Is Square able to read externally created barcodes?

[cstroud01]

I manage an annual non-profit plant sale. we utilize a label printing software and a special printer for our plant tags and pot stakes to survive the elements. Our label software has the capability to generate bar codes.

We want to utilize Square bar code scanners and was told by support that I couldn't export Square-generated bar codes nor import from our tools,  that I'd just have to print separate labels from Square. 

can Square bar code readers read externally generated bar codes? Is there a trick? I can't make sense of printing separate sticky labels for our 10,000 plants. 

The title of this post has been edited from the original: external bar codes

[HC_Charlie · Accepted solution]

Hello @cstroud01 thanks for your post. Yes, Square bar code readers can read externally generated bar codes. It's easy to input most barcodes into your Square inventory. All you need to do is to create an inventory item. You can do this first, and then scan/assign a barcode to that item. When you are looking at your inventory item, you should see a field called "SKU". If you click your cursor inside that field, and then scan a corresponding barcode, you'll input that data inside your Square dashboard.

Then when you are checking out customers, you can use the barcode scanner like at any retail store, and scan the barcodes on your plant tags to add that item into a sale. I hope this makes sense let me know if you have any questions or want clarification on this.

Here are a few help articles:

https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/7992-automate-item-creation-with-square-for-retail

[JJ_]

Thank you for replying here @HC_Charlie @Candlestore 🙂 

[Candlestore]

@cstroud01 ;

Simple answer is Yes Square Scanners can read externally Printed Barcodes.   As long as the Barcode Scanner you have can read the Barcode.  A 1D Linear barcode Scanner would not be able to read a QR code for example.  To test your Barcode reader scan any item you have with a barcode.  The item will scan but will also say Item not found in your Square account would you like to create item with 12345678 GTIN?  I scan 2D barcodes in my store that we print for our labels, Postage tracking information, Barcodes on products shipped to us.  Now you can not export the Barcode design to your Barcode printer from Square, but you can export the GTIN or SKU field to your Barcode software if it can import a CSV file.  Otherwise you would need to copy the SKU or GTIN field in Square to paste into your current Barcode software.  So for example your Barcode Software you enter 987654321 for example and it then Prints out the barcode for your scanners.  The 987654321 can be exported from Square but not the barcode image (the bar Lines) that is printed.

When Square generates a Barcode it prints the barcode exactly that is in the SKU or GTIN fields, no checkdigits.

The maximum characters for a SKU field in Square is over 30 characters.  The more characters the larger the Barcode will be.

GTINs can be 8, 12, 13, or 14 digits in length to accommodate different application and product constraints. These GTIN structures are known as GTIN-8, GTIN-12, GTIN-13, and GTIN-14 respectively. 

The biggest Trick is knowing your Barcode generators rules for the Barcodes it is printing.  Meaning some barcodes require a Leading or Ending or both codes to Identify and check the barcode.  This is sometimes called the Check Digit.  So if Square exports a SKU with 7 Characters as a SKU, you do not want your Barcode generators adding the Ckeck digits.  The seven digit code from Square could endup being 8 or 9 digits to your scanner and then the Item would not be found.  If your Barcode generators only enters the characters entered to be printed as the Barcode format then you can export or import these Texts to Square as a SKU field.  I prefer the SKU field as there are less rules as stated above.  Easy way to test this is with your Barcode program and a Scanner and Text document.   Type in 12345678 for example in your Barcode generator, print 1 label.  Then with your scanner, scan the Barcode into Notepad or Word or some other text type document.  If you get 12345678 then you Barcode generator is not adding Check Digits, if you get back 123456784 for example it is adding a check digit.  Look at your settings for your Barcode generator and see if you can enable or disable the Generate Check Digit if it was printed.  Square matches what is scanned to what is in the GTIN or SKU fields exactly.  So you could in theory enter the 23456789 and have it print label 234567896, scan the item or enter 234567896 as the Items SKU and you would be fine but a lot of steps for 10,000 items.  It is a lot easier to make sure what Square or your Scanner sees is the same as what is on your Purchase orders Barcode field to import.

So I agree with @HC_Charlie , about Creating the Item and scanning the barcode, but doing that for 10,000 plants is a lot of work.  If you can import your Purchase order as a CSV file to your Square catalog and have the Barcode field from you purchase order filled into the Square catalog GTIN or SKU fields directly this would save a bunch of time.  Here is more about Importing to your Square Catalog.   Yes I know it sates Online but is very similar for the POS system. 

5153-import-items-online 

Once the Import to Square is complete, you should be able to get a Plant, scan it with your scanner and Square will pull it up in your Catalog for sale.