What does Mortar do?
Mortar keeps your in-store POS and Shopify inventory on hand synchronized by adding Shopify orders, returns, exchanges, and cancelations to your POS based on your Mortar Order settings and plan level.
For all users, Mortar also syncs your in-store POS sales to Shopify as orders, allowing you to take advantage of other apps in the Shopify ecosystem.
Learn more: In-store - Orders explained
Shopify orders and returns are created in POS
Shopify orders are created in your POS as order or sale transactions. Returns, exchanges, and cancellations will appear as refund transactions.
Mortar links Shopify customers to existing POS customers using either the email address or phone number used on the Shopify order. Your Customer Matching setting determines which field is used for customer matching first.
You can view the complete order history in your POS by searching for your Shopify order number in your POS invoices. Easily access the view of the POS version of any Shopify order directly in your POS using the view in POS action.
Learn more: Viewing Shopify orders in your POS
Discounts are applied to line items
Mortar applies Shopify order discounts to transactions created in POS. Shopify discounts by percentage, fixed amount, BOGO, etc. - even stacked discounts are supported. In the POS, multiple stacked discounts are always aggregated and applied at the line item level to ensure that your margin and profit reporting are accurate.
If your brand uses personalized discounts via apps like Klaviyo, be sure that groups of personalized discount codes include a common prefix in their discount code.
Learn more: Using Discounts and Discount Codes
Routing and location assignments
By default, Mortar respects the location assignments on the Shopify order and return. Line items that are assigned to locations that are not active will be ignored.
Mortar Scale plans have access to more complex routing options to handle line item splitting and more specific cases. Mortar will update the fulfillment location in Shopify whenever it deviates from Shopify's original assignment.
Learn more: Complex order routing
Shipping and fulfillment
Mortar will update the linked POS transaction notes with Shopify fulfillment information whenever possible, but location assignments cannot be changed. You can also add the shipping and tracking information to the transaction notes in POS and Mortar will update the fulfillments in Shopify.
Mortar offers a custom Shipsation integration for improved location support that updates the carrier, tracking number, and fulfillment status in Shopify.
Learn more: Shipping and fulfillment
Store pick-up and local delivery
While it may not seem like a "Shipment," store pickup and local deliveries also require order fulfillment. However, these must be completed in Shopify as a method for Mortar to automate these is not presently available through Shopify.
Depending on your POS, the pickup or delivery status will be updated in the notes on your POS transaction.
Example of pick-up order notes
Example of a Heartland Retail invoice with notes for in-store pick-up
Fraud risk
Orders sync to your POS in real-time. However, calculating the fraud risk of Shopify orders takes a moment or two. Mortar Scale plan includes support for using Shopify Flow to approve orders that are not a fraud risk. High-risk orders can then be canceled before they are processed and impact the POS.
Learn more: Using order tags to manage high-risk orders
Returns and cancelations
Restock vs Not-for-restock return handling
Returns on Shopify are classified into two types: Restock returns and Not-for-restock refunds.
The best practice is to always complete any restock return before initiating a refund to the customer.
Return types | Mortar |
Restock Returns | A return is created in your POS, returning the product to inventory in the specified restock location. |
Not-for-restock Refunds | A return is created in your POS using the Shopify Refund product in the original location. |
Refunds that are not-for-restock (for money only) will include the Shopify Refund product so that the financial value of the product is recognized in your POS, but inventory is not returned to stock.
Learn more: Returns, restock, and refunds explained
If a product is restocked in a specific location in Shopify, like a warehouse, Mortar respects this routing and creates the return in the associated POS location.
Order edits and exchanges
Requires Mortar Grow plan or above
It is impossible to edit or update transactions in POS after they are completed. Each time a Shopify order is edited, Mortar creates one or both of the following:
A new return transaction for products or inventory removed from an order
A new sale/order transaction for products or inventory added to an order
Transactions created in your POS by Mortar include the Shopify Order number as a reference ID. When a transaction is created for an order edit, Mortar appends the reference number in your POS with "-E00n" (i.e. #52548-E001).
Learn more: Shopify Order Edits
Order management best practices
Reporting
Taxes and discounts are calculated separately by your POS and Shopify. Due to differences in rounding, amounts can vary slightly. It is best to use Shopify's internal reports for tax reporting on Shopify orders.
Learn more: Reports - Comparing Shopify and POS
When required by a POS, Mortar will add a payment adjustment called Migration variance to adjust the payment total to balance these variations on transactions.
Learn more: Why is there a migration variance
How to troubleshoot orders
Missing orders or Order details are the two most common troubleshooting categories you might encounter.
An order or return is missing
Mortar adds orders to your POS as fast as the POS API can accept them. However, when a large number of product or customer updates are in process, creating a linked transaction in POS will be delayed.
Confirm the order is missing by using the Mortar view in POS action.
Check order tags - if you use order tags to manage fraud risk or custom order routing.
Order details are incorrect
Products wrong product or - If you see a Product not found on a transaction in your POS, make sure the product on the related Shopify order is linked to a POS product.
Rounding differences of a few pennies can occur between how your POS and Shopify calculate. The transaction total will match, but you may notice the following:
Tax value or the Discount value that is different than the order on Shopify
Migration variance payment applied to POS transaction
Confirm a teammate didn't manually create the order. Check the source of the order by using the Mortar view in POS action in Shopify
Learn more: Product TroubleshootingLearn more: Required POS products
Order help
If you've tried troubleshooting and need more help, please find a specific example order and contact our support team.
Learn more: Contacting support
Additional links