Square Terminal, how do I add my item to a sale with the barcode scanner? Or just by typing the SKU?

[kayrob4730]

In my trial run of Square for Retail. We're a mom/pop retail shop and I've imported some items. Our old system is Windows-based so I just popped up the Square Virtual Terminal on our machine and figured that would be the way to get going and test this out. We have barcodes on everything. Barcode scanner is a standard USB interface - works like a "keyboard" so it just enters the numbers/letters it reads just like I was typing it. When I try to add an item to an itemized sale in the virtual terminal by scanning the barcode, it just throws the number into the amount field instead of actually selecting the item I'm scanning.  How do I get Square to use the scanned barcode to select the item I'm scanning?  Before I get the question of if the barcode scanner is compatible... the act of scanning is working properly. It's just like I'm typing the number in. So let's just even use that as an example, if I TYPE the SKU in, it still doesn't find the item. It just uses that as a custom amount or if it has letters, a custom item.  If I type the SKU in, it should select that item and add it to the sale. That's what I'm trying to accomplish. Running on a windows machine, not an iPad or any other device. TIA!

[Kassi_]

Hey there, @kayrob4730 - 

Take a look at EJ's Best Answer on this thread to help format those barcodes.

Please let me know if that doesn't do the trick! Thank you. 

[kayrob4730]

Unfortunately that's not at all what my problem is. Sorry. My question has nothing to do with the format of the barcodes and everything to do with the behavior of the software when typing or scanning.  IF you have other suggestions, please lmk.

[sayra]

Hey @kayrob4730. Let me consult with our Retail Team. I'm wondering if they have ran into a similar question. 

Also, to be clear, what you are trying to accomplish is to have the ability to type in the SKU in order to select the item and add it to the sale, correct?  

[kayrob4730]

In simple terms, yes. We are using a barcode scanner, but it works EXACTLY like a keyboard. So it's "typing" the SKU.  If I type the sku myself on the keyboard, it doesn't work. If I scan it, it doesn't work.  Either way, if I type the exact SKU in, it should add that item and move to the next. This is the basic functionality of almost all other POS systems we've used so I'm quite surprised it's not on here. Super simple example: if I had 5 items, sku is 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, and 1005... Customer wants to purchase item #3, they walk up and I type in 1003, it should add item 1003 to the sale. Instead it thinks I'm creating a custom amount of $1003.  In addition, let's say my SKUs were: PN1001 to PN1005. If I type in PN1003, it assumes I'm creating a new custom item, not trying to add item #3.

Hope that helps. Right now, this is a show stopper for us. No reason to continue our trial if at least this basic functionality doesn't exist.