Connecting Your Shop Till and Webshop
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
Many Swedish retailers start with a physical shop and add a webshop later, or the other way round. The two systems then live separate lives: stock is counted in two places, a gift card bought in the shop does not work online, and a customer who returns a web order in store causes a small accounting puzzle. This guide explains what to connect, which systems make it easy, and how to decide between switching systems and building an integration.
Why the two channels drift apart
The drift starts with small things. A product is renamed in the webshop but not in the till. A delivery is booked in one system only. A sale in the shop is not deducted from web stock until someone updates it at night. Each gap is minor, but together they produce oversold orders, angry emails and hours of manual reconciliation every week.
Shared stock and product data
The foundation is that every product has the same identifier in both systems, usually the SKU or the EAN barcode. Without a shared key no integration can match a sale in the shop to the right product online.
- Choose where products are created and edited. Everything else only reads.
- Give every variant a unique SKU and use the EAN where suppliers provide one.
- Sync stock frequently. Once a night is too slow for a shop with busy weekends.
- Keep a small safety buffer online for popular items, so a shop sale and a web order in the same minute do not oversell.
- Decide how web orders are picked: from the shop floor, from a back room, or from a separate warehouse.
Customers, loyalty and gift cards
Customers do not think in channels. They expect loyalty points earned in the shop to count online, and a gift card to work wherever they are. That requires one customer register and one gift card ledger, not two.
| Function | Unified platform | Separate systems |
|---|---|---|
| Shared customer register | Built in | Needs integration and matching on email or phone |
| Loyalty points | Usually built in or via an app | Often requires a third system both can read |
| Gift cards | One balance everywhere | Hard: balances must sync in real time to avoid double spending |
| Marketing consent | One record | Risk of conflicting consents, a GDPR problem |
Gift cards also have an accounting side: VAT treatment depends on whether the card can only be used for goods at one VAT rate or for a mix. Ask your accountant how your gift cards should be booked before connecting systems.
POS systems with webshop links
Shopify POS
Same platform as the Shopify webshop, so stock, customers and gift cards are shared by design. Strongest option if you already sell on Shopify.
Zettle
Common among smaller Swedish shops. Offers integrations with several webshop platforms, though depth varies, so check stock and gift card sync specifically.
Retail POS systems
Systems such as Lightspeed or Sitoo are built for multi-channel retail and larger ranges, with more configuration and higher running costs.
WooCommerce with a POS plugin
Possible, but reliability depends on the plugin and your hosting. Test with real volumes before trusting it.
Whatever you choose, the till must meet Skatteverket's rules for cash registers if you take payments in a physical shop, and sales should flow into your accounting, for example Fortnox. Our guide to connecting a webshop to Fortnox covers that part.
Returns across channels
Letting customers return web orders in the shop is a strong selling point and brings them back into the store. It only works if the till can look up the web order, refund to the original payment method or issue a credit, and put the item back into shared stock. Without that, staff make manual notes and the books drift. See our guide on handling returns without losing margin.
When you do not need an integration: if the shop and webshop have different ranges, or web sales are a small side channel, separate systems with a weekly manual check can be cheaper than any integration. When they share range and customers, a connection pays for itself. Our custom e-commerce features service covers integrations when switching platform is not an option, and you can book a call to go through your setup.
Frequently asked questions
Should I switch POS or build an integration?
If your webshop runs on a platform with its own POS and your current till is due for renewal, switching is usually cheaper over time. Build an integration when both systems are otherwise good and switching would disrupt the business.
How often should stock sync?
For most shops every few minutes is enough, combined with a small buffer on popular items. Real-time sync matters when you sell unique or very limited items.
Can a customer use a shop gift card online?
Only if both channels share one gift card ledger. On a unified platform this is standard; with separate systems it needs a dedicated integration.
Who is responsible for the cash register rules?
You as the business owner. Choose a POS that meets Skatteverket's requirements and keep the registration up to date.
Till and webshop not talking?
Book 15 minutes. Tell us which systems you run, and we will tell you whether to switch platform or build an integration, and what it would involve.
Book a free 15-minute call