How to set up and start using a barcode scanner

1. Choosing a scanner

1. 1Buy any USB or Bluetooth scanner described as a keyboard-wedge or HID scanner. Most are $20 to $60.
2. 2A corded USB scanner is the simplest and never needs charging. A Bluetooth one is better if you walk the shelves.
3. 3You do not need a special brand, a licence or a driver. If it types the barcode like a keyboard, it works with EZMunny.
4. 4No scanner yet? Your phone camera works for the odd item — type the number in by hand.

2. Plugging it in

1. 1USB: plug it into the computer. Your machine recognises it as a keyboard within a few seconds.
2. 2Bluetooth: hold the pairing button, then pair it from your computer's Bluetooth settings.
3. 3Open a blank note or any text box and scan a barcode. The digits should appear followed by the cursor jumping to the next line. That is all EZMunny needs.
4. 4If nothing appears, scan the USB-keyboard setup barcode printed in the scanner's leaflet. That single scan fixes nearly every scanner.

3. Putting barcodes on your products

1. 1Open Products & Inventory and edit an item.
2. 2Click into the barcode or SKU box and scan the item's existing barcode — the number types itself in. Save.
3. 3For items with no barcode, make one up (a short number is fine) and print a label.
4. 4Repeat for each product. From then on the scanner finds that item instantly anywhere in EZMunny.

Do your busiest twenty products first. They cover most of your scanning within a day.