Square terminal, barcode scanner, SKUs, and GTINs

[RBTGames]

I just got my zebra barcode scanner hooked up to my square terminal. I made some customers labels with a barcode that represents the SKU, and the scanner reads them with no issue and will add the scanned item to the transaction. However, when I scan the barcode right on the items box, square isn't able to match that barcode to the item in my inventory.

I double checked with numerous items and verified I entered the GTIN correctly in the items page in the proper section. I'd like to be able to use both the SKU and GTIN when necessary so I can't just enter the GTIN in the SKU field.

However, as an experiment, I did try entering the GTIN in the SKU field and the item came up when I scanned the box directly, so I know the scanner is reading it correctly. Square just can't seem to find the item if the number is in the GTIN field.

Does anyone know how to fix this?

Sorry for the long jumbled paragraph....

[Valentina]

It sounds like you checked the GTIN you input into Square, and it matches what shows up in the pop up - is that right?

Have you tried any basic troubleshooting yet, @RBTGames? 

[180]

@RBTGames To answer your question first, the reason that your Square Terminal doesnt seem to work is because the Square Terminal does not support a GTIN directly.

Square offers "Square Point of Sale" and "Square for Retail" as two separate software subscriptions. The "Point of Sale" version support a SKU field only (which can hold either a SKU or a GTIN, but not both). The "Retail" version supports both a SKU field and a GTIN field (which should be populated with a SKU in the SKU field and GTIN/UPC in the GTIN field or it will be hard to keep the data straight). 

The second oddity here is that if you buy the "Retail" version and manage all of your data there, the GTIN field will NOT be use usable unless you're using the "Retail" version on the hardware end. This might seem straightforward, except that Android Phones, Android Tables and Square Terminal do not support the "Retail" version. The documentation is technically available on the link below, but you have to magically put together the pieces to know it wont work beforehand.

https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5980-compare-square-for-retail-and-square-point-of-sale

If you're like me, where we want to be able to use both the Square Register and the Square Terminal... its disappointing that the GTIN feature doesnt work on ALL "POS" versions of hardware if you pay for the "Retail" subscription.

This is a huge oversight on Square's part, and shows they dont understand how this affects their customers.

They could change it if they want to, but... 

In my opinion, the only way around this (practically) is to use Square Register and Apple iPads as hardware along with a "Retail" software subscription. If you try and mix sometimes-sku/sometimes-GTIN in your inventory records, it becomes unmanageable. Not a lot of business can be all-sku or all-GTIN, which would be the only exception.

[remixrecordshop]

Well this is disappointing and helps to to figure out why I’ve been having so much trouble with my Square Terminal.  

I have a Square Retail account and Square Register… we and added a Square Terminal for backup (we get busy in our shop and need a second register). I purchased the Square Terminal and Zebra barcode scanner directly from Square. The scanner pulls the barcode but gives an error message saying Invalid Code… Code can’t be applied… with the barcode numbers. Very frustrating.