Stock Visibility Controls

Introduction

Real-time inventory visibility helps cashiers manage checkout workflows without risking overselling or cashier confusion. WooCommerce Point of Sale (POS) includes flexible Stock Visibility Controls that let store administrators choose whether active stock counts are displayed on product catalog tiles or hidden completely.

This page explains how to configure stock visibility from the admin backend and details how these settings change the cashier experience in the POS register.

Configuration Workflow

1. Display Stock Setting Enabled

To show product stock quantities in the POS terminal, administrators must first enable the display settings within the WordPress admin dashboard:

  1. Log in to the WordPress Admin Panel.
  2. Navigate to Point of Sale > Settings > Other Settings.
  3. Locate the Display Stock toggle.
  4. Set the toggle to Enabled (or checked).
  5. Save the configuration settings.

Display Stock Setting Enabled

2. Stock Visible in POS

Once the display stock setting is enabled, the active inventory numbers sync directly to the terminal interface.

POS cashiers will see the exact remaining stock levels printed on each product tile in the catalog grid (e.g., "10 In Stock"). This gives them real-time info on what is left in the warehouse or store floor.

Stock Visible in POS

3. Display Stock Setting Disabled

If you want to hide stock counts from terminal agents to maintain a cleaner design or prevent customer visibility, the setting can be deactivated:

  1. Log in to the WordPress Admin Panel.
  2. Navigate to Point of Sale > Settings > Other Settings.
  3. Toggle the Display Stock field to Disabled (or unchecked).
  4. Save the configuration settings.

Display Stock Setting Disabled

4. Stock Hidden in POS

When the display stock setting is disabled, the system suppresses all numeric counts in the register interface.

The product tiles on the POS catalog grid will no longer show any remaining quantity numbers. This is ideal for stores that do not want checkout agents to focus on stock levels or for service-based businesses.

Stock Hidden in POS

Visibility Modes Comparison

The table below contrasts the difference between enabled and disabled stock visibility configurations:

Feature/MetricDisplay Stock EnabledDisplay Stock Disabled
Grid PresentationShows exact numeric quantity on each product tile (e.g., "15 left").Displays product titles and prices with no stock counts.
Cashier FocusIdeal for inventory-centric sales, alerting cashiers to low stock.Focuses strictly on rapid barcode scanning and item selection.
Customer DiscretionVisible to customers standing near the register screen.Keeps specific warehouse stock levels confidential.
Checkout BehaviorCashiers can visually confirm availability before adding to cart.Rely on system warnings at the cart phase if an item is out of stock.