Serial Number Capture

Serial number tracking is essential for warranty management, enabling you to verify product authenticity, track warranty status, and maintain service history.

Why Track Serial Numbers?

Serial number tracking helps you:

• Verify purchases - Confirm product was sold by you
• Check warranty status - Automatically calculate coverage
• Prevent fraud - Detect duplicate claims
• Track history - View all service events for a product
• Analyse reliability - Identify products with repeat issues

Capturing Serial Numbers

At Point of Sale

Configure Shopify to capture serial numbers on orders:

1. Add custom property to products requiring serial tracking
2. When order is fulfilled, enter the serial number
3. Serial is linked to the order and customer

During Return/Warranty Request

Customers provide serial numbers when filing claims:

1. Customer enters serial number in return portal
2. ReturnMate validates format
3. System checks against known serials
4. Warranty status is determined

At Receiving

Warehouse staff verify serial numbers:

1. Scan or enter serial from the product
2. Compare with customer-declared serial
3. Document any discrepancies
4. Update product record

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Serial Number Capture at Receiving

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Serial Number Configuration

Format Validation

Define expected serial number formats:

1. Go to Settings → Products → Serial Numbers
2. Configure format rules:
   • Length requirements
   • Character patterns (letters, numbers, special chars)
   • Prefix/suffix patterns
3. Invalid formats are flagged during entry

Example formats:

• SN-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX (alphanumeric with hyphens)
• 123456789012 (12-digit numeric)
• ABC-2024-001234 (prefix with year and sequence)

Product Categories

Configure which products require serial tracking:

1. Go to Settings → Products → Categories
2. Enable Require Serial Number for relevant categories
3. All products in those categories will require serial capture

Common categories for serial tracking:

• Electronics
• Appliances
• High-value items
• Warrantied products

Serial Number Database

Building Your Database

Populate serial numbers through:

• Bulk Import - Upload CSV of serials with purchase data
• API Integration - Sync from your inventory system
• Manual Entry - Add during order fulfillment
• Customer Submission - Capture during warranty registration

Serial Number Records

Each serial number record includes:

Warranty Verification

Automatic Verification

When a serial number is entered, ReturnMate automatically:

1. Checks if serial exists in database
2. Verifies purchase date
3. Calculates warranty coverage
4. Shows warranty status to staff

Verification Outcomes

Fraud Prevention

Serial numbers help detect:

Duplicate Claims

• Same serial submitted multiple times
• Alert shown if previous claim exists
• Review history before approving

Counterfeit Products

• Serial doesn't match known format
• Serial not in your database
• Product details don't match serial

Stolen Products

• Serial flagged as stolen/lost
• Different customer than original purchaser
• Geographic inconsistencies

Integration with Inventory

Inventory System Sync

Connect ReturnMate to your inventory system to:

• Auto-populate serials on orders
• Update status when items are returned
• Track replaced vs repaired units

Status Updates

Serial statuses update through the lifecycle:

Sold → In Warranty → Claimed → Received → Repaired/Replaced → Shipped

For replaced items:

Original: Sold → Replaced (linked to new serial)
Replacement: Issued → In Warranty

Reporting

Serial Number Reports

• Warranty Expiry Report - Serials approaching/past warranty
• Service History - Claims by serial number
• Product Reliability - Failure rates by product/serial range
• Unregistered Serials - Products without serial records

Example Analysis

Identify quality issues:

• Serials in range ABC-2024-001000 to 001500 have 10% failure rate
• Indicates potential manufacturing batch issue
• Proactive outreach to affected customers

Best Practices

• Capture serials at point of sale
• Define clear format rules
• Train staff on serial verification
• Always verify at receiving
• Document discrepancies immediately
• Review serial reports monthly

Related Articles

• Warranty Case Lifecycle
• Diagnostics & Notes
• Return Exceptions