SwipeSimple supports barcode scanning on the iOS app. Instead of typing, you can scan a product's barcode with your iPhone camera to check out customers faster and manage your Item Catalog with fewer steps. No extra hardware is required.
Before you begin
- Barcode scanning is only available on the SwipeSimple iOS app.
- Requires SwipeSimple 8.1.0 for iOS or higher.
- Requires iOS 18 or higher
- Barcode scanning for Android devices coming soon.
- Barcode scanning is included with the SwipeSimple Standard and Premium plans.
- The first time you scan, iOS asks for permission to use the camera. You must grant this permission to use this feature.
- You will see the scan option only after your Item Catalog has at least one item.
Scan to add an item during a sale
Use this option to drop an item straight into the cart while taking a payment. Open New Charge, go to the Items tab, and tap the barcode icon to the left of the Search field
Point your iPhone camera at the item's barcode. When SwipeSimple finds an item whose SKU matches the barcode, it adds that item to the cart right away. To add more of the same item, scan it again and the quantity increases.
If no item matches the barcode, SwipeSimple shows "The scanned item wasn't found in your catalog. Set the item price to add it to your cart." Enter a price to add it as a Quick Item, or scan again.
Create an item by scanning its barcode
Use this to build your catalog without typing SKUs. Go to the Item Catalog, tap New, and select Create Item. Create and Cancel appear at the top. Tap the barcode icon and scan the product's barcode.
SwipeSimple enters the scanned value into the SKU field automatically. Add or adjust the item name, price, and any other details, then tap Create.
You can also add a SKU to an item you already created but left without one by opening the item and tapping the scan icon in the SKU field.
Find an existing item by scanning
Use this to pull up an item already in your catalog. Open the Item Catalog and tap the barcode icon to the left of the Search field.
Scan the barcode, and SwipeSimple uses the scanned value as the search term and shows the matching items.
Troubleshooting
- If the camera does not open, SwipeSimple may not have permission to use it. Open the iPhone Settings app, navigate to Apps, scroll to SwipeSimple, and turn on Camera permissions.
- If you don't see the scanner option, make sure you have at least one item in your item catalog first.
- If scanning returns "Item not found," confirm that the item exists in your Item Catalog and that its barcode is saved in the SKU field. You can then scan again or search manually.
- If more than one item shares the same SKU, SwipeSimple adds the first match it finds. To avoid this, keep SKUs unique in your catalog. If you cancel a scan, SwipeSimple returns you to the screen you started from.