Use the barcode that is already there
Most packaged goods arrive with a UPC (12 digits, common in North America) or EAN-13 (13 digits, used elsewhere). These are unique to the product and the same in every store, so there is no reason to cover them. Enter the existing barcode on the product record and scan it at the till.
Check a few before you rely on them. Some suppliers use the same barcode for every size or colour, and some imported goods carry codes that clash with something else you stock. Those products need your own labels.
Your own labels: Code 128 and SKUs
For products with no barcode (handmade goods, bulk items, things you pack yourself, second-hand stock), print your own. Code 128 is the usual choice: it encodes letters and numbers, prints small and is read by any retail scanner. Build it from your SKU so the label and the system always agree.
You only need GS1 barcodes, which you license from GS1, if your products will be sold by other retailers who expect a real UPC or EAN. Inside your own shop, Code 128 from your SKU is enough.
Label sizes, printers and stock
Decide what each label shows. A product sticker usually needs the barcode, the name and the price. A shelf label may add the size or unit price. A jewellery tag may only fit the barcode and price. Keep the barcode itself large enough to scan: very narrow labels and tiny fonts cause most misreads.
A label printer with rolls is fastest for high volumes; sticker sheets on a regular office printer suit occasional printing. Match the label stock to the surface: removable labels for gifts, strong adhesive for rough packaging, freezer-grade for cold stock.
Label as stock arrives
Print and apply labels when you check in a delivery, not when stock reaches the shelf. That way every item on the floor scans, and the number of labels printed matches the quantity received. When prices change, reprint shelf labels the same day so the shelf and the till agree.
Doing it in SeroPOS
Barcode labels are printed from the SeroPOS web back office; the till app scans them but does not print labels itself.
- Products, then Add Product or Edit: set the barcode type (Code 128, Code 39, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A or UPC-E) and the SKU. A blank SKU is generated from the SKU prefix in Business Settings.
- Settings, then Barcode Settings: create sticker presets with the sticker width and height, paper size, margins, gaps, stickers per row and per sheet, or continuous roll.
- Products, then Print Labels: add products and quantities, choose what prints (name, variation, price with or without tax, business name, lot, expiry or packing date) and a barcode setting, preview, then print.
- At the till, a USB or Bluetooth scanner works as a keyboard in the product search; an exact SKU match adds the item. The phone or tablet camera can also scan.