Can a Bar Code Scanner read Skus formatted with Code 128

[Belladue]

If I have a product and I create a scannable bar code in code 128 format... can it be read by a compatible bar code scanner into square.  For example, if I am setting up a product and I leave the GTIN space blank and enter a SKU.  Can I then using a compatible bar code printer to create a label using code 128 with the SKU.  Can I then scan that label and it will pop up on Square?

[isabelle]

Hey @Belladue! 

Welcome to the Seller Community! 💫

Hmmm. I'm assuming Code 128 labels are their own specific size, right? Square for Retail barcode labels can only be formatted to a specific type of label. You can learn more about that here. I hope that helps. If not, please feel free to circle back with a bit more detail on using Code 128 with Square for Retail. 

[Candlestore]

To test your theory,  Since there are different systems for Square I would suggest just printing out a 128 formatted barcode and see if it scans. 

Things to watch out for:

My problem with 128 barcodes was length when they printed because I never kept them to the same size.    Some SKU's were lets say 6 characters long and others were 15 characters.  This made the barcode all different length and would require long labels to fit the longest barcode.  Now if you set the number of characters to all the same length that should work.  The only thing is for some reason Square does not differentiate between 'A'  and 'a', everything in Square is 'a'.  With the 128 Barcodes I am not sure if there are different number length codes for capitals and lower case or other characters.  I noticed when trying to use the '&' sign in a barcode Square would assign it '7' throwing off some of my barcodes.  I would have the SKU assigned as "lemon & lavender" and Square would say Item lemon 7 lavender was not found.....  The Barcode was correct because in Word or other Text documents on a pc it would scan as 'lemon & lavender' 

For my solution I made QR codes that matched my SKU and use a 2D scanner so all my QR codes are about 3/4" square.  My scanner reads them fine and it does not matter if the QR code has 6 characters or 30, the QR code is still 3/4" square.

Hope this helps

[DaltonDaily]

Can you show us a link to your 2D scanner? We bought a scanner. It was the exact same one that square sells. However, when we got it, it wouldn’t scan anything we had. I guess it was programmed differently.

[Candlestore]

@DaltonDaily ;

This is the current one I am using.  It does have a USB to charger base cord, but it is wireless to the base so I can be about 20 ft from the base and it still scans in to Square.

Zebra-Motorola-Symbol-DS6878-SR 

This was the first one I had and still have to use on my desktop and notebooks for inventory.  This one works fine but has to be connect by wire (usb) all the time and was a pain with the wire at the POS.  I prefer the DS6878-SR.

Zebra-DS2208-SR-Handheld-Omnidirectional-DS2208 

Now Zebra has come out with a new model but it is a lot more expensive then these used refurbished ones.

Using them was easy, plugged in USB and scan in to my Square Stand.  Do these work with other square hardware, I don't know.   If they are not recommended by Square, I can just tell you MY experience with the White Square Stands.

I use then on pre-barcoded items code 39, code 128, aztec, data matrix, QR right out of the box.   I use the Aztec and Data Matrix codes on my products cause they are a standard size and all my labels can be the same size no matter the length of SKU code.