Use barcode scanning wherever you can. It is faster and more certain. The visual scanner exists for
what cannot be barcoded.
Barcode scanning
Setting up
1
Record a barcode against each item
Open the item and enter the barcode. Each must be unique within your business. See
Items.
2
Use the manufacturer's barcode where there is one
Scan the product and record what comes up.
3
Print your own for unlabelled goods
Generate codes, print labels, apply them.
Using it
1
Open the scanner
From the till or from a count entry screen.
2
Allow camera access
Your browser will ask the first time.
3
Point at the barcode
Decoding is continuous — you do not press anything. It reads upside-down barcodes too.
4
Listen for the result
A two-tone beep and the item name spoken aloud means a match. A buzz means no match.
5
Carry on
A brief pause prevents the same barcode registering twice by accident.
When nothing matches
Visual scanning
The visual scanner identifies a product from a photograph. It runs entirely on your device — no image is sent anywhere.Setting up
1
Upload a reference photo for each item
On the item record. See Items.
2
Take good photos
Plain background, good light, the product filling the frame, from the angle staff normally see
it.
3
Prioritise the items you handle most
You do not need a photo for everything. Start with what you sell often and cannot barcode.
Using it
1
Open the visual scanner
From the till or a count screen.
2
Wait for it to load on first use
The recognition model loads once. Subsequent uses are immediate.
3
Point at the product and capture
Unlike the barcode scanner, you press a button.
4
Check the match
A confidence percentage is shown with the identified item. The name is spoken aloud.
5
Retake if it is wrong
Better light, plainer background, closer.
Improving accuracy
The scanner deliberately refuses to match photographs of people, empty surfaces and non-products,
so pointing it at nothing gives no result rather than a wrong one.
Camera problems
In the till
Both scanners appear as buttons on the item search. Barcode scanning adds items continuously — scan five products in a row and all five are in the cart. See Point of sale.In stock counts
Scanning during a count increases the counted quantity by one each time. Scan an item five times and its count is five. Rapid scans are batched together, so scanning quickly still gives the right total. The row is highlighted for a moment and the grid scrolls to it so you can see what registered. Only items with a barcode can be scanned during a count. Everything else is typed. See Stock counts.Practical advice
- Barcode what you can. The time saved compounds every day.
- One reference photo per item, taken well. Better than several taken poorly.
- Watch the highlight, not just the beep. Confirms the right item registered.
- Keep labels clean. A worn barcode is a slow barcode.
- Have a fallback. Staff should know how to search by name when scanning fails.
- Charge the device. Continuous camera use drains a battery quickly during a full count.
Related: Items for recording barcodes and photos.