Suplery's barcode scanner turns your phone into an inventory tool. Point your camera at a product's barcode and Suplery recognizes it instantly — so you can record a sale, log in-salon use, adjust stock, add items to an order, check off a delivery, or run a stocktake without ever searching or typing.
💡 The scanner uses your phone's camera, so it's a mobile feature. It can technically run in a desktop browser, but holding products up to a webcam is awkward — use your phone.
📲 Get the Suplery app: LINK Download on the App Store [to {APP_STORE_URL — PLACEHOLDER}] · LINK Get it on Google Play [to {GOOGLE_PLAY_URL — PLACEHOLDER}]
Why scan
Scanning replaces the slowest part of inventory work — finding the right product in a list and typing numbers. Instead, you point and shoot:
It's fast. A scan takes a second; finding each product by hand takes far longer, item after item.
It's accurate. You act on the exact product in your hand, so there are no wrong-product or wrong-count mix-ups.
It's hands-on. Walk your shelves with your phone and update stock right where it sits.
The payoff is biggest for the jobs that touch lots of products at once — stocktakes, building orders, and receiving deliveries — where scanning turns an afternoon into a few minutes.
Open the scanner
On your phone, open Inventory and use the buttons along the bottom:
Sell or Use — opens the scanner right away.
Adjust — pick a reason first, then tap Continue to barcode scan.
The Sell, Use, and Adjust scanner screens are identical apart from the heading, so it always works the same way.
Pick a reason (Adjust)
When you tap Adjust, choose why the stock is changing before you scan:
Removing stock: Sale, Internal use, Damaged, Expired, Lost, Returned to supplier, Other.
Adding stock: Return, Other.
These are the same reasons used everywhere in inventory — see LINK Inventory management [to Inventory management].
Scan a product
Point your camera at the barcode and line it up inside the ↓ Place barcode here ↓ frame.
Suplery reads it automatically and the product appears on screen.
Scan it again to add another, or use + / – to set the quantity.
The scanner screen also has a flash toggle, a camera switch, settings, help, and close. If your phone has more than one camera, the back camera usually scans best.
Count a stocktake by scanning
This is where the scanner earns its keep. A stocktake means going through your shelves and confirming how much of each product you actually have — and doing that by hand, searching for every item and typing each number, is slow and easy to get wrong. With the scanner it's a different job entirely:
Start a stocktake (Inventory → Stocktakes → Start new stocktake).
Walk your shelves and scan each product as you reach it — every scan adds it to your count.
Scan a product again for each extra unit, or set the number with + / –.
Complete the stocktake when you're done.
Because you're scanning what's physically in front of you, you count faster, you don't lose your place, and you don't mistype — what would take an afternoon by hand takes a few minutes. For the full stocktake flow (warnings, partial counts, completing), see LINK Stocktakes [to Stocktakes].
💡 Counting just one shelf or one brand? Scan only those products — when you finish, Suplery offers to leave everything else untouched.
Build an order by scanning
Restocking straight from the shelf? While creating an order you can scan products to add them, instead of searching the catalog — handy when you're standing in your stockroom and can see exactly what's running low. More on ordering in LINK Order from the Shop [to Order from the Shop].
Check off a delivery
When an order arrives, scan the items as you unpack to check them against what you ordered and receive them into your stock — a quick way to confirm the box matches the paperwork before anything goes on the shelf. See LINK Manage your orders [to Manage your orders].
When a barcode won't scan
Tap Can't scan the barcode? for quick fixes:
Keep the whole barcode inside the frame, both edges included.
Pull back a little if it looks too large or blurry.
Hold steady for a moment — shakes make scanning harder in low light.
Improve the lighting and avoid glare on glossy packaging.
Aim at the black bars, not the product text.
Still no luck? Tap Search product manually.
When a product isn't recognized
If a barcode isn't in Suplery, nothing registers on screen. Open the scanner logs to see everything you've scanned and whether it matched — a Product not found entry means that barcode isn't in Suplery's catalog yet. Use manual search to add the product instead.
Find a product by hand
From Search product manually, type a barcode number or product name, pick the product from the list, and it joins your scan list so you can keep going. Useful when the barcode's gone — for example, it was on packaging you've already thrown out.
Advanced scanner settings
The defaults handle most barcodes. For stubborn ones — small, curved, or on shiny packaging — tap the gear icon to fine-tune detection (for example, a smaller Patch Size or a higher Resolution), then Apply & Restart. Reset returns everything to defaults.
Tips for best results
Use manufacturer barcodes — store price-stickers and custom labels won't match.
Check the box before you bin packaging — the barcode is often on the box, not the bottle.
Good light and a steady hand make most scans instant; use the flash in dim rooms.
FAQ
💬 Can I scan on a desktop? The scanner is built for mobile, since it needs a camera. It can technically run in a desktop browser, but holding products up to a webcam is impractical — use your phone.
💬 Why won't my barcode scan? Keep the whole barcode in the frame, steady and well-lit, and aim at the bars rather than the text. Tap Can't scan the barcode? for tips, or search for the product by hand.
💬 A barcode isn't recognized — what now? It's probably not in Suplery's catalog yet. Check the scanner logs for a Product not found entry, then use manual search to find the product by name.
💬 Can I use the scanner for stocktakes? Yes — it's the fastest way to count. Start a stocktake and scan your shelves; each scan adds to the count.
Related articles
LINK Inventory management [to Inventory management]
LINK Stocktakes [to Stocktakes]
LINK Order from the Shop [to Order from the Shop]
LINK Manage your orders [to Manage your orders]
LINK External orders [to External orders]
📲 Get the app: LINK Download on the App Store [to {APP_STORE_URL — PLACEHOLDER}] · LINK Get it on Google Play [to {GOOGLE_PLAY_URL — PLACEHOLDER}]