What Are Item Flags in AltheaSuite?
Item flags are customizable attributes you assign to individual products during item creation or updates. These checkboxes, found on the item definition page, define how a product is managed, displayed, or transacted within AltheaSuite. They control key product behaviors like sales eligibility, tracking requirements, tax status, bundling, and more.
Each flag acts as a setting that tells the system, “This product behaves in this specific way.” Retailers can use them to fine-tune workflows, optimize sales strategies, and ensure compliance.
Key Item Flags and Their Retail Benefits
"Active/Inactive"
Determine whether a product is available for sale. Ideal for managing seasonal stock or discontinued items without deleting them.
Benefit: Keeps your product catalog clean and reduces clutter at the point of sale.
"Has Variants"
Create product variants (e.g., different sizes or colors) under a single product listing.
Benefit: Streamlines inventory management and improves the shopping experience with clear product differentiation.
"Has BOM (Bill of Materials)"
For manufacturing or assembly-based businesses, this flag tracks which components make up a finished product.
Benefit: Supports production tracking and inventory cost accuracy.
"Has Serial Numbers"
Track individual units of a product using unique serial numbers.
Benefit: Essential for high-value items, warranty tracking, and after-sales service.
"Linked Sales Items"
Automatically add associated items to invoices when a primary item is sold (e.g., a phone case with a phone).
Benefit: Increases average order value and simplifies bundled selling.
"Not for Sale / Do Not Transfer in Fraction"
Tag items that are not intended for resale (e.g., demo units, loaners), or flag items that shouldn’t be broken into fractions when transferring stock.
Benefit: Prevents transaction errors and ensures proper handling of non-retail items.
"Is a Combo"
Allows for upsell options or customizable item bundles (e.g., appliance with add-ons like cables or warranties).
Benefit: Boosts upselling and improves sales configurability.
"Is a Gift Card"
Marks the product as a gift card, enabling digital or physical gift card sales and tracking.
Benefit: Facilitates gift card management and reconciliation.
"Is Service Item"
Used for non-physical products like delivery fees, installation, or consultations.
Benefit: Ensures service revenue is accurately recorded and tax-exempt where applicable.
"Non-Taxable Item"
Excludes products from sales tax calculations.
Benefit: Maintains compliance with tax laws for items like services or exempt products.
Advanced Filtering and Catalog Management
Once your items are flagged, AltheaSuite offers powerful filtering tools to manage them. Users can:
- View items by brand, category, subcategory, color, or size
- Filter items by flags such as “has serial numbers,” “is part of a group,” or “inactive only”
- Export filtered item lists for updates, audits, or bulk changes
- Apply bulk updates or upload new items with ease
Benefit: Reduces administrative overhead and improves visibility into your product data.
Why Retailers Love Item Flags
- Efficiency: Speed up order creation and inventory adjustments by pre-defining item behaviors.
- Accuracy: Reduce errors at the POS and during fulfillment.
- Flexibility: Easily modify or scale your product catalog as your business evolves.
- Compliance: Ensure accurate tax reporting and service classification.
Final Thoughts
AltheaSuite’s Item Flags feature is more than just a checkbox—it’s a robust system for categorizing, controlling, and optimizing your inventory. For retailers, this means smoother operations, better sales performance, and cleaner data across the board.
Whether you sell furniture, electronics, or appliances, item flags provide the structure needed to manage complexity and scale smartly.
Ready to experience smarter inventory and product control? Book a demo or contact the AltheaSuite team to learn how Item Flags can work for your business.
