Everything you need to know about the warranty card

The speed of digitalization in the world is impressive, especially in recent years. This is noticeable in all areas of life, including trade: electronic receipts, ECR, electronic warranty cards. Storing documents in electronic format is convenient, they do not take up space and are easier to move, protect from damage and loss, transport to a new place, so businessmen are increasingly switching to electronic document management, including with clients. So, what is a warranty card, are they allowed in electronic format and how to use them?
A warranty card is a document that confirms that the client bought the product from a specific seller or manufacturer and has the right to warranty service for this product. It also confirms the seller's or manufacturer's responsibility for the quality of the product and their obligations to replace or repair the product in case of malfunction, breakdown, incorrect operation of the purchased item during the warranty period specified in the warranty card. With a warranty card, the buyer can receive service, request a replacement product, or return the product if replacement or repair is not possible.

What are the types of warranty cards?

A warranty card can be:

• in paper or electronic form,
• from the manufacturer or seller,
• for service, repair, or replacement and return,
• for 6 months, 12 or more, usually from 6 months to 5 years, most often for 1 year.

Legislation. What warranty cards are allowed in Ukraine?

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Bill No. 4185, which allows the use of electronic warranty cards in parallel with paper ones or instead of them, and also regulates the provision of electronic warranty documents for goods. According to the Law:

• From now on, you can receive electronic warranty cards through the official websites of manufacturers.
• The seller and manufacturer can provide warranty cards in electronic form.
• The buyer or seller can register a household item on the official website of the manufacturer after the purchase/sale to confirm the originality of the product and receive warranty service from the manufacturer.
• The seller can independently create a warranty card and provide it to the buyer - such a document certifies that the seller takes responsibility for the product and will resolve any issues that arise with the product independently, for example, by repairing it on their own, or contacting the manufacturer.
• The warranty card must be kept for the entire period specified in it - it can be stored in paper or electronic form.
• Also, the receipt itself can be used as a warranty for the product. For this, the seller must issue a warranty directly on the receipt - indicating all the necessary information as in the warranty card.

What information should be included in a warranty card?

Usually, the warranty card specifies information about the manufacturer, product model, cost, purchase date, and warranty conditions. According to Ukrainian legislation, the warranty card must contain:
✅ Information about the product - name, model, serial number, date of manufacture, characteristics, etc.
✅ Storage and safe use rules, storage conditions, temperature regimes, usage features, etc.
✅ Warranty obligations - who takes responsibility for warranty service, the address of the responsible person, how warranty service can be provided and under what conditions, under what conditions the warranty card loses its validity and the product loses its warranty.
✅ Storage period - how long the warranty card is valid, the warranty period, from which date to which it is valid.
✅ Additionally, the warranty card can include the signatures of the seller and buyer.

How to issue a warranty card, what are the ways?

No special documents are required for the buyer to receive a warranty card. The seller issues a warranty card to the buyer upon purchasing the product.
There are the following options for issuing a warranty card:

1. The seller independently creates a warranty card not from the manufacturer, but from the store, and provides it to the buyer in paper form. The buyer is obliged to keep such a card in paper form, and the seller - in paper or electronic form at their discretion. Also, the seller is obliged to provide the buyer with a warranty card in electronic form at their request. The receipt that confirms the purchase of this product by the customer must be attached to the warranty card. - The seller takes on the warranty obligations in this case. They must ensure the repair or replacement of the product independently, in their own service center, or contact the manufacturer independently to establish the process of repair, replacement, return of the product.
2. The seller records the sale, registers the product on the official website of the manufacturer, receives a warranty and service from the manufacturer, and provides it to the buyer. In this case, the buyer only needs to keep the warranty in electronic form. With this warranty card, the buyer can contact the manufacturer directly. - The responsibility is taken by either the seller or the manufacturer.
3. The client independently downloads the warranty card from the official website of the manufacturer and can print it or store it electronically. The buyer does not necessarily have to download such a warranty card immediately after purchasing the product - it can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website when needed. The important thing is that the warranty period from the moment of purchase of the product has not expired. - In this case, the responsibility for the quality, repair, and replacement of the product lies with the manufacturer.

How to use a warranty card, how to store, present, what documents are needed to obtain a warranty, how to accept a warranty card?

Buyer

How to store the warranty? - For the warranty to be valid, the buyer must keep the warranty card from the seller for the entire warranty period for the product - in paper form if provided by the seller, or in electronic form if no paper warranty was provided. From the manufacturer - it is enough to store it electronically on the manufacturer's website or in your own file on the phone, computer.
Should you keep the original box? - The law does not oblige the buyer to keep the box, instructions, or packaging from the product with a warranty, but keeping the box can be important for obtaining warranty services in some cases:

1. Electronics and appliances, such as smartphones, laptops, TVs, video cameras, electronic watches, etc. - The original packaging often indicates the serial number, model of the device. This information may be needed for ordering parts or complete replacement of the product.
2. Expensive products that are valued for their originality and often counterfeited, such as jewelry, designer clothing, branded goods, sports equipment. - Keeping the box can help confirm its authenticity and value.
3. Individual requirements of the manufacturer or seller. - Carefully read the warranty conditions of a particular manufacturer or seller, as some companies may require keeping the original packaging to fulfill warranty obligations.
4. Products with complex packaging, such as optical devices, medical equipment, some computer equipment, and trade equipment. - Even if the manufacturer and seller did not specify such requirements, keeping the box can significantly facilitate the transportation and storage of the product for receiving warranty services if it is a fragile, complex-shaped product, delicate equipment.

What documents to provide when applying for a warranty? - To receive warranty services with a warranty card, the buyer must present the warranty card and receipt for the purchase of this product. Therefore, the receipt for the product must be kept for the entire warranty period. The receipt can be paper, electronic, or a photo of the paper receipt on the phone. Note that the photo of the receipt must be clear and contain all the necessary information.

Seller

Should you keep warranty cards? - The seller usually keeps warranty cards for the product in electronic form. If the buyer applies to the seller for a warranty, the seller must check the validity of the warranty, the presence of the receipt for the product, and whether the product in the receipt matches.
Should you require keeping the original packaging?
If you provide a warranty for the product from the manufacturer, you need to ensure the storage of the original box and inform the client about this at the time of sale so that later the client does not have a conflict situation with the manufacturer due to poor information, as this will affect customer loyalty and the rating of your store.
If you issue your own warranty card, the responsibility for further communication with the manufacturer, repair, and replacement of the product lies entirely with you. And if the client does not keep the packaging because you did not inform them, and the manufacturer requires the original box, you will not be able to use the warranty from this manufacturer and will have to fulfill your warranty obligations to the client at your own expense and effort. Therefore, before issuing a warranty card, be sure to check on the manufacturer's website whether they require keeping the original box for the warranty on their product .
How to check if the same product was brought that is indicated in the warranty? - By the serial number of the product in the Torqsoft accounting program, you can see if it is the same product that was sold with this receipt and received a warranty.

How to create a warranty card in the Torqsoft accounting program?

To create a warranty card in the Torqsoft accounting program, open the warranty card template for editing. This can be done from the "Settings" form - "Print template settings". Edit the warranty card template, fill in all the necessary data, and provide it to the client in a convenient format for you and the client - print it in paper form, or send an electronic file to the client's email.

Useful links:
Accounting program for stores selling goods with a warranty and service centers for repairs.
Program for accounting for warranty goods by serial numbers.
Video on the topic "Accounting for warranty goods in Torqsoft"
Video lesson: repair and warranty service - accounting.
How to return a product to the supplier - Torqsoft Click
How to return a product in the accounting program
Variety of additional Torqsoft options.
Accounting program and automation - what problems does it solve?