Why every mobile shop needs IMEI tracking in its software

IMEI tracking means your software records the unique IMEI number of every phone when you buy it and again when you sell it. With that record you can prove, in seconds, which phone went to which customer and on what date. For a mobile shop, that single record settles most disputes.

Four problems IMEI tracking solves

1. Warranty claims

A customer returns with a faulty set and no receipt. If the IMEI is in your system you can see the sale date and whether the warranty is still running. If it is not, the customer's word stands against yours.

2. Phones that were never yours

People do bring back sets bought elsewhere. An IMEI lookup tells you immediately whether your shop ever stocked that piece.

3. Missing stock

Counting phones by model hides theft. Counting by IMEI does not: a stock report listing every IMEI in the shop can be checked against the shelf piece by piece.

4. Used phones

When you buy a used set over the counter, you carry the risk if it turns out to be stolen. Recording the seller's CNIC and the IMEI at the moment of purchase is basic protection.

How it works at the counter

1. Purchase. Scan the IMEI of each piece as it arrives. Dual-SIM phones have two, and both are stored.
2. Sale. Scan the IMEI and that exact piece goes on the bill.
3. Lookup. Type or scan any IMEI later to see where it came from, who bought it and its warranty.

What should sit around IMEI tracking

IMEI is the base. A mobile shop usually also needs:

• Warranty cards and claims, with the stages a claim goes through: received from the customer, sent to the company, back, returned.
• Trade-in, so an old phone taken in exchange reduces the new bill and enters stock as used.
• Installment plans (qist) with a guarantor, due dates and a list of late payments.
• Mobile wallet and load accounts, kept separate from phone sales so the commission can be seen.

Common questions

Do accessories need IMEI tracking?

No. Chargers, covers and handsfree are sold by barcode or name like any other item, on the same bill as a tracked phone.

Is typing IMEIs slow?

You do not type them. A barcode scanner reads the IMEI from the box, and many pieces can be scanned in one go on a purchase.

Pakrox Universal ERP has IMEI and serial tracking, warranty, trade-in, installments and wallets, with a dashboard made for phone shops. See the mobile shop POS software page for the details, or the electronics showroom page if you sell appliances on installments.