The trouble with loose items at the billing counter
Billing software with weighing scale support lets you bill loose items by their weight or by the amount the customer asks for. Most billing software is built around packs with fixed prices, so loose items end up as guesswork: a rounded figure, a "misc" line, or a calculator beside the computer.
In a kirana store in Kozhikode, half the sales on a Saturday morning are loose: 750 g of toor dal, 2.35 kg of rice, and the customer who says "give me ₹50 of sugar". Each of those, done by hand, is a small chance of a wrong price, and together they are why stock of loose items never matches the sacks in the back.
What Cartix Prime does with weighed items
Bill by weight
Mark an item as sold by weight and set its rate per kilo. At the counter, a scale wired to the computer by USB or a serial cable is read straight into the bill once the weight settles (in Chrome or Edge, or the Windows app), or you type the weight in. Cartix Prime works out the amount, adds the right GST and takes the weight off your stock, so the loose rice in the system goes down by the same 2.35 kg that left the sack.
Bill by amount: "₹50 of sugar"
When a customer asks for a rupee amount instead of a weight, enter the amount. Cartix Prime works out the weight for that amount at the current rate, so the person at the scale knows exactly how much to weigh out, and the bill and the stock still show the weight sold.
Weighed-pack labels with a scale barcode
Many shops pack loose items in the quiet hours: 500 g and 1 kg bags of sugar, small packets of chilli powder. Cartix Prime prints a weighed-pack label for each bag with the item name, weight, price, rate, packing date and a scale barcode with the prefix 21, the format used for weighed items. The packing is done once, in the back room, and at the rush-hour counter the scanner reads the label: the item and its weight or price go straight onto the bill. Barcodes printed by a label-printing scale are read the same way, once the shop sets the scale's barcode format.
These labels use the same label printing as barcode stickers: TSC, Xprinter, Godex and similar printers by direct USB, any label printer through its driver, or the Print Bridge on Windows. See barcode label printing for sizes and printers.
How it works at the counter
- Set up your loose items with a rate per kilo (or per unit you sell by), their GST rate and HSN.
- For a weighed sale, pick the item by name or code and let the wired scale fill the weight, or type it.
- For a rupee sale, enter the amount; the counter shows the weight to give.
- For pre-packed bags, print weighed-pack labels in the back room and bill the bags at the counter with the rest of the items.
- Take payment by cash, UPI, card, credit or a split, and print or send the bill.
Scanned packs, loose items and fast-seller buttons all go on the same bill. The barcode billing page covers the scanning side.
Loose and packed: which way suits which item
| Item | Usual way |
|---|---|
| Rice, sugar, dal sold to order | Bill by weight at the counter |
| "₹20 of jeera", "₹50 of sugar" | Bill by amount |
| Fast-moving bags packed in advance | Weighed-pack label with scale barcode |
| Sweets and snacks by weight in a bakery | Bill by weight, or pack and label in the morning |
Who it suits
- Kirana and provision stores with sacks of grains, pulses and sugar. See kirana store billing software.
- Supermarkets with a loose-items section and pre-packed own-brand bags.
- Bakeries and sweet shops that sell by weight. See bakery billing software.
- Dry fruit, spice and vegetable counters where almost everything is weighed.
A note on GST: loose and pre-packed versions of the same food item can be taxed differently depending on how they are packed and labelled. Set the GST rate on each item as your CA advises.
Which plan has weighing scale billing
Billing loose items by weight or by amount, and weighed-pack labels, are on Silver and above. Silver is ₹4,999 a year for one computer and one phone, or ₹1,099 phone only, before 18% GST. It also takes any number of items, stock counts and the label designer. Every new shop gets 7 days of Silver free with no card, so you can bill a morning's loose sales as a test. Full prices are on the pricing page.
Questions people ask
Can I bill loose items by weight in Cartix Prime?
Yes. On Silver and up, set a rate per kilo for the item, enter the weight from the scale at the counter, and Cartix Prime works out the amount and GST and reduces stock by that weight.
How do I bill "₹50 of sugar"?
Enter the amount instead of the weight. Cartix Prime works out the weight for that amount at the current rate, so the person at the scale knows how much to give, and the bill and stock still record the weight sold.
What is a scale barcode with prefix 21?
It is the barcode format used on weighed packs, starting with 21. Cartix Prime prints it on weighed-pack labels together with the item name, weight, price, rate and packing date, for bags packed ahead of time.
Which plan has weighing scale billing?
Silver and up. Silver is ₹4,999 a year for one computer and one phone, or ₹1,099 phone only, before 18% GST. Every new shop can try Silver free for 7 days without a card.
Can scanned packs and loose items go on the same bill?
Yes. Scan barcoded packs, add loose items by weight or amount, tap fast sellers and bill weighed packs, all on one bill, then take cash, UPI, card, credit or a split payment.