Every handset has a number — a stock count alone is not enough
Two units of the same model are not interchangeable: each has an IMEI, a purchase date and a warranty. When a customer returns after two months, the question is not "how many do we have" but "this specific handset — when did we sell it, for how much, and is it still under warranty?"
The handset as its own unit
IMEI and serial number
The number is captured on purchase and scanned on sale, so you know where each handset is: in stock, with a customer, or in for repair.
Warranty tied to the invoice
Searching the IMEI shows the invoice, its date and the warranty remaining — no side ledger, no memory.
Real cost per unit
A handset carries its own cost rather than the model average, so profit per sale is right even when purchase prices move weekly.
Around the sale
Trade-ins
The used device enters stock at its agreed value and is deducted from the new one on the same invoice, so the entry stays balanced.
Accessories without numbers
Chargers and cases run on ordinary stock rather than serials, so a simple sale is not burdened with a step it does not need.
Top-ups and services
Selling credit and services posts with its own margin, so it does not blur into handset profit and each income stream stays legible.
Common questions
Can I search by IMEI quickly at the counter?
Yes, by scan or by typing, and the handset's whole history appears: who we bought it from, when we sold it, to whom, and its warranty status.
I have devices out for repair — how are they counted?
They move to a separate repair store, so they neither show as sellable nor vanish from your assets, and return to the main store in one movement when fixed.
Also worth reading
- ERP platformHesbba's ERP brings sales, inventory, purchasing, payroll and accounting into one ledger, posting every document the moment you save it.
- AccountingAccounting software that creates entries from your invoices and expenses automatically, with a ready chart of accounts, a live trial balance and a full audit trail.
- Inventory & purchasingWarehouse software for multiple locations, receipt, issue and transfer notes, barcode stock counts, and inventory cost posted to the ledger on every movement.
- Computer shopsSoftware for computer shops tracking parts by serial, costing a build from its components, and managing repair jobs.
- RetailRetail software linking the till to stock and accounting, working through internet outages, and comparing branch performance.
- Perfume shopsSoftware for perfume shops covering sizes and concentrations, decanting from a larger bottle, testers, and high-value stock in a small space.
Know every handset individually
Enter a batch with their numbers, sell one, then look it up by IMEI.