---
title: "Barcode scanning — setup guide"
source: https://www.lskhata.com/integrations/barcode-scanning
category: "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

1. **Record the barcode against each product** (You) — Scan 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** (You) — Open 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** (You) — USB 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

**Do I need to buy a scanner?**

No. The phone camera is the intended way. Buy a scanner if the counter is busy enough that a second per item is worth money to you.

**Can I print my own barcode labels?**

Not from Khata. Products without a manufacturer barcode are billed by searching for them by name.