Hardware
Barcode scanning
A barcode saves a couple of seconds per item, which matters only when it happens hundreds of times a day — which is exactly when it matters most. The phone camera is enough to start; hardware is an upgrade, not a requirement.
Before you start
- Camera permission, for camera scanning.
- Products in Khata with their barcode recorded against them.
Setting it up
Each step says who does it, so you are never looking for a screen that does not exist.
- 1
Record the barcode against each product
YouScan the code once while editing the product. Most packaged goods already carry a manufacturer barcode, so for a grocery or chemist there is usually nothing to print.
- 2
Scan at the counter
YouOpen billing, scan, and the item is added. An unrecognised code prompts you to attach it to a product, so the second scan of that item works.
- 3
Or use a hardware scanner
YouUSB and Bluetooth scanners present themselves as keyboards, so they work with the dashboard and with a tablet without any setup in Khata.
What moves, and in which direction
- Camera → the bill
- The code is matched against your own catalogue on the device. Nothing is sent anywhere to identify a product.
How to know it worked
- Scan one item and confirm it lands on the bill with the right price.
- Scan an item with a damaged label to see the fallback: search by name still works.
What this does not do
- No barcode label printing — Khata reads codes, it does not generate and print them.
- No batch or expiry capture from a code, because there is no batch tracking to hold it.
- Camera scanning wants reasonable light. A dark counter is slower than a hardware scanner.
When it does not work
- Camera will not scan.
- Check camera permission, then light. A creased or reprinted label often will not read at any angle — type the code in once and attach it.
- Scans the code but finds no product.
- That code is not attached to a product yet. Attach it when prompted and it will match from then on.
Common questions
Other integrations
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