Set up best before dates
Best before date tracking helps you monitor product expiry dates and manage stock rotation. You can enable this feature when creating products or add it to existing products.
Enable best before dates for individual products
To track expiry dates on specific products:
Click Products then Overview.
Click Actions then Edit.
Click the Attributes tab.
Turn on the Product has Expiry or Best before date toggle.
Set LogExpiryDateInbound and LogExpiryDateOutbound to True.
Click Save.
Once enabled, you'll need to provide the expiry date each time you book stock in or out for that product.
Note: To add best before dates to multiple products at once, see our bulk upload guide.
Set warning periods
You can customise when to receive alerts about approaching expiry dates. The default warning period is 28 days before expiry.
Note: Warning periods cannot exceed 365 days.
To set a custom warning period:
Click Products then Overview.
Find your product.
Click Actions then Edit.
Click the Extra Details tab.
Enter the number of days in the Best Before Date Warning Period in Days field.
Click Save.
Tip: For faster-moving products, consider setting a longer warning period than the default 28 days.
View expiry date reports
Several reports help you monitor products with best before dates:
Products expiring report
View all products within their warning period:
Click Reports then Overview.
Click Products Expiring.
Products in locations report
See all inventory with their attributes (expiry dates, batch numbers, serial numbers):
Click Reports then Overview.
Click Products in Locations.
Barcode verification report
Search for orders containing specific expiry dates:
Click Reports then Overview.
Click Barcode Verification Report.
Search for your required expiry dates.
Product usage report
View detailed product movement with attribute information:
Click Reports then Overview.
Click Product Usage Report.
Turn on Include Extra Info.
Tip: Set up any of these reports as scheduled emails using our scheduled reports feature.
Frequent questions
Can I track attributes on inbound only?
No. Best before date tracking requires both LogExpiryDateInbound and LogExpiryDateOutbound to be set to True. Products booked in with attributes must also be booked out with attributes.
How does stock allocation work?
When best before date tracking is enabled:
Stock allocates using FEFO (first expiring, first out).
If you have mixed stock (some with expiry dates, some without), the system uses FIFO based on the booking-in date.
Can I add expiry dates to existing stock?
No. Once stock is booked into Mintsoft, you cannot add or modify best before dates. To update attributes:
Book the stock out.
Book it back in with the correct best before date.
Note: There's no automated quarantine function for expired stock. You'll need to manage this manually.