Choosing the Right Stock Control Method

Siobhan Bales

May 16, 2025

September 24, 2025

When setting up Tradebox One, one of the key decisions you will need to make is selecting the stock control method. This choice determines how the software manages your products, where it obtains product details and stock quantities, and which features you will have access to now and in the future. It is an important part of the setup process and can have a significant impact on how efficiently Tradebox works for your business.

As part of the initial setup wizard in Tradebox One, you will be prompted to select your accounts package, which could be Sage 50, Xero, or none, and then your stock control method, which will be either Accounts Software, Tradebox, or none. No matter which option you choose, Tradebox will always download orders from your online marketplaces and will take the price of the items directly from those marketplaces. The price used in Tradebox will always reflect exactly what the customer paid, meaning you do not need to update prices in multiple systems. In addition, Tradebox will use your VAT preferences to calculate the correct VAT due based on the customer’s shipping address, whether they are in the UK, EU, or outside these regions.

Stock Control Options

Your choice of stock control method will affect certain core functions. It will determine if Tradebox can apply VAT rules based on the specific product sold. This is particularly important if you sell a combination of VATable and non-VATable products in the UK, as selecting ‘None’ will not be sufficient in these cases. The stock control method will also determine whether per-product reporting is available, whether stock adjustments are made when items are sold, and whether Tradebox can track free stock quantities and upload these back to your marketplaces.

You can check or change your stock control method at any time by going to Configuration, then Stock Control within Tradebox. However, if you do decide to change your stock control method after your system is already set up, you will likely need to rebuild your product list. It is essential to make a full backup of your data before making any changes to these settings.

None

If you select ‘None’ as your stock control method, you will not be required to set up any products within Tradebox. This effectively provides an order management and financial integration solution only, without any stock management features. You will not be able to track stock levels, perform product-based VAT calculations, or generate product-based reports. This option is best suited to businesses looking for simple financial integration who either already manage stock in another system or do not require stock control. It is only suitable for businesses where all products have the same VAT treatment in the UK or if the business is not VAT registered.

Tradebox

Choosing Tradebox as your stock control method is ideal if you are using the software on its own without integration to Sage or Xero, but still require a stock control function. It can also be used if you prefer a simple financial integration into your accounts software but want to handle stock control separately in Tradebox. You will need to manually create your products within Tradebox or import them from a spreadsheet, and stock adjustments will only reflect within Tradebox. This method does not offer the same detailed reporting as Sage or Xero and does not use a purchase ledger, so stock increases would need to be manually recorded.

Accounts Software

If you select Accounts Software as your stock control method, your accounts package will take control of the stock list and Tradebox will act as a bridge between your online channels and your accounts software. Stock will adjust automatically within your accounts software when sales are made and the system can upload free stock levels from your accounts package back to your marketplaces if needed. You will need to create new products in your accounts software first, and these will then appear in Tradebox. If your online SKUs do not match your product codes in your accounts software, you can use Tradebox’s product mapping feature to link them.

Generic Products

Finally, for sellers who do not want detailed stock control but need to handle both VATable and non-VATable items, the generic products method is often the best solution. In this scenario, you would set your stock control to Tradebox and create a small number of generic products that represent each VAT rate you need. You can then map all your online SKUs to these generic products, ensuring correct VAT treatment without the need to manage a large product list.

Choosing the correct stock control method is an important step in ensuring that Tradebox One works smoothly and efficiently for your business. Taking the time to assess your needs now will help you avoid complications later and ensure your orders, VAT, and stock are always accurately recorded.

Perfect Your Setup

3274

3370

https://tradebox.co.uk/how-to-set-up-tradebox-test-environment-with-sage/

https://tradebox.co.uk/shopify-tradebox-integration-guide/

How to Set Up a Test Environment for Tradebox with Sage

Getting Started with Shopify Channel Configuration in Tradebox

2145

post

Choosing the Right Stock Control Method | Tradebox

50%

50%

category,post_tag,post_format