Frequently Asked Questions

What is SmartChemist?

SmartChemist is a cloud-based pharmacy management platform that simplifies billing, inventory, expiry tracking and reporting — all in one place.

Do I need to install anything?

No. SmartChemist runs entirely online. You can access it from a desktop, tablet or mobile anytime, and updates are automatic.

Can I bring my existing medicine list across?

Yes. Upload your medicines, batches, expiry dates, rates and opening stock as an Excel sheet — there is a template, the rows are checked one by one as they load, and anything that could not be read comes back in a report you can fix and re-upload. Bulk Excel import is on every plan, and our team will do the first import with you free of charge.

Does it support GST billing?

Yes. Generate GST-compliant invoices with the rate on every line, the CGST / SGST breakup and HSN codes on the print, and keep accurate, GSTR-ready tax reports. Ten invoice designs are included, thermal and A4, carrying your shop details, terms and a scan-to-pay QR.

A customer pays half in cash and half by UPI. Can one bill hold that?

Yes. Enter each part on the same bill — cash, card, UPI, khata, in any combination — and every part goes where it belongs: the cash into the drawer count, the card and UPI money into the bank settlement report, the remainder onto the customer's khata. Reports read the parts, not a single payment mode, so a split bill never distorts the day. Included on every plan.

Can I keep a bill aside and serve the next customer?

Yes. Park the bill, take the next customer, and recall it when the first one comes back to the counter — nothing is re-typed and no stock is committed until the bill is actually taken. Included on every plan.

Can I take a medicine back after billing?

Yes. Open the invoice, choose the items and quantity coming back, and SmartChemist puts the stock on the shelf and refunds what the customer actually paid — GST and all — the way they paid it: cash, card, UPI, or a credit note on their khata. A bill paid part cash and part UPI is refunded across the same parts. Sales Returns is on every plan, the free trial included.

Does it keep the doctor's prescription with the bill?

Yes. Every prescriber is kept once instead of however it was typed, with their qualification, council registration number and clinic; duplicates merge into one. The slip itself is filed against the bill, and the Schedule H / H1 / X register prints the doctor behind every scheduled line and flags the bills with no slip on file. Included on every plan.

Can I send a bill out for home delivery?

Yes. The delivery board shows what is packed, what is on the road and with whom, a WhatsApp tells the customer it is coming, and the money the rider brings back is posted straight onto that customer's khata. Home Delivery starts on the first paid plan.

How do I hand the till over between shifts?

Open the counter with a float, hand it over with a count, and the shift is closed against what was billed on it. At the end of the day the cash register closes on denominations, with any variance named rather than absorbed. Shop expenses by category and the Day Book are part of the same picture, on every plan.

Can I track medicine expiry?

Yes. Near-expiry and expired batches are flagged on the dashboard, in reports and at the counter, 90 / 60 / 30 days out, so they go back to the supplier while their return window is still open. Stock is always sold nearest-expiry-first.

What about expired stock the supplier will not take back?

It is written off, not quietly deleted. The disposal register records what was destroyed, how much it was worth, why and on whose word, prints for your file, and the loss reaches the P&L instead of looking like shrinkage. Included on every plan with Expiry Alerts.

Do scheme and free goods spoil my margins?

No. Scheme (free) goods are entered on the purchase and costed at their true landed price — the bill value spread across everything that actually arrived — so the free strips are not valued at zero and your profit per sale stays honest. Included on every plan.

Can I receive a part delivery against a purchase order?

Yes. Receive what arrived, leave the rest open on the order, and receive it again when it comes. Each receipt puts the goods on the shelf with their batch and expiry, books the bill on the supplier khata with its due date, and keeps the order's outstanding quantities right. Included on every plan.

Does it keep a supplier khata?

Yes. Every purchase you record goes onto that supplier's khata automatically, with the credit days you agreed, so a planner can tell you which bills fall due when. Record payments against it and see a running statement of what you owe. Included with Supplier Management on every plan, the free trial too.

Can I do a physical stock count?

Yes. Start an Inventory Audit, count the shelves at your own pace on any device — medicine by medicine or batch by batch — give a reason for each difference, and the system quantities are corrected in one go. Inventory Audit starts on the first paid plan.

What if a customer asks for something I do not stock?

Note it at the counter in one tap. The demand book groups those requests by medicine with how often each was asked, tells you when the medicine is back in stock so you can send a WhatsApp, and turns the list into purchase orders in one click. The demand book starts on the first paid plan.

Can a customer pay in advance?

Yes. Money taken with no bill behind it — an advance for a monthly order, or a regular paying ahead — sits as that customer's credit, and the next bill put on khata draws it down by itself. The khata therefore runs both ways: what they owe you, or what you are holding for them. An ordinary payment still stops at the outstanding due, so a slip of the finger cannot invent a credit.

How do I collect what customers owe me?

Your UPI ID goes on the bill as a scan-to-pay QR for the exact amount, WhatsApp reminders carry a pay link, and a dues worklist shows who owes what and for how long, with ageing behind it. Statements print or go out on WhatsApp. Included on every plan.

Can customers earn points on their bills?

Yes. Loyalty points are earned on every bill and redeemed at the counter on your own terms — your earn rate, point value and minimum redemption — with the balance and history on the customer page and the invoice. Loyalty Points is part of the Professional and Enterprise plans.

What reports do I get?

Sales, stock, expiry and purchase reports and the Schedule H register on every plan. The higher plans add profit at batch cost, P&L, period comparison, dues ageing, margins, top lists, staff and doctor sales, stock valuation, ageing, reorder, shrinkage, batch recall and busy hours — plus the GST and accountant pack: GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B summaries, GSTR-2B reconciliation, bank settlement matching for UPI and card money, and a reports-only login for your accountant.

Can I see who changed a price, a stock figure or a customer record?

Yes. The Audit Trail keeps every create, edit and delete on your medicines, stock, sales, purchases, customers, suppliers and staff, with the values before and after, the staff member who made the change, and the time. Included in the Professional and Enterprise plans; the history is recorded on every plan, so it is there when you upgrade.

Can I get my data out again?

Yes, whenever you like. Download everything you have entered — medicines, stock, customers and khata, suppliers, sales, purchases, returns, expenses — as an Excel workbook or CSV files, and optionally have it emailed to you every month. Data export starts on the first paid plan.

Can my own software read from SmartChemist?

Yes. A documented JSON API serves your sales, purchases, stock, customers and day book to your own software, with access tokens you can revoke at any time and a rate of 600 requests a minute — 3,000 on Enterprise. API Access is part of the Professional and Enterprise plans.

Is there a free trial?

Yes, you can try SmartChemist free before upgrading to a paid plan — no credit card required. The trial is the whole counter, not a cut-down demo: billing, GST, batches and expiry, purchases, orders, returns, khata, prescriptions, barcode and the cash register are all on it.

Can I cancel anytime?

Absolutely. There are no long-term contracts - simply stop renewing and export your data whenever you like.

Can I change my plan later?

You can upgrade whenever your store grows; the unused days of your current plan are credited towards the new one. Plans cannot be moved down once you are on a paid plan, because a bigger plan lets you add more medicines and staff than a smaller one allows - a downgrade would lock you out of records you have already created.

Is my data safe?

Your data is encrypted and securely stored in the cloud with regular backups, so it stays protected even if your computer is lost or damaged.

Can I decide what each member of staff can see?

Yes. Staff log in as pharmacist, cashier, staff or a reports-only accountant, and each role reaches only its part of the shop — who can discount, who can delete, who can see the profit. Staff accounts start on the first paid plan.