WooCommerce Product Batch Numbers By WPoverNight

The batch on the order helps only if it is the batch that went in the box

A customer writes because the product arrived in poor condition, or a supplier warns that a lot must be pulled. You need to know which orders each batch traveled in, and the answer depends on what was recorded when the shipments were prepared.

The batch number recorded on an order helps in a recall only if it matches the one that went in the box, which is why automatic allocation and manual correction are two halves of the same task.

WooCommerce Product Batch Numbers, by WP Overnight, is a batch manager for WooCommerce. Each batch carries its own stock, and new orders receive the oldest batch, using FIFO logic. Afterwards you can change the allocation order by order or item by item.

How it manages batches and where it shows them

• Batch table per product: on a simple product it sits in the Inventory tab. On a variable one, the main table stays on the parent product and each variation has its own.
• Data for each batch: stock quantity, expiry date, supplier and availability. When a batch reaches its limit it is archived and the next available one is used.
• Expiry: expired batches can be shown in red so nobody sells them. They are archived automatically, with an offset from the date, or they only send an alert without being archived.
• History per batch: you can see which orders contained a specific batch.
• Batch tools: a list with search and status filters, and bulk actions to change expiry and quantity, archive or delete.
• Shared batches: a batch can be shared across products.

The number appears on the order screen and when editing its items. There are optional columns in the orders and products lists. Batch and expiry are saved as item data, and can be shown in emails and PDF documents thanks to its integration with them. On the public site, the shortcodes wcpbn_product_batch_numbers and wcpbn_product_next_batch_expiry_date show them to the visitor. There is also CSV export and reports.

Email alerts cover stock and expiry, with options per product and selection per batch. Webhooks fire when a batch is created, updated or deleted, and a REST API lets you get, insert and update batches. It integrates with WooCommerce Subscriptions, Product Bundles, WPML, OpenPOS, YITH POS and ATUM.

Two batches of the same product

Two batches of the same product with different expiry dates: an order receives the oldest batch, and you can change it by hand on the item. Afterwards, the order appears in the history of the batch you switched to. This is one way to set it up among others; choose what suits you.

Conditions of stock by batch

• Each batch needs a stock quantity in order to count units.
• Negative batch quantities are off by default and are enabled in a setting, both in the admin and in the storefront.
• WooCommerce HPOS compatibility and the Stock Dependencies integration are marked as beta.
• Product stock sync is configurable and there is an option to disable it. Some features depend on WooCommerce stock settings.

Creating the first batch

You need WooCommerce active. To get started:

1. Install the plugin with the WordPress installer and activate it.
2. Open a product, go to the Inventory tab and create the first batch with its quantity and expiry date.
3. Choose in the settings whether expired batches are archived or only alert, and which email alerts you want.
4. The allocated batch can be seen on the order, in the email and in the orders list.

Inventory with ATUM

If you manage inventory with ATUM, the catalog has ATUM Multi Inventory, ATUM Pick & Pack and ATUM Product Levels.

Three questions about each order's batch

Can I change the batch allocated to an order?

Yes. It is changed per order or per order item.

What happens when a batch runs out?

It is archived and the next available batch is used.

Can it show the batch to the customer?

Yes. Batch and expiry show in emails and PDF documents, and the shortcodes display them on the site.