Tally Stock Items and Marketplace SKU Mapping
Marketplace reports speak in SKUs, ASINs and FSNs; TallyPrime speaks in stock items. Between the two sits a mapping table, and the state of that table decides whether your inventory-enabled imports run clean or die in rejections. TallyPrime rejects any voucher referencing a stock item that does not exist — so a single unmapped SKU can knock a whole order's voucher out of an import. This guide covers building the map, the master settings that matter, and keeping it alive as your catalogue grows.
Why SKU and stock item are rarely the same string
Sellers create marketplace SKUs for operations — warehouse codes, size and colour suffixes, channel prefixes like FK- or AMZ — while Tally stock items are usually human-readable product names created by the accountant. The same physical product often has three different SKUs across Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho, plus relabelled versions after a listing refresh. Trying to force the two vocabularies to be identical fails within a quarter; a deliberate mapping layer is the durable answer.
Identifiers also differ in kind, not just spelling. Amazon rows may reference the seller SKU or the ASIN depending on the report; Flipkart uses FSNs alongside seller SKUs; Meesho files lean on their own product and supplier identifiers. A robust map keys off the identifier that actually appears in the reports you import, and stores the others as aliases — because the day the marketplace changes which column carries the ID, every unaliased row becomes an unmapped item at the worst possible moment, mid-import. Case differences and stray whitespace in exported files cause the same failure, so normalise identifiers when the map is built.
Build the map once, deliberately
A workable mapping table has one row per marketplace SKU:
| Marketplace | SKU / listing ID | Tally stock item | Unit | GST rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | AMZ-TSHIRT-BLK-M | T-Shirt Black (M) | Nos | 5% |
| Flipkart | FK-TSB-M-01 | T-Shirt Black (M) | Nos | 5% |
| Meesho | MSH8821 | T-Shirt Black (M) | Nos | 5% |
Note that all three rows point at one stock item — that is the goal. Channel-specific stock items double and triple your inventory records and make total stock of a product invisible.
Master settings that trip up imports
- Exact names. Imports match stock item names as literal text. Trailing spaces and case differences create phantom missing items.
- Units must match. If the item is kept in Nos, the import must send Nos — a mismatched or missing unit rejects the voucher.
- GST details on the item or group. HSN and rate configured on the stock item (or its group) let Tally compute tax correctly on imported sales.
- Godowns. If you track locations, decide whether imports post to a single default godown or per-channel godowns, and keep it consistent.
Combos, bundles and the cases that need a CA
Marketplace combo listings (buy two, get a set) map awkwardly onto inventory. The two honest options: create a distinct stock item for the combo and manage assembly separately, or explode the combo into component items at import time. Which is right depends on how you value stock and file GST — this is a case where accounting treatment matters, so have your CA confirm the approach before you automate it. The same goes for free replacements sent against returns.
Discontinued SKUs are the quiet corner of the map. Do not delete the mapping when a listing dies — returns for that SKU keep arriving for weeks, and a deleted mapping turns each one into a rejection. Mark the SKU inactive instead, keep the stock item until its quantity and pending returns reach zero, and only then retire both. A quarterly review of inactive mappings keeps the table honest without breaking late-arriving data.
Keeping the map alive
Catalogues churn: new listings appear mid-month, old SKUs are relabelled, and every unmapped SKU becomes a rejected voucher at import time — the LINEERROR pattern covered in our import errors guide. The practical routine is to treat mapping as part of listing creation: new listing goes live, its SKU gets mapped the same day. TallySutra enforces this the easy way — when a report contains a SKU it has not seen, the batch pauses and shows you the unmapped items to resolve against existing Tally stock items before anything can be approved or exported. Mappings are remembered, so the work is once per SKU forever, and re-imports stay duplicate-safe. Ledger-side setup follows the same philosophy; see the ledger setup guide and the wider feature tour.
Frequently asked questions
Should I create separate Tally stock items per marketplace?
Usually not. Map all channel SKUs of the same physical product to one stock item so total stock stays visible. Separate items are only justified if the channels genuinely sell different variants.
What happens if an imported voucher references a SKU I never mapped?
The voucher referencing the unknown stock item is rejected during import while others go through, leaving a partial batch. Mapping every SKU before import — or using a tool that blocks unmapped SKUs — prevents this.
How should combo or bundle listings be handled in Tally?
Either create a dedicated combo stock item or explode combos into component items at import. The right choice depends on stock valuation and GST treatment, so confirm with your CA before automating.
TallySutra turns Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho reports into reconciled, reviewed TallyPrime vouchers — duplicate-safe, with every rupee traceable to its source row.
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