How does the module treat use-by versus best-before dates?

A use-by date is a food safety matter: once passed, the product must no longer be sold. A best-before date signals a loss of quality only, and the product remains legally sellable. The module respects that distinction: automatic stock actions and product deactivation apply to use-by batches only. An expired best-before batch is simply deactivated, leaving you to decide whether it goes back on sale.

Does the module replace PrestaShop stock?

No, it complements it. Your PrestaShop quantities remain the reference for selling. The module keeps a parallel breakdown of that stock into dated batches and deducts from them on every order. In stock removal mode it adjusts the PrestaShop quantity when an expired use-by batch is removed, so both views stay consistent.

What happens when an order exceeds the first batch quantity?

The module moves on to the next batch. An order of ten units facing a batch of four and a batch of eight will consume the four units of the batch closest to its date, then six units from the next one. Both movements are logged separately, sharing the same originating order.

Can I manage batches at combination level?

Yes. A batch can be attached to a specific combination or to the product as a whole. During deduction, batches of the ordered combination are consumed first, then batches attached to the product. You can mix both approaches depending on the level of detail each reference requires.

Does the automatic discount stack with my other reductions?

The module creates a standard PrestaShop catalog price rule, subject to the same priority mechanisms as your other rules. It creates only one at a time per product and deletes it automatically when the batch expires or is removed, so no orphan rules accumulate in your catalog.

Once per cron run, a summary email lists the batches whose date falls inside the window you defined, with the product, date type, deadline and remaining quantity. Each batch is reported only once, so you never get daily repeats. The recipient is configurable, defaulting to the shop email.

Does the module support traceability for a product recall?

Every stock deduction is recorded with the batch concerned and the originating order. You can therefore trace batches back to the orders that consumed them, which is the foundation of a recall procedure. The module supplies the raw data; the recall procedure itself belongs to your quality process.

Is it compatible with PrestaShop 9?

Yes. The module targets PrestaShop 8.0 to 9.x and relies on a classic admin controller plus AJAX calls routed through the admin link, an approach that stays stable across both major versions.

What happens on uninstall?

The batch and movement tables are dropped, the admin tab is removed and the hooks unregistered. If you plan to reinstall, back up your database first: batches and their history are not preserved.

PrestaShop Expiry Date Module 8 & 9 — Batches, FEFO, Use-By

Q: Is a cron job mandatory?

The module works without cron for batch management and FEFO deduction, which are triggered by orders. Automatic discounts, expired batch handling and email alerts do rely on a daily cron call. One call per day is enough, and the token-protected URL is shown in the module configuration.

Expiry Date & Batch Manager — Lots, FEFO and Use-By Dates

One batch, one date, an honest stock deduction: use-by and best-before dates finally handled inside PrestaShop.

PrestaShop only knows one quantity per product. If you sell food, cosmetics, supplements, veterinary products or any dated item, that number tells you nothing about what should ship first or what is about to expire. This module adds real batch management: every lot carries its number, its date type (use-by or best-before), its expiry date and its quantity. On every order, stock is deducted from the batch closest to its date (FEFO). Ahead of the deadline a discount kicks in automatically; on the deadline, the batch leaves the sales circuit. Compatible with PrestaShop 8 and 9.

At a glance

Batch-level management: lot number, use-by or best-before date type, expiry date, quantity, supplier reference
Automatic FEFO deduction on every order: the batch closest to its date ships first
Automatic short-date discount, with a price rule that switches itself off on the expiry date
Automatic handling of expired batches: deactivate, remove from stock, or disable the product
The legal use-by / best-before distinction is respected: stock actions apply to use-by batches only

PrestaShop 8 & 9 FEFO Use-by / Best-before Food & cosmetics

30-day refund

12 months updates

24h support

The long version

Everything you'd want to know before you install.

A detailed look at how Expiry Date & Batch Manager — Lots, FEFO and Use-By Dates works, why we built it the way we did, and the thinking behind the features above.

§ 01

Use-by and best-before: two dates, two very different rules

A use-by date, known in France as DLC, applies to microbiologically perishable goods. Past that date the product is considered unsafe and must no longer be sold. A best-before date, known as DLUO or DDM, signals a loss of quality rather than a safety risk: the product remains legally sellable afterwards, provided the customer is clearly informed. That distinction is not cosmetic, it changes what a merchant is allowed to do. This is why the module treats the date type as a first-class field rather than a label.

§ 02

Why PrestaShop stock is not enough

PrestaShop stores one quantity per product and combination. That quantity is a number with no memory of what makes it up. If you received thirty units in March and twenty in June, PrestaShop shows fifty, with no idea which ones should ship first or which ones are about to expire. Merchants end up keeping a spreadsheet on the side, discover unsold stock too late, and either discount in a panic or throw it away. The module replaces that spreadsheet with integrated management aligned on the real stock of the shop.

§ 03

FEFO, applied automatically on every order

FEFO stands for First Expired, First Out: the batch with the closest date goes out first. When an order is validated, the module walks through the batches of the ordered product, prioritises those attached to the exact combination then those attached to the product, and deducts the quantity from the closest date upwards. A single order can therefore finish one batch and start the next, which is exactly what happens in the picking area. Every deduction is written to a movement history along with the originating order, giving you traceability that holds up during a product recall.

§ 04

Sell before you lose: the automatic discount

A short-dated product loses value every day. Instead of monitoring it by hand, set a threshold and a percentage: when a batch enters the window, the module creates a catalog price rule on the product with an end date matching the expiry date exactly. The discount applies automatically, shows on the product page next to the short-dated badge, and disappears on its own without leaving an orphan rule in your catalog. Only one discount is active per product at any given time, to avoid unintended stacking.

§ 05

What happens once the date has passed

Expired batch handling comes in three modes. The first simply deactivates the batch without touching stock, useful if you prefer to decide case by case. The second removes the remaining quantity from PrestaShop stock, immediately aligning the shop with the reality of the warehouse. The third goes further and disables the product when no valid batch remains, preventing the sale of an item whose entire stock has expired. Importantly, these stock actions apply to use-by batches only. An expired best-before batch is merely deactivated, since the product remains legally sellable.

§ 06

Clear information for the customer

On the product page the module displays the date of the closest available batch, worded to match the date type: use by for a use-by date, best before for a best-before date. Below a threshold you define, a short-dated badge appears along with the discount percentage when one is active. Customers know exactly what they are buying, which cuts complaints and makes discounted short-dated stock safe to sell. All wording goes through the PrestaShop translation system and adapts to your theme.

§ 07

One daily call, full automation

Discounts, expired batch handling and email alerts are driven by a token-protected cron controller, called once a day from your task scheduler or an external service. The response is a detailed JSON report listing how many discounts were created, batches deactivated, units removed from stock, products disabled and alerts sent. That output plugs straight into a monitoring tool, so automation never runs blind.

§ 08

Who this module is for

Online delicatessens and greengrocers, coffee roasters, wine and beer merchants, food supplements, cosmetics and perfumery, veterinary products, raw materials and technical consumables: any catalog where the date matters as much as the reference. It is particularly relevant for shops receiving regular replenishments and ending up with several generations of stock for the same reference.

§ 09

Technical design

The module builds on standard PrestaShop ObjectModels and admin controllers, with no Composer and no external dependency. JavaScript is written in vanilla, without jQuery. Data lives in two tables indexed on product and date, keeping the front-office display light even on a large catalog. The code is commented, readable and ready to be audited or extended.

Expiry Date & Batch Manager — Lots, FEFO and Use-By Dates

The short version.

Managed by batch, not by product

Automatic FEFO deduction

Automatic short-date discounts

Expired batches handled for you

Everything you'd want to know before you install.