Can you generate barcodes directly through square in Australia?

[Stranded]

Hi! I've been using my square reader in a sole trader, quite simple capacity for a while. But my business is growing and I'm looking to generate barcodes, print them, and scan them directly with my square app. Is that possible IN AUSTRALIA??  I can see that USA has had a new app released to them that solves this problem, but what are the Aussies doing? Is there a barcode generator & scanner combo that anyone has experience using here?

Are we going to have the Square for Retail app released down here anytime??? Thanks everyone for your time and support!

[Seamus · Accepted solution]

Hi @Stranded,

Thanks for getting in touch!

We don't yet have plans to launch Square for Retail in Australia, though we'll be sure to make an announcement if this changes in the future. I'll also pass on your feedback to our product team as part of tracking demand for Square for Retail in Australia.

In the meantime I can recommend an application called Barcode Producer, which does exactly what is says on the box 🙂

As for Barcode Scanners, you can find a list of compatible models by OS at our supported hardware page. If you're using an iPad with Square Stand you can also use this USB barcode scanner.

Please let me know if you have any questions!

[TripleMCakes]

I would love it if we had the same sqaure technology as the USA. I feel atm that I am hobbling all this stuff together. Some organisation and streamling of the pos stuff would really help my growing business.

I have used sqaure for many years now and it seams that our sqaure products for retail are stuck in  rut.

[Seamus]

Hey @TripleMCakes,

Thanks for your feedback!

We totally understand your frustrations surrounding some US Square features not being available in Australia, and appreciate your passion for products we're yet to release here.

For more context, Square has been running in the US for around 10 years and has had a long time to establish itself in this market, introducing a lot of new products and features along the way.

Square has had a presence in Australia for a little over 2 years, and while we've not been able to emulate everything the US has done in 10 years, we've continued to add new features and localise them for the Australian market on a regular basis - some obvious and some not so obvious. For instance, last month we introduced a gift card program geared towards retailers, that enables you to sell physical and eGift cards to your customers.

Our next big goal is EFTPOS support (savings/cheque accounts), which is an Australian exclusive with Square and something we've been working hard on bringing to Square as our most requested local feature. The product you're referring to here, Square for Retail, is definitely on our radar, along with Square for Hospitality, Terminal, Register, Loyalty and a bunch of other cool Square features we'd love to bring to market.

Launching new finance and POS products in new markets is unfortunately not as simple as flicking an 'on' switch - though we wish it was! We have to take into account things like complying with local regulations, and making sure features are tweaked in ways that Australian merchants expect. All of this take development time and resources, we have to map out our priorities in a way that makes sense in local conditions according to what our Australian merchants are most keen on seeing.

We loving hearing feedback from Square sellers such as yourself - it helps us learn more about what our merchants want to see in the future and impacts what we prioritise in our development pipeline. While we can't guarantee if or when new Square features will make it to Australia, we are listening and taking your feedback seriously.

Please keep letting us know what you're most keen on seeing with Square in Australia, and let us know if you have any questions 🙂

[kiwishopandpet]

Come on Aussies, get on board this thread and make it loud and clear to Square that they need to up the ANTI and make their technology available now.  Even if that means temporarily till it is available directly in Australia, allowing access to the US Technology so our businesses can run better.

Put your vote here and say you want everything the US has now not when they get around to it 🙂  Like my post now to say you want it now 🙂

[MareeStClair]

Hello,

Is there an update on when Square for Retail will launch in Australia? I am interested in using it to print barcodes for my ~3000 items.

Thanks

[Seamus]

Hey @MareeStClair,

Thanks for reaching out.

Unfortunately we don't currently have an ETA for Square for Retail in Australia - if you're looking for barcode generation software we recommend Barcode Producer. 

[kiwishopandpet]

I am more interested in the free website (ecommerce) that you do in the US, this and Square Retail would be great. So while Square is sitting on all of this I and thousands of other Square users are probably sitting waiting like me for these to be released. If they work in the US surely they would work here????  Can we make this urgent instead of when we get around to it, businesses here need to function better and you have the technology to make that happen but not making it available???

[TripleMCakes]

I agree. The quote " we can't emulate in 2 years what USA has done in 10 years" doesn't wash with me. Instead of fiddling around the edges with loyalty cards or gift cards or whatever surely it is not too hard for Sqare Au to work with sqaure usa to get the functionalities that Australian small businesses are crying out for here. 

I love square but am beginning to get very frustrated with the lack of progress here in Au. Are we to be the backwater again compared to the USA?

[theroyalctambo]

I am assuming the different laws surrounding sales makes a massive difference, to everything they do.

Also we have such a small population base, its worth it in states to create new products, as uptake is much bigger

[kiwishopandpet]

That doesn't wash, as we have a big enough population to make it worthwhile or they would not be here in the first place. Australia is also per capita one of the nations that take up technology the quickest. Good try 🙂

[REDFOXORCHIDS]

We definitely need this in Australia, funny thing is if you go to the hardware section you can buy the bar code scanner but then cant use it. We have one and cant use it with our square which is ridiculous, why sell hardware that we cant use, seems a bit sneaky.

[Seamus]

Hey @REDFOXORCHIDS,

All the barcode scanners we sell can absolutely be used with Square. You can read more about which barcode scanners will work with which mobile devices here.

To clarify, you can read barcodes with a compatible barcode scanner using Square's POS app. The use of a Barcode scanner to scan items into Square's POS app is not the same as having the ability to generate your own barcodes. We recommend you use Barcode Producer for this purpose.

[REDFOXORCHIDS]

I understand all that, we have a barcode producer but cant find any information about how to set the barcodes up in square POS so we can actually use the scanner we purchased from square when we purchased our square retail setup.

[Seamus]

Hey @REDFOXORCHIDS,

Check out this guide for more on setting up barcode scanners with Square. If you're having trouble you can also give our team a call on 1800 760 137 👍

[REDFOXORCHIDS]

You have misunderstood us, we can set the scanner up, what we want to know is how do we add a barcode to a product in the POS system.

[ZDC123]

Hi Guys,

You put the barcode in the "SKU" Field.