Barcode scanner

A barcode scanner adds a dish to the bill the moment you scan its product. It is the fastest way to bill bottles, cans, packaged snacks and anything else that already carries a barcode. Scanning works anywhere on the Point of sale: you do not need to click the search box first. It also works on the offline POS.

How do I show my scanner in Devices?

On Settings → Barcode scanner, scan anything in the test area. When the scan works, a card says Your scanner works on this device. Give the scanner a name, choose how it connects (USB cable, Bluetooth or Wireless receiver, the small 2.4 GHz USB plug) and press Save. It now appears under Barcode scanners in Settings → Devices, with the device it is on and when it last scanned. Come back to the card to Edit or Remove it. Even if you never save it, a scanner that scans on the POS shows up in Devices after its first scan, as "Type not set". You can also start from Settings → Devices → Add scanner, which opens this page. See Devices.

How do I set up a scanner?

Almost every USB and Bluetooth scanner works like a very fast keyboard: it types the barcode, then presses Enter. Nothing needs installing.

USB scanner

1. Plug it into the computer. It usually beeps or lights up.
2. Open the POS and scan a product.

Bluetooth scanner

1. Put the scanner in pairing mode (see its manual; often you scan a "Bluetooth" setup barcode).
2. In the Bluetooth settings of the computer, tablet or phone, pair it. It shows up as a keyboard.
3. Open the POS and scan a product.

Then make sure each dish knows its barcode (below).

Make the scanner press Enter after each scan

AirQR knows a scan is finished when the scanner presses Enter (or Tab). Most scanners do this out of the box. If yours does not, look for the "suffix" setting in its manual (it may be called "Add Enter", "CR suffix" or "Carriage return") and scan that setup barcode. Or open Settings → Barcode scanner and choose Nothing after the code under What your scanner sends after the code.

How do I know my scanner is in keyboard mode?

Open Settings → Barcode scanner and scan any product. If the code appears in the list under Scan anything, the scanner is in keyboard mode. If nothing appears, the scanner may be in a serial or "SPP" mode: scan the "USB HID keyboard" setup barcode from its manual. Each result shows the code, how many characters per second it arrived at, whether AirQR counted it as a scan or as typing, and the dish it matched.

How does AirQR tell a scan from typing?

By speed. A scanner sends its characters a few milliseconds apart, and a person types about 100 milliseconds apart. A scan is a run of characters, each no more than 35 ms after the one before, at least 4 characters long, ended by Enter or Tab. Normal typing is never blocked. If a scan lands while the cursor is in some other text box, the scanned characters are taken back out of that box.

How do I link a barcode to a dish?

A dish has a Scan code: the barcode on the product, for example 8901544011144. There are four ways to add it:

• While billing: scan a product the menu does not know. You see Not on the menu and the code. If you can edit the menu, tap Assign to a dish…, search the dish by name or short code and pick it. The code is saved and the dish is added to the bill.
• In bulk: in Menu & QR → Menu builder, open the gear next to the menu name and choose Assign scan codes. Pick a dish, scan its product, and it saves and moves to the next dish. Or choose Scan, then pick the dish for a pile of products: scan one and answer Which dish is this?. The window shows 18 of 40 dishes have a scan code as you go, and you can type a code if you have no scanner.
• On the dish: fill Scan code (optional) in the dish window.
• From a file: a Barcode, EAN, UPC or Scan code column in your import file.

Each scan code can belong to only one dish. If a code is already on another dish, AirQR names that dish and Move the code here takes it from there after you confirm.

What happens when I scan on the POS?

• The dish is added, with a short beep and a brief highlight on its line in the bill. If it has sizes or add-ons, the options window opens first.
• A sold-out dish says so instead of being added.
• A code no dish has shows Not on the menu. On the offline POS there is only the message, because linking a barcode to a dish needs the internet.
• While a window is open (payment, options) scans are ignored.

The scanner icon at the top of the POS shows whether scanning is on, and opens a small panel to turn it off, turn the beep off, scan with the camera or open the test page.

Settings on this device

Settings → Barcode scanner has settings that are saved in this browser only, so a counter with a scanner and a waiter's phone can differ:

Can I scan with my phone camera?

Where the browser supports it. Camera scanning uses the browser's own barcode reader and reads EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, UPC-E, Code 128, Code 39 and QR codes. It works in Chrome on Android and on Mac, on a secure (https) page. iPhone and iPad browsers cannot do it yet, so there the camera button is hidden and Settings → Barcode scanner says so. Use a USB or Bluetooth scanner on those devices.

On a supported phone or tablet, tap the scanner icon on the POS and choose Scan with camera, hold the barcode inside the picture, and it reads by itself. The first time, allow the camera when the browser asks.

Troubleshooting

See Short codes and fast POS entry, Point of sale basics and Keyboard shortcuts.

Still stuck? Call or WhatsApp +91 96573 22724, or email support@airqr.in.