InventryBookIMEI register for a mobile shop (free format)
InventryBook team ·
Why "five Galaxy A55s" is not enough
A mobile shop's stock register often says "Galaxy A55 128 GB: 5". That is fine until a customer comes back with a phone and says it was bought from you, or the police ask who bought a particular handset, or the distributor's replacement does not match. Then the shop needs to know which phone, not how many.
Every phone, tablet and many electronics carry a unique number: the IMEI for phones (two for dual-SIM), a serial number for most other devices. A shop that writes it down at every step can answer any question in a minute.
The columns your IMEI register needs
| Column | Why |
|---|---|
| Date in | When the phone reached your shop |
| Model and variant | Galaxy A55 8/128 GB, colour |
| IMEI 1 | The number customers and police ask for |
| IMEI 2 or serial | A dual-SIM phone has two; laptops have a serial |
| Condition | New, open box, used or refurbished |
| Supplier and bill number | For replacement and warranty claims |
| Purchase price | Your cost for this one piece |
| Date sold | When it left |
| Customer name and phone | Who has it now |
| Bill number | To find the sale |
| Warranty to | The last day of the shop's or the brand's warranty |
Copy this table into a notebook or a sheet, one row for each phone.
Habit 1: Write the IMEI when the phone comes in
Do it from the box or by dialling *#06# on the phone, not from the bill alone: distributor bills sometimes have a typing mistake. A number written at the counter, from the phone itself, is the one you can trust.
Habit 2: Write the IMEI on every bill
The customer's bill should carry the IMEI and the warranty date. When the customer comes back, the bill proves the sale; when they lose the bill, your register still has it.
Habit 3: Accept a return only for the phone you sold
A customer returning a phone must return the IMEI on their bill. Check it against the register before taking it back. A different handset in the same box is the most common return fraud in mobile shops.
Habit 4: Second-hand phones need more
When you buy a used phone, record the seller's name, phone number and ID, the IMEI, and the condition. Keep a copy of the ID. If the phone turns out to be stolen, this record protects your shop.
Doing this in InventryBook
In InventryBook an item can be set to "Track each piece by IMEI or serial number". Each phone is received with its IMEI (and its second IMEI or serial), condition, cost and supplier; a duplicate or a number already in stock is refused. At the till you scan or type the IMEI to sell that phone, and the bill prints "IMEI/Serial … · Warranty to …" from the item's warranty months. A return is accepted only for an IMEI that bill sold, and every phone keeps its own history: received, sold, returned, in repair, written off. See it for mobile and electronics shops.
Frequently asked questions
Is an IMEI register required by law? Rules differ by state and for second-hand phones. Many police stations ask mobile shops to keep a register of used phones bought and sold; ask your local station what format they want.
What if a phone has two IMEIs? Record both. Customers and police may quote either one.
Do I need this for chargers and covers? No. Track by IMEI or serial only items that carry one and are worth tracing.