---
key: prepare-an-item-for-the-register
title: Prepare an item for the register
audience: staff
section: inventory
routes: ["/inventory/counter-items"]
permissions: ["pos.catalog.lookup"]
features: ["pos.catalog"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Check which inventory items can be sold at the counter, give an item a barcode or quick key, and mark it as a favorite so cashiers find it fast.
keywords: [barcode, SKU, quick key, favorite item, sellable, blocked item, price lookup, PLU]
related: [ring-up-a-sale, check-low-stock-for-register-items]
---

In the sidebar, open **Inventory**, then **Sell at Counter**. The page address is `/inventory/counter-items`. The page heading reads **Sell at counter**.

Items are created and priced on **Products & Parts** (the **All products & parts** tab at the top of this page); see [[add-a-product-or-part]]. This page only decides how they behave at the register: whether they can be sold, what barcode scans them, and what the cashier sees.

## Before you start

- Anyone with catalog lookup can view this page. Changing merchandising and scan aliases needs the catalog manager permission; without it, a note says only catalog managers can change them.

## Steps

1. Type into **Search barcode alias, SKU, item, or category**, or open the **Filters** panel and pick a **Category**, tick **Ready only** or **Favorites only**.
2. Press the item, or choose **Open item** from its row menu. A panel opens with the item's price and alias count at the top.
3. Type a **Display name** and a **Short lane label** if the stock name is too long for the register. **Badge text** and **Color hint** decorate the item on the lane.
4. To give the item a quick key, fill in **Quick key label** and **Quick key slot**.
5. Tick **Favorite** so the item is listed on the lane before anyone types. Leave **Show in lane favorites** ticked.
6. Press **Save merchandising**. Nova shows "POS merchandising updated."
7. Under **Add scan alias**, pick the alias type (**Barcode**, **PLU**, **QR**, **SKU alias** or **Search alias**) and type the **Alias value**, or scan the barcode into that box. **SKU override**, **Variant code** and **Variant label** are optional, for one pack size or variant of the item.
8. Press **Add alias**. It stays greyed out until the value box has something in it. Add one alias per pack size if the same item comes in several barcodes.

## What you see

- The four counts above the list show **Items**, **Ready**, **Blocked** and **Categories**.
- The list shows **Item**, **SKU**, **Category**, **Price** and **Lane status**. **Lane status** reads **Sellable** or **Blocked**; a blocked item shows as blocked for sale on the lane. **Columns** adds **Favorite** and **Aliases**, the number of barcodes and codes that find the item.
- In the panel, the first alias you add is marked **Primary**. **Remove** drops an alias straight away, with no prompt.
- **Open inventory item** in the panel or row menu opens the item on **Products & Parts**. **Open Low stock** goes to the [[check-low-stock-for-register-items|Low stock]] page.

## If something looks different

- An item shows **Blocked**: it has no unit price, it was deactivated, or its pricing was switched off. The panel does not say which. Press **Open inventory item** and check **Pricing and tax settings** there.
- Adding an alias fails with "A POS scan alias with that type and value already exists": another item already uses that code. Search for the code, open that item and press **Remove** on the alias, then add it again here.
- **Save merchandising** and **Add alias** are greyed out and a note mentions catalog managers: your role can look up the catalog but not change it.

[[route:/inventory/counter-items|Open Sell at Counter]]