ZarMoney Bar Inventory Review
Last updated: 26 June 2026
Most pubs use ZarMoney because their pubco recommended it or because it sits next to their EPOS system, not because it actually solves their stock control problem. I’ve run stock on spreadsheets, tried three different apps, and built my own count routine—so I can tell you what ZarMoney does well, where it falls short, and whether it’s worth your time.
You’re probably wondering if ZarMoney’s inventory module can replace a proper weekly line check, or if it’s just another EPOS add-on that looks busy but doesn’t catch losses. The honest answer depends on how your pub runs and how disciplined you’re willing to be with data entry.
This review walks you through what ZarMoney’s inventory features actually do, where they work in practice, and the specific gaps you need to fill if you want to stop losing money to unmeasured waste and over-pouring. You’ll also see what a proper stock control routine looks like and whether ZarMoney is the right fit for it.
Key Takeaways
- ZarMoney’s inventory module is a data-logging tool designed to feed your EPOS, not a standalone stock control system that catches losses on its own.
- Most pub losses come from unmeasured waste, over-pouring, and poor cellar management—none of which ZarMoney automatically prevents.
- A proper stock control routine requires a physical count (dip, weigh, and reconcile against till data) regardless of which app you use.
- ZarMoney works best in pubs that already have discipline around stock checks; it doesn’t create that discipline.
What ZarMoney’s Inventory Module Actually Does
ZarMoney is an EPOS and accounting system built for bars and hospitality venues. Its inventory module lets you log stock counts, track usage over time, and flag variance between what you counted and what your EPOS says you sold.
The most effective way to use ZarMoney’s inventory features is to treat them as a data collection and reporting tool, not as a loss-prevention system. You still need to physically count—dip casks, weigh spirit bottles, count stock—and then enter those numbers. ZarMoney then compares them to your till records and highlights where the numbers don’t match.
The system can alert you when variance is high on a particular product line, which is useful. If you’ve sold £400 of Guinness but your count suggests you should have sold £420, ZarMoney will flag that gap. But it doesn’t tell you why the gap exists—poor line cleaning, a leaking cask, a member of staff free-pouring, or simple measurement error on the count itself.
Why Most Pub Stock Counts Fail
Before you decide whether ZarMoney is right for your stock control, you need to understand what actually causes stock loss in pubs. A 1% stock loss on wet sales quietly costs a typical pub £3,000–£5,000 a year. Most operators assume that’s theft. It rarely is.
Spirits hide losses in over-pouring (a free-poured 25ml is often 32–35ml), draught hides it in poor cellar temperature and bad line cleaning waste, and most stock ‘theft’ is actually measurement error and forgotten wastage. The spirits that you think went behind the bar might have been poured for a VIP customer at the end of a shift and never rung through. The line that seems to have “disappeared” might have lost half a cask to spillage during a change-over.
ZarMoney—or any inventory app—cannot catch these losses unless you’re also doing the physical work. That means:
- Dipping every cask and partial keg (measuring the exact level)
- Weighing open spirit bottles to calculate what’s been dispensed
- Recording void pints, spillage, and customer complaints the same day
- Reconciling your count against till data within hours, not days
If you’re not willing to do that work, no app will save you. ZarMoney makes it easier to log and track the data once you’ve collected it, but it won’t collect the data for you.
What ZarMoney Does Well
Integration with EPOS and accounting
If you’re already using ZarMoney for till and accounts, the inventory module sits inside the same system. You don’t need to log into a separate app, export data, or reconcile spreadsheets across two platforms. That integration is real value—it saves admin time and reduces the chance of transcription errors.
Variance reporting
ZarMoney produces clear reports showing which product lines have moved away from expected usage. If a particular spirit or draught line consistently shows high variance, that’s a strong signal to investigate. The reporting is straightforward and doesn’t require technical knowledge to interpret.
Multiple venue support
If you run more than one pub, ZarMoney makes it easier to compare stock control performance across sites and spot which venue has the bigger loss problem. That’s harder to do across separate spreadsheets or fragmented systems.
Where ZarMoney Falls Short
It doesn’t enforce measurement discipline
ZarMoney is only as good as the numbers you enter. If your staff are eyeballing spirit levels or not dipping casks carefully, the app won’t catch it. You still need processes and accountability around the physical count itself. Many pubs that move to ZarMoney expect the app to solve a discipline problem—it doesn’t.
No built-in cellar management features
ZarMoney doesn’t track temperature logs, line cleaning schedules, keg rotation, or partial stock that’s sitting in the cellar. Those things matter for loss prevention. If your cellar is running at 14°C instead of 10°C, you’re losing product to wastage—ZarMoney won’t tell you that.
For proper stock control, SmartPubTools includes a dedicated cellar management screen that logs temperature, cleaning, and line checks alongside your stock counts. ZarMoney expects you to manage that separately.
Limited help with partial stock tracking
ZarMoney can log partial kegs, but it doesn’t make it easy. Most pubs end up with two or three partial kegs of the same line sitting in the cellar at the same time—a recipe for over-pouring and wastage. ZarMoney doesn’t proactively flag that you’re holding too many partials or remind you to finish one before opening another.
Reconciliation is manual and slow
You count stock, enter it into ZarMoney, wait for till data to sync, and then manually compare the two. That lag means you often don’t see a loss until days after the count. Same-day reconciliation is the only way to catch a staff issue or a spoilage problem while your memory is fresh. ZarMoney’s workflow isn’t built for that speed.
Better Alternatives for Serious Stock Control
If you need stock control that actually catches losses, you have two real options: a disciplined manual routine, or a tool built specifically for pub and bar stock management.
The spreadsheet alternative (if you’re willing to do the work)
I ran my own pub on a carefully built spreadsheet for years. It worked because I was disciplined: same time every week, physical count entered immediately, till reconciliation the same day, one person doing the count so there was no argument about measurement. The spreadsheet itself wasn’t magic—the routine was.
Most pubs that say “our spreadsheet works fine” are either very disciplined or they’re not seeing their losses. A 1% gap is hard to spot in a bad spreadsheet, especially if you’re rushing the count or entering numbers days later.
The StockTap pub stock app alternative
If you want an app built for what pubs actually need, StockTap is purpose-built for weekly line checks and cellar management. It has features ZarMoney doesn’t: temperature tracking, line cleaning logs, keg rotation management, and a dedicated workflow for dips, weights, and reconciliation.
StockTap also gives you wet gross profit by line, not just a headline figure. That matters because draught loss looks different from spirit loss—a 2% variance on draught might be acceptable line cleaning waste, but 2% on spirits is a problem. The app is built by a working pub landlord and costs £97, one-off, no subscription.
The Real Verdict
ZarMoney is a good EPOS and accounting system. Its inventory module is a sensible add-on if you’re already paying for ZarMoney. But it’s not a stock control system—it’s a data-logging and reporting layer on top of your EPOS.
The number that actually matters is wet GP by line, not a single headline stock figure. You need to know whether your problem is concentrated in one product (spirits, draught, wine) or spread across everything. You also need to know it fast enough to act on it.
ZarMoney does that reporting, but it doesn’t make the physical count easier, faster, or more accurate. It also doesn’t push you toward same-day reconciliation or cellar management—two things that separate pubs that actually control loss from pubs that just record it.
If you’re choosing between ZarMoney and a manual spreadsheet, ZarMoney is the better option because the integration saves admin time and the variance reporting is clearer. If you’re choosing between ZarMoney and a dedicated pub stock control tool, the choice depends on whether you want to build your routine around your EPOS (stick with ZarMoney) or whether you want a tool that’s designed for stock control and cellar management from the ground up.
At my own pub, I ran stock on a tangle of spreadsheets and still lost track of partial kegs and spirit measures. I built a simple count routine around a dipstick and a set of scales, and the weekly variance went from guesswork to a number I could trust within a fortnight. The tool itself was secondary—the routine was everything. ZarMoney can support a good routine. But it won’t create one for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ZarMoney automatically track inventory?
No. ZarMoney requires you to physically count stock and enter those counts manually. It then compares your counts against till data and flags variance. It does not automatically measure or weigh bottles, dip kegs, or collect stocktake data on its own.
Can ZarMoney tell you where stock loss is coming from?
ZarMoney can tell you that loss exists—showing you which product lines have high variance between count and till. It cannot tell you why. To find the cause, you need to audit your cellar temperature, line cleaning, till void pints, and staff pouring technique separately.
Is ZarMoney better than a spreadsheet for stock control?
ZarMoney is easier to use and integrates with your EPOS, which saves time. But the spreadsheet you’re using is probably failing because of user discipline, not because spreadsheets are a bad format. A disciplined spreadsheet will catch losses as effectively as ZarMoney. A lazy spreadsheet and lazy ZarMoney will both miss them.
How often should you use ZarMoney to count stock?
Weekly is the minimum if you want to catch a real problem. A loss that builds up over a month is much harder to trace back to a specific cause—something that happened three weeks ago is already forgotten. Weekly counts let you act fast when variance appears.
What does ZarMoney not do that a pub stocktake app should do?
ZarMoney doesn’t track cellar temperature, line cleaning schedules, keg rotation, or manage partial stock efficiently. It also doesn’t support same-day reconciliation with till data in the same easy workflow. If you want a purpose-built stock control tool, look for an app that includes those cellar management features as core functions, not add-ons.
You’ve just learned what ZarMoney can and cannot do. But stock control is only half the battle—most pubs don’t know their real profit margins by product line or shift.
£97 once. No subscription. No monthly fees. Works on any device.