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:** [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/suplery/id6766495836) · [Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.suplery.app)

## 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 [Inventory management](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16012670-8-inventory-management).

## Scan a product

1. Point your camera at the barcode and line it up inside the **↓ Place barcode here ↓** frame.

2. Suplery reads it automatically and the product appears on screen.

3. 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:

1. Start a stocktake (**Inventory → Stocktakes → Start new stocktake**).

2. Walk your shelves and **scan each product** as you reach it — every scan adds it to your count.

3. Scan a product again for each extra unit, or set the number with **+ / –**.

4. **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 [Stocktakes](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16036163-9-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 [Order from the Shop](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16036508-11-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 [Manage your orders](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16037105-13-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

- [Inventory management](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16012670-8-inventory-management)

- [Stocktakes](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16036163-9-stocktakes)

- [Order from the Shop](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16036508-11-order-from-the-shop)

- [Manage your orders](https://app.chatwoot.com/hc/for-beauty-businesses/articles/16037105-13-manage-your-orders)

📲 Get the app: [Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/suplery/id6766495836) · [Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.suplery.app)