“Alt Code” is Alternate Code, another Item code used to refer to a particular Item. Being able to assign alternate codes to an Item allows different users the ability to refer to the same item using different UPC codes or PLU numbers.
This can be very useful in a variety of situations.
- If cashiers have a list of known and memorized PLU numbers that are being used for produce items, and a new produce item arrives from a different vendor that is essentially the same but comes with a different PLU number or a UPC code, these new numbers can be easily added to the Item in CoPOS and referenced by the known PLU number used by the cashiers. Thus a cashier can either use the known / memorized PLU number or scan the UPC code attached to the produce item or type in the PLU number on the produce item. All sales will still reference the same original PLU number.
- Oftentimes the same produce item such as 5 pound bags of oranges or 3 pound bags of Gala Apples come from all different parts of the country and world during the year. When these products come from different distributors they often have different UPC codes. Alt Codes allow the produce manager to sell all of these products as one product, they are always just 3 pound bags of Gala apples from the store’s perspective.
- With bulk products, an item can have both a PLU number to facilitate easy sales at the register and a UPC code attached to the same item to facilitate easy price updates using invoices or monthly price change files.
Example: Many Items are from multiple sources, so an Item can have multiple PLU/UPC codes. Being able to assign alternate codes to an Item accommodates the different codes. A 5 lb. bag of oranges can come from 6 companies and will have multiple UPC/PLU codes. The Item, 5 lb. bag of oranges, would have 6 Alt Codes to differentiate between the UPC/PLU codes.
Up to 8 Alt Codes can be assigned to an Item in CoPOS.