Hardware Suggestion for Square Stand and Barcode Scanner

[dwilhelm]

The title of this thread has been edited by a Square Moderator from the original: Hardware suggestion for square stand and barcode scanner

I currently have the square stand (1st generation) with the square app installed on an ipad (9th generation). I use the bluetooth socketmobile S700 barcode scanner. We have a building that is sort of divided in half-1/2 antiques, 1/2 stained glass and supplies. The current set up works great for items I am checking out at the main register (on the antiques side). However, if I want to use the barcode scanner to scan some stained glass, I have to keep running back to the antiques side where my square stand is to make sure that the barcode scanner scanned correctly (or at all!) Otherwise, I have to carry the customer's glass over to the antiques side where the main checkout is in order to scan their glass (less than ideal). Would it work to get a square terminal and another barcode scanner (I know the current one is not compatible with the terminal) for the stained glass side or does anyone have a better suggestion?

[HC_Charlie]

Hello @dwilhelm thanks for your post. How do you checkout on the stained glass side? A Square Register or Are you also using an ipad stand? Would it work to swap whatever you're using between the Stained Glass and Antique sides? If you're processing less on the Antique Side, could you use the ITEM menu on the ipad instead of the barcode scanner?

You should be able to use a barcode scanner with a terminal, check out this help article for compatibility.

https://squareup.com/us/en/compatibility/accessories

[dwilhelm]

Currently I just have one checkout and it is on the antiques side (ipad, barcode scanner, square stand, receipt printer, cash drawer).  Typically shoppers are either there for stained glass or they're there for antiques so there isn't much crossover (people who are there buying stained glass and supplies typically aren't also purchasing antiques). What I currently do is take the bluetooth scanner over to the stained glass side and scan the barcodes off the glass. The problem is I don't have a screen on that side so I don't know if the barcodes scanned correctly (or at all) until I walk back to the antiques side and look at my ipad. Sometimes I have scanned several pieces of glass only to find out that the first piece never scanned correctly and I have to start all over. I think it would be too cumbersome to take the ipad back and forth. That's why I was wondering if getting a terminal and another barcode scanner that just stays on that side might work. If I did that though, does the terminal communicate with my square stand? In other words, If I scanned the items using a barcode scanner and the terminal, does it show up on my ipad so when they need to pay, I have that information in front on me? Or maybe it doesn't matter because the terminal looks to be designed to be more of a stand alone and I could just enter the payment information on the terminal? These are probably dumb questions. I just don't want to invest in something that really isn't going to make my life easier!

[Sammie_C · Accepted solution]

Hi @dwilhelm, thank you for reaching out!

As you mentioned, getting another Square Terminal and another Barcode scanner could definitely be a solution for you. To answer your question about connecting a Square Terminal: Yes, you can connect a Square Terminal to an iPad using the Square Stand. I'll go ahead and leave a Support article here with some additional information on Connecting a Square Terminal to make accepting payments easier across the two devices.

@HC_Charlie thank you for your insight. Do you have any personal experience with using a Barcode Scanner and Terminal? I see you linked a support article about it. If so, does this sound like a good solution for @dwilhelm?

Please let us know if you end up having any other questions in the meantime.

[HC_Charlie]

I think the terminal is a good solution. I do not have one myself, but I think if @dwilhelm starts to use it, they'll probably end up just taking payment through the terminal. From what i've seen about it, it should work pretty well.