocky migration

Start 7-day free trial

Prices in USD, billed through Shopify. Change or cancel any time, no contracts.

FAQ

Questions people ask before they install

Can I use Binly instead of a Google Sheets count sheet?

Yes, Binly provides phone or USB barcode counting, a variance report and a one tap update to Shopify. A spreadsheet can still hold your staff instructions or notes. The practical change is that your finished Binly count can be applied to Shopify without someone copying the quantities from the sheet afterward.

Does Binly work with Shopify POS stores?

Yes. Binly works with Shopify POS stores and supports multiple locations. It helps with physical counts, receiving, purchase orders and transfers between locations. If your first concern is a shelf that never matches the inventory number, start with that count and review the variances before expanding the routine.

Should my team count with phones or USB barcode scanners?

Binly supports both for stock counts. Phones may be practical for people walking the sales floor, while USB barcode scanners may suit a fixed counting area. Test the method with the stock your team handles, including similar variants. Several people can count at once, so agree who covers each area before starting.

Can I count inventory while the store is open?

Binly supports counts of a shelf or section, but plan how your team will handle stock moving during the count. For a first attempt, choose a quiet period and a clear area. A sale or a product moved elsewhere can affect the physical quantity you are checking, so agree the procedure before you start.

Can I bring over my old Stocky records?

Binly supports Stocky CSV import for suppliers, purchase orders and receipts. Stocky shut down on August 31, 2026. If you have saved exports, check those files before recreating records by hand. Email support is answered by the developer if you need help working out how your saved files fit the import.

Run a Shopify POS inventory count your team can check

Built around the shelf you are looking at

Count the places where stock really ends up

Work through a count before updating Shopify

Keep location counts separate from stock movements

Make receiving part of the store routine

From install to your next reorder

See the screen behind the workflow

Simple, honest pricing

Questions people ask before they install

Try it on a real shelf today