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Key differences between Mortar and the Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration
Key differences between Mortar and the Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration

Mortar: More complete product management, configurable updates, multiple sites and locations, and refunds

Updated over a month ago

Overview

Some Lightspeed X-series plans include a basic, "native" Shopify integration. With this "native" integration available, many retailers have questions about why they should use Mortar.

Mortar really unifies Lightspeed X and Shopify. Here are some of the functions that are only available in Mortar:

Switching to Mortar

Switching from the Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration to Mortar is easy and can be done with no disruptions. Once you switch, your integration with Shopify gains flexibility and functionality.

Alert! You can install and onboard the Mortar app while using another integration. Before activating Mortar, simply uninstall the Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration.

In Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) go to:

  1. Setup > Apps

  2. Scroll to the bottom to find the Shopify app

  3. Press the Disconnect Shopify button

Products

With Mortar, you can create complete products in Shopify, including all product details and images. In addition, Mortar gives you the power to manage products using tags. You can add, delete, archive, or update the active status in Shopify right from inside Lightspeed X-series.

The Lightspeed X "native" integration requires that both the product SKU and the product handle match to Shopify for orders and products to sync successfully.

Mortar matches by SKU, UPC, or EAN, reducing the need for data management.

Product Feature

Lightspeed X "native"

Mortar

Add Lightspeed X Products to Shopify

Update the "Publish Online" setting on each product

Add the "add" tag to the grid or item

Add all Lightspeed X Products to Shopify

Manually trigger publish from Settings (recommended only once)

Enable "Add all products from POS" setting, which works continuously

Add Shopify Products to Lightspeed X

Manually trigger a download to Lightspeed X from Settings (recommended only once)

Update product details to Shopify

Always overwrites limited product details

Automatic update of only specific configured product details

Product Information

Mortar includes the complete product details when adding a new product to Shopify. Lightspeed X "native" only includes a few attributes.

Shopify Product Attribute

Lightspeed X "native"

Mortar

Product Title

Name

Name

Product Description

Description

Description

Product Type

Product Category

Product Category

Product Vendor

Brand

Brand (Vendor Source)

Product Tags

Tags

Tags

Product Images

One per product

All Images

Variant SKU

SKU

SKU, UPC, EAN (SKU Source)

Variant Barcode

UPC

Variant Option Names

Variant Option Names

Variant Option Names

Variant Option Values

Variant Option Values

Variant Option Values

Variant Compare at Price

Price (default) or any PriceBook

Variant Price

Price

Price (default) or any PriceBook

Variant: Continue selling when out of stock

Inventoried or "instock" tag

Variant Charge tax on this variant

Taxable

All products default to taxed when created. Does not update.

Variant Weight

Weight

Variant Images

Associated

Product updates by plan

Grow and Scale plans allow you to control which product details update so that you can tailor your workflow and manage certain product information on Shopify as desired.

Mortar Plan

Product Updates

Connect

Inventory Only

Grow

Configurable

Scale

Configurable

Powerful Shopify Extensions called Mortar actions

Mortar includes power Shopify extensions that allow you to view a corresponding product, customer, or order in Lightspeed X with one click or resync product details or inventory on demand.

Locations and Fulfillment

The Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration syncs inventory to multiple Shopify locations but only downloads orders to one Lightspeed X location.

Mortar offers full inventory and fulfillment support for Shopify locations so that you can take advantage of split fulfillments. A unique sale is created for each fulfillment so your sales are recognized properly in each location and fulfilled properly.

Lightspeed X "native"

Mortar

Creates a single Sale and adjusts inventory in each location

Creates a Sale for each fulfillment, impacting inventory in each location

Orders & Refunds

Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration only downloads orders to one Lightspeed X location and then adjusts inventory in other locations based on how Shopify routed the order. The "native" integration does not support refunds.

Mortar creates a unique sale for each fulfillment so your sales are recognized properly in each location. Invoices are integrated to Shipstation automatically, dramatically cutting fulfillment time and making it easier to ship orders to your customers.

Order Feature

Lightspeed X "native"

Mortar

Order distribution

Shopify Routing

Shopify Routing or complex order routing with quantity splitting

Order creation

One sale per assigned/routed location

Integrated to Shipstation

Yes

Fulfill in Shopify and Lightspeed X from Shipstation

Yes

Refunds

Mortar supports both canceled Shopify orders and partial refunds for restocking or dollars. Restocked refunds return inventory; not-for-restock refunds will create tickets using the Shopify Refund product.

The Lightspeed X "native" Shopify integration does not support refunds.


Mortar also supports Shopify return and exchange apps like Return Magic, Narvar, and Loop Returns.

Refund Feature

Lightspeed X "native"

Mortar

Restocked Refunds

A return is created in the restocked location with the Shopify Order Number.

Not-for-restock Refunds

A return is created using the Shopify Refund product in the original location.

Order edits

Mortar supports Shopify order edits for complete flexibility between platforms. Edited orders create transactions in Lightspeed X for complete visibility and trackability.

Multiple Shopify sites or POS

Mortar supports integrating Lightspeed X-series with multiple Shopify sites. You can control which products are published to each site using site-specific tags.

Also supported is linking multiple POS accounts to one Shopify site.


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