# How Square Syncs Inventory Between Physical Shops and Online Stores > A system that lets store owners toggle items between online and physical sales channels using a single dashboard to keep stock counts accurate everywhere. - **Patent:** US 10192220 - **Original title:** Integrated online and offline inventory management - **Owner:** Square Inc - **Granted:** 2019 - **Status:** Active - **Times cited:** 6 - **Field:** consumer_electronics, software, ecommerce ## What it does This patent describes a centralized database that tracks inventory for both a physical store and an online shop. It uses 'flags' in a database to mark whether an item is available for in-person purchase, online purchase, or both. Through a graphical user interface, a merchant can select an item and click a button to instantly add it to their online store. The system then automatically updates the online store's product list and ensures the inventory records are synchronized so that a sale in one place reflects correctly in the central system. ## What it does NOT cover - Does not cover automated inventory restocking from suppliers - Does not cover physical barcode scanning hardware or RFID tracking - Does not cover the specific payment processing logic for transactions - Does not cover logistics or shipping carrier integration ## The clever bit The system uses a 'flag' system that treats the online and offline availability as dynamic metadata, allowing a merchant to change an item's status in real-time without needing to re-upload product descriptions or images. ## Real-world examples 1. Square for Retail dashboard 2. Shopify POS and online store integration 3. Lightspeed retail management systems ## Why it matters Before this type of integrated software, small business owners often had to manually update separate spreadsheets for their physical shop and their website. This patent represents the shift toward 'omnichannel' retail, where the distinction between a physical storefront and a digital one is managed by a single software layer, reducing the risk of selling items that are out of stock. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does How Square Syncs Inventory Between Physical Shops and Online Stores cover? A system that lets store owners toggle items between online and physical sales channels using a single dashboard to keep stock counts accurate everywhere. ### Who owns patent US 10192220? Square Inc owns this patent, granted in 2019. ### When does this patent expire? This patent is expected to expire on January 29, 2039, when the invention enters the public domain. ### What is patent US 10192220 cited by? This patent has been cited by 6 later patents that build on its ideas. ### What problem does this patent solve? Before this type of integrated software, small business owners often had to manually update separate spreadsheets for their physical shop and their website. This patent represents the shift toward 'omnichannel' retail, where the distinction between a physical storefront and a digital one is managed by a single software layer, reducing the risk of selling items that are out of stock. ### What does this patent NOT cover? Does not cover automated inventory restocking from suppliers **Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10192220/square-capital **Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US10192220 --- _Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._ ## Related patents Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus: - [Tracking Shoppers and Store Items for Better Recommendations](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11900293/merchant-action-recommendation-system) — This patent describes a system that tracks the location of physical customers, virtual customers, and store items using beacons to generate a combined visual report and recommend actions for merchants. - [How Square Prepares Digital Tabs for Customers Before They Arrive](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10157378/stripe-connect) — A system that lets merchants create a digital customer tab before a guest arrives, using reservation data to pre-load preferences and payment info for a faster checkout. - [How Websites Can Sell Items from Other Sites Without Redirecting Users](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/9792375/facebook-privacy-checkup) — A method for a website to display and process purchases for items listed on a completely different website, allowing users to buy products without ever leaving the page they are currently browsing. - [How Digital Receipts Turn One-Time Payments Into Ongoing Customer Relationships](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10217092/shopify-shipping) — A system that transforms static digital receipts into dynamic, time-sensitive portals for rewards, feedback, and tipping after a purchase is complete. - [How Square Uses Your Phone's Location to Verify Credit Card Payments](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10198731/shopify-e-commerce-platform) — A system that uses GPS data from a customer's smartphone to confirm they are physically present at a store during a credit card transaction to reduce fraud.